Manchester United Charges Onward One Point at a Time

The Red Devils continued their winless -- albeit unbeaten -- streak as the Potters held their ground.

Manchester United's six-game winning streak is becoming a distant memory. Luis van Gaal's charges definitely chased trois points at Britannia Stadium, but Stoke City proved unbreakable. United were below par and the Potters were above theirs.

An early second-minute goal from Ryan Shawcross exhibited how vulnerable and naïve the Devil defense is.

Maybe Phil Jones forgot he was a defender.

With a reinforcement on the way, the result was great start to Stoke’s New Year, and was almost better.

But United dampened the day with a Falcao equalizer:

It was a pure striker's finish from United’s El Tigre, but on the day ... well, dude, you've gotta start justifying your wages.

And so it was, a 1-1 stalemate.

It's a miracle that United are still sitting third with such passive run. Their pursuers are virtually even with them now. Feisty Southampton refuses to respect its bigger-brand peers, while the steady-gaited Pepé Le Pew that is Tottenham adds artistry to its relentness pursuit.

And in what was a less-than-loquacious post-game session, van Gaal said of his crew, “They haven’t lost but haven’t won as well.”

Yes. He actually said that.

So there.