Another statistic for you. This season Manchester United’s entire complement of natural central midfielders have contributed one goal and one assist. It’s February. Now this isn’t a new issue, but the numbers are more startling that ever before. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, they are simply poor players playing badly or, in the case of Michael Carrick, a very good but ageing player upon whom we have been totally reliant in recent years, struggling with injury and being terribly out of form. But then who isn’t? Secondly, the midfielders we have simply do not get forward. Their first thought, in any circumstance, is to get the ball wide. Statistically we have crossed the ball more than any other side in the Premier League this season and rank 20th at attacking moves through the central channel. There can be no excuse that Moyes doesn’t have the players to play any other way. Stoke, Cardiff, Villa, West Brom, Allardyce’s West Ham, all play through the middle more than us.