Paul Scholes: Angel Di Maria's red card against Arsenal was the turning point for Manchester United

It was critical in allowing manager Louis van Gaal to build this new-look team

Manchester United winger Angel Di Maria (Getty Images)

I have been critical of my old club Manchester United under Louis van Gaal this season and I have to say that I did not see this change in fortune coming. To the extent that when they go to Chelsea this weekend, I think they have a good chance of winning the game.

When I look back on the key changes, I still feel that Angel Di Maria’s red card against Arsenal was critical in allowing Van Gaal to build this new-look team. Looking at the side it seems to me to be a triumph of the underdog – Juan Mata, Marouane Fellaini, Ashley Young. All of whom looked like they could be out the picture at the start of the season and are now having a big impact.

The formation is bold. It is much more attacking and more what I expected of Van Gaal when he arrived. There is a spine of four players – Michael Carrick, Ander Herrera, Fellaini and Wayne Rooney – that runs through the middle. Then Young and Mata wide. I wonder whether Carrick will be fit to start against Chelsea, which might mean Daley Blind moving back into midfield.

For all the attention after the derby win over Manchester City on Fellaini and Young, a lot of the credit has to go to Mata. He has given United such composure. He is not a winger, in the conventional sense, but he comes inside and gets involved in the game. He always passes to a red shirt and he is so cool, as you saw with his finish against City.

When I was coaching under Ryan Giggs at the end of last season, we always felt that Fellaini’s best position was as an unorthodox No 10 – the role he is playing now. When he first joined United, David Moyes had played him as a central midfielder but I don’t think controlling the game from there is Fellaini’s biggest strength.

When I played against him when he was at Everton, he was just a giant nuisance: elbows up, big and strong and always liable to peel off and take up a position at the back post. That is how Van Gaal is playing him now and not asking Fellaini to do the things he finds more difficult. I do wonder whether Fellaini has the quality to win games in the Champions League latter stages but that is for another day. I always found him a good, committed player who trained hard.

As for Young, I imagine he has benefited from Ryan Giggs’ belief in wide players. At United, we like to have wingers who give the team width and pace. You instinctively look for them and with Di Maria out, Young has his confidence back.

I’m only guessing but I think the poor results and performances have given Ashley more freedom. In the past he has been the focal point for criticism but in recent months there has been so much of that he has been able to get on with his game while others have been in the spotlight. He has got back to what he does best – getting a yard on a defender and crossing the ball early. It’s been a benefit to Rooney as well as Fellaini.

Amidst all this revival spirit I should point one thing out. United are putting the results together now with the pressure off, to a large extent. They are too far off in the title race – barring a total collapse from Chelsea – and the only thing to play for is a Champions League place. How many times over the years have we seen Arsenal turn on the form to get their top four spot at the end of the season when they have no chance of winning the title?

It is all well and good being strong in the last three months. The really serious teams are in there from the start and they get stronger before Christmas and then into the run-in. There is a big difference between title form and a late surge for a Champions League place.