Angel Di Maria

[JJH]

Savage has just ripped him a new backside on MOTD.

 

[RavenBish]

You should never pay £59 million for a bloke that can only kick a ball with one foot.

I don't think he's a central midfielder in fairness, maybe in the poncey La Liga he is but it's different here. Stick him on the right and let him cut inside and he'd be alright...not good enough to justify his price tag but he's obviously got ability.

 

[SALTIRE]

Savage was loving it, but he did make good points about the whole team.

 

[Renegade]

You should never pay £59 million for a bloke that can only kick a ball with one foot.

I don't think he's a central midfielder in fairness, maybe in the poncey La Liga he is but it's different here. Stick him on the right and let him cut inside and he'd be alright...not good enough to justify his price tag but he's obviously got ability.

Would pay it for Arjen Robben or Lionel Messi.

He is a central midfielder, his poor play during United games has mostly been when he's been playing left wing. He spent most of the game today on the left-wing putting in poor crosses. He did it in the poncey Champions League too.

 

[RavenBish]

Well, you wouldn't pay £59m for Robben at all - and to call Messi one-footed, come on, that's a big stretch. His decision-making is astonishingly bad - he's basically been like United's version of fucking Ramires - at least on the wing it simplifies his game a little, and you'd play him on the right not the left, for the same reason Robben plays on the right.

 

[Renegade]

The point was some one footed players are worth the money, Robben and Messi are two world class players that would have fetched that sort of money if sold in the past few seasons. Messi has become more two footed (particularly this season), but he flat out refused to use his right foot for most of his career (he didn't need to because he's just that good). Point is, if you're good enough, shouldn't matter. Di Maria's price tag was inflated because United are desperate at the moment, a more realistic valuation would have been around £40 million, which he can still prove he's worth.

He is best as a central midfielder in a 4-3-3. United should be building the team around him, instead of playing him as a left winger or as a central midfielder in a 5-3-2, where he spends most of his time as a left winger anyway. He is the perfect counter-attacking central midfielder, yet United play either slow-passing (usually between their centre backs) build up or hoofball, which make use of none of his best attributes. The only decision he has at the moment in Van Gaal's system is - run down the left wing and cross it in or cut back and pass it backwards? He is being horribly mismanaged.

I thought Savage was hyperbolic/overly incredulous tonight on MOTD also. The giant bellend.

 

[G-Dragon]

Ronaldo for 80mil - Di Maria for 60mil....Madrid took united to the cleaners.

 

[Ellis]

You should never pay £59 million for a bloke that can only kick a ball with one foot.

I don't think he's a central midfielder in fairness, maybe in the poncey La Liga he is but it's different here. Stick him on the right and let him cut inside and he'd be alright...not good enough to justify his price tag but he's obviously got ability.

I'll eat my heart out the day I see Di Maria come inside properly rather than his continual floating crosses.

United would have been perfect with Sanchez rather than Di Maria.

 

[Renegade]

Ronaldo for 80mil - Di Maria for 60mil....Madrid took united to the cleaners.

Ever heard of inflation? Ronaldo was bought for £80 million almost six years ago, he would cost closer to £200 million had he been purchased last summer. United did pay over the odds, but that's a stupid comparison, which you could apply to almost any transfer. At the time, people thought United had taken Madrid to the cleaners, funny how things can change over the course of half a decade (length of Di Maria's contract).

I'll eat my heart out the day I see Di Maria come inside properly rather than his continual floating crosses.

United would have been perfect with Sanchez rather than Di Maria.

1) Sanchez does not play the same position as Di Maria. United bought Di Maria who excelled at Madrid playing CM, whilst Sanchez was a wing forward at Barca and Udinese. The change in formation to 3-5-2/5-3-2 completely eradicated the need for a wing forward, though I'd dearly love if United did start playing that way.

Sanchez can play anywhere, but coming off the last few seasons, Di Maria was clearly viewed as the more established player.

All of which is a moot point, because...

2) Arsenal had already signed Sanchez a month and a half before United even considered buying Di Maria.

 

[Master D]

He was one of the best players in the world last season, he still is. Van Gaal has ruined him.

 

[sl1k]

ADM is one of them players that can win you a game even when having a horrible day at the office, but the dude has to be utilised to his strengths.

Renegade was spot on in highlighting LVG's mismanagement of players, I've said it on another thread too - our tactics do not match the talent. Rather than being set up to play our own game, because of our deficiencies in defence, we've been playing slow cautious 'if we have the ball they can't score' sort of football. It's totally sucked the creativity out of our game and has made the movement of our forwards static.

 

[SALTIRE]

He was one of the best players in the world last season, he still is. Van Gaal has ruined him.

Heard from a Utd fan last night on another forum that LVG is also 'ruining my club' . Great stuff

 

[Christian Slater]

I have to admit that he's not looking up to it at the moment. He came in with a bang but he's been easily nullified and ineffective for too long now. Crap again today I thought. He's been lucky Falcao is somehow worse.

 

[Destruction]

I have to admit that he's not looking up to it at the moment. He came in with a bang but he's been easily nullified and ineffective for too long now. Crap again today I thought. He's been lucky Falcao is somehow worse.

Cheers for the update Christian, I'd heard similar reports on Twitter this afternoon but didn't want to appear to be "sticking in the knife".

 

[Christian Slater]

Twist it in, mate.

 

[sl1k]

I've been really disappointed with his performances lately, but still have faith in the player. LVG's possession based football makes us hold the ball far too much in non threatening areas.

 

[Nilsson]

Alexis Sanchez has dropped off recently too, it happens it a players' debut season, no matter how talented he is. Luis Suarez was considered by many a poor finisher at the start of his Liverpool career.

Di Maria's drop off has been heightened by the fact he's suffered a few injuries, been wrongly used by Van Gaal and by the fact he plays for the most scrutinized club in the country. But I have no doubt he'll prove his worth long term.

 

[smat]

OT but I think Sanchez's drop off has a lot to do with Özil's return. Can't put my finger on it but we play a different style when he's on, a bit more measured and controlled, maybe. They're a bit yin and yang (hopefully).

 

[Forthright]

Di Maria is a quality player. But as with any player, confidence or lack of it will affect performances. It doesn't help that he is being managed by Utds worst manager in recent history.

It could also be that the premier league is not suited to his game.

He won't be the first Argentinan who came to old Trafford with a world class reputation but left with his career in tatters.

 

[Whitechapel]

Two league assists and no goals for Angel Di Maria since November 22. Jason Puncheon beat that in 23 minutes on Saturday.

 

[NiallQuinnDiscoPants]

I'm definitely not having it that Di Maria is a terrible player or a flop. On his day he can be a fantastic player.

But i'll repeat that I thought when United signed him in August or whenever, he is absolutely not a £64 million quid player. Probably half that and you've got a more realistic amount.

 

[thespus]

Is substituting the player so early (in such an important match, mind) the best way to build his confidence?

He'll end up a PSG player next summer if Manchester United miss out on the top four. He'll make up for the missing CL revenue so that they can make high profile purchases in compliance with FFP.

 

[Destruction]

Ah, hello old friend...

 

[Blitzballer]

 

[Renegade]

Ah, hello old friend...

He had a really good game until he lost his head.

 

[GodsGift]

He was alright, "really good" is pushing it though. Decent cross for the Rooney goal but can't remember him doing much else.

 

[thespus]

He had a really good game until he lost his head.

Think Monreal's goal had a lot to do with his disinterest in tracking back.

 

[Renegade]

He was alright, "really good" is pushing it though. Decent cross for the Rooney goal but can't remember him doing much else.

You must not have been paying attention then, he played a number of good crosses, linked very well with Rooney (on two occasions ending in one on one situations) and was along with Rooney a constant threat. Arsenal nullified him after the hour mark, his frustration boiled over and he got stupidly sent off.

He had at the very least a good game, certainly not a display worthy of bumping a thread. United were the most dangerous they have been since the turn of the year (a sad indictment of their quality, I know), they need to persist with Rooney up front when RVP gets fit again.

Think you're clutching at straws there thespus, I know Di Maria bashing is fashionable this weather, but Valencia's woeful positional sense and three missed tackles were the cause of that goal.

 

[Master D]

His biggest issue is the fact he thinks he has to justify his fee everytime he is on the ball. He feels the need to show off and do things in a fancy way instead of just playing like the team player he was at Real Madrid. He is not suited as being the main man of the side is his end product is wildly inconsistent. He's lost all confidence it seems and a move to PSG in the summer would be likely.

 

[thespus]

Think you're clutching at straws there thespus, I know Di Maria bashing is fashionable this weather, but Valencia's woeful positional sense and three missed tackles were the cause of that goal.

Valencia was in a woeful position, certainly, but he was trying to mark out 2-3 players throughout the match.