Angel Di MariaAngel Di Maria made headlines this summer for not only his performances in the world cup, but also his transfer to Manchester United, for a British record, £59.7 million. The transfer fee is hair raising, and pundits argue that United have paid too much, but the overwhelming feeling emanating from Manchester seems to be of happiness at having acquired a truly global superstar who can lead their team to glory.Here’s a look at 5 reasons why he’s every bit worth the amount paid for him and why he will be a serious contender for the Premier League player of the season.
#1 Goals
Manchester United are not short of attacking talent. With the likes of Rooney, Van Persie and Falcao, they have the most lethal strike force in the world, but for United to maximize their talents they need an orchestrator behind their strikers who is capable of disrupting defenses and opening up spaces. In comes Di Maria.
Di Maria recorded 17 assists in the La Liga last season in addition to the 4 goals that he scored. The highest in the premier league was 13 – by Steven Gerrard, many of which came from set pieces. Di Maria’s assists came from open play. Di Maria, since the start of his professional career, has averaged a minimum of ten goals, in terms of assists and goals scored, every season. The number increases to 15 if you consider the last 4 seasons alone. With his 3 starts, so far, yielding 2 goals and 2 assists, United fans are assured of having plenty of goals to celebrate this season.
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#2 Big game experience
Real Madrid won their tenth champions league title, thanks to a man of the match performance from Di Maria. On the biggest stage, involving the biggest names in the sport, it was ‘The Noodle’ Di Maria that shone the brightest. Undaunted by the pressure, he put in a sublime performance to kill of Atletico Madrid’s hopes of a first Champions League title.
If there were still any doubts about his ability to perform on the biggest stage, he assuaged them with his showing in the world cup. Di Maria doesn’t hide. He wants the ball, he wants to play and pressure doesn’t really get to him.
#3 Versatility
Gareth Bale, in his last season with Tottenham Hotspurs, started the season playing on the left, but soon, with evolving team needs was moved to the center, a move which saw him flourish, despite never having played in that position before. He went on to become the player of the season before securing a dream move to Real Madrid.
This kind of player is very hard to find, someone who can play in various positions without compromising his output or impact on the team. Di Maria is that kind of player. He can play out wide, he can play just behind the striker or deep in midfield, and with Van Gaal experimenting on formations, he is bound to be of huge importance to the team.
#4 Consistency
United players have become victims of their own success. They won title after title with Ferguson at the helm, providing motivation and support, but when that support was yanked out from underneath them, they struggled. Victories became hard to come by as the pressure mounted on. It has now reached a point where winning games has become a struggle. The same players that dominated the league just a few seasons ago are struggling to beat relegation-level teams. It is not a lack of talent that plagues them, but of consistency. Di Maria has oodles of it.
The one thing that matters most in the run up to winning anything is consistency, and it is the same for being the player of the season. United, since Ferguson’s departure, have had troubles extracting the best from their players regularly. The reasons for this could be manifold, but with players like Di Maria, there is no reason for them to exist. As mentioned before, Di Maria averages 15 goals(scored+assists) a season since his move to Madrid. There are few better midfielders in this regard.
Di Maria has been a picture of consistency his whole career. He averages a WhoScored rating of 7.35, for the time period since WhoScored’s inception. It’s a score most can only dream of.
#5 Impact on team
To win the gong for player of the season, it takes not only talent, but also an impact that is loud and positive. Luis Suarez had his with Liverpool last season when he led them to second place in the Premier League. Robin van Persie had his on Arsenal the year he won. There needs to be a splash that sends ripples across the team, a spark that is felt by all the players.
For all of United’s superstars they don’t have anyone beyond Di Maria who can astutely claim to have a strong influence on the games, their team mates and the fans. Falcao is just returning from a serious injury, Van Persie is old and Rooney is on the wane. Di Maria is in a perfect position to make his mark on the team and the league and make known, strongly, the reasons for his acclaim.
