Angel Di Maria has been quoted as saying he wants to become another legendary number seven at Manchester United, according to CaughtOffside, but things don’t look great for the Argentine.
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Although Di Maria is certainly a classy player, he is not of the same calibre of players like George Best and Cristiano Ronaldo, or even David Beckham, who had a certain swagger needed to truly become a ‘legend’.
The £59.7m signing from Real Madrid, much like his former team-mate Mesut Ozil, now at Arsenal, is best suited to being part of the supporting cast; he makes other players look good, and until the rest of the United team steps up a notch in quality, his own abilities won’t be showcased on a regular basis.
Radamel Falcao looked like being the perfect foil for Di Maria, but he has been poor. Other big names are being linked with the club and that could make a difference, though it may even be that United’s style of play under Louis van Gaal also doesn’t particularly allow for ‘legends’ to stand out – his philosophy is all about the team ahead of individuals; even a player like Cristiano Ronaldo might struggle to stand out if he is not granted the freedom to run at players or take a shot from long range, being told instead to retain possession and keep the team’s passing moves going.
Di Maria can become a very good player for Manchester United, but right now he’s a long way away, and it might even need a change of manager to make it happen.
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