Erm where did I say he was? I simply said he was a ballon'dor winner which justified his huge price tag a bit. Di Maria has never hit those heights, even last season.....
7
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 32
- Goals
- 4
- Assists
- 13
- Yellow cards
- 3
- Red cards
- 1
- Status
While Di Maria didn't win the Ballon D'Or last season like Kaka did in 2007, this is a very misleading argument.
Yes, Kaka did win that individual award but statistically he scored 18 goals and provided 11 assists in the 2006/ 2007 season. Di Maria's numbers from last season are equally comparable if not better at 12 goals and 23 assists for the season. Would Kaka win the Ballon D'Or in a season when Ronaldo was on the verge of breaking a plethora of individual scoring awards and in an era where both he and Messi are regularly scoring 70, 80 goals per calender year ? I really don't think so. Angel is no scrub either. He was the man of the match in the Champion's League final, Madrid's 2nd most influential player for La Decima behind Ronaldo, named to every major team of the year list, is one of the highest assist makers for the last few seasons in Europe and so forth.
We paid standard market value + a bit of a premium due to missing out on European football for a footballers of his undoubtedly world class quality. Sometimes players need time to adapt in a new league, to their team-mates, a new style of play and find their rhythm. By no means were we mugged. It's always prudent to wait 2-3 seasons before judging a transfer because then you have a decent sample size to gauge that player's performance and contribution to the team.
Absolutely devastating through the middle, average as a striker and another Nani on the wing. Looks like a no brainer where he should play, yet for some reason it isn't.
The way he runs at players with the ball is fantastic, we haven't seen that here since Giggs was young.
The way he runs at players with the ball is fantastic, we haven't seen that here since Giggs was young.
Relax, I said "so far" which means he can still and probably will prove me wrong. He is an excellent player when on form but he is way to inconsistent.
I agree with your bit about waiting 2-3 seasons before judging a player(Last year Fellaini was the spawn of Hades, now he's a good, solid player), but that doesn't mean you can't talk about or rate his performances so far which have been very disappointing.
As for Kaka, he was a much more accomplished and better player than Di Maria. He was in the fifapro team of the year 3 times and had already won the Ballon'dor.
If you consider inflation, we actually paid about 5-8m less. Also, Di Maria has probably produced more for us than Kaka did for Madrid. The guy was a monumental flop in Spain.
Personally, I don't think Kaka was much better. He had a season or two where he was undoubtedly great, but like a lot of Brazillians, his peak didn't last very long.
Knee-jerk much? Di Maria is shit but Harry 'I've player for Spurs for 3 months' Kane is unstoppable, yeah alright. Di Maria has been fine in midfield, he's useless upfront but who the feck plays Di Maria up top with his back to goal? a complete waste of his talents, it's the equivalent of playing Jonny Evans on the wing.
Di Maria has been one of the best players in the world over the last year. This includes being amazing in CL and the world cup. He was was excellent at the beginning of the season with us but our manager has misused him for the last few months. We saw what he could do from a deeper position last game.
When he is able to run at defenders from deep he is unstoppable.
Angel di Maria would make an average striker, a decent winger, or a world-class midfielder. If you buy a player for 60 million pounds, you certainly do your best to get the maximum out of him.
Have to say I'm quite happy with his peformances in midfield so far given the number of games bes played there and how stop start that has been. Maybe I'm alone on that.
He's better than just a decent winger - though I don't see what he offers as a striker as finishing isn't his game.
He should be played through the middle where he can be more involved. I don't think he's that much worse as a winger, I just think he sees less of the ball there so isn't given as much of an opportunity to affect the game.
I agree - when played in midfield he played well and hopefully he'll play there
Hope that having his house attacked by armed robbers while he's eating tea with his family won't scare him away. Apparently they've moved to a hotel for the time being.
As a winger, he can still be influential and have the ability to affect the game if he doesn't play like a rigid winger who just stays out wide and delivers crosses in. His attributes, style of play, and skill sets do not suit that of a central midfielder where many seemingly want him to play. The only way I can see him be useful there is if he plays the role Giggs played for us since 2006 (pseudo-central midfielder), which is pretty much the role di Maria played in his last season at Real Madrid.
For such a role, you need two holding midfielders who are great playmakers, great on the ball, and great at reading the game. You also need forwards who are highly energetic and all-rounded as you'll often have only 4 players on the attack and no more. So far, we don't have another team like what we had in 2006-2009. As a result, we can't afford to play di Maria in central midfield as he's too risky and attack-minded for that role. He's pretty much suited for the final third with his attributes. He's perfect as a winger as he can always take his man on and try to create chances. He'll be frustrating and inconsistent if he's to play as a rigid winger who just stays out wide and crosses the ball in (IMO, only Beckham has performed that role well enough). Like many world class wingers, he should be given the freedom to cut in as that extra freedom will help make him perform better. If people want to see him make driving runs, he can do that from out wide as he's shown many times in the past. His pace, dynamism, and energy can be of great use in moving around and disorganising defences. Him playing in an area where making mistakes won't be costly will be good for him as well as good for the team. Besides, he mostly looks to cross the ball in, anyways, rather than play players into key areas as playmakers do.
If di Maria is to be at his best, he needs to be given the freedom to play his direct, attacking game. Given that he's not a regular goalscorer or efficient user of the ball, he's at his best when playing as a winger, and I don't mean as a rigid winger like Valencia, but as a free winger like Reus, Lucas, Nani, or Hazard.
Good post.
Carrick ____ Blind
Di Maria
Wilson ____ Januzaj
Rooney
We'd need to sign a Carrick replacement long term but I reckon that team would annihilate most. I'm dieing to see Wilson play that inside forward role.Di Maria
Wilson ____ Januzaj
Rooney
Great post.
EDIT:
However, let's not forget that, although Di Maria played wide, he was actually give the chance to roam inside, with Januzaj keeping the width.
Below are heats maps of the three games we played Di Maria on the wing.
Di Maria vs Palace
Di Maria vs Chelsea
Di Maria vs City
Now, if you compare that to Januzaj, it seems that Di Maria was actually asked to be a roaming winger, whilst as I said before, Januzaj focused on keeping the width and stretching play.
Januzaj vs Palace
Januzaj vs Chelsea
Januzaj vs City
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@mazhar13 I don't think when he has played out wide this season he has strict specific instruction that he must stay there, but the angles and time on the ball are a lot less so than he regularly amounts through the centre. As we are a side (at the minute) who seek to retain as much possession as we can by absorbing it in the middle/tip of our own half, Di Maria when out wide rarely gets a sniff. He's also not really able to act as the catalyst in the tempo, as he has to wait for the ball to come to him. He's also double - if not triple - marked out wide, and that reacts in him being even more of a rash and wasteful manner than before. He isn't given the space and freedom to burst forward as he can centrally, which really dents his game.
And it's all well and good branding him the lease of a free winger, but who in our squad has the ability to interchange positions fluidly during a game? Maybe Januzaj and Herrera, and those two don't play very frequently. It works well for someone like Hazard as Oscar, Willian (now Cuadrado) and even Costa really like to move around the field. Our front line and midfield is a little too rigid.
And it's all well and good branding him the lease of a free winger, but who in our squad has the ability to interchange positions fluidly during a game? Maybe Januzaj and Herrera, and those two don't play very frequently. It works well for someone like Hazard as Oscar, Willian (now Cuadrado) and even Costa really like to move around the field. Our front line and midfield is a little too rigid.
There ya go!
You ignore reality. Di Maria played as winger for several seasons and he was never worldclass in this role. He is a good, maybe a very good winger, but that’s about it. His favored playing style is also in conflict with LvG´s tactics. Di Maria likes to take risks and loses the ball a lot while making up for it with his tenaciousness/energy/hustle. LvG on the other hand fancies almost the exact opposite.
Di Maria didn’t turn into a bad player but he is the wrong player for the current philosophy. It just reaffirms my view that he was a panic transfer. (same as Mata/Falcao).
Being able to drive through space in midfield and commit players is one of the most dangerous assets you can have in football. That's why he was one of the best players in the world last season, and to restrict him to playing on the wing, in my opinion, would be criminal. Taking players on in that area of the pitch requires a different skill set and it would limit what he brings to the side, he can play there occasionally due to availability of other players, but primarily he needs to be in midfield.
Man Utd 3:0 Cambridge
Such a brilliant player when played LCM. Has the freedom of the left flank to run into when he pleases.
He simply has to play in this position.
He simply has to play in this position.
Playing well and interchanging with Mata in the LM/AM role effortlessly.
Much better thus far. Seems to be influencing the game in a big way and creating. Good to see.
Not a surprise to see him playing nice football with Mata. They both play football the 'right way'.
brilliant today
Excellent so far, should always play in this position.
I, for one, am shocked to see that he's much better in midfield.
So he played in midfield, Rooney up top and Mata in behind the two strikers?
I think it's the last thing that any of us expected.
DDG
McNair Smalling Evans Rojo
Rooney Blind ADM
Mata Fellaini
RVP
McNair Smalling Evans Rojo
Rooney Blind ADM
Mata Fellaini
RVP
or
DDG
McNair Smalling Evans Rojo
Rooney Blind ADM
Mata
RVP Fellaini
McNair Smalling Evans Rojo
Rooney Blind ADM
Mata
RVP Fellaini
Depending on the situation.
Fellaini up top Rooney in midfield.
I, for two, am as well.
Play him in that position every game and it boosts our chances of winning games, it's as simple as that. I'll go mad if LVG starts fecking him about again.
He's been much improved in the last two games. It's a bit daft I know, but playing players in their best positions does tend to lead to a positive outcome.
Ðefinitely better in his last few games, but these performances have come against very poor opposition. Must be good for his confidence though.
I like your choice of Ð instead of D.
Looking a lot better since moving in midfield, final ball is a bit lacking at times though.
@Walters_19_MuFc
He was only a free-roaming winger against Crystal Palace. Otherwise, against West Brom, Chelsea, and Man. City, he was pretty much playing at the wide channel with rare forays into the middle.
@DWelbz19
You also brought up another reason why both Januzaj and di Maria struggled in the 4-1-4-1: lack of support from the midfielders and a slow tempo. There were barely any quick transitions back then, and our midfielders would frequently rush into the box rather than support the wingers.
In terms of your second point, you saw the match against Cambridge and how the players interchanged seamlessly. This is what I mean about his game. You could see him do well at beating players from out wide and creating chances there as well as coming into the middle to get involved on the ball.
@PedroMendez @ChrisG11
In Real Madrid, di Maria may have had frustrating moments of play, but he was still a quality player who was a dangerous attacking outlet. Back then, it was C. Ronaldo who was hogging all of the media attention under Mourinho with almost everyone else not being recognised for their good performances. I remember several di Maria performances for Real Madrid where he won matches for Real Madrid from out wide, and I do remember that he was still seen as a world class winger back in those days and not like Nani has been viewed here for much of his time. Out wide, di Maria was a great threat, even if he did make some baffling decisions.
From what I've been seeing of di Maria recently, I'm glad to see him be more efficient on the ball and not as wasteful as he used to be. Against Cambridge, he did quite well in not losing the ball from midfield areas whilst remaining an attacking threat in the final third. If he is to play as a pseudo-central midfielder without as much protection, he'll need to be less careless in midfield, and he's starting to improve on that aspect.
He was only a free-roaming winger against Crystal Palace. Otherwise, against West Brom, Chelsea, and Man. City, he was pretty much playing at the wide channel with rare forays into the middle.
@DWelbz19
You also brought up another reason why both Januzaj and di Maria struggled in the 4-1-4-1: lack of support from the midfielders and a slow tempo. There were barely any quick transitions back then, and our midfielders would frequently rush into the box rather than support the wingers.
In terms of your second point, you saw the match against Cambridge and how the players interchanged seamlessly. This is what I mean about his game. You could see him do well at beating players from out wide and creating chances there as well as coming into the middle to get involved on the ball.
@PedroMendez @ChrisG11
In Real Madrid, di Maria may have had frustrating moments of play, but he was still a quality player who was a dangerous attacking outlet. Back then, it was C. Ronaldo who was hogging all of the media attention under Mourinho with almost everyone else not being recognised for their good performances. I remember several di Maria performances for Real Madrid where he won matches for Real Madrid from out wide, and I do remember that he was still seen as a world class winger back in those days and not like Nani has been viewed here for much of his time. Out wide, di Maria was a great threat, even if he did make some baffling decisions.
From what I've been seeing of di Maria recently, I'm glad to see him be more efficient on the ball and not as wasteful as he used to be. Against Cambridge, he did quite well in not losing the ball from midfield areas whilst remaining an attacking threat in the final third. If he is to play as a pseudo-central midfielder without as much protection, he'll need to be less careless in midfield, and he's starting to improve on that aspect.
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