LOUIS VAN GAAL last night laid into match-winner Angel Di Maria despite the £60m Argentine’s brilliant home bow.
Di Maria scored the first and played a key role in others for debut-making Ander Herrera, Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata.
United secured their first win of the season and leapt seven places into ninth.
But after his £157m revamp of the United squad in the summer transfer window, Dutchman van Gaal – who revealed he had told his men prior to yesterday’s game their season started now – proved difficult to please.
“When you have a part in three goals and make the first goal yourself, then he can’t have played bad,” said van Gaal of Di Maria.
“But he had a lot of unnecessary losses (of the ball) so we can do better, even Angel Di Maria.
“You can say it is impossible to do better when you prepare three goals and make one yourself.
“But I am a trainer and a coach and reading the game and there are two or three things we need to improve on as a team.”
Di Maria went off to a standing ovation in the 83rd minute. Van Gaal added:
“Di Maria is all right but he had cramp. Normally you have to play 90 minutes without cramp, but that is also a positive signal. He gave everything.”
Van Gaal also revealed he had told his men before kick-off that their season began with the QPR game.
“I have said to the players before the match we have to make a new start today because this is the selection that we start now, from the first of September after the transfer period,” he added.
“I have made now the selection of 27 players, three goalkeepers and 24 players. You shall see it Tuesday with the photoshoot, that is our selection this season.”
Super striker Radamel Falcao came off the bench to make his United debut and at one point van Gaal’s team featured the Colombian, Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Di Maria.
“I have played always attacking football and all my teams have scored the most of the league,” he added.
“So I hope at the end of this league we shall score also the most.”
QPR boss Harry Redknapp said: “We just didn’t have that cutting edge up front to lift us.
“I have been to Old Trafford over many years and smashed to pieces, but that wasn’t happening until we gave away that needless free-kick and they scored.
“I think one or two of my players are trying to get their fitness, like Leroy Fer, who was probably standing around all week with Holland, being used as a cone!”
Source: Daily Star