Angel di Maria: I was played out of position at Man Utd

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For all his talent and ability, I just don't think he wanted it enough at United to truly give it his all here. If I'm not wrong, in his last season for Real Madrid, he seemed to be out of favour in the initial stages, with Bale's arrival, and I think he was booed off by the Real fans, to which he responded (or not responded) with an undesirable gesture towards them. His stock seemed to be at an all time low, with speculation rife and yet he still managed to turn it around in those tough conditions and went on to have a storming season.

I don't think he is mentally strong or resolute, but he isn't as weak or cowardly as he is made out to be either imo, he just couldn't be bothered which is way worse. His drop in work rate and performance levels (at the very basic levels) towards the end of the season were truly startling. Make no mistake, United and LVG made some truly terrible blunders in regards to di Maria - demanding a great supporting player to suddenly become a match-winner and shoulder the burden almost single-handedly, playing him out of position etc. However, di Maria does have to shoulder a fair share of the blame too.
 
He may have wanted to go PSG in the first place but for sure LVG contributed heavily at turning him into a lazy player who didn't wanna fight for his Utd career. Everything went wrong, the manager's and the player's attitude.
 
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/apr/01/louis-van-gaal-angel-di-maria-manchester-united

After Di María complained that he was too often shifted around by Van Gaal, the Dutchman said: “I have never seen [many] players who look at themselves, who look to the way they have performed. It is always the fault of the manager. So he is one of the players who are in a row of players who have no self-criticism. Unfortunately it is my life as a manager. It is always like that.”
 
OzKangarooney said:
http://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/apr/01/louis-van-gaal-angel-di-maria-manchester-united

After Di María complained that he was too often shifted around by Van Gaal, the Dutchman said: “I have never seen [many] players who look at themselves, who look to the way they have performed. It is always the fault of the manager. So he is one of the players who are in a row of players who have no self-criticism. Unfortunately it is my life as a manager. It is always like that.”
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The problem with this attitude from Van Gaal is two part. Firstly, I've seen no evidence from him that he is able to inspire this sort of self reflection in his players. It is either natural in their psyche or he cuts them adrift. He doesn't adapt or find ways to work around it as all other great coaches have done.

Secondly, there is very little evidence in his transfer activity to suggest he looks for this mental strength and self criticism when signing players. Blind aside, why is Van Gaal bringing in players like Di Maria and Valdes if he holds this character trait in such hug regard?

Seems to me that Van Gaal demands the highest levels of self criticism and reflection from his players, without thinking he needs to have the same considerations for his own performance and decisions made as a coach.
 
Shark said:
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.
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Very true.

Look at Leicester and Tottenham. You can reel off their first choice starting line ups man for man. Arsenal less so and City's is even more unpredictable and then you get the likes of us when you don't really have a clue. It's no coincidence that the league positioning mirrors the consistency in team selection of the teams vying for top four.
 
The French League is weak apart from PSG when all's said and done. He just couldn't hack the Premier League, which is aggressive and doesn't leave players with much space. There is a huge list of foreign players with no doubt ability who just couldn't adapt to Premier League football. The fact he is talking about this now indicates that his failure here is starting to niggle him.
 
Di Maria is right. Our use of him was ridiculous and we were pretty lucky that PSG came in with a large offer because another season under Van Gaal and we would have been selling him for peanuts.
 
On ADMs side all day long with this. Ever since that Leicester game. . our use of Di Maria was poor and Van Gaal handled him very poorly. There was no attempt made to make our best player feel comfortable and selling him before we got in guys like Martial was also a mistake.. he'd have benefitted in the quicker side we have this year.
 
I agree with Di Maria....I felt it was telling that the longer the season went on the worse he became - to hear he argued with Van Gaal is no surprise given our ridiculous set up in some games

I think when Louis goes you might hear a lot more from players like Di Maria who has gone on to better things, Hernandez who has gone on to better things and Evans/Fletcher/Van Persie/Nani/etc have done well to hold their tongue and keep their professionalism

for me it was ridiculous for us to play Di Maria where we did....where we were weak was in wide positions and creativity and he took that out of our team when he didn't use him there....

Di Maria was awful at the end and a lot of the responsibility for that is with the player himself - he looked like a player who didn't want to be there - he didn't look like that in the first few months of the season - I can't help but feel that playing for Van Gaal has created that feeling - what an expensive mistake for a player who, despite flopping and barely playing late in the season, still managed to have most assists in the team.....such a waste of a talented player by the management
 
kouroux said:
He may have wanted to go PSG in the first place but for sure LVG contributed heavily at turning him into a lazy player who didn't wanna fight for his Utd career. Everything went wrong, the manager's and the player's attitude.
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Exactly this!
 
Lol the revisionism regarding Di Maria because people have decided they don't like LVG either is hilarious.

He played well for 1 month, gave up, and took the first flight out of here.

Whinging little cnut who played like someone who didn't want to be here. If you want to blame LVG for that then fine, its no skin off my back, but it wasn't because he was 'playing out of position' that he couldn't pass to a team-mate two yards away by the end of his time here.
 
cyberman said:
His entire career has shown he doesn't need to win major titles to be happy. One season doesn't change this. Even then he only came into his own after Christmas.
Not everyone who helps his side win a title is a serial winner.
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How are you still flogging this?:lol:

He was one of the best players in the world when we signed him, had just win the Champions League and got to a World Cup final with his country.

He was a serial winner, until he came here.
 
NinjaFletch said:
Lol the revisionism regarding Di Maria because people have decided they don't like LVG either is hilarious.

He played well for 1 month, gave up, and took the first flight out of here.

Whinging little cnut who played like someone who didn't want to be here. If you want to blame LVG for that then fine, its no skin off my back, but it wasn't because he was 'playing out of position' that he couldn't pass to a team-mate two yards away by the end of his time here.
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You only have to look at our squad's level of performance to know that really this situation didn't have much to do with Di Maria and more to do with Van Gaal as a manager.
 
Drifter said:
Saf said as much that he was disappointed that he never got the best out of Kagawa. Then again buying RVP never helped
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Of course it did, he was the difference between us winning the league and city winning it again
 
Such a shame the way it worked out.

He could've been awesome for us if we had even a somewhat competent manager that allows attacking players to thrive.

He kinda did throw in the towel though.
 
mancan92 said:
You only have to look at our squad's level of performance to know that really this situation didn't have much to do with Di Maria and more to do with Van Gaal as a manager.
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Di Maria's problems were more an inability to do basically anything to an acceptable standard by the end. Ashley Young was keeping him out of side on merit after Christmas.

Could we have utilised him better? Sure. Could LVG have done more to man manage him? Probably. Should we have to pander to a special little snow flake who regretted the fact he came here virtually instantly? No.
 
NinjaFletch said:
Di Maria's problems were more an inability to do basically anything to an acceptable standard by the end. Ashley Young was keeping him out of side on merit after Christmas.

Could we have utilised him better? Sure. Could LVG have done more to man manage him? Probably. Should we have to pander to a special little snow flake who regretted the fact he came here virtually instantly? No.
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We paid a British transfer record for the man, it would def have been worth building a side around him instead of making him lump it at Fellaini everytime he got the ball:annoyed:
 
ManUchosenbosslvg said:
We paid a British transfer record for the man, it would def have been worth building a side around him instead of making him lump it at Fellaini everytime he got the ball:annoyed:
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I think your memory of last season might be a bit warped. That literally did not happen.

Look if it was me, I'd have kept him this summer regardless and hoped he could have kicked on. He showed glimpses of quality even when he was playing like shite to suggest he could have been a good player for us.

But he was never the player for us he has been elsewhere, and it went far too wrong, too quickly, to suggest it was anything other than his own fault.
 
He's definitely not telling the whole story there. Part of that may be true, but he did look like he wasn't bothered and didn't really want to be there. TBH, I had forgotten he even played for us. Not a joke, it was just such an underwhelming experience.
 
Theres LVGs side, theres Di Marias side, and somewhere in between is the truth.

Both are too blame for it not working at United. Such a shame it didnt work out for him as weve said, but the way he gave up towards the end, any little knock he would dive and stay down (rather than get up to win it back), or a little knock and he asked to come off.

Shame.
 
cyberman said:
You say either or like it was a toss up between the two. Once. They won it once with 1 final appearance in his time there.
Once.
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Once. He was with Madrid for 4 seasons. Once. In that time, Messi, Iniesta, etc won it once with 1 final appearance. Once.

Once.
 
Wasn't found good enough at Madrid and he failed here. Now his performances are somewhat decent in a relatively weak competition, he goes to the media after almost a season. Whiny little man. Sometimes things don't work out, and I'm not saying he was treated perfectly, but feck me, the way he couldn't be arsed after Christmas said it all. Rarely seen a player with such little motivation play in our jersey, just thinking about it infuriates me. First wait and see if he survives more than 2 seasons at Paris, without being benched.
 
U99ted said:
Once. He was with Madrid for 4 seasons. Once. In that time, Messi, Iniesta, etc won it once with 1 final appearance. Once.

Once.
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And that isnt really an either / or situation either when it has happened just the once.
Thanks for agreeing with me I guess?
 
ManUchosenbosslvg said:
How are you still flogging this?:lol:

He was one of the best players in the world when we signed him, had just win the Champions League and got to a World Cup final with his country.

He was a serial winner, until he came here.
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Before he joined PSG and his guaranteed league win do you know how many league titles he won by the time he was 27?
2. 2 league titles.
There is a simple formula for calculating if someone is a serial winner. If he demands to win and nothing else will do.
What has he won?
Leaving United because we weren't up to his lofty winner takes all standards is bullshit. Going to PSG was the easy way out for this title winning machine of a player.
 
Yep, he is a shit player even though he starred at RM and won a few trophies and now stars with PSG with a title in hand and a possible CL title. I can see why everyone says he is a terrible player.

IMHO Di Maria didn't work here because of LvG. I'll never understand how he couldn't use the services of one of the top 20 players in the world. Meanwhile we have a squad playing with no top 50 player. (except keeper) Great managing there.
 
gerdm07 said:
Yep, he is a shit player even though he starred at RM and won a few trophies and now stars with PSG with a title in hand and a possible CL title. I can see why everyone says he is a terrible player.

IMHO Di Maria didn't work here because of LvG. I'll never understand how he couldn't use the services of one of the top 20 players in the world. Meanwhile we have a squad playing with no top 50 player. (except keeper) Great managing there.
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Because that "top 20 player in the world" couldn't be arsed to put a shift in and show some effort wherever he was played. It's not like he was playing him left back either. Di Maria is a whingey spineless git. The fact he's still trying to pawn off his own failure on someone else a year later just goes to show what kind of character he has. Own your mistakes Angel. Sure, it was only the fault of the manager. Not your fault at all that you simply didn't fancy playing for us.

Good riddance. Louis has made many mistakes. Not getting the best out of Di Maria can't be levelled entirely at him though. Di Maria needs to own the larger portion of that.

People give out about the likes of Rooney etc - well how often is he not played in his best position? And how often is it that he doesn't at least try and put in a shift? Di Maria could learn a lot from him about attitude.
 
Phil said:
Such a shame the way it worked out.

He could've been awesome for us if we had even a somewhat competent manager that allows attacking players to thrive.

He kinda did throw in the towel though.
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This. There's a lot of childish posts in this thread but you make it nice and simple.

Yes he needs to grow up a bit - but he put in some good performances before his house for burgled - that obviously fecked him up. He is a good player - and it's a shame you guys couldn't make it work with him as he is the sort of player you need. Fellaini or di Maria for man Utd??
 
dirkey said:
Because that "top 20 player in the world" couldn't be arsed to put a shift in and show some effort wherever he was played. It's not like he was playing him left back either. Di Maria is a whingey spineless git. The fact he's still trying to pawn off his own failure on someone else a year later just goes to show what kind of character he has. Own your mistakes Angel. Sure, it was only the fault of the manager. Not your fault at all that you simply didn't fancy playing for us.

Good riddance. Louis has made many mistakes. Not getting the best out of Di Maria can't be levelled entirely at him though. Di Maria needs to own the larger portion of that.

People give out about the likes of Rooney etc - well how often is he not played in his best position? And how often is it that he doesn't at least try and put in a shift? Di Maria could learn a lot from him about attitude.
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I thought Di Maria had a great attitude even when his talent deserted him towards the end. Never stopped trying, just ended up not being able to to kick a ball straight due to confidence.

And who is in charge of keeping players happy and confident?
 
endless_wheelies said:
I thought Di Maria had a great attitude even when his talent deserted him towards the end. Never stopped trying, just ended up not being able to to kick a ball straight due to confidence.

And who is in charge of keeping players happy and confident?
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I don't think it's possible for a manager to keep a player happy and confident to be honest. That comes with doing well in the team. I don't think he had a good attitude to be honest, which game was it at the end of the season where he went down after being hit by a gust of wind and had to go off? Showed no desire to be a success here in my opinion. Ran away the first chance he got, and was gone mid season immediately after his injury and burglary in spirit. No loss.
 
LVG may be criticised for many things but Di Maria can go screw himself.

He never wanted to come but lied his way into the club once PSG became a non option for Him.

Whilst here, half hearted displays and very little commitment to team or appreciation to the fans.

Hope Woodward learned a valuable lesson in decifering Bullshit when interviewing incoming prospects into the club
 
Coxy said:
This. There's a lot of childish posts in this thread but you make it nice and simple.

Yes he needs to grow up a bit - but he put in some good performances before his house for burgled - that obviously fecked him up. He is a good player - and it's a shame you guys couldn't make it work with him as he is the sort of player you need. Fellaini or di Maria for man Utd??
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So what if is houze was burgled? It happened to me whilst living overseas, it did not impact my performance in my Job.

That was just an excuse. His agent and he used us a one year bridging step to get him to PSG. In hindsight, that is obvious to see
 
Maybe it's not a popular opinion but I don't think he's a world class player in any case, someone you can compare with the biggest stars out there. He's an excellent team player if motivated, with some brilliant moments from time to time like he did at Real in his last 5-6 months. That season he started being lazy, playing without interest and being booed by his own fans. Ancelotti relocated him as a midfielder during the season, and he was doing a mixed job where he did it surprisingly well and his attitude improved.

He was covering that left side where neither Ronaldo nor Marcelo gave a shit about defending, and he got freedom to drive forward with space in counterattacks, where he was devastating. He had some beasts upfront, attracting the marks and offering good movement, while he was on a second plane. It was the perfect context to show his strengths and hide his weaknesses.

That season it looked like he finally exploded as a top player and he was ready for bigger challenges. But when he was the main man here and he was playing a more slow approach where you have to think, read the game, take good decisions and play the ball clean under pressure, he looked like the headless chicken he actually is, in my opinion. But that said, I don't think he's the one to blame here.

If we sign a fast and energetic player to play chess, there's a high risk of failure. Van Gaal, the board or anyone who took that decision is the one who made a mistake. It can be forgiven because the kid was excellent months before and he was the best player in a CL final, which is impressive. But when you have a plan and you want to develop a specific system, then you need compatible pieces and Di Maria was exactly the opposite profile.

The same can be said about Memphis, Young, Lingard, Fellaini and some others who have been trusted in some different moments. If our plan is protect ourselves with the ball, building patiently, we're not going to have any space to run upfront. Everytime a wide or forward player receives the ball he's surrounded by 2-3 players without exception.

If LVG wanted to play a static game then we needed a group of technical players to do fast and creative combinations, not runners or disciplined team players. So it's not a surprise that all we've seen is kids fighting individually against the world, and playing random balls into the box as a main resource. It would have been easier for everyone if we played a bit faster, with more movement and freedom up front. But for some reason LVG decided to keep his strict philosophy at any cost even with the wrong materials to do it, and now we're paying for it. I'm not sold with Di Maria as a player and I don't have special sympathy for him, but I think he's just a victim of the system like the rest.
 
berbatrick said:
I'm sure the sames applied to Terry and Cahill and whatever else Chelsea served up? He was rather effective at Stamford Bridge about a month ago.
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I don't rate Cahill and Terry is a bit past it. I'm not being too bitter obviously di maria is a very good player but he is very mentally weak, I don't think a lot of players who aren't interested in the money or an easy time go over to france in their prime. You don't hear about foreign players growing up dreaming of playing in the French league.
 
phelans shorts said:
He was shite a long time before Fellaini played his first match of the season.
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Don't think that's true, I was at the 2-2 West Brom game and you could tell the halftime brief Di Maria got was to welly everything straight at the afro, crosses from deep, free kicks, corner kicks.

That was one of Di Maria's first games for us and he'd already scored in 3 of his first 4 games for us, so I don't think your post is accurate at all.
 
Whatever... he's the only player at United I've seen getting sent off for man-handling the ref. The cnut can feck right off.
 
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