Manchester United were held 0-0 at Sparta Prague in their Champions League Group D Match on Tuesday, the first time in 15 outings that the English side have failed to score in a European match. More worryingly for manager Alex Ferguson, it is the second consecutive match his strikers — and he has all four at his disposal — have failed to deliver.Ferguson has admitted that his mistakes in team selection have contributed to United’s faltering start to the season, and he faces tough decisions before Sunday’s Premier League showdown against Arsenal.The feisty Scot would like nothing more than to end the champions’ 49-match unbeaten run at Old Trafford, but he needs to get more from his players to cut an 11-point deficit on the league leaders.‘‘It’s always a concern when you don’t score, particularly with a team that has such a great strike rate’’, Ferguson said after the game in Prague, three days after United’s 0-0 draw at Birmingham City. ‘‘Some of our approach play was good but we let ourselves down with the final ball.’’United’s main problem has been a lack of cohesion and creativity in midfield, an area they dominated for years thanks to the combination of Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and David Beckham.Beckham has left the club, however, and Keane is clearly not the powerhouse he was, while Scholes and Giggs have also failed to sparkle this season.Ferguson has several central midfielders in his squad, but Kleberson, Eric Djemba-Djemba, Darren Fletcher and Liam Miller have all looked lightweight in their limited first-team opportunities.Defender John O’Shea has been handed the midfield holding role but while the Irishman does a good job of protecting the defence he contributes little as an attacking force. One of the few bright spots for United, sixth in the Premier League, has been the form of Cristiano Ronaldo.The Portuguese winger’s pace and trickery always pose a threat and, now that his crossing and decision-making have improved, he should be a rich source of supply for whichever two strikers Ferguson plays.Ruud van Nistelrooy and Wayne Rooney seem to be his preferred combination but the predatory Dutchman has failed to fire recently, while Rooney is still finding his feet at Old Trafford despite his stunning debut hat-trick against Fenerbahce. However, the 18-year-old showed flashes of his prowess and twice shot narrowly wide in the first half.Frenchman Louis Saha and England’s Alan Smith give Ferguson quality attacking options and if he can improve the supply lines goal-scoring should not be a long-term problem.Although United have struggled to find the net, the return of England defender Rio Ferdinand from his eight-month suspension for missing a drugs test has at least shored up their Defence.Ferdinand will have to be at his best, however, to shackle Arsenal’s rampant attack, in which the pace and sublime skills of Thierry Henry and Jose Antonio Reyes combine with the guile of Dennis Bergkamp to produce a lethal cocktail.Ferguson will take heart from the fact that his side did not lose to Arsenal in three matches last season, successfully throttling Henry and company in the 1-0 FA Cup semi-final victory which was the high point of United’s campaign.If Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira is ruled out with an ankle injury then United’s chances of victory will only improve, particularly if Ferguson finally hits upon the right attacking combination.
