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How can Louis Van Gaal solve United’s jigsaw puzzle?

By on February 26, 2015

Manchester United paid a British record transfer fee of £59.7 million for Angel Di Maria last summer, but has the Argentine lived up to his price tag at Old Trafford?

Di Maria started off well enough at Old Trafford, scoring a wonder goal against Leicester in September, and quickly climbing up the assists chart in the Premier League with three goals and three assists in his first four matches in Red; but since, his impact has mitigated and form opened to inquest.

Without a league goal since September, in recent matches The Argentine winger has not looked like the world-class player he was at Real Madrid and the past summer’s World Cup — even earlier this season. Nani’s resurgence at Sporting Lisbon has only added to the pressure on Di Maria to perform, with the United loanee having scored a thirty-yard wonder goal over the past weekend.

In some ways, his lack of form is down to a bigger jigsaw puzzle that United manager Louis Van Gaal is yet to fix: where to fit Di Maria into the club to best get his potential. That puzzle has been turned every which way so far this season by Van Gaal, with little success. Though the club currently sits fourth in the Premier League, they’ve won just three more points than David Moyes’ men had at this point last season and won the same number of games. Comparisons between the two developing in the mouths of more agitated United fans, though it is safe to say that Van Gaal still has the backing of the majority of supporters.

Di Maria’s best position is probably as a winger, the position he thrived in at Madrid, but wingers have become redundant a lot of the time this season for The Red Devils given Van Gaal’s stubbornness in fielding a 3-5-2 formation or a diamond 4-4-2, instead of the traditional flat back-four 4-4-2. In the 3-5-2 formation, there are wing-backs, where United have featured crossing speedsters like Luke Shaw, Antonio Valencia, and Ashley Young. Yet with the defensive responsibilities they carry, Van Gaal has been reluctant to forfeit some of Di Maria’s attacking prowess and has featured the twenty-seven-year-old in central midfield when employing these tactics. In the end, Van Gaal might have to sacrifice some of Di Maria’s skill if The Dutch manager takes United in that direction.

This has been a theme for the club so far this season what with the wealth of attacking talent they signed over the summer. Ander Herrera was benched for a time, but since his return to the starting eleven has received plaudits for his goalscoring performances against Preston North End and, most recently, Swansea City. Adnan Januzaj is another player Van Gaal’s formations have restricted while Wayne Rooney and Radamel Falcao have been toyed with as well.

It is daunting, though, that United haven’t had a successful number seven since Ballon d’Or holder Cristiano Ronaldo left the club, with players such as Antonio Valencia not quite making the bill to hold the famous jersey. Ronaldo even warned Di Maria, his former Real Madrid teammate, of the weight the number seven shirt carries when Di Maria swapped the Bernabeu for Old Trafford.

The Manchester United board will be hoping their investment in Di Maria pays off short-term as laying out the best part of £60 million, and £150 million in one summer, certainly brings the expectation of Champions League football next season. Indeed, that will likely be how Van Gaal’s success at the club is measured, not giving him the time to play with United’s starting eleven much longer.

Overall, the signing of Di Maria for £59.7million is never going to be a big long-term mistake — he is still one of the best in the world in his position — but if Van Gaal can not solve the problem of Di Maria and the jigsaw puzzle quickly, the Theatre of Dreams may lack the Sound of Music with another season out of Europe’s top tier tournament.

Homepage photo credit: Jan Solo on Flickr

About Richard Lewis

Richard Lewis can relate almost anything to football and quite often does! You may have seen Richard's previous ideas and work in the BBC Match of the Day Magazine, from 2011 to present. He is a Manchester United and England fan, but has gone to see Leyton Orient play with his O's season ticket in the 2013/14 campaign. Aside from football, Richard has written articles on Doctor Who and studies English Language and Linguistics at the University of Westminster. Aspiring sports journalist.