Angel Di Maria

[Master D]

Di Maria was at fault for the goal eventually, he was stood watching the whole thing develop but couldn't be arsed running back in to help mark Monreal. It is so bizarre, this guy was a running machine at Real Madrid, a whippet with endless energy, he used to sprint everywhere putting defenders under all sorts of pressure and scaring the life out of Barca and Atletico. Now he looks like he's constantly knackered and the biggest prima donna in Europe. He's a great player, he's just been ruined by United's shit bug it seems.

 

[Shank]

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.

Played one good cross for the goal, the other crosses - you'd surely expect anyone to be able to lob a ball from deep into Fellaini far post, and one dodgey corner that Carrick made the most off. Another ineffectual performance.

The old United way of playing, patient but incisive is long gone. Embarrassing the amount of balls they hit up to Fellaini. Championship tactics.

 

[SALTIRE]

Good to see the worst diver in the world got his comeuppance tonight.

 

[Nath]

He was good tonight until his idiotic moment. Showed a bit of spark and has moments of real quality (it was a great assist). I still feel he is far too petulant and through carelessness gives up possession on too many occasions. He's going to miss a massively important match for us now. If he goes to PSG it just shows his mentality.

 

[Pagnell]

If he goes to PSG it just shows his mentality.

The mentality of someone who wants Champions League football?

 

[Renegade]

I wouldn't blame him for leaving a system that completely nullifies his greatest attributes. Van Gaal will be the biggest reason Di Maria either succeeds or continues to fail in the English game. All the faults pointed out in his game at the moment - hoofball to Fellaini, trying to do much with the ball, not tracking back as a quasi inverted right winger (nitpicking, but I'll accept) have more to do with him being misused than his actual ability.

Why buy such an explosive, counter-attacking specialist to play such slow possession based football? Football that creates no gaps in a defence and ends up with crosses to Fellaini. Why buy a world class left central midfielder in a 4-3-3 to stick him in almost every position but that, where no runs are being made in front of him by a forward line devoid of pace in a system that clearly doesn't accentuate the players' strengths? Di Maria is the only United player taking risks at the moment and it makes him look like he's trying to do everything himself, every other player is playing to simply maintain the football. Not their fault either.

I wouldn't begrudge him leaving for PSG in the summer if LVG doesn't change his philosophy. He will never work as a Manchester United player in the current system.

 

[Humongous Fungus]

If PSG paid £40m for Luiz, then sadly United will probably make their money back

 

[mistermagic]

He was good tonight until his idiotic moment. Showed a bit of spark and has moments of real quality (it was a great assist). I still feel he is far too petulant and through carelessness gives up possession on too many occasions. He's going to miss a massively important match for us now. If he goes to PSG it just shows his mentality.

I'm not sure what the strategy is as Blanc has come out and said he may resign at the end of the season as he's fed up with all the media nonsenese surrounding the club (I don't blame him). I sincerely hope we do a clear-out. Sell the players that want to leave (Cavani & Lavezzi) and get rid of players that are not good enough for CL football (Bahebeck). I heard a few names but I reckon we'll go for Pogba rather than di Maria if given the choice. Would be great to have both of them obviously but that may cost us 500M€.

 

[Destruction]

Just wondering how people viewed the respective performances last night of say Di Maria and Oxlaide-Chamberlain?

Considering the gulf in price, I know which one looked the outstanding footballer to me.

 

[Whitechapel]

Spoiler: A good way to dive hard...

 

[Pagnell]

He's one weird looking fucker.

 

[G-Dragon]

United should accept their loss and sell Di Maria to PSG.

 

[Stevencc]

He's one weird looking fucker.

Dat physique.

 

[SALTIRE]

He looks as if he needs a good bowl o porridge!

 

[Pagnell]

Dat physique.

Looks like someone's photoshopped an adults head on an 11 year old's body.

 

[Mr Bauer]

Unacceptable behaviour from him last night. Basically gifted Arsenal the game.

 

[Pagnell]

Yup. Had he not been sent off it's clear United would have scored at least once in the remaining 15 minutes.

 

[mente captus]

technically gifted players and the premier league are natural enemies

 

[thespus]

technically gifted players and the premier league are natural enemies

 

[mente captus]

...and now

 

[Master D]

Just wondering how people viewed the respective performances last night of say Di Maria and Oxlaide-Chamberlain?

Considering the gulf in price, I know which one looked the outstanding footballer to me.

The Ox was good last night but he is nowhere near Di Maria's top level and I don't think ever will be. He was the outstanding player in a side that won the CL last season and tore apart Barca and Atletico a few times. Right now, Di Maria is just devoid of any confidence and is having trouble adapting to a new country. He's a far, far superior overall player to Ox.

 

[G-Dragon]

 

[Blitzballer]

Type of player who tarnishes the EPL. You want to dive, roll around and be violent, go back to Argentina.
Laughable at the fee united paid

 

[JimJams]

He was the outstanding player in a side that won the CL last season.

No he wasn't. While it's not always the case that the most obvious answer is the correct one, Ronaldo was the outstanding player for Madrid last season, simple as. Di Maria played well for the majority of it, he doesn't come close to being as valuable a player as Ronaldo, even if he is an ego maniac. If Di Maria was the standout player in the best team in Europe, he wouldn't be wearing a Utd shirt this season.
I also think people are over egging the lads quality (or maybe doing Ox a disservice in this case) Di Maria is indeed a top player, but only in short bursts for most of his career. Last season was probably the only one in recent years where he's been consistent, and that's due to him being played centrally rather than out wide, where he's been up and down in terms of quality his whole career. In all honesty, the blokes had one good season at the top level, prior to that to say his form (and attitude) was erratic would be complimentary.

Anyway as said by Rene, unless he's going to be played centrally, he's wasted really. And I don't see him getting that position, much like Mata, he's going to be overlooked for that role, perhaps because he's a bit of a frail fucker. If you look at LVG's Dutch side, he wants the same shape, so trading players for his WC line up, he wants a winger to play Robbens role, and a midfielder to play Sneijders. I could see Mata played in the latter and as a result Di Maria played in Robbens position. But LVG looks like he has other ideas anyway.

 

[Whitechapel]

I thought he played on the right last season?

Ronaldo - Benzema - di Maria?

 

[mistermagic]

I thought he played on the right last season?

Ronaldo - Benzema - di Maria?

Nah, Bale played there. Di Maria played centrally and was brilliant there. Kudos to Ancelotti for seeing that.

 

[Whitechapel]

Nah, Bale played there. Di Maria played centrally and was brilliant there. Kudos to Ancelotti for seeing that.

Oh of course he did. Must have been the season before I was thinking of.

 

[Nath]

The mentality of someone who wants Champions League football?

Very good, haha. The mentality of someone who quits because he's not getting everything his way! I don't think he'll leave anyway.

I'm not sure what the strategy is as Blanc has come out and said he may resign at the end of the season as he's fed up with all the media nonsenese surrounding the club (I don't blame him). I sincerely hope we do a clear-out. Sell the players that want to leave (Cavani & Lavezzi) and get rid of players that are not good enough for CL football (Bahebeck). I heard a few names but I reckon we'll go for Pogba rather than di Maria if given the choice. Would be great to have both of them obviously but that may cost us 500M€.

Pogba and Verratti in a midfield is potentially Champions League winning stuff.

 

[danielcorr]

Please check out my post on Angel Di Maria and why I think he is currently struggling at Manchester United!

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http://footyaddiction.weebly.com/blo...ria-struggling

 

[Stevencc]

Because he wanted to go to PSG and he doesn't give a toss about playing for United.