da esport bet： The 2014/15 season was not that kind to Angel di Maria, but it is vital not to write the man off. Recent links with Bayern Munich and PSG prove he is still a wanted player, and United must remember his world-class qualities. Sell him at your own peril, Ed Woodward.
da realbet： Angel Di Maria – Man of the Match in the 2014 Champions League Final and the most expensive British signing of all time. That is a track record to boast about, and when you mix in some of his performances during Argentina’s journey to the World Cup Final, you should have one of the best players in the world in your team. Provisionally, that is what Manchester United got when their new ‘number 7’ first stepped foot through the door at Old Trafford. Following his record breaking move from Spanish juggernauts Real Madrid, Di Maria proved to be… Angel delight. His exquisite chip against Leicester during the early part of last season had Red Devils fans purring at the thought of the Argentine speedster donning the famous red shirt for many years to come.
The Foxes game summed Di Maria’s maiden season in England up. The talented midfielder had previously scored on his Old Trafford debut against QPR, while having some direct involvement in the other three goals as his new side cruised to a 4-0 victory. His Theatre of Dreams bow was compared to that of United captain Wayne Rooney, who famously scored a hat-trick against Fenerbache back in 2004. Not since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo had Manchester United possessed a wide-man whose name alone would instantly strike fear into their opponents of any given day.
Then came THAT chip. Running through the Leicester defence, Di Maria expertly lifted the ball over Foxes ‘keeper Kasper Schmeichel, it was the mark of a man who was worth £60m. Famously, United would go on to implode that day at the King Power Stadium, as the newly promoted side romped to a stunning 5-3 victory. After a promising start, Louis van Gaal’s disjointed side were picked apart, as Di Maria was withdrawn from proceedings 15 minutes before the end. Something that started so bright quickly sunk like a stone. Sound familiar?
Di Maria’s form, while not exceptional, continued at a steady rate. It was he who coaxed Chelsea hard-man Branislav Ivanovic in to getting sent off at Old Trafford, and his free kick that led to Robin van Persie’ equaliser that same day. Though, as 2014 dragged on, Di Maria slumped. The midfield machine’s form plummeted, and Angel seemed to lose his halo. As 2015 dawned, Di Maria’s house was burgled, something that is said to have a major effect on him. It was reported that his wife was so shaken up by incident that the former Real Madrid winger moved his family into a hotel while starting the search for a new home. Hardly ideal after recently moving to a new country.
Recently, Di Maria has blamed his disappointing first season on a busy summer in Brazil. Though he missed the World Cup Final due to injury, the speedster was a key cog in the well-oiled Argentine machine through the tournament, scoring the winner against Belgium in the quarter-finals. The Copa America, another competition in which Argentina reached the final, may not have given Di Maria the rest he might have liked this summer, too – it is important to remember the importance of a proper pre-season.
Last term, Di Maria was thrust in at the deep end, coming into a United side in free-fall at the start of the season. After losing to Swansea and drawing against Sunderland, his arrival was seen as the perfect remedy for a struggling team. No pressure. For many players, it would take time to bed in, but Di Maria impressed on his debut despite barely training with his new team-mates, and we have already spoken about the subsequent QPR and Leicester games.
Di Maria deals with pressure. During his last season in Madrid, a certain Gareth Bale arrived for a world record fee and Di Maria had seemingly lost his place to the Welshman. The winger would go on to reinvent himself that year as a box to box midfielder and enjoyed his best season with the club. In fact, it was his surging ‘zig zag’ as Xabi Alonso calls it, which led to Bale’s header in the Champions League Final – Di Maria was voted Man of the Match in that very game. This doesn’t sound like a man who recoils in the face of adversity, it is exactly the sort of fighting spirit that could make him a rousing success at Old Trafford.
Angel Di Maria’s first season at Old Trafford was no doubt anti-climactic. However, United must realise what a player he is and resist foreign overtures. His quality as a player cannot be in doubt, the problems that arose last year came as a result of a gruelling World Cup campaign, a lack of pre-season, settling in at a new club and unfortunate personal problems. Di Maria has triumphed in the face of adversity before, and United must remember that. This Angel could regain his halo.
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