After three subdued performances, the visit of QPR
at Old Trafford was supposed to be the start of a
new era, the real beginning after the Louis Van
Gaal revolution and United didn’t disappoint.
The West Londoners might not be a force to be
reckoned with – in fact they were abysmal for large
spells of the game – but it was a refreshing change
to see United finally take control of a game and
play with confidence and intent. Here’s five things
we’ve learnt from Sunday…
1) I love an Angel instead
There’s simply nowhere or nobody else to start
from. Since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo
United have been crying for a player who could fill
the number 7 shirt as the club’s tradition requires.
Two games into his Manchester United career and
there can be little doubt that Angel Di Maria is on
the right track. While the Argentine had
sporadically flickered away at Burnley two weeks
ago, his flame burnt throughout his home debut, as
he ran the show from midfield, a luxury United had
not been able to afford for years.
The opening goal might have been aided by a slice
of luck but the run that led to United’s second had
nothing to do with fortune, rather with the
outstanding ability of a player that Real Madrid will
regret selling. United might still lack a dominant
central midfielder and Di Maria might be a winger
by trade but he looked incredibly at ease in Louis
Van Gaal’s diamond, driving the ball forward from
deep and linking superbly with his teammates, a
sight that Old Trafford had grown unused to since
the Paul Scholes’ heydays.
Di Maria and Scholesy are two completely different
players but the Argentine could become as crucial
a figure for this side as Scholes was for Fergie’s
team.
2) Diamonds are forever
After three underwhelming experiments with a
three-man defence, Van Gaal switched to a more
traditional flat back four, with Marcos Rojo finally
available after he was granted his work permit,
while Rafael returned from injury.
United looked incredibly more at ease with Rojo
and Jonny Evans in the middle of the back four,
though QPR provided little threat to United’s
rearguard, but the most encouraging notes arrived
from the midfield, where Daley Blind, Ander
Herrera, Juan Mata and Di Maria combined
superbly.
Exactly a year ago, United started hosted Crystal
Palace with a midfield comprising Michael Carrick,
Anderson, Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young and
while all of them are still at the club the change
from 12 months ago, in terms of personnel, has
been nothing short of astounding.
The current quarter offers pace, creativity, steel
and composure and one wonders whether Van Gaal
will return to a five-man midfield in the future,
given how well 4-4-2 worked on Sunday.
3) The right Juan
As United spent and splurged their way through
the final 10 days of the transfer window, pundits
and journalists were busy writing essays in which
they looked to explain why Juan Mata has no place
at Old Trafford.
The arrival of Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao and
Ander Herrera, they said, would force Mata out of
the club, less than a year after joining from
Chelsea. Mata, claimed various self-appointed
experts, was to become a sacrificial lamb yet again,
with Van Gaal determined to usher him out of the
door much as Jose Mourinho did in January.
Of course, Mata might face stiff competition to nail
his place down in the starting XI but his goal
against QPR was his ninth in his last 11 games for
United, hardly a disappointing return, particularly
when one considers that three of those games were
played in an experimental side at the beginning of
this season.
Against QPR, Mata, starting in his favourite number
10 role, completed 98% of his attempted passes
and drifted into the box with reassuring regularity,
something United lacked last season, when the lack
of movement up-front made it impossible for
midfielders to find space into the box.
Time will tell where Mata will fit in Van Gaal’s plan,
but it’s hard to imagine him becoming surplus to
requirement any time soon.
4) Blind faith
Arguably the least exciting, at least on paper, of
United’s summer signings, Blind was excellent on
his debut in a red shirt, delivering the sort of
performance a United midfielder hadn’t been
capable of producing in a long time. The Dutchman
looked calm, composed and organised in midfield,
his contribution going almost unnoticed but
extremely important for United’s shape and
rhythm, as he completed 112 passes – the most
out of any United players.
Of course, the likes of David Silva, Eden Hazard and
Steven Gerrard would prove to be much more
formidable opponents, but the early signs are that
Blind could develop into United’s Xabi Alonso, a
player who only gets noticed when he’s missing.
5) Louis’ attitude
United coasted to a 4-0 win and, after a couple of
troubled weeks, one could have expected Van Gaal
to be satisfied with the performance and praise his
players. Instead, he said: “The result is fantastic
but we can play a lot better – it’s a very good start.
After September 1 we had only couple of days
together before the internationals and players
coming back with jet lag and so on. But we have
made a very good new start.”
“When you have a 4-0 win then you can be happy
as a coach but you always have faults you can
improve. I said at half-time and after the match
that I’m very happy because of the way we played –
we were very dominant, we scored goals and a
clean sheet was also very important.”
Anyone able to spot the difference from last
season?

No time for all dis.... Di Maria is our Redeemer!
D way he plays with d ball gives me #erec'tion!
Up United, we're back on track!

Truth24: No time for all dis.... Di Maria is our Redeemer!
D way he plays with d ball gives me #erec'tion!
Up United, we're back on track!

I swear, my Brother not only you ooo, I was thinking it was just me that was getting Hot cos of Di Maria and United's display yesterday. Imagine getting wet on every United game. Loooolz

Lily4star:

I swear, my Brother not only you ooo, I was thinking it was just me that was getting Hot cos of Di Maria and United's display yesterday. Imagine getting wet on every United game. Loooolz

Hello, My name is Angel Di Maria. , yeah, yeah, I'm actually a Nairalander too....Adebayo introduced me to the site while he was at Real Madrid with me.

I'm glad you liked my game yesterday, I'll keep playing my best to get positive reactions like that from my fans(females sha).

Did u mean "Wet" b'cos u were sweating or you had a shower??

Anyway, gotta go, I've got trainning.

Translated by Juan Mata for Angel Di Maria.

Ba7man, LWKMD

Vessi: Ba7man, LWKMD

Do you realize u're laughing at me, Angel Fabian Di Maria Hernandez??

Tell me your team and I'll score them to prove it to u.

Translated by Juan Mata.

ba7man: Do you realize u're laughing at me, Angel Fabian Di Maria Hernandez??

Tell me your team and I'll score them to prove it to u.

Translated by Juan Mata.

ba7man: Hello, My name is Angel Di Maria. , yeah, yeah, I'm actually a Nairalander too....Adebayo introduced me to the site while he was at Real Madrid with me.

I'm glad you liked my game yesterday, I'll keep playing my best to get positive reactions like that from my fans(females sha).

Did u mean "Wet" b'cos u were sweating or you had a shower??

Anyway, gotta go, I've got trainning.

Translated by Juan Mata for Angel Di Maria.

easyoooo

Lily4star:

I swear, my Brother not only you ooo, I was thinking it was just me that was getting Hot cos of Di Maria and United's display yesterday. Imagine getting wet on every United game. Loooolz

*gasps* yes