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Manchester United ground out another hard-fought 1-0 Premier League victory in the spring but the mood in the aftermath of Saturday's game against Aston Villa was jaded rather than jubilant.

One-nils at United are usually acceptable. Go back three years to the slender successes against Reading and Sunderland: Two ugly and unmemorable matches settled by the boot of an opponent. Those games seem as distant as the Premier League peak but the pragmatism helped tighten United's grip on first as they homed in on a 20th championship.

Even Ferguson's strongest squad - the champions of England, champions of Europe (and champions of the world) eked out 10 1-0 wins in 2008-09 on course to making it 18 times (and that's a fact). One-nils at United are usually acceptable but not this weekend.

They are challenging for the ignominy of fourth place - the 'achievement' synonymous with Arsenal's small-time mentality and dressing room selfies - not the title. The very least the supporters deserved against possibly the worst team of the Premier League era was for United to play entertainingly and expansively. They did neither.

United recorded their second 1-0 against Villa this season while mustering three attempts on target. Villa, relegated due to the result, arguably created as many clear-cut chances, with Daley Blind vigilantly thwarting Rudy Gestede before he struck a post and Ciaran Clark testing David de Gea's agility during two madcap minutes.

One-nils can be fun. One of Eric Cantona's most vivacious United performances was in the 1-0 win over Everton in January 1994 on an afternoon supporters inside Old Trafford struggled to hold back the tears two days after Sir Matt Busby passed away. A lone piper led out the teams and, during the game, Cantona was The Pied Piper. United danced to his tune on a day they appropriately played football taught by Matt Busby.

In more recent 1-0s, United were enterprising at Chelsea in their 2011 Champions League quarter-final first leg. At Sunderland on that fateful final day in 2012, United could have won by a scoreline that would have seen them usurp City on goal difference. Even under Van Gaal, they were watchable at the Etihad for an hour last month.

Against Villa, United sleepwalked. Tiredness might have been a factor after the valiant FA Cup quarter-final win at West Ham on Wednesday, yet Louis van Gaal freshened up the team by restoring £114.1million worth of talent to the line-up.

That adventurousness aside, Van Gaal gave United another reason to sack him in the summer. Why, having switched to 4-3-3 at West Ham and witnessed the benefits of it, did he revert back to 4-2-3-1? The formation was as predictable as the scoreline. Van Gaal hinted 4-3-3 would be temporary in the West Ham press room: “It is of course a risk.”

Irrespective of his visionary pass that contributed to the winner, Wayne Rooney is a hindrance to United. For three years now, it has been patent for United and England he should either start as the striker or on the bench, only he is managed by indulgent and starstruck coaches who are under the illusion he can still flourish as a playmaker.

Rooney was decent on his first start in two months, although that is hardly an achievement against Villa. By starting him and Rashford, Van Gaal relied on the inflexibility of 4-2-3-1 and, most inexcusably, started two holding midfielders against relegation fodder. Van Gaal has done this at home against Villa, Newcastle, Sunderland and Norwich - the bottom four sides. Fifth from bottom Crystal Palace arrive in M16 on Wednesday.

Watch Van Gaal react to United's win over Villa

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Ander Herrera and Michael Carrick's absences partly dictated the team but Van Gaal could have switched the Basque for Juan Mata or Jesse Lingard with Marouane Fellaini as the other advanced midfielder ahead of Morgan Schneiderlin. Instead, Fellaini - who produced his finest performance of the season in a three-man midfield at the Boleyn Ground in midweek - returned to defensive midfield duties against a slapstick side that has scored 11 goals and taken six points on the road this season.

Van Gaal was not solely culpable. While Marcus Rashford's movement and finishing were uplifting, Rooney's knack for taking a long time to recover from his lengthy lay-offs continued and Mata, admittedly a victim of 4-2-3-1, cannot use a formation to legislate for his ineffectual decision-making. Fellaini, free from the shackles in east London, had them clamped on again.

Mata opined: "We could've scored more but a win's a win." Ever the diplomat, he was not about to bemoan Van Gaal's philosophy but such quotes – as well as Van Gaal's observation United 'played too slowly' - don't wash. 'Only good at blogging on Mondays' and 'Had enough of him mincing about the pitch all game' was just one vicious verdict of Mata, never mind Van Gaal. 'A win's a win' epitomises the anodyne attitude that permeates through the home dressing room at Old Trafford.

Many of the players privately agree with supporters the football is too rigid and insipid. One is so idealistic he has even opined he would like Barcelona coach Luis Enrique to take over. It is wishful thinking on a scale of Stan Collymore's desire to become the first black James Bond.

Watching United is a grind.