Angel Di Maria is certainly a well known face in the world of football. We knew this when he signed for Spanish giants, Real Madrid when he was just 22 years old from Portugal’s Benfica. Notching 15 goals and 27 assists for Benfica, Madrid gained the Argentine’s signature for £29.7 million.
Di Maria certainly gets a hard time, especially from English fans and media. Why is this? The stats don’t lie. For Madrid, Di Maria recorded 36 goals and 85 assists in just 190 games. Included in his time at Madrid was two Copa del Rey titles, a La Liga title and a Champions League winners medal in the 2013/14 season. In that champions league campaign, he recorded the second most assist, only behind Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney and made the Team of the Competition alongside six fellow Real Madrid teammates. To go with these impressive stats, Di Maria was awarded the man of the match award in the final.
Manchester United Tenure
Following the successes the Argentine had at Real Madrid, he got a big-money move to English giants, Manchester United. Setting the Red Devils back a huge £67.5 million, Di Maria already had pressure on his shoulders. Adding to this, he was given the famous number seven shirt, as previously worn by names including George Best, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and former teammate, Cristiano Ronaldo.
This was certainly a transition period for Manchester United. Following the retirement of long-time manager, Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013, the team were unsettled. Former Everton manager David Moyes seemed to be handpicked as Ferguson’s replacement but this appointment certainly didn’t go to plan. The Scot’s tenure lasted just 10 months at Old Trafford.
Louis van Gaal took the helm, signing six players in his first transfer window. The questions have to be asked, on reflection was it too much too soon. With six players, all of which were vying for a starting 11 place, were they ever going to gel. Yes, Di Maria did look world-class at Madrid, but the English game is a whole different realm. The English game is much more physical, which is why Di Maria potentially struggled at United.
Despite the stick he gets from United fans and the media, is it warranted? Spending just the one season in a red shirt, Di Maria recorded decent stats. In 32 appearances, Di Maria recorded 12 assists and four goals, including ‘that’ goal against Leicester City. The comparisons naturally come comparing him to Juan Sebastian Veron. The fellow Argentine signed for United in 2001 from Italian giants Lazio. Five goals and not a single assist in 26 games, Veron was given another season at Old Trafford.
After a tough first season, with United finishing fourth and Di Maria not notching in the Premier League since a 2-1 win over Everton in October of 2014, change was needed.
The PSG Revival
The summer of 2015 saw the end of Di Maria’s first season in England, helping Manchester United to limp into a Champions League position. Change was needed for the Argentine midfielder and this came in the form of a £56.7 million move to French superstars, Paris St Germain.
To say Di Maria hit the ground running is an understatement. Making 29 appearances in his debut season, the Argentine notched 10 goals and 18 assists. This helped PSG ease to a second consecutive Ligue 1 title and Di Maria himself finished with the most assist in the league, five more than his teammate, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who finished second.
Since then, he has recorded 36 goals and 39 assists in his most recent four seasons. He has become a force to be reckoned with, especially in the Champions League, helping PSG to the final in the 2019/2020 season. Along with Neymar Jr and Kylian Mbappe, he is part of one of the most feared attacks in modern football.
Raw Ordeal
So ultimately the question needs to be asked, did Angel Di Maria ‘flop’ at Manchester United or was it too much too soon for the ‘Red Devils’ in the wake of the infamous Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement?
It appears that Di Maria may have crumbled under the pressure at Manchester United. After a failed first, ‘post-Fergie’ season under David Moyes, United were at sixes and sevens. After the pressure of being given the famous number seven shirt, along with the new system being played under Louis Van Gaal (a three at the back system, rarely seen in the Premier League at the time), Di Maria struggled. Does he have the skill to cut it in the Premier League? Of course he does. The stats alone tell you that. If he were ever to make a return to the Premier League, would he have to adapt his game? Quite possibly. His style didn’t quite cut it in England when he tried, but the game is always evolving.
At PSG, there is little pressure on him. Both Neymar and Mbappe are the ‘stars’ of the team, with all eyes on them. When Di Maria is playing with no pressure, in a position and system that suits his style, he really is one of the most entertaining footballers to watch.
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