Team Focus: Manchester United's Creative Problems Remain Despite Opening Win

Manchester United's lack of success in the transfer market this summer has been repeatedly and consistently attributed to the absence of Sir Alex Ferguson to draw in the big names, new manager David Moyes presumed to be less of an enticement to potential newcomers. Prior to the opening games of the season, Arsenal's failings in the market were the only reason that United's hadn't been quite so glaring. Thanks to the 4-1 win at Swansea, fans have started to remember just how good this United team can be. The bandwagon was ready and waiting to be jumped on. 

All of a sudden United don't need any new signings and Moyes has a title-winning squad rather than one that is being left behind by their spendthrift nouveau riche rivals at Chelsea and Manchester City. Danny Welbeck will finally live up to his alarmingly unfulfilled potential having scored a wonderful lob for his second of the game (and season!) and Wayne Rooney will perform admirably and professionally despite a blatantly obvious desire to be playing elsewhere. In reality though, the resounding nature of Saturday's victory papered over cracks that remain unattended to.

Robin van Persie aside, the England duo were the standout performers at the Liberty Stadium on Saturday evening, Rooney coming off the bench to set up the final two of United's goals. His 2 assists was more than any other player on the opening weekend of the Premier League season despite just 28 minutes of action to his name. Playing in a creative role behind van Persie, he thrived. He was one of only four Premier League players to reach double figures for goals (12) and assists (10) last season; plainly, there are very few better options available to United to occupy that role and it is little secret that they want Rooney to continue to be that man. Overly ambitious and ultimately failed bids for the likes of Cesc Fábregas and Luka Modric were made with this role in mind, but with that duo remaining in La Liga, United need another solution, and fast. 

The pictures of an isolated Rooney as his teammates celebrate their third goal show a man with demeanour of a homesick puppy. He wants out and has done for some time. While Modric shone for the year after Spurs persuaded him to stay on at White Hart Lane, Fábregas - and many more - have struggled after having their heads turned.

An unhappy Rooney will still be a fantastic footballer, but whether he maintains a level of performance anything like that of Saturday is questionable. By the time he came on, Swansea were behind and thus forced to push forward in search of an equaliser. Rooney found pockets of space between the lines with an ease that he won't be able to against any old team. He wasn't bothered about going to the effort of celebrating his side's goals so what's to say he'll go to the effort of working to find space in more testing games? 

Danny Welbeck, meanwhile, in scoring twice as many goals against Swansea (2) as he managed in the whole of the 2012/13 Premier League campaign (1), impressed thoroughly, looking confident and comfortable playing off van Persie, but he is not a viable option to play there regularly. While he might have kept up with the likes of his Dutch teammate in the goalscoring stakes, he won't do for long, nor will he create amply in that role. In 90 minutes against Swansea, Welbeck failed to create a single chance. This, having laid on just 22 chances in 27 appearances last season, from which he obtained just 4 assists of United's 86 Premier League goals is unlikely to be enough for him to hold down the spot. He certainly isn't as good on the ball as a David Silva, Santi Cazorla or Oscar, and that was clear to see as he was caught out on the edge of his own area for Swansea's solitary goal.

He and the 'evergreen' Ryan Giggs interchanged between left and central roles, but while Welbeck had his creative insufficiencies, the signs of Giggs' advancing years were greater than ever. Put clean through on goal early on, Giggs was swiftly caught and had to check back. Without his pace, the Welshman's passing has taken a more central role in his game and yet his pass success rate in the Swansea game was worse than any other outfielder (65.5%). Just a few months short of his 40th birthday, he should arguably have retired a Premier League winner in May and is unlikely to provide much of an alternative in the number 10 role.

As on so many occasions throughout the past 2 seasons, it took something special from Robin van Persie to spark the game to life, the Dutchman pouncing on some hesitant Swansea defending to slam home the opening goal. Even the second goal came from a speculative cross from Patrice Evra and more questionable defending. There is a painfully obvious need for an attacking midfielder like their rivals already have. As things stand, creation isn't coming from United's central midfield - their trio in the middle (Welbeck, Cleverley and Carrick) made a combined total of 0 key passes on Saturday. Shinji Kagawa seems the obvious alternative, but Ferguson rarely used him and Moyes, having chosen not to use him last weekend, might continue that trend.

With Robin van Persie up front and Welbeck on song against a defensively shaky Swansea, Moyes' first Premier League game as Manchester United manager could have hardly gone any smoother. However, there are issues that need resolving and with less than two weeks remaining in the transfer window, the Scot will have to be cautious in taking too much from what was a flattering result against Swansea. Problems remain and players need to be added at Old Trafford, or they could get left behind.