Really, we have a clear lack of pace/quality in the final third. Which is part of the reason the attack looks so clogged. All the players we have like the ball to feet and none get in behind defences and stretch them. If used as a winger Di Maria will be integral. The signing that wasn't needed was Mata in my opinion. The fee for ADM is a little steep but we need him, now all we need is 2 good quality midfielders. A ball winner who can break up attacks and distribute at a competent level and perhaps another box to box midfielder.
Angel Di Maria | £59.7M fee agreed I Maybe tomorrow...or the day after...
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Really, we have a clear lack of pace/quality in the final third. Which is part of the reason the attack looks so clogged. All the players we have like the ball to feet and none get in behind defences and stretch them. If used as a winger Di Maria will be integral. The signing that wasn't needed was Mata in my opinion. The fee for ADM is a little steep but we need him, now all we need is 2 good quality midfielders. A ball winner who can break up attacks and distribute at a competent level and perhaps another box to box midfielder.
At the moment I would say we will miss him a lot in big games, but it is still early in the season and Madrid lost a lot of big games last year too. It was only in april that Madrid began to win them. I am hoping ancelotti will come up with a formation and team that will work and offer the balance like he did last year. If somebody told me last year that we would win the CL with di maria being one of our two best players (personally I though modric was better over the season and also vs bayern) playing in CM and playing at the level he was playing at I wouldn't have believed them. Madrid are not going to win the CL again as it takes too much luck to win it once, let alone twice in a row (and that would have also being the case if we still had di maria) but I am hoping we can at least get to the semis and hopefully put in a very strong challenge for the league and win it
Our wingers are genuinely pathetic. And people say he isn't addressing a big weakness?
Feck sake calm down.
Our defence and midfield is for me more at fault than anything with our wingers, despite how mediocre they are. At best I'll concede the wingers might be just as bad at the defence but the midfield is comfortably ahead of all others area, unless you've been living on the moon for the last five years.
I agree about the CM issues however, the window has not closed yet and from what we're hearing (journos that have clearly been briefed) it seems we are indeed pushing for a CM. But it can't just be any CM. People carry on about Kroos and Cesc being available but both of those players won't necessarily have been the right CM for our needs. We need a box to box CM with legs to run and strong as well, as well as creative CM dictating play. Though, the latter can be handled by Herrera (once he settles) and Mata as a combo. We need a strong box to box (ala Keane) CM or #6 that sits deep. That doesn't mean those players have been available or that the manager thinks whomever was/is available will improve us.
So what to do? A world class winger becomes available, and we can get him, do we A) go for it or B) say 'nah we still short in CM/CB so let's pass on this one'?? It's an easy decision. We will sign a CM and/or CB if the right player is available, regardless of di Maria.
Tbf he played most of last season central.
Burnley just shite themselves
Our new number 7. A worthy one at that. I reckon he'll also be the main man, like Ronnie was.
Part of a 3 man midfield where he shadowed Ronaldo on the left wing a lot of the time.
The question is, Kroos + Fabregas or Di Maria?
First packet was never an option so di Maria.
Why? If neither wanted to play for us it's irrellevent.
If United were to get those players we'd have to pay at least £80m total.
Getting both Kroos and Fabregas would just have unbalanced us further. Any three-man midfield we put out will have a number ten so having two 'attacking' central midfielders wouldn't really work.
I'd rather have Di Maria and Herrera; that way we can sign someone to compliment Herrera and become a much more balanced side.
Considering neither were said to be Van Gaal targets, Di Maria.
We might have had a chance with Fabregas, but it seems like Kroos really had his eyes set on Real.
We already have 7 or 8 anyway.
New day, new video, same old Di Maria.
This was on twitter so could be fake.
He's a major piece in the puzzle, but we're still desperate to sort out CM. I've said it many times that I don't expect us to improve much regardless of who we sign so long as our CM is as weak as it is.
It's fake, that's Rojos body.This was on twitter so could be fake.
Could be? Are you sure about that?This was on twitter so could be fake.
Exactly. We have Mata and Kagawa who can play as our 'number ten' so playing Kroos and Fabregas behind that wouldn't have worked.
One of them would have been brilliant though, but I'm happy with Herrera.
Clears that up. It fooled me!
Not without Champions League football, some players it wouldn't bother if money makes up for it but you get the impression Fabregas preference would always be a Champions League club.
Not arguing with the general point but it's misleading reading too much into stats from a team as dominant as Real Madrid, who are top of the table in a two-tier league.
I mean, look at Ozil. > 20 assists/season in Spain. 11 assists after his first season at Arsenal.
Well Ozil has players like Giroud and Sanogo to assist, but I do agree with you.
I guess you never know but you are probably right with him as well. Getting top class players is always a challenge and without CL football it gets considerable harder still. Amazed and delighted we managed to land Di Maria really.
Was injured a bit too be fair.
I was thinking just that myself. Stats can be seriously misleading and can come heavily down to circumstance. Mata is yet another example since arriving at a struggling United.
At least I don't have to buy him in FIFA anymore.
The stats also include 5 assists and 3 goals in 9 Champions league games.
I understand your point though, but he can only play against who he is up against. He'll get similar numbers in the Premiership if he is given the same freedom. Rooney and RVP are better than Benzema so they'll thrive.
Manchester United will be amazing in FIFA if we buy Vidal.At least I don't have to buy him in FIFA anymore.
This experience is so similar to Mata, although I know he's already signing I'm still so excited for the official announcement and presentation!
How can you still call it a two tier league especially considering the stats are from last season?
Rooney and RVP are living off their names at the minute. On current form I'd give the nod to Benzema over either of them. Hopefully Di Maria does help them get back to finding the net consistently.
Ed Woodward will be relishing this moment. Probably why we are all being made to wait for an announcement.
Manchester United will be amazing in FIFA if we buy Vidal.
This experience is so similar to Mata, although I know he's already signing I'm still so excited for the official announcement and presentation!
I know what you mean. Odds are he is already a Man Utd player as we speak but we want to see that first MUTV interview!
Benzema was just on a cold streak. 15 games I think.
Manchester United will be amazing in FIFA if we buy Vidal.
I hope they make Januzaj good this FIFA. Him on one wing and Di Maria on the other, them wings are going to get abused so bad!
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