I still think we needed a player like Di Maria as much as anyone, with great pace and the ability to create chances. He still does do that every game even if his confidence is low, it's just our strikers keep missing the chances he makes. Falcao was pointless though.
7
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 32
- Goals
- 4
- Assists
- 13
- Yellow cards
- 3
- Red cards
- 1
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Yep. He's the type of player we need to have going forward and will definitely come good. He's world class, the only one in our squad with real pace, constantly makes chances for the forwards even on his poor days... If he can get back to his consistent level of last year then we'd be perfectly fine but you don't ever see a player putting in consistent performances in a struggling team. Once our team starts to click and we put out more normal lineups, he'll become a lot more consistent. As of now, the one consistent player in our squad is De Gea, in net, and a couple defensive players like Blind and Rojo. The rest have been very up and down, regardless of how good they are.
Three times he backed out of 50/50 challenges today which is unforgivable for him. I don't care if we sell him to PSG for 50 million at the end of the season. He does not look interested. It does not look like wants to play for Manchester United. It does not look like he wants to be in this country full-stop. For the amount of money he's on, he's been shit.
You're kidding, right?He's pretty lousy at corners. Anyone figured out what his hand signals are supposed to mean?
"I'm smashing this one knee-high into the first defender"
I see there are lot of experts on body language here. People can detect if he wants to play for us and if he likes it at OT, England and similar.
I've defended him a lot this season, but I think its becoming more and more apparent that he's just not really up for the battle here.
It really doesn't help him that we play so narrow. He wants to run through the middle and it's being overcrowded by us not playing any wingers at all. Di Maria is best when he has space to run into, seeing him constantly run into a crowded central area is infuriating, but he's just doing what he knows. We need to play a formation that will stretch the pitch and make space for him. He was just voted into he world team of the year - he is anything but shit.
Sell Mata, get rid of Falcao/van Persie - if not both - and play a 4-3-3 with him either in the middle with Blind/Carrick and one other or as one of the wide forward roles and we will see the best of Di Maria. He needs space to operate in and we need to create it for him.
All this nonsense about him not caring - he was the only one who sprinted back to help Valencia on that West Ham counterattack in the first half - the only one. Sure, his head may not be in the right place after what happened to him and his family, but give it time and he'll get over it. Having your house burgled will shake you up a bit, it's natural, it doesn't mean you want to leave and be gone forever.
Sell Mata, get rid of Falcao/van Persie - if not both - and play a 4-3-3 with him either in the middle with Blind/Carrick and one other or as one of the wide forward roles and we will see the best of Di Maria. He needs space to operate in and we need to create it for him.
All this nonsense about him not caring - he was the only one who sprinted back to help Valencia on that West Ham counterattack in the first half - the only one. Sure, his head may not be in the right place after what happened to him and his family, but give it time and he'll get over it. Having your house burgled will shake you up a bit, it's natural, it doesn't mean you want to leave and be gone forever.
I haven't taken to him at all since he came out with the "I might have been at PSG if they wasn't restricted by ffp" comments. But his performances have been awful lately, today he didn't even challenge for 50/50's which isn't a good sign in the Premier league.
And who keeps letting him take corners? He's absolutely dreadful at them.
And who keeps letting him take corners? He's absolutely dreadful at them.
Couldn't agree more. Too many players going for the safe option and retreating back and even when they do make a run forward they just fling themselves into areas where they are heavily marked. Its almost like they are saying 'don't pass it to me'. We really need work on our movement off the ball and to do that we need players to communicate with each other so they can develop a telepathic understanding on the pitch.
I still see a team of strangers who are just guessing where to pick out their team mate rather than instinctively knowing what that player is about to do. It wont always work out because at the end of the day, a player only his own brain but from the beginning of the season, I've seen very little progress in that side of our game. Whether its LVGs tactics, I don't know but the players need to make more of an effort to work collectively and not individually and then we can start to remove this plague of predictable football that has been left to fester for far too long now.
He did some good work at times today, attempting to turn and take the ball forward, but its clear hes just not comfortable playing so high up and its getting to him.
Agree entirely. Bar the first month or so he has been awful. Shouldn't have lasted the 90 minutes. If he's sulking because he didn't get to Paris then he needs to get the feck over it. I'm furious with his performance. We wasted 60 million on this guy! The constant excuses about being played out of position and stuff looks like nonsense too. Even in this LCM role he gives us very little. Would rather Nani back and play a 4-3-3.
id snatch your hand off for our money back and re investment in other areas. He's not the player we needed.
If you look at the top of the screen his stats actually don't look bat at all, contributing to 11 goals in 19 games is actually pretty good going. He's still been largely poor though.
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He'll be a brilliant player for us once our team gets settled. We needed a lot of players in the summer and a player like him is exactly what we needed as he showed at the start of the season. He lost some form and has been on and off since then (but of course people making it sound like it's been all poor performances) but in general, a player like him won't ever be consistent in a team that is as disjointed as we are. We don't push forward very often and the movement of our strikers is non existent. How do you expect him, a creator, to make the most out of that then? Saying shit like you'd take the money back is pure stupidity as he's shown he's one of the very best players in the world in a working system if used properly. Put Silva, Sanchez, Hazard, Bale, Iniesta, and whoever else you want in our team that isn't named Ronaldo and Messi and they would struggle. Hell, both Ronaldo and Messi would struggle as well because of how slowly we play. The problem is with the whole system and how it basically relies on Di Maria to do something out of nothing to create a chance, as nobody else tries anything other then a long ball. That or a set piece. He's a great player, but he can't carry us on his own and every game when he does make chances, our strikers tend to miss them.
He's the only one in our team (bar Herrera) who actually looks to create something every time he gets the ball and looks dangerous. Yes, lately he's had one good game then one poor one and been very inconsistent, but that's what it will always be like when you have a player like him in a disjointed team. One game he can do really well, the next nothing will come off. Until we get a working system going where everybody pulls their weight and we start playing with more pace and getting the ball to Di Maria in the right situations, he won't be consistent.
Anyways, it's not like he's been any worse then our other attacking players. Van Persie and Falcao have been awful. Rooney pretty useless. Mata good one game and ineffective the next. Fellaini knocking down long balls. Herrera constantly on the bench but the only one who genuinely looks really good every time he plays (limited time though). Januzaj very "meh". Surely it's down to the system rather then Di Maria when every single one of our attack minded players have so drastically under-performed?
At the moment he is screaming Ozil to me. Great start like Ozil, but not been that great since.
Plus his workrate for Madrid was a lot better. Just like Ozils was.
Plus his workrate for Madrid was a lot better. Just like Ozils was.
People are being ridiculous in here. He's going to be a great player for us.
He's just failing to cope with the great defensive nature of English Football. He needs to reinvent himself to succeed here.
There is nothing great about the defending in England.
Get back to me when he has forwards to give the ball to who can offer more than a training cone. RVP and Falcao are beyond atrocious and with performances like that are playing like the worst forwards in the entire league. Ulloa can play like shit and miss sitters too. Oh but wait I'm pretty sure he's also outscoring our strikers.
Now, as I say, I don't want him sold.
But what I find pretty funny here is that you speak of it being "pure stupidity as he's shown he's one of the best players in the world in a working system if used properly" .. then you speak of the likes of Van Persie, Falcao, Rooney, Mata as being awful, rubbish ... have they not shown they're pretty darn good players in the past? In fact, I'd go so far as to say each and every one of those players has a longer history of the very top level of play - although I'd also agree that maybe none of them quite hit the heights of Di Maria last year, but not far off.
All the same, it's ludicrous that you'll make one argument in his favour, yet lambast players who have also shown great ability in the past.
Yeah...I think Di Maria will be one we look back on and wonder what happened. Not impressed at all. He had a good few games for us. Never watched him in La Liga...I wasn't all that impressed with him in the WC either. We have RvP, Falcao, Rooney, Januzaj and Di Maria in the same squad and we cannot do anything with the ball. At all. It really is a shame to see so much talent in this squad and see so little end product. It's as if we have no idea how to create chances anymore.
Well first of all I said they were all performing poorly, not that they are poor players. Some of them blatantly aren't what they were though. With Falcao, he is turning 29 soon and is coming back from his 3rd ACL reconstruction. Hard to come back from that whoever you were, and anyways, even if he was at his best, we still wouldn't need him. He was never the fastest, and we already had 2 strikers with world class reputations. With Van Persie, he has been off form for a while now with a few good runs here and there. Again with him now being 31, you have to wonder is a combination of age and injuries catching up to him and this just a normal decline? I thought that for a while and he hasn't been the same player since Fergie retired.
Now with Rooney, he has been playing poorly almost definitely because he's being played in midfield and the slow passing of our team. Mata being in and out of the team constantly and same as Di Maria, having no movement in front of him isn't helping him at all. All 3 of these players would benefit from each other on the pitch along with Herrera as well, and being part of a working system where we play at a higher tempo and they would all be a lot more consistent and perform at a higher standard. Like I said, it's not just Di Maria performing poorly and these "excuses" apply to all of them. Van Persie and Falcao I think are past it, but the rest of the the squad can form a fantastic team that would be winning titles with Fergie in charge. They just need to be part of the right system and in the right positions.
Just seems more logical to me, that the reason Di Maria, Rooney, Mata, the strikers and everyone else is playing poorly is how they are being told to play rather then them all being individually poor this season through their fault. That doesn't account to poor touches here and there, but one thing leads to another and the more disjointed a team, the more the things that should be bread and butter for them goes.
We had 18 shots today, that's more then enough. Problem was awful finishing from Falcao and Van Persie.
Looked like he legitimately didn't care for most of the time and was a huge pussy going into a lot of challenges.
Really not impressed with him at all today.
Really not impressed with him at all today.
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There were few instances where he had no one in forward area to pass to. I don't think we have the personnels or the tactics to get the best out of him nor does it look like he wants to give his all for the team.
It feels more and more that this signing for that big price was a dick measuring competition where the other big clubs weren't that excited.
It feels more and more that this signing for that big price was a dick measuring competition where the other big clubs weren't that excited.
I'm seeing 11 shots with only 5 on goal. RvP had a couple of good strikes on goal...Di Maria had one out from distance...Blinds goal. That's about it. Falcao had a couple of chances that were poor in the end. Whatever the tally is it's not good enough when you consider the quality on the pitch wearing United shirts.
Considering we did feck all in the first half, we did pretty well in the second to get that many shots off and the chances created really weren't the problem. West Ham away is always a tough game no matter who you are, and if our finishing wasn't so poor the result could have been different.
He's struggling to adapt into a team that just isn't set up to bring the best out of him right now.
We should be basing our tactics around him, he's our superstar £60m signing. No excuse really for the level he is playing at but he looks like he has got the weight of the world on his shoulders.
We should be basing our tactics around him, he's our superstar £60m signing. No excuse really for the level he is playing at but he looks like he has got the weight of the world on his shoulders.
You're right...and I mentioned this in another post...to go to West Ham this year and get a point is not easy. That being said...I felt the team let itself down.
You're kidding, right?
I see there are lot of experts on body language here. People can detect if he wants to play for us and if he likes it at OT, England and similar.
Yes, it was a joke, as most of his corners tend to be low and cleared by the first man, regardless of which signal he gives.
He will be a success but it is clear that he needs the right players around him. With a lost Rooney and a non-existent Blind and unavailable strikers, it just doesnt work for him. I think yesterday he didnt even know which position he plays.
We can’t exactly say if he’s still hurted by what happened last weeke for him, but he was absolutely rubbish yesterday at Upton Park. His worst game for us. Whether the formation doesn’t suit him, or he wasn’t in great form, he was poor, very poor in a lot of choices.
I repeat that we added a world class player, but he will be world class only if he’s the number 2 or 3 in the team. He needs leader around him, like Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Ramos etc… He will not make us win the League alone.
But I’m really upset with his performance yesterday…
I repeat that we added a world class player, but he will be world class only if he’s the number 2 or 3 in the team. He needs leader around him, like Ronaldo, Xabi Alonso, Ramos etc… He will not make us win the League alone.
But I’m really upset with his performance yesterday…
He'd look a lot better if he had Mata & Herrera around him and Rooney in front of him...
He definitely seems to require someone to play off... possibly why he hasn't looked completely shite when Fellaini's around, as he then actually has a focal for point for his wayward ball wanging.
He definitely seems to require someone to play off... possibly why he hasn't looked completely shite when Fellaini's around, as he then actually has a focal for point for his wayward ball wanging.
our only player who can inject pace going forward. not defending his performances because he has been poor for his standard.
but just ask him to turn down taking corners ffs.
but just ask him to turn down taking corners ffs.
About a month ago, I just accepted I'm not going to give much thought to Di Maria's performances at places like West Ham, Cambridge, Yeovil etc. I'm going to look at what he does at places like the Nou Camp. I think he will run the show in Europe when he doesn't have to worry about what direction the next pair of studs are coming from.
Not trying to defend his poor performances but he just isn't a player for tough Premier League games, he wants and needs the big stage in regards to world football in my opinion.
Not trying to defend his poor performances but he just isn't a player for tough Premier League games, he wants and needs the big stage in regards to world football in my opinion.
If so, we should get rid. We can't afford to devote such a large chunk of our wage bill to a luxury player, who can only be relied upon in a tiny fraction of our fixtures each season.
Not up for the battle?
Ridiculous.
He demanded to play against Cambridge despite his house getting robbed 24 hours earlier.
I think he is tough enough but if you wanted someone jumping into tackles we should have signed Lee Cattermole!
I think he is trying to hard to justify the price tag, settle down, relax and hopefully this Nani type form will go away.
Ridiculous.
He demanded to play against Cambridge despite his house getting robbed 24 hours earlier.
I think he is tough enough but if you wanted someone jumping into tackles we should have signed Lee Cattermole!
I think he is trying to hard to justify the price tag, settle down, relax and hopefully this Nani type form will go away.
Think we can call it as a Manchester United syndrome. Ashley Young, Robin van Persie, Juan Mata, Angel di Maria. All of them are now shit corner takers.
We have a number of high quality players who are not performing especially in attack, so this would suggest it's more of a tactical/team problem rather than individual. Once LVG get's a settled team he will get a lot better imo.
His corners remind me of Srna ones. He used to be the best set piece taker at NT,yet nearly all of his corners would be crap and hit the first defender.
Right now, I'd rather have him on the wing in all honesty. I feel as though he needs two world class (excellent) midfielders alongside him to be truly effective as a LCM. I know he had his best season there, but he's only ever played there for one season. LVG clearly doesn't trust Herrera, so I think we need a Pogba or someone to the ilk alongside di Maria and Blind/Carrick in midfield for it to work.
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