Stats tell woeful story

Manchester United's insistence on playing possession soccer under coach Louis van Gaal means the club takes far more passes for every shot than any other Premier League team, according to statistics released on Monday.

Soccer data specialist Opta revealed that league leader Leicester City needs only 46 successful passes for a shot on target. That is the fewest in the league, while United's 131 passes is the most.

Damningly, United has managed just seven shots on target in its past four home games - also the worst record in the league - leading to regular chants of "attack, attack, attack" from the Old Trafford crowd.