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Goals from second-half substitutes Marouane Fellaini and James Wilson secured Manchester United’s first win of 2015 and lifted them to third place in the Premier League. After a disappointing first half in which neither side looked like scoring, the game became more stretched in the second half.Wayne Rooney’s brilliant through ball to Antonio Valencia resulted in a cutback to Fellaini who scored the side’s second goal in over five hours of Premier League football. And with the home side looking for the equaliser, James Wilson latched onto Angel di Maria’s through ball and secured the points for his side.Here are major talking points from the game:
#1 Substitutes make the difference
Whether it is playing players in the wrong position or choosing the wrong players for the job, managers make mistakes. One of the key things a top class manager needs to do, is acknowledge when he is wrong. Van Gaal certainly managed that against QPR as his two key substitutions changed the game.
After an insipid display in the first half, when his side were clearly dominated in midfield, the manager decided to bring on Marouane Fellaini for the second half. The Belgian not only scored the opener, but also provided the visitors with a presence in midfield, someone who can bully defenders, win free kicks and hold the ball up while waiting for his teammates to join in. And with the arrival of James Wilson, they had someone with the pace and ability to run in behind the defence and provide Falcao with some much needed support. And the Englishman created two great chances for the Colombian before scoring his first goal of the season deep into stoppage to give his side all three points.
#2 United need to be more flexible
At times, managers have a tendency to overcomplicate things. Instead of keeping it simple, their tendency to go for something more extravagant sometimes costs them their job. So far at United, injuries have severely hampered Van Gaal's ability to pick a consistent starting XI. But even in the last week or so, when most of his players are fit, the Dutchman's preference for a back-three is certainly puzzling. Partly because, it is well established that their defence is their weakness and to have more defenders, will only make it harder for them to win.
Against QPR they started sluggishly and it wasn't until they shifted to a more traditional back four, with two up front and Di Maria behind them that they started to play with a lot more fluency. A back three needs plenty of time and preparation to execute and given the results-driven nature of club football, Van Gaal simply doesn't have the time to go out and teach his players something new.
#3 Is this the end of Harry Redknapp?
Only Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger has won more Premier League games than Harry Redknapp, but it looks as though that record isn't going to be enough to keep him as the manager of QPR for too much longer. QPR's woeful away form has been well documented, but the problem for them now is that their home form too is starting to drop.
One of the reasons why they are down near the bottom is their attack. Against United, aside from Charlie Austin, none of the other QPR players looked like scoring. With Southampton, Tottenham, Arsenal, Everton and Chelsea as their next five home games, it isn't inconceivable that they don't pick up any points from those games. In which case, if their away form doesn't improve, they are certain to be relegated, which will certainly be the end of Redknapp.
#4 Van Gaal\'s baffling decisions almost cost United
Whether it was playing Juan Mata as one of three central midfielders, or starting his side's premier creator up front, Louis Van Gaal certainly made some baffling calls in the game against QPR. After brushing aside the questions about Radamel Falcao during the week, he started the Colombian against QPR, but failed to provide him with any real support going forward until he brought on James Wilson in the second half.
While the result may be satisfactory, the performance most certainly wasn't and at the heart of that was some key decisions that the Dutchman got wrong. His afternoon was exemplified, when Phil Jones, one of the side's biggest threat in the air, went to take a corner, when the likes of Angel Di Maria, Juan Mata and Wayne Rooney, the side's designated set-piece takers were in the box trying to score.
#5 Mata isn\'t a midfielder
When Manchester United signed Di Maria in the summer, many thought that was the beginning of the end for Mata. Instead, exactly the opposite has happened, as the Spaniard has been one of United's most consistent players this season. For all of his undoubted ability, if there is one thing that he doesn't have is the strength or the pace to beat players.
Playing as a central midfielder requires him to have one of those two and against QPR, his limitations were on show. The home side put pressure on 26-year-old and forced him into mistakes and bullied him off the ball on more than one occasion. While brilliant playing just off the striker, the Spaniard is nowhere near as effectively even in a three-man central midfield and unless he plays in his preferred, Mata isn't going to be of much use to United.
