United must improve wing-play if they are to turn draws into wins...

United by common consent had the better of the Manchester derby last week, but neither camp could, with any justification, claim that they should have won. It was a game of few chances, but it could have been oh so different if Carlos Tevez hadn't turned down Rio Ferdinand's invitation to shoot in the opening minutes of what turned out to be one of the most uneventful derby's for many a season. The end result was fair one, a 0-0 bore draw - though truth be told, it wasn't quite as boring as the media have been making out, because like any local derby there was a lot of tension on the night.

Edwin van der Sar was forced into the only real save of the night from a Tevez free-kick, but apart from that, neither 'keeper was made to earn their wages. In the wake of the derby result and several poor results and another draw at the weekend with Blackburn, Roberto Mancini has been on the receiving end of much finger pointing. Let us hope City start firing and hiring as only they can, the seemingly ever revolving exit door beckons for the current incumbent and long may it continue spinning...

As far as United are concerned, the Red Devils managed to somehow comeback from being 2-0 down at Villa Park on Saturday to come away with a 2-2 draw - a result that looked unlikely for much of the second-half in which Villa deservedly scored twice. In point of fact United, were lucky not to be dead and buried in the opening 30 minutes of the second period in which the home team hit the woodwork twice before they eventually scored from the penalty spot through Ashley Young.

Four minutes later and it was Villa's tormentor-in-chief, Albrighton, who doubled Villa's advantage after United were hit on the counter-attack following some sloppy play by substitute Kiko Macheda; the Italian gave the ball away cheaply deep in the Villa half, the home team broke quickly and punished United. It was worth noting that Patrice Evra was guilty of ball-watching when the cross came in from the left; the Frenchman should have done a lot better and you can be assured Ferguson will be having words with his left-back.

Likewise, Ferguson will have expected Nemja Vidic to have done better when chasing down Agbonlahor in the build-up to the penalty which led to the opening goal. At that point Villa were all over United like a rash, but it was in no small part down to United defending poorly again, as we have done too often in the current campaign - but unlike many of the drawn games this season, on Saturday, the team simply did not perform in the engine room or up front. Against Villa, United were quite simply collectively dreadful for long periods of the game.

United only really started to play once Villa had gone two-nil up. United had to thank Macheda and Vidic for producing two moments of magic, but Fletcher and Nani played their part in the build-up to both goals.

When United are playing really well the chances usually follow, and more often than not it's crosses from wide positions which often lead to those vital goal-scoring opportunities. Against Villa we saw Nani produce one such cross from which Vidic scored a majestic headed equaliser; another excellent first-half cross was spurned when neither Hernandez, or the once again out-of-sorts looking Berbatov failed to move quickly enough.

Apart from giving the ball away cheaply on far too many occasions, United are not getting behind opposing defences and pulling the ball from dangerous positions, as we have done for much of Ferguson's reign as manager; it is why United are not creating chances.

United might well be unbeaten but the team has, to a degree, been getting away with it, and so for anyone looking for reasons why United are drawing so many games and asking why the Red Devils are not creating chances in front of goal, the answer can be found out on the flanks where United are traditionally so strong.

The quality of the cross is of course all important, and at present, only Nani seems capable of unlocking the door: Park doesn't use the ball well and Bebe is raw, untrusted and inexperienced; Giggs has been out injured and of course Valencia will be out until February at the earliest.

It is turning into something of a topsy-turvy season, with the likes of unfancied Newcastle and Sunderland winning away at Arsenal and Chelsea respectively recently. United are still in with a shout of winning some silverware, but even the most die-hard Red must surely agree that winning the Champions League is looking highly unlikely - realistically, the winning the FA Cup and or the Carling Cup looks like the Reds best bet; but if we are to achieve those domestic goals, United need to improve and quickly.