Player Ratings: Manchester United 2-1 Swansea City

David de Gea 6

A return to form after letting some questionable efforts get past him in the last few weeks. On first look, it seemed like his injury-time save from Ashley Williams' shot was an exceptional piece of 'keeping, but the replay showed that he was merely doing the basics well. It's been a few weeks since that has been the case.

Ashley Young 6

One of the best players of the match, he nevertheless had wonky crossing, with most of his efforts finding a Swansea player. Nevertheless, he improved as he advanced down the right wing, and Juan Mata might want to worry about losing his place to Young when Antonio Valencia or Matteo Darmian nail down their spot at right back.

Daley Blind 5

A slow, easily distracted central defender, and a slow, sort of reliable left-back. If he's the worst in a defence, you can get away with it, but when he's no worse than many of the others in the back four (or whatever Van Gaal decides he fancies) then United will always been vulnerable.

Phil Jones 5

He's rubbish. He's rubbish and unreliable. He's rubbish, unreliable and consistently unfit. Sell him to Sunderland when Wes Brown retires.

Chris Smalling 6

A slight improvement on his last few weeks when he looked back to his old, birdbrained ways. Like Blind, if he's one of the better players in your defence, then you're in trouble. There's a strong chance he'll have a new partner in defence by the end of the transfer window, which is essential.

Morgan Schneiderlin 6

Some of his tackling is asking for trouble. If, in a Champions League game, he goes around kicking people as late and as often as he did against Swansea City, then he'll not be on the pitch long enough to help.

Bastian Schweinsteiger 6

United's useless manager had him on the left flank for some of the game, and in the middle for the rest of it. His lunge to send the ball out wide to Young set up the goal for Anthony Martial, but it's just impossible to work out how good he still is, given the manager's interference.

Juan Mata 6

Continued his slump into anonymity, save for a couple of dangerous shots. He's on his way out, most likely.

Ander Herrera 6

Basically fine in the position he played in, it would be nice to see him alongside Schweinsteiger and Schneiderlin in the middle of the pitch, but he is United's most effective midfielder who can play high up the pitch at the moment.

Wayne Rooney 6 (SIX)

He ran! He controlled the ball! He passed some passes quicker than the tide! An excellent finish for the game. Rooney is back to his mediocre ways, rather than in the throws of his very worst doggerel.

Anthony Martial 8

United's single promising player played left wing, left wing-back, support striker and striker, but he was the only player of real merit. Able to beat a player, hold the ball up, drive to the byline and pick out a cross, and also able to finish under pressure and when it matters (not every time, but he's still a kid). Without him, our season would be somewhere between the toilet and the sewer.

Substitutes

Matteo Darmian 6

The clown Van Gaal had him at right back, left back and central defence, and he struggled in each of those positions. Ideally this is a mixture of him taking a while to settle and being given little chance to adjust by the manager's meddling. Because otherwise, he's just not very good at football, which seems unlikely considering he was rated highly before his move.

Paddy McNair 6

As bad as the rest of the defence, but on the pitch for 15 minutes and therefore didn't have time for a mistake to claim as his own.

Michael Carrick 6

Was on the pitch for five minutes.