There was a red devil on the badge. But there was rarely any devilment about their football. They wore red shirts and black shorts. But they rarely resembled Manchester United. Not the free-flowing, swaggering Manchester United we were accustomed to watching when Sir Alex Ferguson was their manager, anyway. The current version is rather more humdrum, even though they are still on course for a return to the Champions League.  Louis van Gaal will not be fooled by this victory over struggling Queens Park Rangers. United remain an extremely expensive work in progress and QPR’s fight was only snuffed out by James Wilson’s goal in stoppage time.  Only then could United relax. It was far closer than the scoreline suggests and QPR can take encouragement from a high-energy, bustling performance, even though they are 19th and winless since 20 December. David de Gea had to make a couple of outstanding saves for United when the game was in the balance, and if QPR can play like this every week, then those persistent rumours about Harry Redknapp losing his job will surely fade away.  What swung the game in United’s favour was Van Gaal swallowing his pride and switching to a diamond system early in the second half. United did not have a shot on target in last Sunday’s 1-0 defeat against Southampton and there have been calls for Van Gaal to dispense with playing three men at the back, which does not appear to suit his players.  Van Gaal was not deterred by the criticism initially and United were set up in a curious 3-3-2-2 formation from the start, with Antonio Valencia and Daley Blind playing as wing-backs, Michael Carrick sitting, Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata further forward and Ángel Di María alongside Radamel Falcao at the tip of the attack. The idea behind playing Di Maria so high, Van Gaal explained, was so he could stretch QPR with his pace, but United were a convoluted mess for much of the first half and the away end was verging on mutiny as chants of “4-4-2” and “Attack! Attack! Attack!” floated through the west London air. United were sterile in possession, the ball was given away with monotonous regularity in dangerous positions and their muddled thinking was encapsulated by the sight of Phil Jones taking a couple of corners and Neil Swarbrick, the referee, penalising Antonio Valencia for a foul throw.  It was schoolboy stuff and United were fortunate not to be behind at the break. They were indebted to De Gea after he made a couple of outstanding saves to deny Charlie Austin, first when he parried a looping volley from the QPR striker and then when he arced backwards and tipped a 30-yard drive over the bar. Eduardo Vargas also dropped a header on to the roof of the net after muscular forward play from Bobby Zamora, who was causing problems for United with his strength and hold-up play.  United’s most incisive moment of the first half came when Mata’s curling pass reached Falcao in the QPR area and a goal looked inevitable as the Colombian brought the ball down on his chest and prepared to shoot.  Yet what followed was a reminder of why Van Gaal left Falcao out entirely against Southampton and has said that he has plenty to do to prove that he is worthy of making his loan move from Monaco permanent. Falcao’s first effort lacked subtlety, the ball hammered straight at Green, and his follow-up was diverted behind by the QPR goalkeeper.  Van Gaal had concerns besides Falcao, however, and he replaced the ineffective Mata with Marouane Fellaini at half-time. Then, when Wilson came on for Jonny Evans, United had four men in defence, a diamond in midfield and Di María behind two strikers. QPR, meanwhile, had lost Richard Dunne to a groin injury. Steven Caulker came on.  United had players in their proper positions and, lo and behold, they scored. Green had already made a stunning save from a Falcao header, but his resistance was broken by Fellaini just before the hour. Rooney slid a pass to Valencia on the right and the Ecuadorian broke with tradition by finding a red shirt with his cross for once. It reached Fellaini in the middle of QPR’s area and it was the power of his rising right-footed shot that was too much for Green.  There were a few anxious moments for United to endure. An awful mix-up between Marcos Rojo and Carrick let Vargas in, only for the Chilean to dither, and De Gea denied Mauricio Isla near the end.  QPR poured men forward in their desperate search for an equaliser and United pounced. Di María released Wilson and although Green saved the 19-year-old’s first effort, he could do nothing about the rebound and United could relax.
Manchester United laboured to a 2-0 victory at QPR with second-half goals from Marouane Fellaini and, with his first for the club late on, James Wilson