He always seem to play his passes behind the man. It's like he's an NPC from Goldeneye 64. He can't predict where runners will end up.
7
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 32
- Goals
- 4
- Assists
- 13
- Yellow cards
- 3
- Red cards
- 1
- Status
Well, he made a choice.
LVG allegedly told him to bulk up, we might see a new and improved Di Maria next season. As far as this season is concerned, we can manage a couple of cameos and golden assists from him.
I've never seen a United player more terrified of getting hurt. Maybe it's got something to do with altered priorities after the attempted break-in. If he can't fix it, he doesn't deserve to be at the club.
If we play Di Maria as winger in every game, yeah we should have signed Alexis instead. If we use him as the flexible player he is in the right system and as a CM/CAM like Real with the right attacking players in front of him, I still think he will be brilliant. People also shouldn't act like he was shit at Real except last year, even in his first season he was good, his second season was very good and consistent as winger too, his third was disappointing and frustrating, but then he delivered his best season there, so we shouldn't write him off after one year.
Also I can't agree that he doesn't look arsed, it's the opposite for me, he is trying too much, especially against Liverpool, you could see that he was desperate to do something of note and especially when you are not great in form a lot of things are going wrong then. Of course he is frustrated with his current situation, but that doesn't mean he will look for the first exit and I don't believe for one second that we will sell him after one year. van Gaal also put him in the "Robben role" and there are rumours that he is the only one who is allowed to dribble in the training, so he obviously knows how important he can be when he uses his potential.
I dont think he is going anywhere. He is really our only X factor. That only guy who when on the ball, you don't know what to expect. Assisted in the emirates, Anfield and I think it was his freekick that led to the equaliser vs Chelsea wasnt it? Thats a lot of big moments for a flop.
The talent is there, the decision making will improve.
The talent is there, the decision making will improve.
Watched the match from start to finish again last night. Convinced his issue is a psychological one related to his decision making, which many creative/flair players have. They take more creative chances than your ordinary run of the mill attackers. When things work they look like Gods, when they don't the fan pitchforks come out (see Nani). LvG and staff just need to refocus his creative senses towards the overall strategy of retaining the ball and making better choices. At that point, Di Maria will seem like a different player.
For me its just a settling in period. Di Maria didn't get to the level he's been at the last two seasons by being inconsistent this isnt him. He burst onto the scenes here too. He's just like the team in some ways taking time to now bed in. Often the case with foreign players lets not forget that.
I think we'd be stupid to sell him and we wouldn't either way. Once he hits top form he'll be a huge player for us.
Dont get me wrong I gave him a 2 for his performance on Sun, he's nowhere near this currently.
I think we'd be stupid to sell him and we wouldn't either way. Once he hits top form he'll be a huge player for us.
Dont get me wrong I gave him a 2 for his performance on Sun, he's nowhere near this currently.
It's funny how so many of you keep saying, "it's so obvious he doesn't want to be here, he'll be off in the summer, etc."
Ah ok, so you've spoken personally to him then? He has told you that he's getting out of Manchester ASAP and absolutely hates it here? Please.
If there's any indication from the interviews (can't recall which specific one) he's done this season, he's here to stay. Some of you read way too much and place way too much credit on body language. Was he shit against Liverpool? Yes his general play was pretty frustrating, but he still managed an incredible assist that made the difference. He also made a great pass to Blind that led to the penalty.
All things considered he is obviously a very talented player, and I think he will really make a big impact next season for us. Just wait. no matter how good a player may be, all players take different times settling into new leagues and a new place to live. He'll be just fine.
Ah ok, so you've spoken personally to him then? He has told you that he's getting out of Manchester ASAP and absolutely hates it here? Please.
If there's any indication from the interviews (can't recall which specific one) he's done this season, he's here to stay. Some of you read way too much and place way too much credit on body language. Was he shit against Liverpool? Yes his general play was pretty frustrating, but he still managed an incredible assist that made the difference. He also made a great pass to Blind that led to the penalty.
All things considered he is obviously a very talented player, and I think he will really make a big impact next season for us. Just wait. no matter how good a player may be, all players take different times settling into new leagues and a new place to live. He'll be just fine.
Yeah all the "he's off in the summer, he doesn't like it here" stuff is getting a bit tedious.
There is nothing incredible about Di Maria's pass to Mata. Watch it again, he plays it behind Mata forcing him to do the scissors kick. Mata's quick thinking and skill made the most out of a very average pass
Its true nobody knows what is going on, its all speculation.
But him not wanting to be here makes a lot more sense to me than "he's trying too hard." Talk about clutching at straws.
But him not wanting to be here makes a lot more sense to me than "he's trying too hard." Talk about clutching at straws.
Did you not see:
"PSG, I think they had a money problem and they couldn't buy players," the Argentine said in an interview with Telefoot. "This is the main reason I didn't go there. Playing in the French league would please a lot of players"
So if he had the choice he would have gone to PSG.
Ok, it was like half a yard behind Mata. Why does it matter? It was still a very good pass that I would argue not many players (besides Mata himself and Herrera) are capable of making.
It's like people are doing anything they can to discredit what Di Maria does sometimes. He has 12 assists this season and consistently creates more chances than any other player on our team. Clearly is doing something right.
Fair enough. Though he also hasn't come out and said, "Yeah I really dislike Manchester United and I hate the city, so I'll be looking for a move this upcoming summer."
Again it's all speculation, but it's clear that Real Madrid didn't want him anymore. So if PSG was his first choice why does it matter in the end? He's still playing for a top club, and arguably the most prestigious club in the world. I would take a bet and say that he's pretty content at the moment. It's not like he's stuck at a club like Liverpool.
I would argue the opposite. People are trying to give Di Maria credit, which is natural considering what he represents, an expensive, galactico signing we are all desperate to see succeed. But do you really believe only three people in our squad could have made that pass to Mata? Really? People are desperate to credit Di Maria with this extraordinary vision for spotting it but I honestly think plenty of others could have done it. Blind, Carrick, Rooney, RVP, Fellaini as long as he was using his chest... and others.
He needs to start v Chelsea in a few weeks.
Chelsea will have Terry / Cahill and Matic up against Fellani. The Ariel power he had over the last few games will be largely nullified.
They're a tired team so the pace of Di Maria with the movement and quick passing could be utilised more effectively.
That's almost a month away but I guarentee Van Gaal has already thought about it.
Chelsea will have Terry / Cahill and Matic up against Fellani. The Ariel power he had over the last few games will be largely nullified.
They're a tired team so the pace of Di Maria with the movement and quick passing could be utilised more effectively.
That's almost a month away but I guarentee Van Gaal has already thought about it.
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Ok, that is fair.
My main point being in all of this is that Di Maria still creates a lot of chances and does it consistently more than any other player in our current squad. Even with his "shit" performances, he is still making a quantifiable impact nearly every game.
OK, yes. He is. We need more but he is making an impact. Which is hardly surprising seeing as he has such fantastic ability.
This really is a rerun of the whole Nani thing. Obviously held to quite exacting standards but that's only because his ability is so bloody obvious.
Like wise, those who speculate he wants to leave are fabricating bullsh*t. If it were true, then I'm positive the club would be aware, and he wouldn't even be on the bench. We have Radamel Falcao, although seriously out of form, who genuinely wants to be here and needs game time to imrove, yet doesn't get to start much as someone, who wants to be in Paris, is playing ahead of him. There's Wilson, Januzaj, Mata who have had very little game time, in recent months, who would be starting ahead of di Maria if there was a hint of him wanting to leave. Then there's training, which occurs 5 days a week, where he's obviously doing something right to continually be in the starting eleven, week after week. We're all aware of past instances of LvG demonstrating his attitude to those who challenge him, he comes across as a guy who doesn't take sh*t from anyone, and if he believed that di Maria wanted to leave, then he would not play him, as much.
I think you posted, a few pages back, about a burglary which, you stated, never really affected you, and you got on with life, as normal. I, too, went through something similar, and it actually affected me without me every realising. I got on with life as normal, however, when I look back at it, it took me 6 months to fully recover from the incident. People will manage certain situations in very different ways, and some may take more time to recover than others. It's something that's obviously playing on his mind, which has seen him move away from he house he was living in.
Give him time, let him recover both from this bad patch of form and the break in; we'll see the best of di Maria, next year, as he's not going anywhere.
I was being facetious with that post, I understand it affects people completely differently. OK Im trying to be sympathetic, I dont really feel it but that's my issue, I accept it is reasonable.
There isnt much for me to disagree with in your fist para. I said in the post you replied to, we dont know what's going on, its all speculation. Tho there are parts of it that confuse me, Ill be honest. Like, who said anything about Di Maria challenging Van Gaal? Challenging his authority and being unhappy and wanting to leave are quite different things. I dont know if Van Gaal has a reputation for ruthlessly punishing those who are unhappy or whose families are unhappy? I imagine Van Gaal makes his selections on merit, on who plays well and does what he tells them to do. But then I cant claim to know what's going on with his selections, Mata was out for ages based on nothing I can fathom. So no, Im not claiming to understand what's going on there. But I dont think anyone has suggested Di Maria has challenged Van Gaal. If they have it wasnt me.
What I did say is I dont buy the "he's trying too hard" line. But if you want to come back and say I am basing that on nothing I will only hold my hands up and admit it. I might say in my defense, I dont know, Fellaini looks like he's trying quite hard too. Hell, the whole squad looks like they are trying. Managers usually demand that. If trying undermines Di Maria's form that is somethign that is going to take some very experienced managing to overcome. Hopefully Van Gaal will have managed players with a similar inverse correlation between trying and achievement.
Yeah, that part about ruthlessness was worded horrifically, my bad. van Gaal strikes me as the type of character who wouldn't be starting di Maria if he wasn't committed to cause, especially, given that we have a shed load of talent/promising talent, in those named previously, who could be playing ahead of him.
With regards to your second paragraphs. I think there's a difference between trying hard and trying too hard. Most of our players are trying hard, in the sense that they're following instructions to every detail and giving 100% when doing so. Di Maria, on the other hand, seems be trying too hard to make something happen, when ever he gets on the ball. I felt, during the Liverpool game, that most his bad passes, including the backwards ones, were rushed so that he could initiate an attack. Most felt like a give and go type of pass, where he was in such a rush to get forward, he wasn't fully focused on ensuring the pass reached it's intended man.
Yeah, maybe. If so he needs to sort that out. In the end it doesnt matter anyway. If he isnt living up to the standards he has set for himself and expectant fans have set for him, it is irrelevant if it is because he is moping about the pitch wishing he was in Paris or if he is trying too hard to do everything himself or taking too many unnecessary risks. Either way, the end result is that we look better without him which is a problem. But I havent given up on him yet. If he is committed to the cause Im sure Van Gaal will get him back to the levels we expect - and are entitled to given the investment we made in him (yes I am one of those annoying people who brings up how much players cost, for me we wouldnt be having this debate YET if he had cost £20m as we would all be a bit more relaxed about giving him time to find his feet.) We'll have to wait and see and I hope you are right that he is indeed committed to the cause.
He's also said this:
For your part, you’ve played for Real Madrid and now Manchester United. Is there anywhere else you’d like to play one day?
The next step will be to return to Rosario Central, another giant of the game! (laughs). Truth be told, I’ve played for Europe’s biggest clubs, competed in two World Cups and won the Champions League. I represented Real Madrid and before that was with Benfica, which, while a slightly smaller club than Madrid, is a giant of Portuguese football. Now I’m with another massive club in Manchester United. When I finish here, I think it might be time to return to Argentina. Hopefully that happens.
So he didn't go to his first choice country where he would've had nicer weather, that doesn't mean he doesn't want to be here.
I don't think the club wants to sell him anyways, unless he desperately wants out and the club can make profit on him. Not being in-form surely wouldn't drive him to push for a move, because he always was this kind of player. Whilst van Gaal said he was willing to let him go if he desperatly wants this, he also said he doesn't expect him to leave. He says he's happy here with his family and likes the fans.
He can be frustrating but also have moments of brilliance, that's his game. He never scored much in his carreer either, he's more about assists and still got 12 this season. Which isn't great and he has to do better, but for a first season with injuries and problems settling in he's done OK.
I'm sure he will stay and do better next season.
Di Maria has 9 assists already in the league and is signed until 2019. Even if he's sort of unhappy, unless we get a truly insane offer from PSG I don't see why we'd sell him. He's so positionally versatile and productive that he'll always be useful.
He'll stay, simply because of the outlay we've spent on him. No way are we going to recoup that in the Summer, and in the days of FFP every penny counts, even for us.
I think he'll thrive in Young's position in this current 4-3-3, and he'll be given the chance to blow the cobwebs off against Villa in time for City the weekend after...
I think he'll thrive in Young's position in this current 4-3-3, and he'll be given the chance to blow the cobwebs off against Villa in time for City the weekend after...
He's been quite reliable whenever I've followed him. He swaps a lot of information with Guillem Balague who has an in with Di Maria's agent.Quite clearly gone based on a Duncan Castles goal.com reportYou must hate April fools day.
To be fair, a lot of our players tend to do that and it can be annoying as hell when we are breaking and then someone slows the attack down completely by passing 2 yards behind the player, like a donkey.
Quite clearly gone based on a Duncan Castles goal.com report
He's generally very reliable when it comes to stories re Mendes clients. That being said, he does appear to harbour a personal dislike of both Van Gaal and Woodward, and possibly United.
We could have chased Sanchez till the cows came home but he wanted Champions League football and London. Its a shame he will waste his career at Arsenal.
Some people just want to specialise in failure. Nothing to be done about that.
Surprised to notice today that Silva and Hazard are the only two midfielders with more fantasy league points (using 3 for a goal, 2 for an assist) than him this season.
Now he's on international duty, I wonder what day some 'quotes' will come up that he is looking to leave. My money is on Sunday.
I had sympathy for him until that ridiculous red card. Now he can just do as he's told and start performing. He's clearly far too stupid to be trusted to do anything else.
I mean Nani was bad, but he wouldn't do things like catch the ball to take a throw in while it's still about half a metre on the pitch.
I mean Nani was bad, but he wouldn't do things like catch the ball to take a throw in while it's still about half a metre on the pitch.
Stories of a bust up with LVG?
Though given the way he's been playing he really shouldn't be complaining if the manager is less than impressed with him.
I don't think he'll be going anywhere any time soon but if things don't work out then he'll hardly be the biggest loss either. His one outstanding season came in a position and set up we're never likely to see him in here. If you ignore that season then he's a very replaceable player.
Though given the way he's been playing he really shouldn't be complaining if the manager is less than impressed with him.
I don't think he'll be going anywhere any time soon but if things don't work out then he'll hardly be the biggest loss either. His one outstanding season came in a position and set up we're never likely to see him in here. If you ignore that season then he's a very replaceable player.
I think I trust Pilib enough for him to not make bs up. I think there was a bust up, Di Maria clearly isn't happy with something but he's not leaving.
Just hope he gets his act together and puts his heart into the club.
Just hope he gets his act together and puts his heart into the club.
Pilib also was saying a few weeks ago that Herrera was definitely going in the summer.
He's hardly a reliable source, just one of many.
No, he was expressing his own opinion that said he would be surprised if he was still a player here next season. He marks what he hears/gets passed on by agents/reps and what his own opinion is.
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