Player ratings: Manchester United 0-0 PSV Eindhoven

So that was that, then. United were dull for the first hour, risible for the last 30 minutes, and will likely need a result of some kind in Germany in two weeks.

David de Gea: 6

Had to catch two firm shots straight at his face, and one weak shot off to the side. Caught them all. Job done.

Marcos Rojo: 5

When he draws back his foot to cross the ball, we have no idea if it's going to arc towards the forehead of one of his colleagues or vanish into the crowd. Nor, we suspect, does he. Has a slightly concerning habit of vanishing once or twice when the opposition attack, and nearly injured himself running directly into an opponent. Though that was at least quite funny.

Daley Blind: 6

Generally tidy. Takes a decent corner. Magnolia.

Chris Smalling: 7

Managed the opposition's forwards well, and generally looked untroubled. Except for one header, which he made from approximately two inches above the ground; we can only assume that was a moving and classy tribute to the injured Phil Jones.

Matteo Darmian: 6

Defensively sound; attackingly timid. Though it's hard to tell, as an observer, whether this timidity belongs to him, his manager, or follows naturally from the depressing stodge around him. But he did better than he has been recently, so that's nice.

Bastian Schweinsteiger: 5 while he was on the pitch, 274 when he went off

Funny one, this. While he was on the pitch, United had plenty of possession, didn't do a huge amount with it, and were occasionally caught cold through the middle of the pitch. For anybody expecting him to dominate games, this was another tidy but disappointingly peripheral performance.

Then he went off and United's midfield folded in on itself like a ruined castle. So, er, maybe he was actually doing something important?

Morgan Schneiderlin: 5

Energetic but sloppy, though he wasn't helped by some frankly peculiar decisions by the referee. A theory: he misses Ander Herrera's energy, and the way the Spaniard is constantly showing for the ball, more than most.

Memphis Depay: 4

Had a good game through the middle on the weekend. Had a limp one out wide last night. In the long term, he emphatically does not deserve to be written off on the basis of his season so far. In the short, he emphatically does need to be dropped, as a winger, in favour of Ashley Young.

Wayne Rooney: 4

That '4' is an average of the first hour, in which Rooney played okayish as a sort-of-No. 10 behind a front three, and the last half hour, in which he stepped into midfield and just vanished. Though we don't necessarily think that's entirely his fault, since presumably it wasn't his idea.

Jesse Lingard: 6

Probably United's best attacking player, which isn't one of the great compliments. Should have done better with a first time shot from the edge of the area, though at the time — with about 30 minutes left — he probably didn't realise that it would be United's last chance of note.

Anthony Martial: 5

Movement: good. Effort: fine. Facial expression after missing a shot: entirely irrelevant, Paul Scholes, you berk. Finishing: not great.

Marouane Fellaini (on for Schweinsteiger, 58'): God knows

On Saturday, Manchester United scored a late winning goal by, essentially, playing their football quicker and faster until Watford buckled. On Wednesday, Manchester United failed to score a late winning goal by humping the ball long at Marouane Fellaini. If only there was some kind of lesson here.

Ashley Young (on for Memphis, 58'): 5

Since we're damning with faint praise, he did better than the player he replaced. Hooray!

Juan Mata (on for Darmian, 85'): ?

Presumably, he was rested because he needed a rest. Would have been nice to see him earlier though, since United's possession more or less fell apart towards the end. Maybe Van Gaal — not unreasonably — decided that humping the ball long to Marouane Fellaini wasn't the best use of his talents.

The Busby Babe would like to cordially remind you that taking marks out of ten too seriously can prove deleterious to your health.