After Manchester United’s impressive win over Tottenham, people still stated that Louis van Gaal’s men needed to do more to convince them that the tide had definitely turned at Old Trafford.

Well those doubters would have certainly been more convinced after Man United went to Anfield a week later and have stopped an inform Liverpool team in their tracks with a 2-1 Utd victory.

In the two games that Man Utd really needed to beat close rivals at an important stage of the season, the ‘Red Devils’ came out fighting and showed some real class.

The Dutch manager deserves a lot of the credit for that.

He’s finally found a system that works and the personnel to produce big game performances.

Many were calling for Louis to drop Juan Mata and go with Angel Di Maria against the Merseyside ‘Reds’. You can see their point, Di Maria seems to offer more pace and workrate. Those are two qualities that impress the Dutchman.

But Van Gaal decided it would be detrimental to his team if he changed a winning side, especially after they convincingly beat Spurs 3-0.

Mata rewarded his boss with a fine man of the match display over rivals Liverpool. He made sure Alberto Moreno was always on the back-foot and pressed whenever possible.

The Spanish maestro also got the two goals that saw Man Utd win the vital game at Anfield. He took both goals well (the second was sublime).

The goals are also very much in the Louis van Gaal style; inch perfect passing and clinical finishing.

There is no doubt that Van Gaal has also managed to get the best out of Marouane Fellaini and the Belgian has been a top performer as of late.

The current 4-3-3 formation is so much more suited to this United squad and finally the Dutch tactician has scrapped the idea of playing a three man defence!

The ‘one to eleven’ are more assured and secure in this current formation and that has lead to the upturn in performances as well as results.

Obviously luck has came into it too.

For most of the season the manager has seemed reluctant to put Wayne Rooney in the strikers role. But with Radamel Falcao struggling in-front of goal and Robin van Persie injured, he’s been forced to play Rooney up top and the number ten has been a superb focal point for the rest of team (although he should have scored the penalty against Liverpool).

United were also lucky to see Johnny Evans suspended. It has meant that finally Chris Smalling and Phil Jones have shown the world that they can form a winning partnership. Those two now need to keep that momentum up!

Even the initial selection of Mata (against Spurs) came about due to Di Maria’s red card against Arsenal.

But every manager/team needs luck. The manager then needs to build on it. Against Liverpool, Man Utd were hungrier and more clinical. Van Gaal deserves credit for that.

Also look at the press and former pros scoffing at Louis for refereeing training sessions this week. Then look at his teams attitude against Liverpool as the opposition lost their heads and discipline, United stuck to their task and got the valuable three points.

I have been a bit critical of Louis van Gaal so far during his Manchester United tenure, but they always managed to gain acceptable results. In the last two weeks, the Dutch man has also seen his side win with a swagger and heart. That’s all the Man United fans wanted to see.

Now they are in the pole position to make the ‘Top Four’, that’s what Louis van Gaal wants!

Posted on March 22nd, 2015 by scott
Filed under: Article