OPINION: Manchester United must have sinned big because this is a horrible penance

The horrible performances are stacking up.

West Ham are heading back to London with another valuable away point. Manchester United registered their fifth 0-0 draw in their last nine games. Four of the last six games at Old Trafford have not seen a single goal scored. Home fans stayed on to the end tried their best to offer encouragement at the final whistle but, by then, more than half had turned for the exits. There are two obvious positives. United are fourth in the league just three points of Leicester City, the leaders, and they have not conceded a goal at Old Trafford since September 30. That's about it. They have a team bereft of confidence and playing in paralysing fear. Paddy McNair pressed forward against Leicester last Saturday and was publicly castigated for it. He was replaced after 45 minutes today. Memphis Depay needs an encouraging word and an arm around the shoulder. He scored against Watford but went into his shell against tough-tackling PSV. Van Gaal had no patience for the 21-year-old's humours and benched him, twice. When he was sprung this afternoon, he was United's likeliest source of creating a goal. That is the main problem, though. Memphis and Matteo Darmian put great crosses into the Hammer's box and nothing followed. There was usually just a sauntering United player and a forlorn, unused penalty spot in wait. Van Gaal named an 18-man United squad with a single striker in it. Anthony Martial was bought as a prospect and has had the weight of the world dumped on his shoulders. The Frenchman, who turned 20 today, missed two great chances, deep in the West Ham box. Another player bereft of confidence. How has van Gaal managed to spend £260m and still have just one fit striker to call on? Javier Hernandez was unceremoniously dumped out of the club for £7.3m. He has now scored more goals since the start of October [11] than the entire, sorry United squad [10]. James Wilson was loaned out to Brighton as a "long-term" move that the fans would not comprehend, according to the coach. He scored today as they came back from 2-0 down to win 3-2. Either one of those two players could have offered United an attacking option. A body in the box. A body in the bloody box. And yet the Dutchman opted to play a midfield three of Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Marouane Fellaini. No pace, no incision, very, very few ideas. Michael Carrick may not be the midfielder to successfully mix it with Barcelona and Bayern but he is a top quality Premier League midfielder. He was sat on the bench as morass took hold. Most clubs, if they have any sense, now arrive at Old Trafford targeting three points. West Ham could have left with all of them but were denied twice by the post, once by a fine David De Gea save and once my Mauro Zarate's rash slice. United's current predicament was summed up by Darmian fizzing a cross along the six-yard line. Good ball, no goal. The slow motion replay was painful viewing. Desperate West Ham defenders, a skittering ball, pitch markings spewing into the air and lots of green manicured grass. Not a red jersey in sight.