Diamond design and Di Maria deliver on Red Devils home debut

There can hardly have been a worse time for Harry Redknapp to take his QPR team to Old Trafford than this first outing since the summer transfer window slammed shut.

Angel Di Maria, on his home debut, orchestrated Manchester United’s first win under Louis van Gaal, netting the opener before having a hand two of the other three goals the hosts converted without reply. The Hoops were hammered, and fearsome Colombia hitman Radamel Falcao got just a quarter of the game against them.

His omission from the Red Devils XI was headline team news, alongside a change of tack from Van Gaal. Three at the back was gone. United’s boss insisted this was out of necessity rather than design, but a four-man defence should be the way forward now.

Patrick Kluivert, a pundit for British television coverage of this game, suggested Van Gaal, the man he assisted as Netherlands national boss at the recent World Cup in Brazil, may revert to using wing backs. The common denominator is failure to achieve results with that setup this season, however.

Diamond formations are in real danger of having that ‘en vogue’ tag the media slap on tactical systems, following its employment by first Liverpool, then England and now in Manchester. Daley Blind, a less lauded £14m summer signing, got his Red Devils career off to an assured state as a brilliant base of midfield, putting out fires and allowing others to excel.

It took fellow new face Ander Herrera time to trust the versatile Dutchman but, as confidence grew and frustration ebbed for the Basque, a maiden United goal followed Di Maria’s free kick.

That second strike for the home side officially goes down as a Wayne Rooney assist, but British football’s record signing Di Maria did so much in the build-up with a pacy left wing burst to make it possible.

United captain Rooney also added his name to the scoresheet before half time, this time with Herrera turning provider. Di Maria crossed for Juan Mata, whose future is the subject of so much speculation, to round off a 4-0 mauling of QPR after the break.

Goal difference is already looking grim for the Hoops, though the destiny of Redknapp’s charges will not be decided in games like this one. At best, the visitors gave the Red Devils occasional scares through Matty Phillips and sub Eduardo Vargas.