He's putting up good numbers considering they play him wide right without any focal point most of the time.
Always been that kind of player tbh, and was the same for Germany.
Di Maria and Falcao on the other hand have always been hard workers.
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He's putting up good numbers considering they play him wide right without any focal point most of the time.
Always been that kind of player tbh, and was the same for Germany.
Di Maria and Falcao on the other hand have always been hard workers.
I think that's the point of the tweet: If Di Maria played Argentina would have had a higher chance of winning the final and as a result Messi with a WC win would be the universally recognised best player ever, which RM didn't want a Barca player to be.
But as you and Raul Madrid say, it doesn't make any sense. Don't believe it.
Di marias attitude is excellent and it is why he was kept over ozil (who is the more naturally talented player). Last year at the start of the season when the balance of the team was very bad (with isco in the team even though he was playing well in an attacking sense) and Madrid were conceding far too many goals di maria was put into the team in his place. Once di maria took his place the team became much more solid and also controlled games better. Di maria attacked through the middle and out wide on the left and also provided defensive cover on the left for Ronaldo. Di maria playing there really had many positives and it was a great move from ancelotti to put him there. Di marias ability but also his attitude made it work. He reached a level last year that ozil has yet to reach in his career and that is down to him being more versatile, hard working and possessing a better attitude.
If he does all this for utd I will love him
I'm not doubting it by the way, I'm just waiting until he does it. Utd need top quality but also badly need top attitude.
Agree that would definately be the best way to go in a 3-5-2. Rooney competing with Mata and RVP with Falcao. Would be interesting. Januzaj being mentored by Di Maria to play in that midfield role every now and then? Mata/Rooney are essentially second strikers in this formation as opposed to the classic no10 position that has become fashionable lately. IMO this will benefit Mata greatly as he thrived in Chelsea having a solid midfield behind him to make up for his lack of defensive work/tracking back etc. With the 3-5-2 as it was it requires the no10 to do all these things as well and is one of the reasons we have been so bad lately. As soon as the opposition get the ball, they are straight at our defence.
With Blind, Herrera and Di Marias effective pressing in the midfield behind mata it will be a lot more solid both going forward and defensively and will allow a player such as Mata to play to his full capabilities. As for Rooney, I think he'd be good there because he wouldn't have the need to feel he has to drop deep to get the ball forward. He probably will anyway, but in theory with that midfield three behind them I think both would play to their best, added to the fact that they will have to fight for a place.
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Might as well go 4-4-2 diamond then. I don't see what's the benefit of putting extra attacking burden on Shaw/Rafael and CB's in that.
---------------------de gea----------------------
rafael--------jones-----------rojo--------shaw
---------------------blind----------------------
-----------herrera----------di maria-----------
--------------------rooney/mata---------------
---------falcao/rooney------RVP/rooney-----
rafael--------jones-----------rojo--------shaw
---------------------blind----------------------
-----------herrera----------di maria-----------
--------------------rooney/mata---------------
---------falcao/rooney------RVP/rooney-----
Hope Di Maria gets a great song. I've a feeling he is going to be THE stand-out performer this season, but "Lololoololoo Radameeel Falcaooo!" is going to be hard to top(if we go with it)
Easily our most exciting player, I cannot wait to watch him play.
i really hope he doesnt shoe-horn DiMaria into a wingback role just because hes got great stamina
I think I'll break my TV if he does that. No chance IMHO.
It will infuriate me (the entire formation already does that anyway). The fact that Robben never played at wing-back is a bit reassuring for me though.
Why would he waste his best player? Surely ADM will get his position and then DDG etc and the team will be built around them..
I think most people are fed up of the formation, I think he might change it though but there's always the possibility that his ego is too big to admit fault and switch. Why he might change it.
Robben never played wing back like you said so Di Maria would be taking Robben's 1 of the front 2 role in the 352 formation but with us having 3 world class strikers for those positions there's no way two of them will be dropped.
For me I'd like 433.
---------De Gea
Rafael-Jones(?)-Rojo-Shaw
---Herrera-Blind-Rooney
Januzaj--Falcao--Di Maria
Switch Di Maria and Rooney, with Rooney playing an inside left role not necessarily left wing because Rooney as our main creative force should not happen anymore until he gets his touch back. A midfield trio of Di Maria-Herrera-Blind will, on their day, be a match for anyone.
I doubt he will. He already showed where he prefers to play in against Burnley in my opinion. He also made the comments about him being a great winger/midfielder so would say there is no chance he will try and shoe him in somewhere else when we are lacking in those other departments.
I hope you're right, it would be a complete waste of his talent
ADM in a WB role would be a huge waste of talent. No way will he play there. Either as a winger or a third CM but watching Argentina against Germany I know exactly where I want to see him play
What is all this talk of Di Maria as a wingback? If we play 3-5-2 he will be a CM.
I suspect we will be switching to 4-3-3 though.
I suspect we will be switching to 4-3-3 though.
I agree with you. We've bought Shaw to play that position and Blind/Rojo to cover. There is no fecking way di Maria will play wing back.
I was hoping for a diamond after we bought Kagawa (and before we bought RvP). It actually looks like a pretty good option now.
-- Rafael Jones Rojo Shaw
Di Maria --- Herrera
Alternatively a 4-3-3 with
-- Rafael Jones Rojo Shaw
which is pretty close to the 4-2-3-1 we know and love.
DDG
Blind
Mata
Falcao RooneyAlternatively a 4-3-3 with
DDG
Herrera ------ Blind
Di Maria ----- Rooney
Mata
Falcao
which is pretty close to the 4-2-3-1 we know and love.
Changing the 3-5-2 now wouldn't even need to be LvG admitting he got it wrong. He could just say that now the he has the players to play 4-3-3 (Di Maria) then he can change it.
The thing is everyone is posting their 4-3-3 with players that weren't available the past few games where we were playing 3-5-2, its not even comparable. I'd like to see how amazing these 4-3-3 formations look with no recognisable fullbacks available and Fletcher and Cleverley our only midfield options, with no Falcao, Blind or Di Maria. 3-5-2 here to stay a bit longer I feel, we will see an entirely different game against QPR.
Will we hold the Guinness records on the most left footers ever fielded with those formations?
If I had to pick 3 out 4 fromRVP Falcao Rooney Mata. It would be RVP 1st Rooney 2nd and since Mata has been nothing great since being here I'd go Falcao and hope to he lives up to his reputation. It would be great if LVG finds away to shoehorn all 4 in making us some force with AJ pushing for a start.
I'd be picking Mata. He has immense creativity and his passing is superb and even though he plays in the AM role his passing success rate is in the 90's. Just imagine what he'd be like with players who actually ran around him. I'd have a forward lineup of Falcao and Rooney and give RvP time to get back to his best form.
Some of his good moments in the Burnley match(GIFs)
Quoted in case it does happen
I want proof kouroux!But seriously, yeah, it'd be a such a waste to ever see him converted into a wing back. Either AM or Winger please.
Is it 5 with Shaw, Rojo, Blind, Di Maria, Mata?
Januzaj and Blackett might need to be in there as well...
While I think Di Maria could do a "job" as a left wingback on occasion, which Mourinho used him as several times during matches after making subs and moving him back there... You do not pay £60 million for someone who was man of the match in the champions league final playing left of a midfield 3 and putting cross after cross in and then stick him where he has lots of defensive responsibility. Thats not going to be where he plays week after week. We'd have got someone much cheaper to do that job.
We made him our record signing to play to his strengths, not to cover leftbacks
We made him our record signing to play to his strengths, not to cover leftbacks
The consensus is that we're (hopefully) moving towards 4-3-3.
Am I the only one who thinks it would be a waste to put Di Maria out wide?
There are barely any players who can beat men through the middle from a stand-still like Yaya Toure, but Di Maria's one of them. And he can do the other bits almost as well as any midfielder.
Whereas you can find a few obtainable wingers who'll do a very good job.
He'll probably end up as a winger in a 4-3-3 eventually, probably with Strootman in midfield, but we'll be losing a unique midfielder.
I'd rather Reus, Depay or someone else out wide with Di Maria in midfield.
-----------Blind-----
-----Herrera---Di Maria---
Januzaj----Falcao------Reus
For me, that beats:
-------------Blind-----
---Strootman----Herrera---
Januzaj-----Falcao-----Di Maria
I'd play the top formation for now, with Rooney where Reus is.
Mata can cover a few positions, van Persie can cover Falcao.
Am I the only one who thinks it would be a waste to put Di Maria out wide?
There are barely any players who can beat men through the middle from a stand-still like Yaya Toure, but Di Maria's one of them. And he can do the other bits almost as well as any midfielder.
Whereas you can find a few obtainable wingers who'll do a very good job.
He'll probably end up as a winger in a 4-3-3 eventually, probably with Strootman in midfield, but we'll be losing a unique midfielder.
I'd rather Reus, Depay or someone else out wide with Di Maria in midfield.
-----------Blind-----
-----Herrera---Di Maria---
Januzaj----Falcao------Reus
For me, that beats:
-------------Blind-----
---Strootman----Herrera---
Januzaj-----Falcao-----Di Maria
I'd play the top formation for now, with Rooney where Reus is.
Mata can cover a few positions, van Persie can cover Falcao.
Why have we somehow forgotten how good Mata is? Lets wait and judge after he plays with class players around him like Herrera, Falcao, di Maria, Blind. Just like Ozil, you cant perform with declining players and deadwood around you, players like them are very depending on whats around them, when what's around them is good, they are the best in their positions.
As good as Mata can be, he isn't good enough to compensate the squad balance. We could play a far more dynamic side, and play a formation that is far more flexible tactically for the team. van Gaal himself stated that it's not about creating a team of 11 best individuals, it's 11 players that make the best team.
I don't see one position in that formation that Mata would fit well or improve, and I don't think he's that good that we should set the formation to him.
He's a very good player (more so in a Di Matteo 'system'), but I don't see how he fits into that kind of 4-3-3.
Even 4-2-3-1 is better off with Di Maria central and a more dynamic winger.
And I'm seriously hoping we don't continue with that 3-4-1-2, which I actually don't think suits Mata either.
I know he scored and assisted loads at Chelsea etc.. But it was a poor Chelsea side, with a poor 'system', and no defensive stability. He has great end product, but I don't think his overall play is all that.
He scored lots, but I didn't think he dictated or ran anything at Chelsea, and the play was so disjointed and inconsistent anyway.
I think people who place him at Silva's level as a 'no. 10' are overrating him a bit.
It's sad when we've come to a point when we even question Mata at his Chelsea time, for the record imo Silva is the best #10 in the world. But isnt it pure class to still perform in such a poor side (in your opinion) I think he could fit in a three mans midfield, with the hardworking Herrera and Blind next to/besides him.
That would take him so so far away from the Mata we saw at Chelsea. Di Maria would do the role better in my opinion - for a number of reasons, and then we could get in a pacey winger.
I don't deny Mata hit great numbers at Chelsea and that he stood out, but it was more second-striker stuff for me. I've yet to see him dictate games consistently like a no. 10.
The closer to the solo striker - the better, the less defensive responsibility - the better, and the more space he has - the better. Much like Kagawa.
The weird thing about Mata is that though he isn't an athlete, he does his best on the counter or when the game is stretched.
If we were looking to play a counter-attacking system, and could allow him to not do very much off the ball, he'd be perfect behind Falcao in a 4-2-3-1. But in a more forward thinking 4-3-3, I'm not so sure.
I think he's much closer to Kagawa than Silva, and if we insist on a no.10 with a more forward-thinking approach then it's got to be someone like Silva, which is obviously not easy to find. Meanwhile, the parts of 4-3-3 are easier to bring in.
I'm dreading the day Martin Tyler says "Angel lining up the angle for the free kick"
People have really short memories when it comes to Mata. He's not a flashy player who has pace to burn. He's an intelligent player who depends on equally intelligentbplayers around him. Everyone's quick to defend the likes of Welbeck who has been largely below par.because he has pace and power it catches people's attention, when really he didn't do much with it.
Mata's time will come and people will eat their words. It goes beyond reason that they can even question Rooney's quality similarly. It's not about quality, it's about how they fit in the team.
Mata's time will come and people will eat their words. It goes beyond reason that they can even question Rooney's quality similarly. It's not about quality, it's about how they fit in the team.
I do agree with what @Speak says. Mata is far more of an efficient #10 than a dictative one. He doesn't neccessarily set the pace of the match and control play, but he will start and finish of plays. He can be ruthless in attacks but lacks a lot in physical and defensive duties. He's a very good player but I'd much rather see us play di Maria and another dynamic midfielder in front of a #6 than a 4231 with Mata in the hole.
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