Man Utd 3 Hull City 0
Chris Smalling 16, Wayne Rooney 42, Robin van Persie 66
Wayne Rooney scores Manchester United's second goal in the Premier League match aginst Hull City.Manchester United turned in their best performance of the season on a near-perfect day for the nascent Louis van Gaal project.
The caveat was the sight of Ángel di María pulling up injured and Wayne Rooney requiring treatment at the close. Yet an outing featuring a slice of goalscoring redemption for Robin van Persie, a first appearance for Radamel Falcao in nearly six weeks and a third consecutive victory for the first time under Van Gaal should hardly be grumbled at.
Di María seemed to pull a muscle near the centre circle and moments later was replaced by Ander Herrera as Van Gaal was forced into a reshuffle of team shape.
Van Persie, who had been operating in an unfamiliar midfield role, was pushed up to join Wayne Rooney in attack, where Di María had been stationed.
The formation – a quasi 4-2-2-2 – was a puzzle. Apart from the sight of Di María operating alongside the captain, Ashley Young was at left-back and Van Gaal could hardly have boosted the spirits of Van Persie by effectively demoting his status for the day.
Before the match the manager said the striker was suffering from a lack of confidence and this was illustrated seven minutes before the break when he was clear and homing in on Allan McGregor’s goal. Instead of slotting home with aplomb, as a Van Persie in form would, he merely dragged the effort straight to the keeper.
Still, it was a smart Van Persie touch that made United’s second. Juan Mata swept a diagonal ball to Herrera. The midfielder’s nod down went infield to the Dutchman and his lay-off was put instantly and ruthlessly beyond McGregor by Wayne Rooney.
This meant United were coasting as they entered the break. Earlier, Chris Smalling had given them the lead. A goalmouth scramble developed when Marouane Fellaini went for a header and after Smalling’s initial effort came back to Van Persie the latter’s attempt was saved by McGregor and this time Smalling’s effort was adjudged to have crossed the goalline.
Smalling, who had not scored since Boxing Day (also against Hull), came close to a second after neat work from the impressive Mata.
The Spaniard collected the ball when it was returned to him from a free-kick and, with his weaker right foot, spun in a lovely cross that found the United No12. This time, though, Smalling’s attempt was deflected.
The manager was surely purring at half-time. Van Gaal may have informed his team to keep on as they had been, with much of the hard work done in the buildup, according to his own pre-game revelations that offered insight into a meticulous work ethic.
“My staff prepare thoroughly in the weeks leading up to a match,” Van Gaal said. “Information on the opposition is gathered so I know everything about them, about the individual players, about the substitutes who can come into the game, what the atmosphere in the stadium is like and how they kick the first ball of the match. Everything.
“My analyst, Marcel Bout, goes to the matches of the opposing teams. He gives video clips of the games and his analysis to Ryan Giggs, who then turns all the information into a presentation which he then runs by me so I can make changes, if necessary.
“Ryan will then present it to the players. The next day we evaluate our training sessions and we simulate our opponents in those sessions.”
This afternoon’s opponents commenced the second half by winning a free-kick down their right. But it was duly cleared by United, with Van Persie pivotal in helping kill the danger, which also served as an indication of willingness to pitch in whatever his personal woes.
A chief bugbear of Van Gaal has been that United have to turn in a display for the full 90 minutes. The sight, then, of Andrew Robertson, the visiting left-back, driving through a slumbering rearguard would not have pleased the Dutchman.
Robertson’s eventual shot did not beat David de Gea but here was a warning all the same not to switch off as United have done too may times this term.
As the game aged, so did Van Persie, like a vintage wine. The 31-year-old skated past Michael Dawson and was felled so the defender went into the book of referee, Anthony Taylor.
Next came Van Persie’s moment. Herrera, who was enjoying his best game for United, intercepted a Robertson pass. He found Van Persie and, with a swish of that lethal left boot, the Dutchman placed a 20-yard peach past McGregor before, a little later, being replaced by Falcao.
At the end the Colombian missed from close in but it was academic by then.
