Manchester United humbled by MK Dons after Will Grigg hits double

Unlike the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, Louis van Gaal’s Manchester United tactics’ playbook does not appear to have the phrase “Don’t Panic” written in large, friendly letters on the cover. There are those who would suggest the acquisition of Ángel Di María indicates that it should, and Van Gaal would certainly be forgiven for muttering the words repeatedly to himself when he watches the recording of this match, because Milton Keynes did not so much beat his much-changed side as humiliate them.

There was a certain irony in the fact Van Gaal said he was not shocked by the scoreline, because neither was Karl Robinson, the manager of the League One side. “I thought once we came to terms with the pace of the game we were comfortable, and we’ve showed everybody, journalists, those in the stadium and those who watched on TV, that we are a club going places,” said the 33-year-old. “We had a game plan, and it helped that Coventry on Saturday also played with a back three.”

Following the acquisition of Di María, a winger, there was almost as much interest in the manner in which Van Gaal would set out his team as there was in the personnel. It was probably as well, considering only the goalkeeper David De Gea was retained from the XI who started Sunday’s draw at Sunderland.

A flexible 3-4-1-2 meant the Swiss Under-19 international Saidy Janko and Reece James made their first-team debuts on either side of the midfield four, and Marnick Vermijl only a second senior appearance on the left of the back three. Van Gaal’s dismissal of his ability to play a central role notwithstanding, Shinji Kagawa began playing just behind the strikers Danny Welbeck and Javier Hernández.

The manager was not helped by having to make a relatively early change, when the unfortunate Kagawa had to be replaced suffering from mild concussion following a clash of heads with Darren Potter, but there was no excuse for the manner in which they fell behind a few minutes later.

Jonny Evans was under no real pressure when he attempted a short and simple pass in his own penalty area but he hit it too close to Ben Reeves, who having stopped the ball, was sufficiently aware to slide the ball back and across for Will Grigg to turn into the empty net.

That United were rattled, mentally as well as at times physically – legitimately so – was beyond question. Nick Powell clipped a crisp drive a foot over the bar, but otherwise Milton Keynes had the best of the remainder of the first half.

Van Gaal made another switch at the break, bringing on Andreas Pereira for Janko and moving Januzaj out on the right but United were fortunate not to fall further behind almost immediately, when Evans appeared to make little effort to get his arms out of the way in blocking Dean Bowditch’s attempt to cross.

Van Gaal used his third substitute, James Wilson, well before the hour, and Welbeck, allowed to drift across the MK 18-yard line, drove a right-foot shot only just wide, but Robinson’s side were always alert to the possibility of a break. The substitute Daniel Powell and Dean Lewington combined well to send Reeves away down the left, and the midfielder’s cross was cleverly chested past De Gea by Grigg.

Like the first goal, the second had originated in United losing possession, and such was again the case a few minutes later when another MK substitute, Benik Afobe, shot beyond De Gea from inside the right side of the area. Again Reeves was involved.

Van Gaal said United were unlucky “because they scored out of our errors at once” but it was 72 minutes before United’s first shot on target, a Wilson effort which David Martin saved well. The MK goalkeeper also touched a Januzaj drive around the post but it was that sort of night and there were still six minutes remaining when Afobe, capitalising on Vermijl’s error, made it four.

“I’m a little bit shocked to be walking off and seeing the scoreline,” Robinson said. “It’s ridiculous, it’s something that dreams are made of for these players. Now we have to live up to our billing. The most emotional part of the weekend was walking out before kick-off, it took my breath away seeing the place full.

“We get an awful lot of criticism nationally, but I think we’ve well and truly put ourselves on the map. We showed we are a football club which can sell out a stadium, now we really have to get out of this league.

“It’ll be disappointing if we don’t get a big crowd against Crawley on Saturday now, they’ve got to turn out.”