Manchester United 3 - Tottenham 0: Spurs are just Louis Van Gaal's fall guys
LOUIS VAN GAAL'S insistence that his Manchester United players are making progress under his demanding management was validated by their best performance of the season.
Spurs players can only watch as Wayne Rooney fires United’s third
The FA Cup exit to Arsenal on top of some far from convincing Premier League displays had fuelled concerns that Van Gaal's much-vaunted philosophy was falling on deaf ears among his squad.
But United made a nonsense of those conspiracy theories by bouncing back from the Cup disappointment with a panache and style that has been missing for most of the season, although they were helped by a dismal display by Tottenham in the first 45 minutes.
Goals from Marouane Fellaini, Michael Carrick and Wayne Rooney blew one of their rivals for a top-four place away with in the first 34 minutes and set up United perfectly for their crucial visit to Anfield on Sunday.
Significantly, the success was achieved without suspended Angel Di Maria and, it has to be said, United had a better balance and cohesion about them without their £59.7m record buy.
Arjen Robben said recently that one of Van Gaal's greatest managerial qualities is his ability to improve players and the rejuvenation of the much-maligned Fellaini this season underlines the point.
The Belgium international was so poor in an injury-hit first season that he was booed by United fans when he came on in a pre-season friendly in August.
But yesterday he was given a standing ovation when he was substituted late on after a display of energy, aggression and no little skill.
Van Gaal: We have to go step by step [AMBIENT]
Chris Smalling and Ashley Young, in front of the watching Roy Hodgson, have also made considerable improvements this season.
Smalling, aided and abetted by Phil Jones, kept in-form Harry Kane on a tight leash and underlined his growing confidence with his willingness to bring the ball out of defence on several occasions.
United's positive performance however has to be balanced by an inexplicable first-half no-show by Spurs that bewildered manager Mauricio Pochettino.
United started the game with some uncertainty but all that changed when Fellaini put them ahead after nine minutes with a crisp finish after Carrick's slide-rule pass opened up Spurs.
Fellaini also played a big part in the second goal, beating Eric Dier in the air to Juan Mata's corner with Carrick heading in after Nacer Chadli hooked his attempted clearance up in the air.
It was something of a collector's item – Carrick doesn't get many goals and this was the first of his United career with his head.
With United's left flank causing Tottenham all manner of problems, Pochettino hauled off Andros Townsend after half-an-hour and sent on Moussa Dembele in a bid to give his team a bit more resistance.
It failed to make any difference because Rooney added the third three minutes later and it was a case of game over.
Pochettino disappointed at United defeat [AMBIENT]
The goal summed up Spurs' lacklustre start. Nabil Bentaleb passed straight to Rooney, who ran at the heart of Spurs defence, first shaking off Bentaleb's half-hearted attempt to retrieve the ball and then going past Dier's non-existent challenge to sidefoot past Hugo Lloris for his 13th goal of the season.
Rooney celebrated with some shadow boxing - a reference to stories about being knocked down by former team-mate Phil Bardsley in a supposedly playful sparring session in his own home.
It was certainly a knock-out for Spurs and completed a nightmare first half for Dier. He had allowed Fellaini to get away for the first goal, was outjumped by the same player for the second, and then failed to take out Rooney for the third.
But he wasn't the only culprit as Spurs were left with a damage limitation job on their hands in the second half.
They managed to salvage a bit of pride although United were clearly more intent on protecting their lead rather than increasing in an anti-climactic second period.
Ryan Mason fired a decent chance wide but Van Gaal's team were in such control that Kane had to wait until the last minute to have his first shot on goal.
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He went into the game having become the first player to win back-to-back player of the month awards since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2006 but this was not a game he will want to remember.
For United however this could prove a significant win – one where the pieces finally fell into place for Van Gaal.
For most of this season United's main aim has been simply to finish in the top four but all of a sudden they find themselves just two points behind their second-placed Manchester City. If they can maintain this form certainly overhauling their neighbours does not look beyond them.
Man Utd (4-1-4-1): De Gea 6; Valencia 7, Smalling 7, Jones 7, Blind 7; Herrera 7, Carrick 8 (Rafael 87), Fellaini 8 (Falcao 83); Mata 7 (Perreira 76, 5), Rooney 8, Young 7. Booked: Mata. Goals: Fellaini 9, Carrick 19, Rooney 34. NEXT UP: Liverpool (a) Sun, PL.
Tottenham (4-2-3-1): Lloris 6; Walker 5, Dier 5, Vertonghen 6, Rose 6; Bentaleb 5, Mason 6 (Lamela 64, 5); Townsend 4 (Dembele 30, 5), Eriksen 6, Chadli 5 (Adebayor 79); Kane 5. NEXT UP: Leicester (h) Sat, PL.
