Manchester United got back to winning ways with a hard fought 2-0 victory away at QPR on Saturday. Second half goals from substitutes Marouane Fellaini and James Wilson were enough to claim victory after both goalkeepers had made a number of saves throughout.

The result leaves the Red Devils in fourth place in the Premier League table after Southampton’s win over Newcastle in the late kick-off saw them leapfrog United back into third.

Here are five key thoughts following the win over QPR.

1) United look infinitely more effective in a 4-4-2 system

Following the disappointing performance in the loss to Southampton at Old Trafford last week, Louis Van Gaal decided to persevere with the 3-5-2 system as he felt it gave United more control of possession. Whilst this may be true, the lacklustre first half performance was reminiscent of last week’s defeat as the Red Devils failed to create many chances of note. Robert Green’s excellent double save from Radamel Falcao was easily United’s best chance.

In the second half, following an injury to Jonny Evans, Van Gaal introduced James Wilson and finally switched to a more conventional 4-4-2 formation. The change worked instantly. Straight away, United looked more fluid in possession, were infinitely more dangerous going forward and scored within two minutes of making the tactical switch. There is no doubt that this extremely talented squad are capable of playing this system regularly, even if it does leave the defence more exposed. Whether Van Gaal sees it this way is a different matter.

2) Di Maria is a midfielder and should be played in his best position

I’m in danger of repeating myself here but the Di Maria experiment has failed. He is not a striker; he is a midfielder and one of the most creative midfielders in world football at that. No player in Europe’s top five leagues got more assists than the Argentine’s 20 in 2014. United need to start playing their most creative player in his correct position to give the abundance of striking talent the service it deserves.

When he moved into a deeper role following the change of system on Saturday, United were much more effective in the final third.

Di Maria started the game just off Falcao as Van Gaal decided he needed more pace up front but as against Southampton, he looked slightly out of place and didn’t get involved in the game enough. Like when he first joined the club, United need to start giving Di Maria more of the ball in a deeper position in order to create more openings on goal. He is wasted as a striker.

3) Fellaini is a different player this season

Despite the constant moaning about the formation, there are plenty of positives to take from Van Gaal’s start to life at United. One of the main plus points has been the rejuvenation of Fellaini, who scored the crucial opener on Saturday. The Belgian may have just returned from injury but his sheer presence in midfield has been very handy this season and he is starting to show the confidence which saw him hit double figures in goals in his final year at Everton.

Although some feel Fellaini may force United into playing more direct football, sometimes that is what you need in this tough league. The squad has many nice footballers who play very neat and tidy football but it does lack physicality, an attribute which the Belgian offers in abundance. Although he has been known to give opposition players an accidental stray elbow on occasion, he is an alternative option for Van Gaal who can make a difference. After being ridiculed for the majority of his first season at the club, it is great to see him respond.

4) The goals will come for Falcao, he offered more than RVP

An ankle injury sustained by Robin Van Persie in the Southampton loss saw Falcao given an opportunity to lead the line at QPR. Although the Match of the Day highlights showed off the Colombians unlucky day in front of goal, in which he was denied by several saves by Hoops stopper Green, there were more signs that Falcao was starting to show sharpness. His off the ball movement and fantastic work rate were two plus points.

After such a long lay-off which saw him miss last year’s World Cup and a stop-start beginning to his United career, I fully believe that Falcao just needs a prolonged run of games to build his confidence in front of goal. In the past, the Colombian would have had a hat-trick on Saturday. He definitely should have scored at least once but it is surely a positive that he is constantly getting into these goal-scoring positions. The goals will come and overall, he certainly offered more than Van Persie has in recent weeks.

5) Another decent run of fixtures awaits – time to push on

A quick glance over to United’s fixture list shows home games against Leicester, Burnley and Sunderland sandwiching trips to Swansea and West Ham. On paper, Van Gaal’s men could easily win all those fixtures and pick up maximum points. After picking up just two points from a possible nine before the QPR win, it is time to start another winning streak and secure their position inside the top four.

With the sides around United, who are gunning for Champions League qualification (namely Southampton, Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool), all in-form currently, it is crucial that the Red Devils build on the win at Loftus Road and gain some renewed momentum. It’s time to forget about the disappointing defeat at the hands of the Saints and push on, especially with an almost fully fit squad to choose from.