Van Gaal sets sights on more goals after ‘fantastic’ display

Louis van Gaal hailed a "fantastic" Manchester United performance but insisted his team will be much better and hopes they will end as the Premier League's highest scorers after Queens Park Rangers were defeated 4-0 at Old Trafford.

The victory was the first win of the season for United and the Dutchman, at the fifth attempt. By the close Wayne Rooney, Robin van Persie, Juan Mata, Radamel Falcao and Angel di Maria had illustrated the attacking riches now at Van Gaal’s disposal.

Di Maria’s goal on his home debut, Ander Herrera’s first for United, plus goals from Rooney - to make him the third highest Premier League goalscorer on 175 - and Mata lifted the club to ninth place with five points.

“We have always to analyse what we have done. The result is fantastic but we can get much better,” said Van Gaal.

“This is a good start. When you have a result of 4-0 then you can be happy as a coach but you always have points you can improve. We were very dominant and scored goals and kept a clean sheet.”

Despite being seven points behind the leaders, Chelsea, Van Gaal has not ruled out claiming the title this term. “I have played always attack, I believe, and all my teams have scored the most of the league,” he said. “So I hope at the end of this league we shall score also the most. The purpose is to be in the first three because we have to qualify ourselves in the Champions League but that is not the most important thing. The most important thing is trajectory.

“We are building a process and we have to play in a certain style. We have to improve our qualifications and at the end I hope to be manager of the champion of the Premier League. If it is not this year, then in my second year or my third year but I want to give the championship to the fans.”

Daley Blind, Marcos Rojo and Falcao, who was a second-half substitute, made their debuts and with United having added the unused substitute, Luke Shaw, plus Di Maria and Herrera in the summer, Van Gaal determined that, having taken only two points prior to this match, it should be a fresh beginning.

He said: “As of September 1 we were only together for two or three days together before the game, now the internationals are coming back. I said let’s make a new start. All the new players are playing.”

For the first time since taking over Van Gaal sent out a United XI that featured a four-man defence in a 4-1-3-2 system, rather than the 3-5-2 he has favoured. “I could hardly play with five defenders because [Chris] Smalling and [Phil] Jones were injured ... it would be difficult to play with three defenders because Tyler Blackett and [Jonny] Evans, maybe [Marcos] Rojo, he can also play central defender. But then I have to create a left-footed player as right-sided central defenders. I don’t think that is good,” he said before suggesting the four-man defence could remain. “I was more or less forced to play with two central defenders but it is also due to the quality of the players that I change the formation.”

Van Gaal was understandably pleased with the GBP59.7m record signing, Di Maria. “When you prepare [create] three goals and make the first goal by yourself then you cannot play bad,” he said. “But he had a lot of unnecessary losses [of possession] so we can do better, even Angel di Maria. But can you do it better when you prepare three goals and make one? It is nearly impossible but I am analysing the game and I see things we can improve as a team.”

The United manager also suggested many of his players are still to regain match fitness. “The problem we have when you see this team - for example Rafa da Silva had not played 90 minutes because he was injured in preparation time.

“Evans is coming back from injury, played 90 minutes in America once and once against Burnley and now he played his third 90 minutes. Tyler Blackett has played a lot of 90 minutes. Rojo played with Argentina 90 minutes and that is it.

“[Luke] Shaw is coming back from injury. Blind played two matches 90 minutes and one in the national team, so three. Then Di Maria has never played 90 minutes until now in his pre-season and season. Herrera has also played, he was in the United States. Juan Mata also, Rooney also and [Robin] van Persie it is now the second match he played 90 minutes so that is our problem.” Guardian Service