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Di Maria - how bad is he?

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Rosco

Rosco

Worse than Brendan
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I think it's common case that he's not setting the world alight and given the outlay I think it's right to expect more from him.

Is he further proof, as I like to think, that buying wingers after the age of 25 is extremely risky business because routinely their best comes in their early twenties?

Or will he 'settle' and become better as time goes on?

(I don't need people to point out their are exceptions to the age thing like Ronaldo and Robben, I'm aware of them)
 
He's been sucked into the rather lovely 'cooler' mentality that surrounds Utd these days. Namely everything they touch turns to shit. Happy days.
 
I'd imagine a £60M fee when you know you're worth half that at best contributes to being shit. Same when we signed Carroll, Lovren etc

Incredible amount of money for someone who doesn't know his best position though
 
Wasn't he Man U's best player for the first month or two of the season?
I seem to recall him being the main reason why they got some momentum early doors.
There have also been recent rumours that he was unhappy and wanted out of Man U.
Perhaps there is some truth in the rumours and he isn't quite arsed any more.
Perhaps the change in tactics to more long ball football doesn't suit his style.
Who knows.
I have still to be convinced that it is because he is at a certain age.
 
I think it's as much to do with the gimps he's playing with & the tit managing them.

He's clearly talented - but the system around him is fucked.

He'd be fucking awesome in our team - unreal.
 
I haven't bothered watching any of Utd this season apart from our horror show at Old Trafford but Di Maria often looked very good at Real. Where has Van Gaal been playing him? In what system? Has he been injured? What's been wrong with his performances this year?
 
I'd just like to point out that I said he was a poor signing from the start, because I'd been terrified all summer of them getting people like Pogba and Kroos, and for them to spend tens of millions on luxuries like Di Maria and Falcao was about the best we could hope for. So there.

On the actual topic, it certainly seems plausible. I'm guessing the idea is that wingers need relatively more agility and speed than other players, and so show a decline earlier? Certainly different positions seem to have different peak ages.

It must be a relatively easy thing to check, if you were bothered enough. Still, Di Maria did look really good in the first 10 games or so - like really excellent. And it's hard to believe the difference between then and now is due to him being a couple of months older.
 
I don't think it has anything to do with his age and peaking. He just doesn't look happy. He has left Real Madrid to play in a team that is just not performing, in a much colder climate, where he is kicked and pushed, he doesn't speak the language and his house has been robbed.
 
I reckon it's because he's come off the world cup, played non stop, and hasn't had the winter break he's so used to. There's a reason he started so brilliantly and faded away, I reckon that's it.
 
Di Maria was fantastic for Madrid any time I watched him play in his last season there.

He was the only bright spark for united in the first part of the season and then got a few injuries. My united supporting mates say he's great and usually their main attacking threat. Their whole team is disjointed and he is often out of position. LVG played him up front a few times.

I am enjoying watching Di Maria and Falcao struggling though.
 
I think cloggy is more right than anyone else. He's probably having serious misgivings about the whole move. Certainly against Sunderland he looked like he'd rather be anywhere else.
 
First month or so Di Maria was great, he was energetic, created shitload chances, pace everything. He's gone of the boil for now but still their most potent attacking source.
 
Nah. I'm right.

Just reading about his injury - a pelvic one. According to Van Gaal to do with the relationship between the pelvis and hamstring.

The risk of those wear and tear problems increases with age. And I think it's as simple as a player plays his best when he's 100% fit. Nothing else matters as much. Particularly when you need pace and agility to perform well.

I'm happy to declare Di Maria a failed sigoing
 
I thought Di Maria was playing at his absolute peak for Madrid, happy player, fit, settled in the team / club, knew his team mates and hit form.

Imo it was always going to be a bit difficult to keep that up at a new club in a new country with inferior team mates. His game also perhaps raised or lowered in line with those around him.
 
cloggypop said:
I don't think it has anything to do with his age and peaking. He just doesn't look happy. He has left Real Madrid to play in a team that is just not performing, in a much colder climate, where he is kicked and pushed, he doesn't speak the language and his house has been robbed.
Click to expand...

Aye that about sums it up.
 
I watched quite a bit of Di Maria in the years he was at madrid, and he blew hot and cold for me whilst he was there. He seemed to play well when the whole team were good in that game, but he didn't seem to ever make an impact off the bench or carry a game by himself like a lot of their 'galacticos' have done. He just seemed to be a decent squad player. He was much better in his final season at madrid, I'll give him that, but he wasn't like that for the 3 or 4 years he was there before that. I think the scum overpaid by about 40mill for him. He looked a 20-25mill sort of player. Another WIllian or something, good winger but not going to set the world alight, nowhere near the ronaldo/bale sort of bracket.
It's awesome to see him being utter bollocks for them though. I'm surprised he keeps getting a game when he's getting subbed after 45-60mins.
 
Going from winning the Champions League and reaching the World Cup Final to drawing with Cambridge Utd within such a short amount of time is bound to be the stuff of nightmares.
 
Mors said:
I watched quite a bit of Di Maria in the years he was at madrid, and he blew hot and cold for me whilst he was there. He seemed to play well when the whole team were good in that game, but he didn't seem to ever make an impact off the bench or carry a game by himself like a lot of their 'galacticos' have done. He just seemed to be a decent squad player. He was much better in his final season at madrid, I'll give him that, but he wasn't like that for the 3 or 4 years he was there before that. I think the scum overpaid by about 40mill for him. He looked a 20-25mill sort of player. Another WIllian or something, good winger but not going to set the world alight, nowhere near the ronaldo/bale sort of bracket.
It's awesome to see him being utter bollocks for them though. I'm surprised he keeps getting a game when he's getting subbed after 45-60mins.
Click to expand...


sums it up well, they seemed a massive premium for his last season with Madrid
 
Is it possible burn-out following the world cup, or has he been hampered/affected by injuiries?

From memory he looked very sharp at the World Cup and carried Argentina through some games so I've been surprised by his lack of effectiveness for the club.
 
Ozil's worse IMHO. At least di Maria started well, whereas Ozil's never looked the part except in flashes. I'd been very impressed with the guy in the previous World Cup and was naffed off that we didn't go in for him. Just goes to show.
 
Cost £59.7 million

£14.9 million per goal

£19.9 million per league goal


VVr8MRl.gif
 
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