Van Gaal sets sights on title after first win of the season
Louis van Gaal has told his Manchester United players there is still plenty of room for improvement despite their impressive 4-0 win over QPR.
Sixty days after his appointment as United manager, Van Gaal finally earned his first competitive win thanks to goals from Angel di Maria, Ander Herrera, Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata.
Van Gaal’s new-look side ran Rio Ferdinand and his QPR team-mates ragged all afternoon, but the United boss insists there is yet more to come from his squad, which was only completed last Monday following the deadline-day signings of Radamel Falcao and Daley Blind.
“The result is fantastic, but I think we can do much better,” Van Gaal said.
“I said (before the match): ’let’s make a new start today’.
“I have made now the (squad) selection of 27 players – three goalkeepers and 24 players, you shall see it Tuesday with the photoshoot, that is our squad.”
Van Gaal was even restrained is his post-match praise for Di Maria, who set United on their way with a curling free-kick and then had a hand in the other three goals.
”When you prepare three goals and make the first goal by yourself then you cannot play bad but he had a lot of unnecessary losses so we can do better,” the former Ajax manager said.
Van Gaal’s decision to ditch his five-man defence for a 4-4-2 diamond paid off as Blind performed superbly as a deep-lying midfielder on debut.
Herrera and Di Maria set the tempo just further up the field while Rooney, Robin van Persie and Mata formed an impressive attacking triumvirate up front.
The fact that Van Gaal could bring on Falcao for a 23-minute cameo shows just how many attacking options the Dutchman has at his disposal.
Van Gaal laid out his lofty ambitions for the 20-time champions after the game.
“I want to win the Premier League title,” said the United boss, who also handed Marcos Rojo his debut on Sunday.
“If it is not this year then the second or third year. I want to give a championship to the fans.”
Van Gaal’s opposite number Harry Redknapp feels United are serious contenders for Champions League qualification this term.
But the QPR boss was not too downbeat about his team’s chances of reaching their goal this season – Premier League survival.
“They have got a big chance of making the top four,” Redknapp said.
“They have got some fantastic forward players.
“For us it will be a tough season but I still think we will be OK.”
Redknapp was unhappy that Leroy Fer, among others, returned to QPR lacking sharpness following the international break.
“I think that one or two of my players are trying to get their fitness,” he said.
“Fer has had two weeks away with Holland and has not played a game.
“He probably has been stood around and used as a cone while the first team play. He lacks fitness.”
