There will be an interview with him on Football Focus tomorrow:
http://bbc.in/1UHrZDg
Is it possible to embed the video? @Damien
http://bbc.in/1UHrZDg
Is it possible to embed the video? @Damien
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Angel di Maria: I was played out of position at Man Utd
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
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Excuses. He was shit
He was but he has a point.
As much as I think Di Maria is a bit of a whining cnut, I do agree to an extent that we feck about players too much in different positions. Maybe it's down to us not having a definite starting 11 since the SAF days, but even then we did it. Can't remember the last time we had a team that you could name man for man our definitive starting eleven.
Dont think what he says is controversial. Couldnt see us win something with van Gaal in charge and kept changing positions til he found himself on the bench. Basically blames van Gaal for everything.
Di Maria never wanted to be at Old Trafford.
Strange headline. He basically said he left because he wasn't happy and wanted to win things and neither of these things looked like they were going to change at United. He feels vindicated by the fact they're still playing the same way and still struggling in all competitions. The thing about positions was a much smaller criticism.
He was shit, and being played out of position doesn't excuse that, but he's right. Didn't we try him out as a striker at times?
Half way through that season, almost exactly to the point of the home invasion attempt, he decided he couldn't be arsed anymore and wanted out, some of his performances to the latter end of the season were truely baffling, being shifted around a bit (Um.. he's been moved right/left/central in his time for Real) doesn't excuse him for not being able to pass a simple 5 yarder with some consistency or even try and attempt to jog back after giving away possession cheaply for the 10th time in a row.
Might be him making excuses but he definitely is right. Felt like LvG never really wanted him and Di Maria never really wanted to be here.
Good work by the club all round.
Good work by the club all round.
He plays on instinct and LVG doesn't like that.
He is right.
I'm fairly certain the only time he'll ever play striker in his career is when he played there for us. The more baffling part of that was Rooney was playing behind him in midfield.
If only he played under Fergie. Imagine prime ADM and Ronaldo as wingers 
Imagine him in any counter attacking set up. Those runs he produced early on in that season were just great, shame it all fell apart.If only he played under Fergie. Imagine prime ADM and Ronaldo as wingers
Van Gaal wanted some pace in behind if memory serves at the time, thats the only thing I can think of, but he played upfront for perhaps 4-5 games max through the whole year, majority were on the flanks.
What is his position though?
As far as I'm aware, it's a sort of left-central midfield role which is only used in certain formations. If you play 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2, for example, the role is removed completely.
A top player should be able to adapt to his team. Players like Robben and Sanchez seem to be able to swap wings and move between formations without losing effectiveness.
As far as I'm aware, it's a sort of left-central midfield role which is only used in certain formations. If you play 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2, for example, the role is removed completely.
A top player should be able to adapt to his team. Players like Robben and Sanchez seem to be able to swap wings and move between formations without losing effectiveness.
Got about as much interest in his opinions as he did in playing for United.
He started in mdifield, then went up top, where he was shit, then shifted to the wings til the end of the season. Unfortunately, he was shit at that point already and mostly a sub. A few injuries and a red card inbetween there rounded things off.
Excuses to be fair. It played a part but he just couldn't be arsed as well. He wanted to leave Real, we were the only ones realistically in for him as he always preferred PSG, and when his form dipped and unfortunate experience in his home, he wanted out from February onwards.
Most players would have wanted to prove themselves and give it another season, he just wanted to go to PSG as he originally had hoped for. He has to take most of the blame himself rather than save face
Most players would have wanted to prove themselves and give it another season, he just wanted to go to PSG as he originally had hoped for. He has to take most of the blame himself rather than save face
ADM is good enough to play in several positions and he has done that throughout his career (as far as I'm aware). The problem was he didn't want to be here and wanted a move to PSG.
It didn't work out because he was a gutless, lazy, couldn't give a feck rat bag who tossed it off for a year on quarter of a million quid a week.
Off position ? Tell that to Blind and he'll laugh at that shit.
Few impressive moves in some matches but not even smallest sign of character. I hope we'll get rid more of that type of passengers.
Few impressive moves in some matches but not even smallest sign of character. I hope we'll get rid more of that type of passengers.
He's hardly going to admit he failed to adapt to English football now.
He is a winger converted to a midfielder. If we remove the few games he came on as a sub and played up top then where did we play him that he struggled so badly to overcome? Centre half?
He wanted to stay in Madrid where Madrid are routinely getting their asses handed to them without a word of complaint. Where was his "I'm a winner" attitude then?
He is a winger converted to a midfielder. If we remove the few games he came on as a sub and played up top then where did we play him that he struggled so badly to overcome? Centre half?
He wanted to stay in Madrid where Madrid are routinely getting their asses handed to them without a word of complaint. Where was his "I'm a winner" attitude then?
He was deservedly dropped out of the team for Young who was very good in the last third of last season. When ADM came on as sub he didn't do anything to stake claim either.
I suppose it's quite telling though about his relationship with Van Gaal that he is using this season as a vindication for his departure.
I suppose it's quite telling though about his relationship with Van Gaal that he is using this season as a vindication for his departure.
Initially he was often one of the best players on the pitch but gradually he fell away. Hard to say what went wrong. He wasn't the only one under performing but unlike the others it's clear he gave up the fight. Because that's what Mendes clients do. When the going gets tough they jump ship.
No, LvG was shit. Di Maria seems to be once again thriving.
Can't disagree, but Di Maria was shit for us. Whether that's van gaal's fault, he didn't settle in, he didn't want to be here in the first place or he's shit scared or burglars is up for debate - but he was still shit for us.
Di Maria didn't want to be here from the start. RM wanted rid of him and he wanted to go to PSG but they couldn't sign him because of FFP.
I don't believe his heart was ever in it here.
We were collectively shite and since ADM is a great supporting player and not a headliner, he struggled. His relative failure is on everyone, he included.
He is also saying that the team is still playing shit and it's not the players' fault and that he left for PSG to win things.
He played striker one game. That too he was put back at half time. That's it really. All the other games we played him LW or LCM.
He was really struggling a lot after the first games to impose himself on PL full backs.
He was really struggling a lot after the first games to impose himself on PL full backs.
You're probably right, but LvG certainly didn't do his part to help him out. The fact that he thriving once again at PSG speaks volumes about LvG's ability to bring the best out of players.
This. But also, I have no idea why we signed a £59.7m player without having a clear role for him in the team. It is ludicrous to think we had an incredibly talented player and ended up shoehorning him into the team.
Outside of the very special system built by Ancelotti for Real Madrid, he is a winger/inside forward, he isn't a left central midfielder.
maverick approach. Play him in the position he played at Madrid
Worse transfer than Veron, at least he bloody tried to make it work, ADM is a pansie took the easy route in France.
To be fair I could thrive at psg mate, the French league is a joke.
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