[mr_missile]

Taken off Football365 :

Five ManYoo Questions After Blackpool

'The stuff of champions' is the oft-peddled line about Man United's comeback at Blackpool and it certainly looks like being enough to win the title. But there are some lingering questions posed.

This may not be a great United side but it is certainly a resilient and determined United side. But judging by comments from United fans, that resilience is masking some issues...

1) Is it time for Rooney to be dropped?

One goal from open play in 14 Premier League games is a meagre return for the most mediocre of journeyman strikers, but for a player earning £200,000 a week, it is plain embarrassing. It's particularly difficult to justify Rooney's place in the starting XI when Javier Hernandez is sitting on the bench with a record of seven goals from 16 games - especially when he comes on and does more in 20 minutes than Rooney managed in almost 70. The obvious argument for Rooney's inclusion are the nine Premier League assists - his all-round performance against Birmingham on Saturday was brilliant apart for the missed chance that would have been far, far easier to convert. That said, when the Champions League latter stages roll around, Rooney is far more likely to start as United's lone striker than the 20-goal-plus Dimitar Berbatov. Is he still the best option against the best defences?

2) Do United's away tactics need to change?

They switched to a 4-4-2 when it became obvious that the tactics were flawed, but were there any United fans who didn't sigh when they saw a starting line-up that featured Rooney on the left and a central midfield trio of Darron Gibson, Paul Scholes and Darren Fletcher - with the Scot clearly detailed to track Charlie Adam. Was this too much respect to pay a side with the worst home record in the Premier League? Should they have played a similar style and formation that whacked Birmingham for five on Saturday? Has the fear of losing away from Old Trafford become greater than the desire for victory?

3) How much do United need an alternative for Ryan Giggs?

At least part of the motivation for changing United's formation must have been the desire to give the 37-year-old Giggs a rest. With Park Ji-Sung unavailable and Luis Antonio Valencia injured, United are woefully short of left-sided alternatives for a 4-4-2. Even with the full gamut of options, they're stuck with an uninspiring Park or an out-of-position Nani. Pickings are so slim that even Patrice Evra has been tried in that position this season. As it happens, United were woeful and Giggs was wheeled out again in the second half at Bloomfield Park to sprinkle some magic. The idea is presumably that United will stumble on until the summer when funds will be available for Ashley Young, Gareth Bale or someone else capable of playing 40-plus games a season. Will that be too late?

4) Should Gibson be shipped out on loan?

Or simply shipped out never to return? The fact that a United fan referred to Gibson as 'the poor man's Carrick' in a Wednesday morning conversation is a damning indictment. We're struggling to see what he offers. He's one-paced and a one-trick pony - quite good at shooting from around 20 yards and, erm, that's it. Is he really any better than David Jones, Luke Chadwick, Jonathan Greening or any other midfielder ruthlessly shipped out of Old Trafford by Sir Alex Ferguson over the years? Perhaps Gibson needs a few months with another Premier League club to ascertain whether he has the potential to be the next Darren Fletcher or whether he will be sold to Sunderland for £3m.

5) Should United worry about fallibility in the air?

Twice against Blackpool they conceded from Charlie Adam corners (worth £10m, according to Sir Alex in a generous mood) and the last Premier League goal they conceded against Stoke was from a Dean Whitehead header after he was given the freedom of the penalty area. One theory is that United have become a rather short team - with the likes of Patrice Evra, Rafael, Anderson, Paul Scholes, Nani and Wayne Rooney all on the diminutive side. It's hardly a massive cause for concern as long as United remain unbeaten, but the saying goes that strikers win matches and defences win titles. Will United pay for having two short-arse full-backs? If not in the Premier League, then in Europe.