The effort alibi, the space outside Shaw and shots without structure

Good morning. No football today, so the only argument left is whether United's problem is effort or coaching.

The effort row has cause and effect reversed

"I've never seen such a lack of effort," Neville said on Sky, and BBC Sport put the numbers next to it: 16th for distance, 17th for sprints, barely different from the 17-game run that produced 39 points at 2.29 points a game. Low intensity is not the cause of a bad performance. It is what a failing gameplan looks like from the outside.

When the gameplan is not working, speed and intensity of play drop, especially in neutral and positive game-states: confusion and a lack of ideas. It did not happen against Ipswich or Sabah, when things went well tactically. At Fulham the intensity returned only once the game-state and Fulham's shape handed it back, which is what confused players look like, not unwilling ones.