On paper, it seemed like the perfect match. One of Argentina's stellar performers of the 2014 World Cup, and England's most successful club, in need of a lift after a dismal preceding season. A blindingly good winger (or blindingly good anywhere else he played for that matter) and a team fabled for their mercurial wide talents over the years. The fee was paid, the contract was signed, and we all sat back to watch the fireworks. Angel di Maria and Manchester United: surely a winning combination.

Fast-forward to the present and the scene is quite different. Di Maria has been out of the starting lineup ever since his sending-off at Arsenal, and the team have looked stronger without him. What has gone wrong for a player who was so effective at Real Madrid, even the crown prince of the limelight, Cristiano Ronaldo, didn't want him to leave? Obviously the cultural difference of being in England must have had a bearing for the Argentine.

From Argentina, di Maria first moved to Portugal to Benfica and while the language barrier would still have been present, it would not have posed as much of a problem as the Manchester move has done. From Benfica, it was a step back to speaking Spanish, and a step-up to Real Madrid. Moving to England will have been di Maria's first significant 'culture shock' in his career. Add in the fact that his rented accommodation fell prey to an attempted burglary (while he and his family were still inside) and you could say it may have been a difficult first year for the player on British soil.

In addition to the troubled private life, Louis van Gaal's tactics can't have eased matters for the Argentinian either. Having been used by his manager in a variety of positions, from wing-back to striker and every which way inbetween, settling in with new teammates has proved even harder than one would normally expect. What is strange is that di Maria's exceptional performances have occurred when he was playing in central-midfield - from seven performances in the middle he managed three goals and five assists - yet van Gaal has shifted Wayne Rooney to the centre and found a place for last year's misfit Marouane Fellaini in his midfield. While the team have been winning games with such a lineup, it still remains to be seen why the manager is not picking England's most expensive player and arguably most naturally talented footballer in the position he has found most success in so far this season.

Speaking on di Maria, van Gaal had this to say at his recent press conference: 'He cannot say that he has had a marvellous season here. The decision is not only to him because now we have a contract, so we shall speak always with every player, evaluation, as I always do.' One hopes that for di Maria's sake, and the paying spectator's, van Gaal will find more use for him following his 'evaluation'. If not, BetVictor's 2/1 on the Argentine moving to Paris Saint Germain in the summer will look very promising.

New Account Offer

Min deposit requirement. Free Bets are paid as Bet Credits and are available for use upon settlement of qualifying bets. Min odds, bet and payment method exclusions apply. Returns exclude Bet Credits stake. Time limits and T&Cs apply

Click to Claim