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Thanks for that man - great post!He did that regularly in his first three years at Madrid when used on the wing as well as Higuain, Benzema and Ozil. Those four regularly were poor in the big games under Mourinho apart from the odd match or moment. Him and Ozil had good stats and were quite productive but they regularly went through patches of bad form and inconsistency. It was last year when Ancelotti put him in midfield that he became world class and a big game player and was absolutely brilliant. He became more consistent and influenced matches (especially the big ones) much more. He is entering his peak now as a player so I am sure he will be better on the wing for United than he was for us as he was still quite young at Madrid. But like I said before, the best football in his career by far has come when playing in midfield. Whether United want to use him that way or have the personnel to fit him into such a formation is a different story. But it is a bit crazy to sign a player for the big money that they spent and not use him in the position where he played his best football by far. The player in his first three seasons on the wing for Madrid was worth nowhere near that amount.
In fairness man - Adnan has done f*ck all in the last 2-3 games - same as Mata. He was the 1st guy on everyone's lips to be subbed after Smalling got sent off..Really disappointing against City and Chelsea. Hope he doesn't develop a habit of fading out of the big games.
Would have preferred to have seen him go off instead of Adnan today. Was offering little going forward and routinely wasted free kicks and corners.
I still remember that breathtaking run he made against QPR, where he ran the length of the pitch (more or less) with the ball before shifting it to Rooney, who eventually teed up Herrera for the goal. Whatever it takes to get him doing that again, we should be doing it. He's still quality on the wing, but the player who scored that goal against Leicester was something else.His best moments for us have come when he's running (with the ball) from deep in midfield. The opposition struggle to deal with that. On the wing he's a bit more predictable and a bit easier to double up on and deal with. I prefer a midfield three of Blind, Di Maria and Herrera. I think for us, and for Madrid last season, he's a lot more dangerous in that position.
I think people are overreacting a bit regarding his performance today.
He stepped up in the second half and looked better. His corners are atrocious though and rarely beat the first man. Id rather Rooney and RvP back taking them. They whip them in perfectly.
It's part and parcel of how we watch, and more importantly, comment on matches these days. I wasn't on this board in the early 2000s, and I doubt there was as much instant 'analysis' back then, but can you imagine the comments when Scholes went through his rough patch after the arrival of Veron, or in the early stages of the 2004-5 season? Or what about when Giggs was experiencing a dip in form (I guess that's where the whole 'sell Giggs' bit came from...) In any event, this is why I'm glad we have an experienced manager like Van Gaal running the show, a guy who has seen, survived and surmounted his share of issues over the last two decades.So ppl are questioning his quality now? First Kagawa, then Mata and now him? Can probably soon add Falcao to that list, too. At what point are we going to start questionning our football/system/ability to adapt to modern football instead of blaming every quality player who drops a few levels once he joins us?
Our football is improving, even today we at least didn't look like we have a ball allergy.
But we are not there yet, at times Di Maria had space but noone to pass to apart from Fellaini, the players weren't making runs.
Anyway he was doing great with Herrera in midfield, put both of them together there again!
I don't think it's completely unrelated that his performances have dipped slightly since he's played on the wing.Its not his qualities that are questionable its his performances
Di Maria is a world class central midfielder, he is just awesome there. Play him there, improve our movement in the final third and we will be able to go head-to-head against the likes of Chelsea and City. Angel looks half the player when played as a winger.I don't think it's completely unrelated that his performances have dipped slightly since he's played on the wing.
But that only really worked because the Netherlands were sitting back against teams looking for the counter. Most of the teams we play against, we won't be playing on the counter so not sure that would really work for us.Few times he played advance, and scared the hell out of City's defence with his pace.
I still maintain the idea that we have to play him in that Robben's WC position, as SS.
Which dried out the moment we put him on the wing? It's clear as daylight, he is half the player on the wing and we don't have anyone pulling up trees in the middle to justify nullifying our most potent weapon.Perhaps last year was just a bit of a purple patch for him. He was always pretty inconsistent other than that, which fits what we're now seeing.
When we defend, we often would struggle to get out of the zone. Mainly it's because we have no outlet up-front with decent pace. And I'd like to see our attacker who can dribble at pace. We have Januzaj, but he isn't dependable yet.But that only really worked because the Netherlands were sitting back against teams looking for the counter. Most of the teams we play against, we won't be playing on the counter so not sure that would really work for us.
He's torn Barca apart couple of times, too. (I remember the 3-4 game in particular, even though it ended in a defeat)He was MOTM in the CL final wasn't he? Dunno where this 'can't do it in big matches' is coming from. He obviously can and has done so...
Bale was officially I believe, but I thought ADM was the best at the time.He was MOTM in the CL final wasn't he? Dunno where this 'can't do it in big matches' is coming from. He obviously can and has done so...
SAF gave Di Maria the MVP awardBale was officially I believe, but I thought ADM was the best at the time.
Nope, di Maria was the UEFA man of the match while was Ramos the fans man of the match.Bale was officially I believe, but I thought ADM was the best at the time.
Can't remember if it was him I got it from but I got this from a Madrid fan.Just get him back in the centre. This playing him out wide stuff is an utter utter waste.
It was one of the Madrid fans (I think @Raul Madrid ) that said Di Maria is not a world class £60 million winger, but he is as a midfielder. And it shows.
Yeah, and last season was by far the best season of his career. Before that he was good but inconsistent.What's his best position really? I see so many people preferring him to play as a CM instead of as a winger. I must say I hardly saw any of his matches before this season but correct me if I'm wrong, hasn't he played all his life as a winger and just played as a CM for Madrid only last season?
Pretty much my thoughts (bold).Lots of footballer have a breakthrough season where they suddenly become much more consistent and effective than they were before. Often at the same age Di Maria was last season. There's every chance he could have had a great season on the wing too.
People get far too hung up on the positions that footballers play, if you ask me. As though playing a slightly different attacking midfield role suddenly means the basics of football escape the player in question. It's just a cop-out. Especially when so many of the excuses being made on this basis for the likes of Kagawa, Mata and now Di Maria come from the same posters that regularly crucified Wayne Rooney, someone who has been asked to play more different positions than all those players put together. Really top players are adaptable.
I happen to think Di Maria is a really top player and can be great out wide. He's just gone off the boil after doing a stupid amount of travelling during the international break then coming up against two of the strongest teams in the league in quick succession. That's bound to put a speed bump in the impressive learning curve he's shown adapting to PL football so far. Hopefully onwards and upwards from here.
Yeah. he's looked a bit leggy at times. You'd have to wonder if all the will he / won't he shenanigans over the summer affected his conditioning work in pre-season.Pretty much my thoughts (bold).
I also wonder how much the difference in the leagues is playing a part in things. I'm not looking to get into a PL V La Liga debate, but I'm pretty sure the pace of the 10 games he's been with us for will have taken more out of him than the equivalent games for Madrid.
The difference is overstated. There isn't too much into it.Of course, La Liga is far more light and less physical demanding than the Premier League.
West Brom?I think his dip has more to do with the quality of opposition we've faced in the last two games rather than his position.
He played out wide then? I didn't see all of that game.West Brom?
Its quite clearly his position thats making the difference.
I think so. Januzaj had a stinker that game as well.He played out wide then? I didn't see all of that game.
