Because often english ref would let defenders and midfielder rough up the new talents who are playing their trade in the league.
7
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 32
- Goals
- 4
- Assists
- 13
- Yellow cards
- 3
- Red cards
- 1
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) was joined by comedian Ali Woods to look back at the best and worst moments of a rollercoaster season with the annual United Hour Awards.
Has Ten Hag been sacked yet? We're not sure and we hope not, but it's looking more likely as the days pass.
Who should replace him and why is it taking so long to make a decision?
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Holy shite, this guy is unbelievable! Thanks Real Madrid.
Great performance.
A small thing but when he went over to take the corner early in the 2nd half you could see all the fans so happy to see such a performance. It reminded me of a load of ugly blokes who have managed to pull a Worldie and can't believe their luck. It was like the start of seeing something special happening.
A small thing but when he went over to take the corner early in the 2nd half you could see all the fans so happy to see such a performance. It reminded me of a load of ugly blokes who have managed to pull a Worldie and can't believe their luck. It was like the start of seeing something special happening.
Madrid were mad to sell him.
It sort of feels like "Ronaldo is back" ?
I watched the Madrid Darby yesterday and Rodriguez is very good but Di Maria is on another level. Madrid will regret this one.
Thank you so much Perez........you absolute muppet.
Di Maria was class today, hopefully we see many more performances like that from him.
On a side note, the players all gave it to Van Gaal's wife apparently...
On a side note, the players all gave it to Van Gaal's wife apparently...
Especially since they have lost their last three games and Alonso has got MotM for his two games for Bayern. Complete lunacy to sell your two of your best midfielders in the same window. Di Maria is pure class. EXACTLY what united have been missing (amongst others) I hope the new boys continue to stick two fingers up to the doubters!
A special mention needs to be made to the OT crowd today. Pure class from beginning to end, I haven't seen or felt that much energy from them for a VERY long time.
They owed us one for Ronaldo. Plus it helps their idiots and only like poster boys
fecking hell. We signed Di Maria. I couldn't believe it at times today, he's a class above any player we've had here since Ronaldo.
I love the media and opposition fans also some Caf posters talking about overpaying and we should of went for Sanchez at half the price but Di Maria is a league above he was the heart of the team today and has continued on from where he left off last season, I am still shocked we signed one of the best players in the world in his prime 
don't care that it was only QPR he can do that against any team. May be a lot of money but it was so worth it
don't care that it was only QPR he can do that against any team. May be a lot of money but it was so worth it First time I've been excited watching United for what seems like a very long time. OK it was only QPR but the new fellas played some lovely stuff. Felt like the real start of the season.
We've signed the exact player we need, who is in his prime, who is one of the best in the world. Incredible.
Every time he picked the ball up and ran....... it made me remember what having Ronaldo in the team felt like...
When you are daft enough to sell Makelele, you can sell Di Maria.
Brought the excitment back, was great to see him pick up the ball and just drive forward. Pleased to see his free kick creep him.
I really do hope Real Madrid sign Vidal, maybe we end up with Illarra for a cut price. If you go back through the years, Real Madrid made many of these silly mistakes like Makelele, Robben, Ozil and Sneijder.
If you go back through the years, Real Madrid made many of these silly mistakes like Makelele, Robben, Ozil and Sneijder.Great performance. He makes you realise the crap we've been treated to by Nani/Young/Valencia for the past couple of years.
Every time he was on the ball I couldn't stop laughing, wtf were Madrid thinking when they agree to sell him? 
This fecker was top 5 in the world last year and by the way he started here it wasn't just an accident.
This fecker was top 5 in the world last year and by the way he started here it wasn't just an accident.
I know it's early but I think come the end of the season he'll be the best player in the league comfortably.
You have to ask though, why the f*ck did we spend so many of the post Ronaldo years dicking around with average players, rather then just buying proper quality players.
It's something I thought about with a few things he did during the match. After a bit of skill or something, I was saying to myself, wow, that is class, we haven't had that for a while, he is really playing well. But then I remembered that really, he is one of the best in the world and what he did was just his usual self.
We will get used to many great performances this season.
Couldn't have put it better myself, we really aren't used to having one of the best players in the world on our side, not for a while at least. The best thing about it is that it isn't an exaggeration, he's one of the top 5 players in world football. Oh, I'm giddy
We were still winning titles under the greatest manager that's ever lived. In saying that, we'd probably have one more CL title if SAF spent the money we did this summer on quality, instead of persisting with players he needed to wave his magic wand to get to perform to a certain standard.
SAF: There was no "value in the market".
I guess you can link almost every formation. But like somebody above said, that's dependant on how it's played.
But I saw many on here with 4-3-3 formations and Di Maria wide left/right, and to me that's a waste.
He's one of the best (if not the best) at going from standstill or back to goal to running past players through the centre, or from the half way line. That's a weapon that's limited when he's stuck out wide, and the rest of his game is good enough to do the other midfielder bits.
He was able to get himself inside quite a bit today. He's always going to drift outside wherever he plays.
I guess my point is less about sticking him wide being a waste, and more that sticking him high up the pitch and wide is a waste. He needs to be deeper, preferably central (in my opinion) where he can get it, accelerate, and speed up play. Teams aren't used to it, and can't stop it.
I guess this system gives the best of both, as he can come central or spread wide at different times. But a formation with genuine width and Di Maria out wide is wasting him, in my opinion.
In regards to where he is best used, centrally or out wide. I think in that narrow diamond, that left side suits him perfect. It gives him the chance to drift inside and play through the middle but if we have time on the ball, he can spread wide and give us width.
I'm hoping to see more of that in the weeks to come.
I'm hoping to see more of that in the weeks to come.
We've had three seasons of pleading our players to get the ball to one of van Persie or Mata. I now feel we're a threat if any of our front six have the ball, it's the f*cking dogs bollocks. This guy is a superstar, arguably the best in the league.
With a footballer of Di Maria's quality, so long as you get him on the ball the formation is almost irrelevant.
True.
Just wondering what the other lot at RAWK are saying? I mean, Di Maria is overrated and too expensive and not as good as Lallana and blah blah blah!
It does yeah. I think he could play a similar role in a 4-3-3 too, as long as whoever was selected on the left of the front 3 for you was given plenty of freedom to drift inside with Di María overlapping on the wing. It's only the 3-5-2 I think that would limit him a bit, so hopefully van Gaal goes back to that
You start to think to yourself 'we don't deserve a player of his quality', then you realise that a player like him should be the standard at United and that we've been 'spoiled' by the likes of Young and Valencia.
I don't think anyone was thinking of his price tag today, including those moaning about how much he cost.
I don't think anyone was thinking of his price tag today, including those moaning about how much he cost.
Martin Tyler certainly was. The asshat.
Nothing new there.
Exactly, and that's the beauty of that role for him as he basically plays two positions and both very well. So we have a three man midfield, or he can go up the wing leaving Blind and Herrera in the middle which is certainly nothing to scoff at.
Just give him the Ballon D'or now.
The guys just so talented it's unreal. Our other players are going to need to hit top form if they don't want to be embarrassed by Di Maria.
The guys just so talented it's unreal. Our other players are going to need to hit top form if they don't want to be embarrassed by Di Maria.
Rewatching the first half now, it's amazing how consistent and threatening his crossing is. His delivery is Beckham-esque almost. We've really missed that delivery out wide since giggsy stopped playing as a winger really, and given how we've always been big with wingers, it has hurt us.
Not suggesting his crossing was poor but it could have been a lot better. The goal was a perfect delivery from that angle and distance but his actual crosses from wide areas I thought didn't have enough pace and were floated a little too much. Again, not saying he was poor in that aspect but I think he can do far better.
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