Have Manchester United Stumbled Upon the Formula That Could Aid Top-4 Finish?

Could it really be this simple?

Manchester United, so often ridiculed for their boring, monotonous play this season, turned in a stunning performance to see off Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 on Sunday. Poor as Spurs were, it hasn't stopped the cogs in many fans' minds whirring: Is this the return of the United we know and expect, and has Louis van Gaal stumbled upon the answer to his side's performance-related issues?

On paper, there weren't too many differences, formation-wise, between the United we saw line up at the weekend and previous incarnations this season—you know, the awful-to-watch, send-you-to-sleep stale United that somehow ground out consistent victories throughout the winter period. It was a 4-3-3, and a fairly basic one at that.

What the performance did boast, though, was a beautifully varied attack that had key threats in key areas. No longer a blunted offensive front, no longer a pace-less, one-dimensional, predictable entity.

That Spurs wholly failed to come up with a plan to deal with Marouane Fellaini's aerial prowess—not that it's easy, United struggled with him when he was an Everton player!—hardly helped their cause, and it allowed the hosts to establish a constant, effective passing connection to move themselves up the field: David De Gea to Fellaini. Basic, direct and simple, yet also mightily effective in skipping 50 yards.

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That took the onus off the centre-backs to move the ball forward and allowed them to build confidence in a settled fashion. As a result, Chris Smalling began moving up with the ball at his feet and initiating attacks in his own time. It's the first time he's really done that this season—it's amazing what a little confidence can do.

Running off Fellaini, who played left-centre-midfield but entered the No. 10 space with regularity, was Wayne Rooney: goalscorer, vertical threat and all-round handful for Eric Dier. The Englishman ran the channels, threatened to breach the space behind Spurs' high defensive line and linked with his midfielders superbly.

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His runs, often found by Michael Carrick, Ander Herrera and Juan Mata, were bread-and-butter moves of any striker with a bit of speed, but Old Trafford have barely seen them this season. Radamel Falcao lacks burst and when he's played Van Gaal's tactics have been cautious, while Robin van Persie offers very little over the top; he's a slow player now.

Credit: beinsport

Ashley Young, also capable of injecting pace, tortured Kyle Walker throughout and dominated the left-hand side; the attention given to him freed up space on the opposite flank, where Mata and Herrera combined superbly—as you'd expect compatriots to, in truth—to work some excellent positions in the build-up to strong chances.

The three goals scored: a channel run and finish from Fellaini, a header from a set piece and a bruising solo effort from Rooney. The verdict: varied, irresistible, ominous.

Yes, Spurs laid down and took it, but United's performance showed key improvements irrespective of the opposition. In the same way Liverpool's win over Bournemouth signalled the start of something special—even if it was "just" Bournemouth—there are clear and important lessons to take from this performance, and it's possible the continuation of several themes emerging hold the key to better showings on a regular basis.

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1. Young's form and fitness is key; his directness and confidence moving the ball into dangerous areas has won several recent games now.

2. Rooney, as a centre-forward, has to stay. He makes the runs Van Persie can't and gives heart to what many have believed to be an ailing cause.

3. On-pitch connections must be retained or fostered. Carrick and Daley Blind work well together, but handing the former the keys to the midfield made for a more penetrative side. Herrera and Mata love passing to one another, and so long as Rooney runs the channels, Mata from the right should work to a reasonable extent.

It may only have been a dreadful Spurs sight, but just as there were in Liverpool vs. Bournemouth, there are some overriding reasons to be optimistic here. Van Gaal may have stumbled across the right formula to end the 2014-15 season, and while he may have done it by accident, it looks the best bet to carry them to a top-four finish.

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