If the fee is anywhere close to what's being reported, I'd rather spend that on a couple of top defenders and why are people so willing to shift Rooney or Mata out wide when they're both superior players?
Angel Di Maria | £59.7M fee agreed I Maybe tomorrow...or the day after...
- Thread starter goin4glory
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) and Jamie (@Vault Dweller) are here to talk about United's dreadful home defeat at the hands of Big Ange's Tottenham Hotspur. Should this have been the end of Ten Hag? How long does he actually have left? And does Nik finally want ETH out?!
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OK. I admit it, I was being facetious. It's just I don't accept the idea that because LvG responded to our current personnel by playing a particular formation that would actually stop him buying a player that could fit into alternative ones.
I think this story ends with him going to PSG as planned, but I'll be happy to be wrong.
Was never that fussed about this guy. Massive fee, bit of a sneak, punchable face.
Let's hope there are some bigger plans elsewhere
Let's hope there are some bigger plans elsewhere
How come? It would seem an extremely un-Van Gaal like thing to buy a very expensive player that doesn't fit neatly into his chosen starting system.
No. We'd just be able to stick to the formation we've used for the last five or so seasons (4231), and Rooney might not start every game. He'd be competing with both/either Mata and RVP for the #10 or #9 slots. Everyone else would be in their best positions.
Because his default formation historically isn't 3/5 at the back.
I don't think we need him. Quality player but only if used in the right position/formation. As LvG has already stated, we're over-stocked in the forward positions.
CBs and another CM/CDM is what we need.
CBs and another CM/CDM is what we need.
van gaal changed the formation he played in all his WC qualifying games just before the world cup started. do you think the man is averse to change? he can adapt and change his system depending on the personnel he has. if a player like di maria is available theres no way in hell we should pass over the opportunity to sign him for such a stupid reason as 'he doesnt fit in blah blah blah -formation. hardly a reason to not sign a world class winger who can also play in multiple positions and has a very good work rate.
He's a quality player and would definitely improve us. I wouldn't say no, but I'm not fussed if we don't get him.
Don't need him!? We are desperate for a winger that has a shred of talent. We only have one and he is an proven kid. Thé rest are a joke.
Good summary, how I see this too
I dont see why people keep talking about mata and rooney being pushed wide.
mata is playing behind two strikers at the moment. he can continue to do that in a midfield diamond consisting of herrera, carrick/vidal and di maria, with rooney and van perise playing as the two forwards in front of mata.
there are several ways to play and i dont see why these players cant fit in the same team. a few weeks back we couldnt fathom playing 3-5-2 and now people cant fathom playing any other formation? very strange.
mata is playing behind two strikers at the moment. he can continue to do that in a midfield diamond consisting of herrera, carrick/vidal and di maria, with rooney and van perise playing as the two forwards in front of mata.
there are several ways to play and i dont see why these players cant fit in the same team. a few weeks back we couldnt fathom playing 3-5-2 and now people cant fathom playing any other formation? very strange.
I've not been particuarly impressed with his consistency over the years for Real when on the wing, granted he had a very good end of season last year, but 50mill.. no thanks, not when players like Sanchez went for 30(ish)
Really happy if we dont stump up 65mill euros on this guy, between him and Luiz, in my opinion PSG have spunked huge amounts on two players whom don't impress reguarly enough.
Really happy if we dont stump up 65mill euros on this guy, between him and Luiz, in my opinion PSG have spunked huge amounts on two players whom don't impress reguarly enough.
Of course pal, I much prefer Di Maria through the middle rather than out wide. Excellent for Real when played there however this is also the case with Mata and Kagawa to a lesser extent, all three are better centrally than out wide in my opinion.
4-3-3 would have to be played and that poses a problem as LvG seems set on the 3-5-2 variation. Although maybe with different personnel he would the play the former.
From his own words it's his default formation with us, though. Granted it might not work out and he ends up dropping Rooney or Mata or both, but you aren't going to spend £40m+ on someone just in case a system doesn't work somewhere down the line.
for a guy whos created more chances and made more key passes last season than robben, bale, sanchez and greizmann, you sure seem to underrate him. in some cases his stats are still better than the aforementioned players even if you combine the stats from two of those players. hes only getting better. if we buy him, we will get a player who is nearing his peak.
Players of this type and quality are starting to run out! Sanchez gone, Di Maria going, Suarez gone, Messi / Bale / Ronaldo / Neymar - can't see it. Who else?
I wanted him for our wings when I heard Real were looking to flog him but it was when I thought we would be able to get him on the cheap (under 40m Euros). He is not a 65m wide player, not at all, far too hit and miss.
Then you'd sacrifice any width we'd have. We'd be changing everything because we signed 1 player. How about we sign a player that fits in with the formation we intend to use at the moment? What happens if we sign him and then another world class player because available? Sign him as well and then change everything again?
Some of you are obsessed by signing the best players. Hasn't this world cup taught you that getting the best doesn't mean you'll have the best team? It's about balance and having the right players in the right formation in the right positions.
In any case, all of this is just filler. We won't be signing him, I don't think it's been on at any point this summer and I'm not even convinced we've been after him.
It's been a good debate though, never realised Di Maria played as a CM so thanks for that chaps. 
our width is upto our full backs in 3-5-2, so that wont change with a diamond in midfield. how often do world class players become available??? its not everyday madrid have a yard sale do they? last time they had one, we missed out on robben and snjeider and wouldnt you say that cost us? vidal and di maria are a must if we have to win the league. if that requires us to chage our formation after a couple of pre-season games then so what? players have plenty of time to adapt.
i dont know if we will sign him or not. but one thing is for sure that hes in top form and would be a great addition to any team.
Di Maria this summer and Reus the next. A man can dream.
Woodward says we're the biggest club in the world. Signing players like that is what the biggest clubs do.
It's true I probably underate him, but I base my opinion on 3 or so years at Real and not just the last year, he was very good last year playing away form the wing when I saw him, I would agree, but over a 3 or so year space he's not been overly productive on the wing, similar to Luiz who isn't overly productive at CB, both players who perform better when not playing in "their position".
Also stats wise, Arsenal fans last year were quoting Ozil's assist rate on paper was on par with Messi~ etc, I wouldn't pay too much attention at written stats but again, its just my opinion of the guy who would cost us.. 65mill euros.
Nothing to do with them being superior players, it is called balance
We are probably the biggest club commercially, and making money. I do not think we are effective in terms of pulling power, and that is the problem, as reason why we have regressed since 2008/09
He also said that he's going to stop the best players in the world going to play in Spain. Since then, JRod and Suarez have done just that so it remains to be seen what players he is talking about there.
Good player in my view, and i would have no issue with him potentially fitting into any system LVG may choose to employ. But that's not the point surely, the fact is we have far more pressing needs in midfield and defence. I would be very disappointed if we again ignored areas of real concern to buy yet another winger.
It's exactly that type of reasoning that has left us short of quality in midfield for so long. We have just lost Rio, Vidic and Evra, surely the top priority has got to be addressing the centre of defence. We only have to look at Barca to see that if you ignore defensive frailties in favour of attacking indulgences, then the only way is down and we have already fell far enough for my liking. We were poor enough defensively last season with far better defenders than we have now, i struggle to imagine us improving without bringing in at least one experienced and established CB.
It's exactly that type of reasoning that has left us short of quality in midfield for so long. We have just lost Rio, Vidic and Evra, surely the top priority has got to be addressing the centre of defence. We only have to look at Barca to see that if you ignore defensive frailties in favour of attacking indulgences, then the only way is down and we have already fell far enough for my liking. We were poor enough defensively last season with far better defenders than we have now, i struggle to imagine us improving without bringing in at least one experienced and established CB.
Yes but that was before they realised what Woodward was going to do to the Manchester weather......!
no doubt spending 65 mil euros on one player would not be worth it unless its the best of the best. di maria is not. not yet.
di maria flourished under ancelotti because he gives his players more freedom just like van gaal. he wasnt the best on the wing playing under mourinho whos system is compact and quite rigid because of the way he maintains the defensive shape of his team. even then barring one season, his assists tally has always been in double figures and he gets a few goals as well. i think hes been very good, espcially when you compare him to our current crop of wingers.
if we dont spend a ludicrous amount of money then we should definitely buy him. reasons like 'our formation is 3-5-2' are ridiculous. the crazy amount of money madrid are allegedly demanding does make more sense as a probable cause if we dont get him.
I just can't see where Di Maria would play in Van Gaal's new system
If he gets bought it'll be because LvG thinks he can use him. Whether that's in a 343 variant (where he'd compete to be in the front 3), a 442 (where he'd be a winger) or a 433 (where he can play well in either 3) is a problem LvG might enjoy.
I'll believe it when I see it. This feels like a Mendes game to make PSG move faster. But Di Maria can give us something we don't have and that's why I wouldn't rule it out.
Incidentally Ancelotti started last season playing 442 because it apparently suited the personnel. By the end of it he was playing his 4321 because he could make it work better.
Mata wide and Rooney in the hole? When Moyes did that everyone was bashing him because of it.
AS reporting that Cavani hasn't travelled with PSG on tour from which they're guessing he's been sold (hopefully not to us) and that Di Maria goes to PSG.
They played 442 by the end of the season, too. In the CL at least.
Apparently he is sick, and will join them in the coming days.
http://www.leparisien.fr/psg-foot-p...l-avion-pour-hong-kong-26-07-2014-4029217.php
PSG have a team that, on paper, should at least reach the CL semi finals.
They bashed him for ignoring Zaha too. You have to learn what LVG does is right and what Moyes did was not..regardless it it was the same decision. Its called proven. Its a bitch.
Remove David Luiz from the starting 11 and they have a side that can go all the way.
Worst case: Vidal to Real, Di Maria to PSG and we sign Cavani
I would kill Woody^^
Di Maria would be great, he will be outstanding in every formation imo, favorite would be him, Vidal and Ander in midfield, Mata in front of them and Rooney and Van Persie as strikers
If any prospective player see's us as a downgrade because we're out the CL, then I don't want them anywhere near the club tbh. We can do much better than that. I'm not saying that's how Di Maria thinks, but with the total spread of money across the game. I wouldn't be surprised at all.
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