When we heard that Paul Scholes had offered his take on what made Manchester United turn the corner this season, a number of possibilities jumped into our brains.
Was it Ashley Young’s late winner against Newcastle? Marouane Fellaini’s domination of the Manchester City midfield? Or perhaps David de Gea’s last-gasp save against Stoke to preserve all three points for United?
Wrong, wrong, wrong!
Rather the turning point came courtesy of one Angel di Maria, according to Scholes. We know what you’re thinking – ‘But all he’s done is get sent off for tugging the referee’s shirt.’Â Precisely.Â
In his Independent column, Scholes puts all of Manchester United’s recent success down to di Maria’s red card in the FA Cup against Arsenal and the fact that it forced Louis van Gaal to tinker with his system.
“I have been critical of my old club Manchester United under Louis van Gaal this season and I have to say that I did not see this change in fortune coming. To the extent that when they go to Chelsea this weekend, I think they have a good chance of winning the game.
“When I look back on the key changes, I still feel that Angel Di Maria’s red card against Arsenal was critical in allowing Van Gaal to build this new-look team. Looking at the side it seems to me to be a triumph of the underdog – Juan Mata, Marouane Fellaini, Ashley Young. All of whom looked like they could be out the picture at the start of the season and are now having a big impact.
“The formation is bold. It is much more attacking and more what I expected of Van Gaal when he arrived. There is a spine of four players – Michael Carrick, Ander Herrera, Fellaini and Wayne Rooney – that runs through the middle. Then Young and Mata wide. I wonder whether Carrick will be fit to start against Chelsea, which might mean Daley Blind moving back into midfield.”
It’s hard to argue with Scholes’ theory because United have looked much more menacing with Ashley Young and Juan Mata playing on either side or Wayne Rooney, something which van Gaal failed to employ before di Maria’s sending off for his handful of fabric.
“For all the attention after the derby win over Manchester City on Fellaini and Young, a lot of the credit has to go to Mata. He has given United such composure. He is not a winger, in the conventional sense, but he comes inside and gets involved in the game. He always passes to a red shirt and he is so cool, as you saw with his finish against City.”
“As for Young, I imagine he has benefited from Ryan Giggs’ belief in wide players. At United, we like to have wingers who give the team width and pace. You instinctively look for them and with Di Maria out, Young has his confidence back.”
Good shout Scholesy, good shout.
