Back in 2008, Manchester United were a forced to be reckoned with in European football as they swept aside the likes of Lyon, Roma, and Barcelona en route to a penalty shootout win over Chelsea in the Champions League final. That team was strong in every area, and while the likes of Ronaldo, Rooney, and Tevez stole the headlines with match-winning performances, it was the team's defensive solidity that offered their attackers the freedom to cause carnage.
The same can not be said about Louis Van Gaal's current squad, and fans have even criticised the dull and lifeless attacking play that has been on display in recent weeks, but one thing is for sure, and that is that the Dutchman has brought a defensive solidity that United have been lacking going back to Alex Ferguson's last season in charge.
With today's 2-0 over West Brom in the books, another clean sheet means that Manchester United have achieved something that they have not managed since Edwin Van Der Sar was supported by Wes Brown, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, and Patrice Evra:
Fact: United have gone 555 minutes (over 9 hours) of football without conceding a goal in all competitions, their longest run since 2008.
— Man Utd Stuff (@ManUtdStuff) November 7, 2015
That is a stat that absolutely nobody would have predicted even a few months ago. Chris Smalling's individual improvement is obviously a big factor behind the improvement of the unit, and David De Gea's heroics can't be understated, but it's clear that Van Gaal has focused on becoming less generous at the back to other teams.
United fans will be hoping it can continue, and that the attack can find a way to become more effective.
