Jonny Evans reckons United stars are finally up to Louis van Gaal's standards
Van Gaal announced on arrival at Old Trafford last summer that he intended to “train brains” as much as the bodies and he has been as good as his word.
He said: “The lads have had to take a lot on board. At times, you know, it has been tough and it takes time.
"We’ve been used to playing a certain way for a number of years then the change happens and the new manager wants us to play a certain way.
"It takes time for those things to become second nature but I think you are starting to see that now.
“The fact that the formation has changed a lot has taught the lads an awful lot. Using three at the back against Spurs and Liverpool for instance really suited us because of the way those teams play.
"The experience of using different formations can only benefit us in the long run."
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I think we’ve produced some good defensive displays. Different players in different parts of the pitch, from centre forwards to midfielders, are all playing an important in that
Jonny Evans
Evans refutes suggestions that Van Gaal’s passion for possession has blunted United’s traditional attacking flair but praised the way he has turned them into the third meanest defence in the Premier League - behind Southampton and Chelsea - after an unconvincing start to the season.
He added: “I think when you get as many attacking players on the pitch as we’ve got you are always going to entertain.
“But the manager has done a lot of work in trying to steady the team and making sure everyone knows their jobs. Once we get that nailed on, and everyone knows their defensive jobs, then I think we’ll be able to push on from that and be really entertaining again.
“You can look at the formation and the personnel changes, plus the fact that there’s a lot of players who haven’t played together before, and the manager] is doing very well in getting us organised. And as players we’re really benefitting from that.
“Going back to the start of the season, it was a bit mixed. But if you take the Leicester away game when we conceded five out of the equation and our defensive record is good.
“I think we’ve produced some good defensive displays. Different players in different parts of the pitch, from centre forwards to midfielders, are all playing an important in that.”
The focus is the title- Van Gaal [AMBIENT]
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Evans emphasised United’s determination to end their 11-year wait to win the FA Cup.
“Our record in the Cup hasn’t been good over the last few years,” he said.
“It’s an old cliché that you want to win everything but it is such a historic trophy, especially for Manchester United. The League title has not gone but it is not looking likely so the FA Cup looks our best chance of a trophy this season, especially when you look at the teams who have gone out and the fact we’re the highest ranked team left in the competition now.”
United face another lower division team in the fifth round – League One promotion chasers Preston – after ties against League One Yeovil and League two Cambridge.
“It may look easy on paper but if you look at the games we’ve had – the first halves at both Yeovil and Cambridge especially - it can be a bit of an onslaught so they are tough games. You have got to respect these teams. And I think one thing we have done is prepare really well. We haven’t taken them lightly.”