Louis van Gaal on Right Track with Manchester United's 2nd-Half XI vs. Brugge

In a post-match interview with Des Kelly for BT Sport after Manchester United's comprehensive victory over Club Brugge on Wednesday evening, Louis van Gaal was asked about the forthcoming draw and the prospect of facing some of Europe's elite teams.

Van Gaal gave a half-smile, buoyed by what he had just seen on the pitch, and he said, "I don't think they want to draw us, I think." Only then did he allow his smile to broaden into a chuckle. It was a heartening display of bullishness from United's manager.

It was hard not to draw comparisons with David Moyes' timid pronouncements about Liverpool coming to Old Trafford as favourites, about aspiring to the level of Manchester City or of trying to make things difficult for Newcastle United.

Of course, off-the-pitch improvements come under the heading of "desirable" rather than "essential" on the person specification for Manchester United manager.

With a return to the Champions League proper, Van Gaal has completed the first leg of his journey in the essential business of making United into a force again. He now has the opportunity to take the lessons of the tie and use them to improve United's domestic form.

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The two legs against Club Brugge have seen the Red Devils play their best attacking football so far this season by some margin. Wednesday night's 4-0 win was impressive in spite of it coming against the injury-hit Belgian opposition.

However, the warm glow of the aftermath of that game is only as warm as it is because of a superb second-half display. And that second-half display saw a balance in United's attacking play that has been missing all season.

Ander Herrera's selection in the starting XI was greeted with tremendous enthusiasm on social media and no doubt among United's travelling support too, such is his popularity. In the first half, though, he did not play well at all.

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His passing was wayward and mostly ineffective. He slipped at a crucial juncture—not the only player to do so on the night, of course. He picked up a booking after just 12 minutes. Given how he was playing at the time, there was some concern he would not last the 90 without another.

All that changed at half-time. At the break, Van Gaal brought on Bastian Schweinsteiger for Adnan Januzaj and moved Herrera up the pitch. A midfield of Schweinsteiger, Herrera and Michael Carrick then took near total control of the game.

Wayne Rooney's much-needed hat-trick grabbed the headlines, as it deserved to do. His first-half goal was carved out by a moment of brilliance from Memphis Depay, but both his goals and Herrera's strike in the second half were brought about through fine team play.

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Van Gaal has said Januzaj has been selected ahead of Herrera at No. 10 because he prefers a second striker over a third midfielder in that position, per Samuel Luckhurst of Manchester Evening News. It is time for him to abandon that aspect of his approach and play three midfielders.

The Brugge game was the second time in recent weeks when the balance of United's play had been improved by Herrera playing in Januzaj's spot. Against Aston Villa, although the youngster did well for his goal, United looked much more assured and, though they did not breach Villa again, more threatening once Herrera had come on.

Yesterday, Rooney thrived off service on another level to that which he has received so far this season. He earned—and deserved—a great deal of praise for his hat-trick, but none of his goals required brilliance on his part, just good, solid centre-forward play.

That is not meant as a knock against Rooney, rather it is a compliment to the team's balance and effectiveness in the second half.

Carrick, Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin all have the requisite quality to play the deeper-lying midfield roles. Schweinsteiger has tended to add attacking impetus when he has been on his game.

Indeed, his through ball for Herrera's goal was so wonderful it prompted Nooruddean Choudry of Joe.co.uk to suggest it "would make angels weep."

With two of the three of them behind Herrera, United looked a totally different and much more effective prospect on Wednesday night. There are important caveats about the nature of the opposition, but it worked well enough that Van Gaal must test its potential against tougher opponents.

Francois Walschaerts/Associated Press

With the possible exception of replacing Carrick with Schneiderlin, he should select the XI that began the second half against Brugge when United face Swansea City on Sunday.