This. He's had lots going on that have prevented him from settling instantly. Injuries, the burglary etc. he's still a class act. Go back to his first few games with us and this thread couldn't get enough of him. He's one of our few world class players and the only one with that spark of flair. He will have a good rest in the summer and hopefully come back next season the beast that he was at Madrid.
7
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 32
- Goals
- 4
- Assists
- 13
- Yellow cards
- 3
- Red cards
- 1
- Status
He was something else at the start of the season, it's true. I was so excited, I was convinced he'd be our player of the season.
I would take the money unless there is no truth he is interested in leaving and we intend to play him in a midfield 3 which is his best position. No matter where we play him he will never live up to the fee (we paid double his value) but in midfield he could potentially be a top class player, as a winger I don’t think he is anything like as good.
Personally I am not convinced he is happy here, he came for the money and I don’t think he enjoys the physical nature of the league so despite his obvious talent I don’t think it is guaranteed he will rediscover his best form. However I can’t see anyone coughing up enough money to make it worth our while to sell him.
If we could recoup what we spent on him I would take it in a heartbeat.
I actually like Di Maria as a player, and when he signed I thought he would be an instant hit (and he sort of was, in his first few games). Since then however, I have to question his mentality - he seems a bit of a sulker, contrast it to someone like Fellaini who was booed by our own fans but has fought back into the team and it is a night and day difference.
Maybe he just hasnt settled, maybe the off the pitch stuff is affecting him, maybe he just needs a bit more time. If so, fair enough and I am sure LVG knows the situation better than anyone - but if there is a risk that he is going to be a complete flop, then getting our money back isnt the worst thing in the world if it means we can bring in the likes of Bale/Sterling, Pogba, Clyne/Coleman this summer.
I actually like Di Maria as a player, and when he signed I thought he would be an instant hit (and he sort of was, in his first few games). Since then however, I have to question his mentality - he seems a bit of a sulker, contrast it to someone like Fellaini who was booed by our own fans but has fought back into the team and it is a night and day difference.
Maybe he just hasnt settled, maybe the off the pitch stuff is affecting him, maybe he just needs a bit more time. If so, fair enough and I am sure LVG knows the situation better than anyone - but if there is a risk that he is going to be a complete flop, then getting our money back isnt the worst thing in the world if it means we can bring in the likes of Bale/Sterling, Pogba, Clyne/Coleman this summer.
Nobody else is going to be as desperate or dumb as we were last summer, that's the bottom line. We can forget about getting our money back, its an interesting conversation piece but it isnt going to happen.
Before last season, I would have said he was basically Nani MK2 and would have laughed off signing him. I thought Real signing Bale would mean he would be stuck on the bench all year.
But last season, he really kicked on after moving position. We need to see a bit of that fight from him, he has the quality.
But last season, he really kicked on after moving position. We need to see a bit of that fight from him, he has the quality.
Selling him would be stupid. It also won't happen.
I dont think it would be stupid if he wants to leave and if Van Gaal has absolutely no intention of playing him in the only position he has ever justified his "world class" tag in.
Both of which are perfectly possible.
Both of which are perfectly possible.
I agree. I think we should at least give him another season to settle in. He had a great start but somehow lost his form and confidence after half of the season. But it's too early to completely write him off. Only way we should consider it is if LvG isn't really planing with him anymore and some other team is ready to splash at least 40-50M € for him.
Ah right, sorry for the misunderstanding. With Di Maria in particular I think the problem is that he's shown himself to be far more effective from deep than from a wide position. From what I gather, LVG is happy for players to take risks out wide but less so in the middle of the park, which is why Herrera's had to change his game significantly to get consistent midfield starts. I doubt Di Maria is capable of that kind of transformation, and if he did it'd be a complete waste of his talents. As you say, it seems that for LVG his future is as a winger or wide forward, unfortunately at present he's being rightfully kept out of the team by players who are performing better.
I think it's risk vs reward with Di Maria. If we had an elite replacement lined up then I think there wouldn't be much point in keeping him should PSG be willing to spend such a great amount. On the flip side, transitioning to England into an unbalanced side, competing at a lower standard than his former team and being constantly moved around to fit him into the ever changing systems is bound to have an effect.
We're starting to progress and look like a good side now. A few more signings in the summer to aid that progression and we might see a new side to Di Maria. He'll have had a year to knuckle down, I'm sure van Gaal knows what he wants to do with him now and he can then begin to knuckle down his role in the side and start building some form again.
Sometimes a player just doesn't fit in at a club, but I think it would be premature to class Di Maria as one of those players purely based on this season.
We're starting to progress and look like a good side now. A few more signings in the summer to aid that progression and we might see a new side to Di Maria. He'll have had a year to knuckle down, I'm sure van Gaal knows what he wants to do with him now and he can then begin to knuckle down his role in the side and start building some form again.
Sometimes a player just doesn't fit in at a club, but I think it would be premature to class Di Maria as one of those players purely based on this season.
If true, take it!
The problem being that, in my opinion Mata is a better footballer with a higher ceiling, if Mata becomes even better in the right wing, Di Maria has no chance to dispute this spot. Which means that Di Maria only has one spot to fight for, maybe two if he totally changes, and become a cm for a possession team.
So if we sign 3 or 4 potential starters, let say Depay, Pogba, Hummels and Clyne (the names are just for the sake of the discussion), Di Maria lose almost definitely his spot in the first eleven.
Absolutely this. There aren't many players with the talent of this fella, and people want rid of him after a few months. Nutters.You lot are all stark raving bonkers. Yes he has had a 50/50 start for us so far, but he will get better and more consistent. You just want to sell a world class player like that?. Mad the lot of you
There's going to be a lot of competition for places next season, but (touchwood) there will also be a lot of games to contest for them in. I'm happy with Mata's recent contributions, but I doubt he'll be holding a right wing spot down for the whole of next season.
We're talking about what was a world class player last season. If we purchase talent that is able to keep him out of the side and we sell him on, then van Gaal has done a fantastic job. However, I think the arrival of high quality player is more likely to please Di Maria and we'd see an improvement in his performances. Herrera and Mata aren't going to play every game, and I wouldn't be saying there's any guarantees that someone like Depay would be a better option either next season.
Not exactly true. Pogba (a defensive BTB player) would allow van Gaal to use Mata in Herrera's place. Freeing up the right wing for Di Maria. He could also play left wing when Memphis/Young aren't in form.
You're assuming Mata will constantly be in good form, whilst I love the guy that's probably not going to happen. Competition is good, we'd have several good players competing for a start.
I don't believe so. I think the system implemented by Ancelotti last year was what brought out the best in di Maria. The triumvirate of di Maria, Marcelo and Ronaldo caused so many issues for opposition teams, last year. Ronaldo would start wide but always cut in, thus bringing the full back with him; this, in turn, created space for di Maria to utilise, where he could cross, dribble, or pass to the very pacey and talented Marcelo.
Although we haven't implemented a like for like system/formation, what we've seen over the last few games, from Blind, Young and Fellaini, is, somewhat, similar to what Real Madrid used so successfully, for the last 6 months in 13/14. And, I believe, it could bring the best out of di Maria. He'd have Fellaini making the runs through the channels and Blind making overlapping runs, which will, inevitably, create space for himself to run into.
I don't agree, if we sign Pogba or Schneiderlin or whoever, Herrera will take Fellaini's place, Mata will stay where he is succeeding and Di Maria will fight for the last spot.
And Mata being an extremely regular player, he will probably have more game time than anybody in the team.
The current problem is that with the runs he is making, a lot of them isn't used intelligently by him and he has been losing balls, passing bad and not trekking back as he should.
It's his first year though and look at the difference a year has made for Fellaini. I have no reason to believe that he won't come good. I also think the attempted home robbery shook him. He has definitely been out of form since. Has he even had an assist since the attempt?
Next season if we make CL, we will definitely need him.
I say hold on. Unless he wants to leave of course, then PSG should pay up.
It's his first year though and look at the difference a year has made for Fellaini. I have no reason to believe that he won't come good. I also think the attempted home robbery shook him. He has definitely been out of form since. Has he even had an assist since the attempt?
Next season if we make CL, we will definitely need him.
I say hold on. Unless he wants to leave of course, then PSG should pay up.
If we bring in this BTB player (which we are) van Gaal will have more options. Currently Fellaini is the only player he can field next to Blind/Carrick to provide him defensive balance with Herrera (who does more than Mata). The big man isn't good in a role further back though, unlike the new CM.
We could line up with:
Herrera-Carrick-Fellaini
CM-Blind-Mata
Since Mata can also play RW this gives him more options, this doesn't mean Di Maria no longer has a spot. I doubt he was brought in for the midfield, he probably sees him as a winger (because he's adventurous). This means he could play LW or RW and have competition from Memphis, Young, Januzaj and Mata. In form he should easily make one of those positions his own, especially if Mata plays in midfield.
I said that he had only one spot not that there wasn't any spot, and he is already in a fierce competition with Young, Van gaal has no reason to consider Mata as a first option in the midfield three, when Mata showed more promises on the right wing, which take one spot.
If a 60m offer comes for a player who isn't a guaranteed starter, you at least think about taking the offer, that's all what I'm saying.
If he isn't settled here and wanting to leave then this summer is probably the only chance we will have to sell him and get a significant chunk of our money back. His stock is still pretty high in world football.
So it wouldn't be that stupid in all honesty. Again this is all dependant on his current happiness at the club.
I disagree. It's his first season where he hasn't settled in quite yet, all the reasons why have been mentioned. You at least give your record signing a 2nd season to show himself. The only reason we would sell him is that he's really unhappy and the club could make a profit (we're not selling our record transfer for a loss after 1 year). So far there hasn't been anything in the media about this, so I seriously doubt it.
Just because you don't see a place for him in the starting 11 doesn't mean van Gaal doesn't. Mata and Herrera will compete for #10, Mata can also play RW. Di Maria will compete for the wings and maybe even #10 too. A player with his qualities won't be left out too long, because he's obviously better than Young/Memphis/Januzaj. Mata could keep him out for a couple of matches, I don't dispute that, but he won't keep him on the bench for a season.
Going on what he's contributed this year and previous experiences with Argentinian players who've failed to settle, £60m would be an offer that's hard to refuse. But I'd have sold Fellaini for a bag of chips in the summer...
I'm fairly certain if he wasn't a £60m record signing then this conversation wouldn't be happening and the majority would be saying 'give him time to settle' rather than the minority (or half and half, whatever it is). Sadly he is a £60m signing and people will expect more from him straight away and get frustrated when he doesn't provide it.
Anyway, I'm in the 'give him time to settle' camp, he's too good not to come good.
Besides, it's not like we've ever stumped out massive money on Argentinian superstars who turned out to be failures before or anything.
Anyway, I'm in the 'give him time to settle' camp, he's too good not to come good.
Besides, it's not like we've ever stumped out massive money on Argentinian superstars who turned out to be failures before or anything.
Im sure youre right about that.
Too many want to "cash in". There was a thread recently asking posters what fee they'd sell him for.
I don't get this line of thought. We have too much money to want to sell a player with Di Maria's talent after just a year here just because we might get 10-15mil less if we do actually need to sell him down the line.
You are right, I wouldn't entertain the idea of accepting a 30m offer, if we had bought him for 30m. The thing is, I can't imagine that no one would try to find value in the market, if his contribution is comparable to the one a 30m player would provide than we should accept the 60m offer and buy two 30m players.
In the mean time I don't think that we should propose him to anyone, he shouldn't be up for sale, because he is a quality player.
that seems like a sarcastic response, which I guess is fair as I suppos it was an obvious point. Still, what I was trying to say amongst my blithering is that money shouldn't really be seen as the great basis for a player's early days at a club, as we've seen all too many times at Utd. A certain Afro'd Belgian being the latest example.
I think your Fellaini reference can be expanded to a lot more players too (Evra, Vidic, Ronaldo even pop into mind specifically).
Worry i guess is that it can happen in reverse as well. i.e they start well and then tail off. RVP for instance is the prime example.
TBH though I just think that it’s rare for even world class players to hit the ground running. What we need to do is be patient and we’ll reap the benefits eventually.
He's a long term investment just like Mata and LVG won't even consider selling him after his own decision to sign him.
We have tons of other players that shall be considered being put on the transfer list. No need for selling the player that can benefit us greatly in Europe.
We have tons of other players that shall be considered being put on the transfer list. No need for selling the player that can benefit us greatly in Europe.
Can the CAF members currently on the board at PSG (their seems to be a few of them here apparently) let us know if they have offered for him yet?
Whole teams been a bit shit this year, might as well sell them all. De Gea also as his heart isn't in it.
The clubs been a bit shit for the last two years, may as well sell it or close it.
The clubs been a bit shit for the last two years, may as well sell it or close it.
Seriously though. A lot of people here have such whiny attitudes and sound like spoiled children.
Be happy with what you have and grow up.
Since he has 5 assists since the beginning of February I've heard that PSG are willing to double their offer to £120m and although they realise they have no hope in hell of ever winning the CL they are determined to beat Guingamp and Bastia next season
Wasnt meant to be sarcastic. I was actually going to elaborate on my answer but then didnt because, funnily enough, what I said was obvious and has been said a million times before. But I think youre right, people are less patient because he costs more money. I know I am, if he cost £20m I wouldnt be so bothered but the idea of wasting £65m is harder to swallow. I think that is why the idea of cutting our losses seems more appealing in this hypothetical context - and even then, only because the reason he isnt performing seems more structural than cyclical, by which I mean it doesnt look so much a question of form as of how he is being used. And I dont see that as changing. So it looks more likely to me that he is never going to live up to his cost. Rather than if he was struggling to settle and it was a form issue youd say lets wait and maybe next year he'll come good.
Thinking about it, that last bit shows it isnt purely about the money as you suggested (for me at least). Its a question of looking at the reasons he is underperforming and asking if that is going to change. In his case it looks like it might not, therefore it makes more sense to think about recouping our money.
But obviously I could easily be wrong and he could come good. And also, as I said, I dont think we'll make our money back anyway, so maybe we should wait and see, if we end up losing £25m on his resale instead of £15m because we waited (I actually think we lose more than that either way) we can afford to take that on the chin.
But I do hope Woodward learns something from this experience. Being given the keys to indulge your muppet fantasies can be a costly business if you dont really know what youre doing, which increasingly looks to have been the case here.
How much do you think we'd get if we decided to sell him now? And how much if he has another season like this and we sell him end of next season?
Its about Di Maria´s style. He earned the “worldclass” tag during one year, where he played in a fairly specific lineup with a specific task. Even in this year he wasn´t consistently worldclass. Madrid didn’t finish 3rd in league because everything worked out perfectly…..
We play nothing like Madrid and Di maria is used in roles, where he already proved, that he is not worldclass.
The idea that “he is too good to fail” is unreasonable. In fact it’s fairly obvious that he won’t be worldclass when we use him as winger/forward. He never was and there is no reason to believe that he will be.
In this context you have to ask the question what´s his worth for us (not some hyperbole value related to his performance in some matches for Madrid). A good winger might be worth 30m or maybe even 40m, but that’s about it. If PSG really offers 60m (which I don’t believe at all) we have to consider this offer.
Honestly I have no idea, if I did I would have used something i was more comfortable with in my example. "Value" is such a nonsense concept in football. It derives from what anyone is willing to pay but in football the ability and willingness to pay is so reliant on any number of factors other than the quality of the footballer in question. It means like for like comparisons are often impossible or ends up looking ridiculous. It depends on who is buying, how much they need to fill that position, how many other options they have, how marketable the player is AND, as one factor among many, how good the player is. So how much is Di Maria worth? It depends.
If I had to make a guess in the dark I guess my initial guess of a £25m loss would be as good a guess as I could make - only before I was saying that level if we wait, actually I think we'd do well to get that now, meaning we sell for around £40m. If we wait and he has another indifferent season, maybe we sell him for £25m or £30m.
But as I said these numbers are completely arbitrary, PSG could surprise me and come up with an offer that blows that expectation out the water. Who knows what the world looks like a year from now, coming into next summer. Who knows what kind of a season Di Maria will have had. It may be that his value holds as it is recognised that Van Gaal is a very quirky manager and the fact Di Maria may have failed at United may not reflect as badly on him as it might in other circumstances.
The people that want to sell Di Maria because he's had a difficult season are probably the same ones that then want us to spend £80 odd million on Bale, who's having a difficult season.
Cows in fields and all that.
Cows in fields and all that.
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