DERBY COUNTY 1, MAN UNITED 3
The mounting pressure on Louis van Gaal eased after Manchester United’s win at Derby County in the fourth round of the Emirates FA Cup.
Goals from Wayne Rooney, Daley Blind and Juan Mata made it an enjoyable night for the Reds at the iPro Stadium.
United managed 13 goal attempts with five on target, a contrast to the previous two games when there was one each against Liverpool and Southampton.
Admittedly this was only against Championship opposition, but it provided a chink of sunshine after a dark period of the campaign with fans increasingly disgruntled with the negative style of play.
Van Gaal was happy, though irritated by some of the post-match questions he had to fend off.
He said: “I am always pleased when we win, and it is no different. The only difference is that it is a cup game and, if we lose, we are out of it, and we want to continue.
“It was a good result, but also a good performance, and I am pleased more with that.”
Van Gaal was also delighted with his side’s finishing saying they needed to convert more of the chances they are creating.
And van Gaal added the win also lifted spirits continuing: “After the match against Southampton there was a lack of confidence.
“Now the confidence back and I saw the team play with a lot of confidence and cohesion. The players want to fight for each other, and for a manager it is nice to see.”
United’s manager was annoyed when asked if they played with more freedom saying the players always have freedom to express themselves.
Derby manager Paul Clement gave an honest appraisal of the game saying: “There were no complaints about the result and a lot of pleasing things to take into the next game.
“United played well and didn’t look like a team in disarray. They controlled the game and their finishing was clinical.”
United made two changes from the side that lost at home to Southampton on Saturday as Ander Herrera and Matteo Darmian were replaced by Mata and Guillermo Varela.
Derby manager Clement went with the same side that lost 4-1 at Burnley on Monday and which had conceded seven goals in its last two matches and picked up only two points from a possible 15 following a worrying slump in form.
Not that United’s form has been much better with only three wins in their previous 13 games in all competitions.
After an uninspiring opening, Rooney came up with a goal out of nothing in the 16th minute to give the Reds the lead.
He picked up the ball on the left – replays suggested he may have been marginally offside – cut inside and bent a shot over keeper Scott Carson into the top far corner of the net.
It was Rooney’s sixth goal in as many games and his 13th of the season for United.
There were a couple of lukewarm efforts from both sides in the opening quarter of the game, though Rooney’s goal was the only moment of magic.
Derby didn’t panic after falling behind, even though their form and confidence is brittle at the moment.
And their perseverance was rewarded with a 37th minute equaliser when Thorne escaped the shadow of Morgan Schneiderlin as he surged into the box to meet a cross from the right by Chris Martin and guided a shot past David De Gea.
Derby suddenly upped the ante finishing the half on the front foot as Thorne was thwarted by a last-gasp tackle from Chris Small and Nick Blackman rifled a shot narrowly wide.
United ought to have regained the lead just short of the hour when Mata somehow contrived to head wide from inside the six-yard box following a cross by Jesse Lingard.
But midway through the half United got their second when Lingard played the ball in from the right and central-defender Blind appeared from nowhere to rifle a low shot past Carson.
Michael Carrick, back from injury, replaced Schneiderlin with 16 minutes left in a straight swop in midfield.
The Reds sealed victory with seven minutes left when Anthony Martial cut the ball back from the left by-line and Mata swept home a low shot.
It was the Spaniard’s last action of the game as he was replaced by Herrera before the game resumed.
And Mata’s goal signalled a mass exit of Rams’ fans while United’s sizeable and vocal following stayed to the end to show their appreciation of a much-improved showing.