COMMENT: The Colombian was issued an ultimatum by his manager ahead of Saturday's clash with QPR but the former Atletico Madrid star failed to seize the opportunity
Louis van Gaal told Radamel Falcao he had to prove himself in the build-up to this game, but if it was some clever attempt at reverse psychology it backfired badly as the striker produced a woeful performance against QPR.
Manchester United won the game 2-0 but their unconvincing display was summed up by Falcao’s form in front of goal as the Colombian missed several wonderful opportunities when, in truth, he should have netted a hat-trick.
Falcao’s chances of completing a permanent move to United in the summer are fading by the week.
After being left out of the squad entirely for last weekend’s 1-0 defeat to Southampton, the 28-year-old was handed a start at Loftus Road on Saturday.
But he needed second-half goals from Marouane Fellaini and James Wilson to spare his blushes as United recorded just their third away win of the season and moved up to third in the Premier League table.
The €315,000-a-week striker took to the pitch with Van Gaal’s words from his pre-match press conference ringing in his ears.
"If a player costs €95 million or €5,000, it's not any difference for me… a player of €95m has to prove himself also,” Van Gaal said on Friday.
Falcao set about proving himself but found his chances restricted in the first half as United’s laboured under Van Gaal’s 3-5-2 set-up, failing to open up the QPR defence with their pedestrian use of the ball.
When a chance did fall his way, Falcao smashed straight at QPR goalkeeper Robert Green when he should have scored before seeing his rebound also thwarted.
The frustration with United and Falcao’s first-half display was evident in the away end as travelling supporters chanted for a switch to a 4-4-2 formation, while the experiment of playing Angel Di Maria as a striker appeared to backfire.
Van Gaal is not tinkering with kids at Ajax in the 1990s now, these are top-class footballers and it defies believe that the likes of Di Maria and Wayne Rooney are constantly being played out of their best positions.
United improved after the break once they reverted to four at the back – but Falcao didn’t.
He continued to miss golden opportunities in the second period. A header from six yards was placed too close to Green and, as United looked to put the game to bed, he somehow missed the ball in the six-yard box as the goal gaped.
“In the first half we created only one chance which I think Falcao had to score and then he had three chances in the second half,” Van Gaal told reporters.
“It’s not important what I think about Falcao because he wants to score goals. I have to judge how he has played and scoring goals is an important aspect of a striker. But for me it’s also important that he can be an attacking point of the attack and I think he did well.”
It is unlikely that Van Gaal truly believes that, especially given the threat posed by Wilson after the youngster came on as a second-half substitute.
Premier League matches are so often defined by small margins and Van Gaal will conclude that his tinkering worked out for the best given Fellaini smashed in the opener in the 58th minute having replaced Juan Mata at the break.
Wilson created two excellent opportunities on the break for Falcao before showing his team-mate how to score when he sealed the victory at the second attempt late on.
At the moment, even Falcao’s €8m loan fee looks like a complete waste of money and he does not appear to fit into Van Gaal’s system.
The former Atletico Madrid man was handed to the United manager on the final day of the summer transfer window but Van Gaal wants someone with more pace to stretch opposition defences.
United face Cambridge United next week in the fourth round of the FA Cup. Perhaps it will provide Falcao with a chance to find some form and confidence – but he can have no complaints if he finds himself out in the cold again.
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