Van’s the man as United cruise
Loss of record signing Angel di Maria a concern for Van Gaal
IT HAS been a while since Robin van Persie walked off the pitch smiling, but the Manchester United forward’s expression was a mixture of delight and relief as he trooped off Old Trafford to a standing ovation after a spectacular goal to end his recent drought.
The Dutch forward had endured only three-and-a-half games without a goal before unleashing a ferocious left-foot strike beyond Hull City goalkeeper Allan McGregor to complete a 3-0 victory against Steve Bruce’s team, but it was his performances that had set alarm bells ringing.
Van Persie’s nadir had been last Saturday’s dismal performance against former club Arsenal, when he was jeered off the pitch by his old admirers after touching the ball just 13 times in United’s 2-1 victory.
But what a difference a week makes. There were no jeers on this occasion after Van Persie not only found his goal touch, but also played a telling role in the first-half goals for Chris Smalling and Wayne Rooney.
“Every striker needs a goal and, when you don’t score in two or three matches, you need a goal,” Louis van Gaal said. “I am very happy and pleased for him that he scored a goal, but I am sure he can do better than he did today. In the beginning, he played at No 10 and not No 9, but when I was forced to put him in the No 9 after the injury to (Angel) di Maria, he played better.”
Though United’s victory was impressive, the loss of £59.7million British record signing Di Maria to a hamstring injury after just 13 minutes was a black mark on an otherwise perfect day.
The sight of Rooney limping off at the end, having been sent crashing into the advertising hoardings by Hull midfielder Andy Robertson, was another worrying moment, but the United captain’s bumps and bruises are unlikely to keep him out of Tuesday’s Old Trafford encounter with Stoke City.
Hull were never in the game. United were able to coast to the points and should have won by an even greater margin.
“It was a very, very difficult afternoon for us, there is no mistaking that,” Bruce said. “When you come here, you cannot gift the goals.”
Ironically, the loss of Di Maria played to United’s advantage, with Ander Herrera replacing the Argentine and producing his best performance since his summer arrival from Athletic Bilbao.
And the Spaniard was celebrating his team’s opening goal within three minutes of entering the fray when referee Anthony Taylor signalled a goal for Smalling with the assistance of the goal decision system.
Later Van Persie laid the ball into Rooney’s path for the United captain to score from 20 yards. Van Persie was finally rewarded for his endeavour with a stunning goal to end his barren spell on 66 minutes.
Herrera made a telling contribution by teeing up Van Persie, whose finish carried the ferocity of a man unleashing his frustration with the boot.
It proved to be his final contribution before being replaced by Radamel Falcao. — © The