A player as good as him, you buy them first and worry about where to play them later specially when your team is in need of quality players
Angel Di Maria | £59.7M fee agreed I Maybe tomorrow...or the day after...
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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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It's weird how the Cafites raved about him all of last season (with the peak points after the el clasico game where he set 2 up and created chance after chance, and the CL Final where he set up Bale for the winner in extra time), then suddenly the appreciation on here for him had lulled again during the summer (is it the average world cup?) and whenever we were linked with him for big money the CAF would say he's not worth it (whereas Reus is, despite not being much younger, nor is he at this point in time better) and there were even those who preferred Sanchez...
Some of you need reminding on how good he is. Yes it's a youtube clip of some of his highlights last season, but I doubt you can find as many spectacular moments in one as this one and we all know he's had a great season so there's no 'it's only youtube, you could make Heskey look good' excuse.
Some of you need reminding on how good he is. Yes it's a youtube clip of some of his highlights last season, but I doubt you can find as many spectacular moments in one as this one and we all know he's had a great season so there's no 'it's only youtube, you could make Heskey look good' excuse.
Di Maria is class no doubt but surely this would stall Januzaj's progress as a footballer? Januzaj has the potential to be one of the best players in the world and i want him to get more experience, especially in a season where we are not playing in Europe so there will be limited game time for squad players as it is
I can't see this happening.
Most of us agree di Maria wouldn't really fit into our current 3-5-2. I'm confident LVG hasn't been playing 3-5-2 all preseason, only to sign di Maria and immediately switch to 4-3-3 for the start of the season. I'm not buying this 'just as sign him and worry about where to play him later' argument either.
Most of us agree di Maria wouldn't really fit into our current 3-5-2. I'm confident LVG hasn't been playing 3-5-2 all preseason, only to sign di Maria and immediately switch to 4-3-3 for the start of the season. I'm not buying this 'just as sign him and worry about where to play him later' argument either.
He did say the only reason we're playing 3-5-2 is because of a lack of options in the squad, i.e. midfielder/wingers. Di Maria just so happens to be both of those.
(mind you, I doubt it'll happen either!)
Di Maria wouldn't play in the first few games if we signed him anyway. (For the same reason RVP and Januzaj wont) Ontop of that he can be a useful player in the squad as he could play CM in the 3-5-2 and as a winger in the 4-3-3 and also CM there too.
Yea sure 3-5-2 is a temporary fix because it suits the current squad. Even when we do switch to another formation in the future, whether it be 4-3-3 or whatever, I would have thought LVG will want to practise this new formation before just suddenly switching over one game. It took us quite some adapting to 3-5-2 and 4-3-3 will be another shock to the system. A risk I'm not convinced he'll feel the need to take, all things considered.
Don't get me wrong, if LVG can see a place for him in the squad then I'd love him here. I rate him very highly as a player. But given his cost I would much prefer to see that money spent on a position we are more desperate to improve, like Vidal for example.
Most of the players in our squad have been very used to playing that system for a number of years.
This
Except the manager already said we know how to play 4-3-3, we've played it for years.
From 4:44 on: he basically says he is forced by this selection to play 3-5-2 and he literally says he is more in favour of 1-4-3-3.
2:24 - 2:34: says he needs to buy specialists on the wing and more attackers to play 4-3-3.
If you put these puzzle pieces together, a nice di Maria face appears.
But I'd say around 80% of our players have played 4-3-3 plenty of times, whereas 3-5-2 was completely new to many of them. I highly doubt the transition to 4-3-3 would be a problematic one, and it's not like the team only train in 3-5-2, either. If van Gaal has aspirations of signing players to make us able to play 4-3-3 then I'm sure he's preparing for it.
IMO LVG is using the 3-5-2 only because he considers the current crop as only above-average talent. In his mind, the current 3-5-2 or 3-2-3-1-2 is a default system that ensures a high level of results, using a above average type team to play/gel together quickly. Its system centric. Good ball movement and speed will outdo/run highly talented individuals/oppositions with an above average squad that we have today.
Take LVG's Holland WC team -- one which he had very limited time to re-train or at least very sporadically post-Strootman's injury when the original plan was blown out of the water.
I suspect he would never use the 3-5-2 in a Madrid team that has the talent pool that they have today.
The 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 allows for more individual flair Besides the 4-3-3- or 4-4-2 are systems which the United players are accustomed to anyway s there is nothing to teach there.
LVG has always wanted flexibility both for systems or player's ability to adapt. So why not teach the 3-5-2 system now considering that the first six matches are relatively easy. Then use 4-3-3 when he gets a bit more talent/investment and/or when required.
Think Di Maria could easily play both LWB and CM in the 3-5-2. With three CB's and no wingers, the wing-backs need to be great attackers first and foremost, and in CM he has the work rate and we can allow the midfield being a bit more adventurous with three defenders behind them, one of whom can push up and fill a 'holding role'.
Has something happened in order to spark the flurry of activity in this thread or is it just muppets being muppets?
It's all pointless formation talk by the looks of it.
I think it's just we need to post somewhere as all the other rumours are dying.
From 4:44 on: he basically says he is forced by this selection to play 3-5-2 and he literally says he is more in favour of 1-4-3-3.
2:24 - 2:34: says he needs to buy specialists on the wing and more attackers to play 4-3-3.
If you put these puzzle pieces together, a nice di Maria face appears.
You are quite correct. LvG said several times that he lacks the proper wingers to play 4-3-3. He then even said that we do not have a player like Ronaldo or di Maria in our team so we are playing our current tactics.
IF di Maria is available and we buy him, it is still not late to switch the tactic. On top of that by the words of van Gaal himself - the players are familiar with a 4-3-3 tactic since we played with it for several years. Switching to 4-3-3 might be easier for most of the players even if it will not be the style of football that we used to play in similar formations under our previous managers.
"They know already the other system [4-4-2 or 4-3-3]; they have played that from their youth, so that’s easy. You saw that in the [Netherlands’] game against Mexico – I’m sorry to say that when we were 1-0 down I changed the system to 4-3-3 and then we beat them!"
http://www.manutd.com/en/tour-2014/...-for-the-rest-of-manchester-united-tour.aspx#
"At this moment, we have five No.9s and four No.10s – and we don’t have wingers to give us attacking width.
"Or, I should say, we don't have wingers of the highest level, like Ronaldo or Di Maria or somebody like that. So, I have to play in another way – and you have seen that already. I only buy when I think we need to buy – in the position that is necessary."
Exactly, the same way RM/Barca/BM stockpile players, I really think that if we can't beat them, we should join them. Unfortunately, that seems to be the way of the World these days. Did you see who RM had on the bench last night?
Do you recon we can get away with having a extra man on the pitch
Aye, if we're spunking enough money to buy a world-class winger, it's to ease back towards 4-3-3. All these people saying 'where would he play in LVG's system?' or 'he'd convert him to a wing-back' are obviously a bit mental.
Why do people keep saying he won't fit the system??? He can central midfield as he did for most last year for Madrid and he also an option on the wings when we want to revert to 433.
Were they even alive?
I believe we will buy di Maria and switch to a 4-3-3 and he will be our marquee signing this summer.
It's not really a matter of joining because both of their teams were already filled with great players and they keep adding to them. Our team needs those players before even thinking about the entire squad. We're some steps behind them.
You bring Di Maria and you ship off Kagawa, problem solved regarding Januzay's development but tbh I'm gonna sound like an asshole but I honestly wouldn't care about Januzay's immediate development when we can bring a quality player like Di Maria. Januzay is a promising promising but he has all the time in the world to develop so what's the rush with him ?
Of you remove all the redundant 'how will he fit in the 3-5-2' questions this thread would be half the size.
Nope. If you erase the last 4 weeks, nothing has happened.
This is how it will be every year now.
If you remove the lies there is no thread.
Asking whether he'd play as a wingback is a lot more stupid than simply wondering where he'd play (on the wing in a 4-3-3 or as a CM). Playing a great talent like him as a wingback is the equivalent of setting on fire millions of pounds.
Is it ok to blame Moyes?
You're beginning to lose hope in Vidal then!
Can't argue with that!
From 4:44 on: he basically says he is forced by this selection to play 3-5-2 and he literally says he is more in favour of 1-4-3-3.
2:24 - 2:34: says he needs to buy specialists on the wing and more attackers to play 4-3-3.
If you put these puzzle pieces together, a nice di Maria face appears.
Here's hoping!
It's always alright to blame Moyes.
6/1 to go to PSG - I'm whacking a tenner on it . Can still see that happening.
I really don't understand the debate here, LVG has made it perfectly clear when he says "at the moment I HAVE TO play with this system" (the 3-5-2) because of how poor our options in the wider areas are. He's not married to the system and as for us playing it throughout pre season we've played a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 for years. It'll take more time adjusting to a 3-5-2 than it would switching back to a system the majority of the squad have played their entire careers.
Di Maria is a world class player in a position we desperately need strengthening so apart from one of two players being benched and unhappy about it there's no down side. The squad is horribly unbalanced with so many strikers and 10s, big decisions need to be made and some of them have got to go.
Di Maria is a world class player in a position we desperately need strengthening so apart from one of two players being benched and unhappy about it there's no down side. The squad is horribly unbalanced with so many strikers and 10s, big decisions need to be made and some of them have got to go.
What a waste of talent if he does. Come on Woody, for once, get this guy over here.
Yeah only Juan Mata and one of Rooney/Van Persie.
That's instantly two world-class and brilliant options dropped for Di Maria, who whilst is brilliant you never know how he'll settle in England. It doesn't always work out. It just wouldn't make sense as a transfer this summer.
I think great managers find ways to get their best players in the team, a bit like Ancelotti did with Di Maria last season after people thought he was going to be sitting on the bench a lot, but I do agree that it's not really a necessary signing in terms of where we're weak. There's not much point in signing a player like him and trying to actually figure out a way to fit him in, rather than just buying someone who will automatically fit in.
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