Is Di Maria Worth It?

It has been one point shy of a nightmare start for Louis Van Gaal in the premier league.  Following a lackluster defeat to Swansea at home, Manchester United bagged a point in week two away to Sunderland.  Things cannot get much worse for the Dutchman, but with the addition of Marcos Rojo, and the imminent signing of Angel Di Maria, things are looking to improve.  

It is widely believed that Angel Di Maria will be unveiled as a Manchester United player Tuesday morning, having completed his move to Old Trafford for a fee in the region of 60 million pounds.  

This will break the English transfer record by 10 million pounds, so one has to wonder if Di Maria is worth the fee.  However, the way things are going at Manchester United right now, it’s a given that the club will have to overpay players of Di Maria’s pedigree to join.  

The 130,000 pound-per-week wage package given to Luke Shaw was heavily criticized by Jose Mourinho of all people.  These comments mean a lot coming from “The Special One”, who has spent more than any manager in the world since 2004 (now over 900 million euros) and would be better suited for the title “The Spending One.”  

Part dig at a rival club, and part truth, this accusation that United are overpaying for Luke Shaw is completely spot-on.  Mourinho justifies this by saying a deal that large for a 19 year old would derail morale amongst the older players, but United would not have the youngster had they not stumped up that amount of money.    

United are not in a position of leverage right now as they had been for decades under Alex Ferguson.  Liverpool are exiting their own era in which they had to overpay for players, while United are taking their turn dealing with the cruel nature of the transfer market.  Coming off a seventh-place finish in the league and no Champions League football to show for it, United are in the precarious position of being forced to pay top dollar for everything.  

Di Maria is no exception to this, but even so, the fee is very, very steep.  Paris Saint Germain were priced out of a deal for Di Maria a month ago, so Van Gaal must be beyond impressed by the Argentine to shell out this much cash for him.  

Di Maria showed his worth to Argentina in the World Cup, and was awarded man of the match in the UEFA Champions League Final against Atletico Madrid.  His pace is unquestionable, and although he has shortcomings defensively, Van Gaal will accommodate these with the team he puts on the field. 

However, it remains to be seen if Di Maria can be ‘the man’ for a team.  For Argentina, he always plays off of Lionel Messi, while Madrid have their own fair share of world-beaters to grab headlines.  Stepping out from under the shadow of these players will be a big step in the career of the Argentine.  

Di Maria impressed me greatly last season when he still managed a spectacular year with the arrival of Gareth Bale from Tottenham.  The Argentine played more through the middle than he had in years past and was a catalyst for both club and country with a more free role.  

If Di Maria can handle the rockstar-type media attention that will hover over him like a dark cloud, he could very well justify the 60 million pounds United are paying for his services.  Earlier in the summer, Di Maria turned down a lucrative contract extension, and given the arrival of James and the presence of Bale, it’s no surprise he has moved on.  

Coming off Champions League glory in Lisbon and a silver medal in Brazil, Di Maria easily could have signed a bigger deal and sat around in Madrid likely surrounding time to the likes of Isco, Modric, and James.  The winger’s desire is on full display right now; he has left the Galacticos in favor of spearheading a rebuilding project.  

The Argentine is stepping out from the shadow of Cristiano Ronaldo and taking it upon himself to be ‘the man’ at Old Trafford.  In fact, it is rumored that Ronaldo had to do with Di Maria's decision to join United.  It would be poetically just if the Argentine brought back the same flair that has been missing from Old Trafford since Ronaldo left.  

Van Gaal to Splash the Cash?

The feeling going into Saturday afternoon at Old Trafford was one of optimism and excitement.  Set to forget last seasons disappointments and led by a new manager fresh off an outstanding World Cup for the Netherlands, the attitude was positive.  That all changed after 90 minutes of inconsistent football against a well-organized Swansea squad.

First and foremost, Louis Van Gaal must re-think his tactical outlook, unless the players he has now make drastic improvements or he dips into the transfer market.  The 5-3-2 proved to be ineffective with struggling center backs, and the four-back formation he switched to at halftime was only so much better.  

Most importantly, Van Gaal needs to add depth to his team by bringing in at least two top players before the window closes.  There is a sense right now that United are on the cusp of making such deals.  Marcos Rojo unofficially declared he is heading to Old Trafford, a signing I thought was a must.  

Meanwhile in Madrid, Carlo Ancelotti has reportedly said Angel Di Maria is free to leave, the caveat being he can leave for the right price.  United could be willing to part ways with a lot of cash this summer, and they may have to in order to reach the Champions League.  Di Maria would be a fantastic signing, but it remains to be seen if he can play in a more physical league, while United could ultimately be priced out of a deal for the Argentine.  

In the wake of ‘Vidal to United,’ a phrase we’ve heard too much this summer and one I believed to never be legitimate, Van Gaal has supposedly switched his focus to Alex Song.  Since joining Barcelona, Song has failed to impose himself as he did in the premier league, and is often played out of position.  Song would be a terrific signing for United, unless he does anymore of this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XTYGF2XAJNc 

Even with the signing of Rojo, Daley Blind should still be a target, the reason being he would complement Ander Herrera extremely well in the central midfield.  Both players are flexible position-wise; Blind can also play wing back while Rojo plays left center back primarily for his club.  Depth on the left side would allow Ashley Young to play a more familiar role and not endure days like Saturday anymore on the left.

Van Gaal should be considering other targets too, ones that the tabloids and media don’t know about.  Ron Vlaar could quietly be a target for the Dutchman, who saw his countryman flourish in Brazil at center back.  Hector Herrera, another standout in Brazil, would be a perfect addition, as Rio Ferdinand said on twitter during the group stage.  Christoph Kramer, whose World Cup was cut short by a concussion in the final, would be a fantastic signing too.

Whoever Van Gaal signs, United fans should rest easy that they will improve the squad, which is all they can ask for right now.  Another important thing to point out is that often times for athletes, starting such a long competition in poor fashion can ease expectations, although given the Moyes effect I’m not sure that’s the case here.  

Regardless, United must improve, and they must improve with haste.  It may not be as difficult as people are making it out to be, but Van Gaal certainly has his work cut out for him.  United enter a seven day stretch in which they play five matches starting on Sunday against Sunderland, thus the Dutch manager may need reinforcements sooner than he thinks.