Match Report: Van Gaal's Changes Help United to 3 points at QPR
Manchester United maintained their impressive record over QPR with a hard-fought 2-0 win at Loftus Road. United have now won each of their last 6 league meetings with the R's, scoring 15 in the process and conceding just the 1. Victory ensured the former champions will end the weekend in the top-4, while QPR remain mired in the bottom 3, though the away side were made to work for the share of the spoils.
Rob Green was called into action in the opening exchanges to thwart Falcao from close range. The Colombian returned to the starting XI after missing the 1-0 defeat to Southampton last weekend and perhaps should have done better after being picked out excellently by Juan Mata. At the other end, David de Gea did well to turn away a Charlie Austin opportunity as both sides grew into the encounter following a turgid start to proceedings. With half an hour on the clock, Austin was once again denied by De Gea. The QPR striker tested the Spaniard from 25 yards, but Austin's dipping effort was turned over by the United shotstopper.
The opening 45 minutes was largely devoid of any real quality as United once more struggled to adjust to the demands of Louis van Gaal. The away side once again started in a 3-1-4-2 formation, but the midfield struggled to gain a foothold in the game meaning Falcao and Ángel Di María were routinely isolated in attack. Van Gaal introduced Marouane Fellaini for the ineffectual Mata at the interval in order to offer a physical presence in the middle of the park and give Di Maria more license to roam in the final third and the Belgian's introduction paid dividends on the hour mark. The unmarked Fellaini was picked out by Antonio Valencia to smash past Green to put United in front.
Eduardo Vargas led a QPR counter attack after a miscommunication between Marcos Rojo and Michael Carrick, only to squander the chance, while for United, Falcao was presented with 2 golden opportunities to put the result beyond doubt in the second half, but it needn't have mattered as substitute James Wilson wrapped up all 3 points late on to secure a 2-0 win for United. Van Gaal's changes in personnel and tactics proved to be the turning point for the away side, but the Dutchman still has a lot of work to do in order to improve this United side.
The visitors were underhwelming in the opening 45 minutes, with the front pairing of Di María and Falcao disappointing in the first half. One can understand Van Gaal's decision to deploy Di María in attack. The Argentine is there to play a similar role to the one Arjen Robben played for the Netherlands at the 2014 World Cup, with the Bayern star the Oranje's best player in Brazil. However, Di María looks lost when in the position and, worse still, United miss his drive and creativity when deployed further forward. This was certainly telling before the interval, where the record Premier League signing gained a WhoScored rating of 5.9, the lowest of all players on the pitch in the first half. It's no coincidence that Di María improved significantly following half time, with two changes a contributing factor.
First, Fellaini's introduction at the expense of Mata allowed Di María to operate more freely in attack. The Belgian's defensive work meant the attacker did no have to cover for Mata, with the Spaniard largely a passenger during his time on the pitch. A chance for Falcao in the opening exchanges aside, Mata failed to impose himself in the game and his half time withdrawal for the more robust Fellaini came as little shock.
Secondly, Van Gaal's decision to bring Wilson into the fold just before the hour mark helped stretch the QPR defence. This saw Di María drop into a deeper role in midfield and United swap to a 4-3-1-2 formation, which reaped the rewards for the visitors. However, the Dutch boss was quick to play down the effectiveness of the 4-3-1-2 formation after the win, especially from the off: "When we play with 4 midfielders in a diamond, we create more chances, but the balance of the team is weak." 8 of United's 12 shots on goal came following Wilson's introduction, although QPR were also presented with 8 chances to score following the change in system.
Meanwhile, Harry Redknapp did not make things easy for QPR late on. With 20 minutes remaining, the experienced boss withdrew Leroy Fer in place of Adel Taarabt on the left. Taarabt showed glimmers of creativity, but left Clint Hill exposed at left-back, which United twice came close to capitalising on. Wilson on two occasions broke down the right to present 2 excellent goalscoring chances for Falcao, only for the Colombian to miss each, with both the young striker and Di María pulling to the right in order to double on Hill. Redknapp still believes QPR have what it takes to avoid dropping into the Championship, but his tactical naivety when pushing for an equaliser opened the game which United took full advantage of, albeit in the final moments when Wilson netted.
Ultimately, Van Gaal's changes won United the match, but the team are still a work in progress. The Dutchman started with his 14th different centre-back combination in the Premier League this season and the lack of assuredness on the ball at the back was telling, with Jonny Evans and Phil Jones both culpable of lumping the ball forward, which minimised Di Maria's and Falcao's impact. Injuries have played a telling role in how Van Gaal has set his side up this season, but United need continuity throughout the team if his 3-man defensive system is to work in the future.
Do you think Manchester United should continue with the 3-man defence or should revert to a 4-man backline? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
