He hasn't always been. Once he was utilised properly by Bayern, he's become really efficient at scoring.
7
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 32
- Goals
- 4
- Assists
- 13
- Yellow cards
- 3
- Red cards
- 1
- Status
He hasn't always been. Once he was utilised properly by Bayern, he's become really efficient at scoring.
He didn't start out as a great goalscorer though. It's a moulding process. The intention of playing ADM in such position would be to bring his strong penetrative ability into play rather than having it sat on the bench.
He's always been a better finisher than ADM though. I just don't see ADM as that sort of player.
For me it is simple, play him in CM or sell him. LvG will have known that Di Maria isn't the best possession player, he is a engine and a creator that always seek to assist goals.
With a front three you need the players out wide to score goals, and Di Maria's finishing isn't good enough and never has been, you won't get 15 goals or even 10 from him per year.
Looking at pure stats, in the 7 starts at CM for us he has assisted 5 and scored 3, that is insane numbers actually. Maybe the balance is screwed with him in CM, but then we have to buy a strong box-to-box midfielder to accomodate him.
If LvG is unhappy with him, it is his own dumb fault for buying him and it would make me question his judgement of players, you don't spend 60m on someone you don't see fit in your style of play.
LvG did say earlier this year that he felt we needed a player to have one of Januzaj or Di Maria in CM, so it is possible that he still have plans for Di Maria to play there, but with his comments of Di Maria it makes you wonder if he just isn't keen on having Di Maria in his side.
With a front three you need the players out wide to score goals, and Di Maria's finishing isn't good enough and never has been, you won't get 15 goals or even 10 from him per year.
Looking at pure stats, in the 7 starts at CM for us he has assisted 5 and scored 3, that is insane numbers actually. Maybe the balance is screwed with him in CM, but then we have to buy a strong box-to-box midfielder to accomodate him.
If LvG is unhappy with him, it is his own dumb fault for buying him and it would make me question his judgement of players, you don't spend 60m on someone you don't see fit in your style of play.
LvG did say earlier this year that he felt we needed a player to have one of Januzaj or Di Maria in CM, so it is possible that he still have plans for Di Maria to play there, but with his comments of Di Maria it makes you wonder if he just isn't keen on having Di Maria in his side.
He's the new scapegoat now? He certainly was not the reason why we lost 3 games in a row
Criticising isn't the same as scapegoating. We smashed the British transfer record for this guy and, so far, he's a candidate for worst pound for pound signing in United's recent history.
Recent? You could delete that word and your point would stand.
You love making stuff up don't you? Nobody has said that, they are talking about his season and performances as a whole and they have been nowhere near good enough for the price we paid.
Suarez and James Rodriquez moved for similar prices in the summer, and they are making Di Maria look like a pub player right now.
We should have played him in midfield against West Brom, considering we had all the possession. This guy could still potentially be one of the best creative midfielders in the world.
Fun fact: Di Maria haven't been playing as a CM with Carrick yet.
First time I'm hearing this, go to every other player's thread and you'll see critics.
Quite frankly, I don't think LVG knew much about Di Maria at all. All the Madrid fans on here warned us what he'd be like if we played him on the wing.
And that is what worries me, can we really trust him with money? Seems like he only knows what he is dealing with when the player is at the club, spending 60m on someone you don't know anything about is just ridiculous.
But i guess that is for another thread
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Yep, really was no need to have so many "controlling" midfielders on the pitch. We knew WBA would play defensive but we failed to adapt.
Should of started if not come on at half time. He gives it away a lot but if anyone is going to try and beat their man it's him.
Right now he just looks like a massive waste of money, hopefully he'll get his shit together soon though. When you pay that money you don't expect much of a wait on the results.
Right now he just looks like a massive waste of money, hopefully he'll get his shit together soon though. When you pay that money you don't expect much of a wait on the results.
Have to admit, i'm moving towards the 'sell' camp. To sell such a big signing after one season reeks of knee jerking, but if we're not going to play him in midfield then we may as well sell if an offer comes in. If not, obviously he's good to have in the squad and you have to hold out hope he can turn his form around.
I really enjoyed seeing him have a laugh with one of West Brom's players immediately after the while yesterday. Especially after that performance.
All in all, he had a mixed season. Good start, poor finish. But it's his first season, let's see how he does next week. People are just too quick to write people off
And before it was Vidic and Evra, right? Oh wait, they came good after a while
Maybe that WBA player was Argentinian so that's why.
I personally think people go overboard with their criticism. He barely played lately so it's difficult to get into the team without match rhythm. It's also his first season here in England so I wont be too harsh on him.
You buy a player whos only performed in CM, play him on the wing and then openly criticise him... All seems poor to me, next to a mobile Carrick and a retention player hed do well IMO
I have trouble accepting LVG or Woodward could have signed off on a £60m+ expenditure with so little due diligence. And yet as we enter the final few games of the season, there is no other explanation that makes more sense.
Hes been shite of late, but it would be insane to sell him now unless we could get back the fee we paid. His decision making (and execution) have been very poor, but he has that unpredictability about him which we have lacked lately.
If Carrick is still injured for Palace, i would but Young at LB, Blind at DM and Di Maria at LW from the start.
If Carrick is still injured for Palace, i would but Young at LB, Blind at DM and Di Maria at LW from the start.
I agree. I'd like to see an inform Carrick with Herrara and ADM infront, especially in home games like against WBA. Let's judge him then again
It is pretty weird that Van Gaal seems to have given up on the idea of Di Maria in midfield.
That's the position where he played the best football of his career and he looked great there early in the season. Plus his performances on the wing have been laughably bad.
That's the position where he played the best football of his career and he looked great there early in the season. Plus his performances on the wing have been laughably bad.
Hes never performed like a 30m player on the wings, play him where he earned his name..
Does he have a special ability?
He is exactly how I remember him on the wing for them, i.e. incredibly frustrating. I remember watching him against Barcelona in 2011 and being amazed how people rated him back then, he was literally unbearable to watch even for a neutral.
He was sublime last season but his style means he cannot possibly cement down a regular XI spot at United in midfield, ever. If the intention is to play him out wide then we may have as well signed a £20m winger from France or Germany and make a better use of him - even someone like Carasco or Lucas Moura would be doing equal if not better job on the flanks. We paid £60m for him as a midfielder because that's where he got his reputation last season, with no intention (or even possibility now) to use him there long term IMO.
If a £40m bid comes this Summer we will likely cut our losses and move on. I don't think it will though and I'm not even mad at Di Maria.
They did indeed. Took them just over half a season.
Mind you, for a combined total of 12 million quid they were never even close to being the worst signings we've ever made.
For a grand total of two games, against the worst teams in the league. People are (deliberately?) forgetting he looked shit in central midfield too, hence we were unable to continue playing him there. He wasn't shifted out wide on a whim. It was an inevitable consequence of us getting overrun in central midfield whenever he played there.
If only.
Yeah there's a myth about him being great as CM, but after 2 good games he was already beginning to fade. If I remember correctly he was pretty bad vs Everton at home despite playing as a CM. It was then when his poor form started.
Indeed. Let's not forget that West Ham were all over us too. Even before Rooney's stupid red card. His contribution before then is over-stated too. A nil all draw against Burnley and 3 all (while he was still on the pitch) against Leicester. Basically the whole idea that he looked good for us as a CM is based almost entirely on one game against the worst team in the league, QPR, at their lowest ebb of the season. Consider me not convinced.
Basically we all got really excited by a few flicks and some promising link up with Rooney on the break against crap teams. He never looked close to bringing what you need from a CM in the PL. Composure, physical presence, discipline and reliable passing and positional sense.
I can't for the life of me understand why being able to run fast with the ball and occasionally pick a decent pass is all we should be looking for in a central midfielder. Based on what he has done well in his United career, playing him out wide makes a lot of sense (his excellent crossing was also a feature, early on) but playing him in central midfield makes no sense at all.
Half a season where they played and United, in general, was in a much better shape. I find it premature to write someone off as the worst buy ever after not even one proper season, especially after a rather positive start
It's actually quiete simple
How dare you criticise Di Maria's Post Burnley,Pre Everton form?(3 games) he was up there with Messi and Ronaldo according to most people on here, infact that game against QPR(not Chelsea not Arsenal not City, not Spurs not even Stoke, but QPR) will go down in history as one of the greatest performances ever, 60m to terrorise a team that had Rio in its defence...price tag justified.
He is not a Winger
CM is his best position (he has played there in more than one occasion this season)
He needs to start to prove himself, despite being the first name on the team sheet before the Arsenal game (excluding the games he was out injured)
He is the most creative player in the team (despite averaging 1 or 2 golden moments a game)
Personal Issues
New League, needs a season to adjust (despite using his early season form to point out his efficiency).
The curious case of Angel Di Maria.
Yeah the problem is that myth has really grown now as its obvious in this thread.
Play him in CM and he will shine stuff.
Also "He makes things happen" posts too.
Well I'm with you on that one. I still hope he'll come good.
I find it difficult to really see this as anything but LvG failing to use him effectively. I also don't think it was his signing but it all seems very messed up if the managers vision wasn't communicated or understood.
The manager does seem the type who favours the "pull up your boots" approach rather than a softer personal touch so I'm not sure how this will end.
"It's up to the player" followed by him leaving and slagging us off is my guess
The manager does seem the type who favours the "pull up your boots" approach rather than a softer personal touch so I'm not sure how this will end.
"It's up to the player" followed by him leaving and slagging us off is my guess
- Status