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Manchester United beat Liverpool 3-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday. United are now eight points behind Chelsea in the Premier League. Manchester City are just five points clear of United. Louis van Gaal has transformed his team in just six weeks, after six wins Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney, David de Gea and Michael Carrick have been key men. When they took just one point from Chelsea and Manchester City in the space of a week, any title challenge from Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United was written off.
Culled from dailymail.....
Their defence was porous, their
midfield void of invention and their forwards misfiring. Even David Moyes had
fared better than the new Dutch boss. A winter of discontent lay in store as
November beckoned. But the forecast has changed at Old Trafford. Winter, thus
far, has been a season of contentment for Van Gaal. The title race, having
doubled in size when Chelsea stalled and City surged, now has a third
competitor. United, after six wins on the spin, have hit top speed. The 3-0
victory over Liverpool was not without its flaws and they did, of course, need
goalkeeper David de Gea at his
best.
But there was an air of inevitability about their triumph; such expectancy is what has marked United as champions throughout the Premier League era. They were quicker, stronger, more hungry and clinical. There was cunning, too, exemplified by the brilliant Michael Carrick. Van Gaal, it was said, was considering Carrick for the captain’s role before he was injured in the same week as the
manager’s unveiling. Armband or not, he is leading their renaissance. Six starts: six wins. His return has facilitated the realisation of this team’s potential, of which there were early-season glimpses. Now, it is there for all to see. Robin van Persie, having baffled all with his failure to produce despite the arrival of his mentor, now has four goals from four games. Without his strikes two seasons back, Sir Alex Ferguson would not have signed off with a league winner’s medal. Likewise this time around - without an on-form and on-target Van Persie, they cannot challenge. At Southampton, where United were admittedly poor, the Dutch striker had two chances and took them both. They won 2-1. That is the difference. Then there is Wayne Rooney. While Van Persie has four in four, the captain has three in that period. Having worn a frown for much of last season, he is playing with a smile, free of the pressure which had appeared to weigh so heavily amid the failings of his team-mates. Louis van Gaal: Wayne Rooney can play anywhere... but not in goal. Even the supporting cast are now playing their part; Juan Mata, Marouane Fellaini and Ashley Young are all enjoying new direction under Van Gaal. Fellaini, aided by Carrick, is helping to shield a backline previously left brutally exposed. They have conceded just once at Old Trafford in six hours and, in De Gea, they finally boast a goalkeeper worthy of mention alongside the likes of Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar.
best.
But there was an air of inevitability about their triumph; such expectancy is what has marked United as champions throughout the Premier League era. They were quicker, stronger, more hungry and clinical. There was cunning, too, exemplified by the brilliant Michael Carrick. Van Gaal, it was said, was considering Carrick for the captain’s role before he was injured in the same week as the
manager’s unveiling. Armband or not, he is leading their renaissance. Six starts: six wins. His return has facilitated the realisation of this team’s potential, of which there were early-season glimpses. Now, it is there for all to see. Robin van Persie, having baffled all with his failure to produce despite the arrival of his mentor, now has four goals from four games. Without his strikes two seasons back, Sir Alex Ferguson would not have signed off with a league winner’s medal. Likewise this time around - without an on-form and on-target Van Persie, they cannot challenge. At Southampton, where United were admittedly poor, the Dutch striker had two chances and took them both. They won 2-1. That is the difference. Then there is Wayne Rooney. While Van Persie has four in four, the captain has three in that period. Having worn a frown for much of last season, he is playing with a smile, free of the pressure which had appeared to weigh so heavily amid the failings of his team-mates. Louis van Gaal: Wayne Rooney can play anywhere... but not in goal. Even the supporting cast are now playing their part; Juan Mata, Marouane Fellaini and Ashley Young are all enjoying new direction under Van Gaal. Fellaini, aided by Carrick, is helping to shield a backline previously left brutally exposed. They have conceded just once at Old Trafford in six hours and, in De Gea, they finally boast a goalkeeper worthy of mention alongside the likes of Peter Schmeichel and Edwin van der Sar.
Culled from dailymail.....
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