Di Maria: An Angel on Paris Wings

                                                          

                                                             

Argentine winger Angel di Maria is on the brink of joining French champions Paris Saint Germain just one year after a record British record transfer of 59.7 million pounds saw him move from Los blancos to Manchester United. The former Real Madrid winger is expected to move to the French capital for a fee of around 45 million pounds. This means that the Old Trafford outfit is ready to suffer a loss in his sale.

There have been reports that he is unsettled in Manchester and wants a move.

However, could the move holds much to the ruthlessness of Louis van Gaal who might feel that he does not have the mentality to play for the club after he suffered a loss of form.  Yet the Argentine showed his true form in his first three months in England before his struggles began.

However, for a player with his ability, one season is certainly very short to judge what he could have offered the club. The 27 year old did not set la liga alight in his first season when he first arrived from Benfica to join Real Madrid, but he later settled in to be a key component of the Real Madrid squad, including being a catalyst in Madrid winning la decimal in 2014.

Following the fact he did not feature much for Manchester United in the second half of last season, it is difficult to conclude whether his departure weakens the Mancunians or not.

Louis van Gaal has shown little patience in dispatching players he apparently feels no longer fit what he requires. Robin van Persie has since left with Nani to Fernerbache and some others could follow before the transfer window closes. Javier Hernandez should have been sold by now if not for his collarbone injury.

In all, it is the departure of Angel di Maria that would raise several questions.

He has not become suddenly bad overnight. Despite ending his first and likely only season in England in an underwhelming manner. He still was one of the bright spots in the Argentine squad in the Copa America.

So what could have gone wrong?

In football circles, even world class players need to feel wanted and loved by their manager and club for them to produce their best performance. The man-management skill of Louis van Gaal has to be questioned here. The Dutchman’s brutish style does not fit most of his players. The former Ajax stalwart is always quick to criticize and attack his players publicly and his bluntness sometimes makes him sound more like a football pundit rather than a manager handling players.

Although, he remains one of the most successful managers in European club football, his brusque manner could really unsettle players with a mental fragility which could have a negative effect on their form. All football players are first humans before being a player even with their huge wages. And anything outside football could affect their form.

Angel di Maria arrived in a new country without pre-season, a long and draining world cup campaign, without a winter break and with having to learn a new language in order to communicate properly, so it was bound to be difficult in his first season even if he had a good start initially.

The nature of Manchester weather can also not be thrown at the winger because just across town at the Etihad, fellow Argentines Sergio Aguero, Pablo Zabaleta and Martin Demichelis have been in Manchester for a couple of years, which means with more time, he could have been more at home to find his best form at Old Trafford.

With the right management skills, Manchester United could have gotten more from Di Maria. Now that he is on his way to PSG, it is the Parisians who would enjoy his peak years. And settling down in Paris should not be much of a problem with several South America players from Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay in the squad.

In the end, only time would tell whether it was the right decision for the Theatre of Dreams outfit to dispatch him after just one season.

Photo Credit: Dailymail.co.uk