Premier League: Manchester United click again as they crush Queens Park Rangers
New-look Manchester United rediscovered their spark as they crushed hapless Queens Park Rangers 4-0 at Old Trafford.
Angel
di Maria, at his creative best, opened the scoring on his home debut,
with another summer signing, Ander Herrera, club captain Wayne Rooney
and Juan Mata also getting in on the act.
Louis van Gaal has spent big in an effort to turn United’s fortunes
around and, with Marcos Rojo and Daley Blind thrown in from the start
and Radamel Falcao introduced off the bench, the Dutchman got the
response he was looking for as the hosts dominated against a visiting
side which included former favourite Rio Ferdinand.
It took 24
minutes of patient probing for the deadlock to be broken, with Di Maria
swinging over a curling free-kick from the right which dipped over the
heads of those inside the box and nestled into the back of the net. Herrera
doubled the advantage on 36 minutes, with the Spaniard drilling low
into the bottom corner after being picked out by Rooney.
The
England captain then added his name to score sheet on the stroke of
half-time, reversing a shot inside the near post, before Mata wrapped
things up just before the hour mark as he gathered a driven cross-shot
from Di Maria and calmly lifted the ball over an onrushing Robert Green.
Despite
the public excitement surrounding the arrival of Falcao, Ferdinand
received the biggest reception from the home fans before kick-off. The
former United centre-half, who complained he was not given a proper
send off in the summer, received a huge ovation as well as a present
from Sir Bobby Charlton just before kick-off. After the first
whistle sounded, it did not take long for Ferdinand's old team-mates,
and United's new signings, to put him under immense pressure.
Mata raced down the left and whipped in a perfect ball for Rooney, but mis-controlled and Ferdinand hooked the ball clear. Van
Gaal wrote in his pre-match notes that he was worried about nervousness
gripping his players at Old Trafford, but that was certainly not the
case on Sunday. United passed the ball quickly and confidently, and they tested the away defence with a series of teasing crosses. Herrera pulled the ball back to Mata after a clever nutmeg from Rafael, but the former Chelsea man skied his shot.
Down the left, Rojo lobbed the ball to the back post where Herrera
cocked his right leg back ready to fire a volley at goal, but Van Persie
clumsily nicked the ball away from the Spaniard.
Pressure
With so much pressure on them, it only seemed a matter of time before QPR conceded, and they did in the 24th minute. After
a needless foul on Herrera by Clint Hill, Di Maria whipped a curling
ball over the heads of four players and the ball drifted in past Green at his far post.
Within a few minutes of Di Maria's first United goal, the hosts
almost handed QPR a route back into the match. David De Gea, usually
such a calm operator, raced out of the box trying to clear a long punt
up field from Niko Kranjcar. The goalkeeper failed to communicate
with Jonny Evans and the ball fell to Matt Phillips, but he failed to
turn the ball into the empty net and United's fans breathed again. Those same fans were up on their feet moments later when United moved 2-0 ahead.
Once again Di Maria played an important part, racing 50 yards down the
left before playing Rooney in with a lovely pass between two defenders.
The striker's shot was blocked, but he then squared to Herrera, who
drilled the ball past Green. The Stretford End demanded United attack and they did. Just before half-time Rooney made it 3-0.
Herrera played a delicious one-two with Mata and he touched the ball off to Rooney, who powered a low shot past Green. QPR
boss Redknapp replaced Hill with Armand Traore at half-time and the
former Arsenal defender made an immediate impression, driving at the
United defence with a long run. He squared to Kranjcar, who shot at
goal, but De Gea stuck his right foot out just in time.
A large number of United fans rose to applaud Falcao as he warmed up
on the touchline. Those whose focus remained on the game watched United
bag a fourth. Di Maria adventurously attempted a 25-yard effort
which instead landed straight at Mata's feet. The Spaniard, three yards
clear of his nearest marker Ferdinand, tucked the ball past Green from
10 yards.
Falcao came on with 23 minutes to go to link up with Rooney and Van Persie in a devastating front three. United's
defensive vulnerabilities were highlighted when Tyler Blackett moved
aside to allow Eduardo Vargas to shoot on goal, but he dragged his
effort wide. Di Maria cramped up and had to come off with 10 minutes to go.
Green
spilled Blind's long-range shot in the dying minutes, but Falcao could
not get there in time to score a debut goal, not that it mattered.
