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I’ve heard a lot about Angel Di Maria this week – a lot of talk about how it will take him a year to settle in England and how he’s not that happy yet. And even though much of this is coming from the man who ought to know him better than anyone – his Manchester United manager - I have to say that I find it a little less than nonsense.
The truth about Di Maria, I feel, has nothing to do with the personal circumstances of a player trying to settle. It has everything to do with the way one of Europe’s top three players – the Man of the Match for Real Madrid against Atletico in last season’s Champions League final – is being wasted on the field.
All the problems stem from the way that Louis van Gaal has Manchester United set up. One of the oldest adages that a manager will have for a team is ‘make the space on a pitch big when you are in possession and small when you are out of it.’ But United have so many players – Di Maria included – trying to work in the same midfield area that it’s bordering on claustrophobic in there, with no space for Di Maria to play and create. Neither are we seeing him being challenged to put the fear of God in a full-back, one v one, on his natural left side. I played at full-back and I can tell you that there are few things that would put more fear into defenders than Angel Di Maria running past them. But it just doesn’t happen.
Manchester United - the latest match in picturesShow all 124 1 /124Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Everton 3 Manchester United 0 Kevin Mirallas celebrates his match-winning goal with his team-mates.
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Everton 3 Manchester United 0 John Stones scored his first Everton goal as Manchester United were swept aside.
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Everton 3 Manchester United 0 James McCarthy puts the Toffees into an early lead.
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Arsenal 2 Nacho Monreal celebrates scoring the opening goal with Arsenal's English midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Arsenal 2 Wayne Rooney equalises for Manchester United
Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Arsenal 2 Wayne Rooney celebrates after making it 1-1
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Arsenal 2 Danny Welbeck celebrates after making it 2-1
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Arsenal 2 Angel Di Maria is shown a red card late in the FA Cup quarter-final tie
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Newcastle 0 Manchester United 1 Johnny Evans and Papiss Cisse come together
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Newcastle 0 Manchester United 1 De Gea makes a save
Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Newcastle 0 Manchester United 1 Ashley Young scores the winner for Manchester United against Newcastle
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Newcastle 0 Manchester United 1 Ashley Young celebrates the winner for Manchester United against Newcastle
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 Sunderland 0 Wayne Rooney scored again with a header - he hadn't scored in his previous eight Premier League matches.
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 Sunderland 0 Wayne Rooney converts the penalty to put United in the lead.
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 Sunderland 0 Wes Brown is sent-off to the protestations of the Sunderland players.
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 Sunderland 0 John O'Shea fouls Radamel Falcao to give away a penalty - but Roger East believed Wes Brown had fouled him.
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 Sunderland 0 British record signing Angel Di Maria was so bad he was substituted at half-time.
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Preston 1 Manchester United 3 Wayne Rooney wins a penalty after going down under the challenge of Thorsten Stuckmann
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Preston 1 Manchester United 3 Wayne Rooney goes down after being challenged by goalkeeper Thorsten Stuckmann
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Preston 1 Manchester United 3 Marouane Fellaini put the visitors back into the lead with a stabbed effort from inside the box
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Preston 1 Manchester United 3 Marouane Fellaini scores to put Manchester United 2-1 up
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Preston 1 Manchester United 3 Utd's Spanish midfielder Ander Herrera scored the equaliser
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Preston 1 Manchester United 3 Scott Laird fired Preston into the lead with a deflected effort off David de Gea
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 3 Burnley 1 United manager Louis van Gaal leaves the field - despite the win he was not impressed with the performance
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 3 Burnley 1 Chris Smalling heads in his second goal of the game
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 3 Burnley 1 Smalling opens the scoring
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 Cheikhou Kouyate scores the opening goal
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 Cheikhou Kouyate celebrates the opening goal
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 Wayne Rooney during Manchester United's draw with West Ham
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 Robin van Persie fails to score
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 Daley Blind celebrates his late equaliser
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Manchester United 2 James Wilson scored United's second to seal the win
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Manchester United 2 Marouane Fellaini celebrates with his Manchester United team-mates
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Manchester United 2 Marouane Fellaini scores to put United ahead
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures QPR 0 Manchester United 2 Rob Green keeps out an effort by Radamel Falcao
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 0 Southampton 1 Juan Mata challenges for the ball with Fraser Forster during the Premier League match at Old Trafford
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 0 Southampton 1 Manchester United defender Tyler Blackett can't reach the shot from Southampton's Serbian midfielder Dusan Tadic
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 0 Southampton 1 Dusan Tadic celebrates the only goal at Old Trafford
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Stoke 1 Manchester United 1 Ryan Shawcross puts Stoke ahead
Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Stoke 1 Manchester United 1 A close up of Van Gaal's notes during the match appeared to show the words 'stupid free-kick'
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Stoke 1 Manchester United 1 Radamel Falcao equalises for Manchester United
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Stoke 1 Manchester United 1 Falcao celebrates his goal
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Tottenham 0 Manchester United 0 Neither Manchester United or Tottenham could break the deadlock
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Tottenham 0 Manchester United 0 Hugo Lloris was in inspired form, denying a host of chances for Manchester United in the first half
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Tottenham 0 Manchester United 0 Spurs threatened to steal all three points late in the game but it ended goalless at White Hart Lane
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 3 Newcastle 1 Papiss Cisse scores a consolation for Newcastle form the penalty spot
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 3 Newcastle 1 Robin van Persie scores the third for Manchester United with a perfectly-guided header
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 3 Newcastle 1 Wayne Rooney scores his and United's second of the game
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 3 Newcastle 1 Rooney celebrates with striker-partner Radamel Falcao after the pair combine to put United ahead
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 3 Newcastle 1 Wayne Rooney opens the scoring after turning in a Radamel Falcao cross
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Aston Villa 1 Manchester United 1 Manchester United players embrace striker Radamel Falcao after his goal
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Aston Villa 1 Manchester United 1 Radamel Falcao celebrates scoring the equaliser against Aston Villa
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Aston Villa 1 Manchester United 1 Christian Benteke celebrates scoring the opening goal against Manchester United
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Aston Villa 1 Manchester United 1 Christian Benteke scores a beautiful curling effort to put Aston Villa ahead
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Manchester United 2 Robin van Persie put Manchester United ahead after capitalising on Jose Fonte's poor back pass
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Manchester United 2 Pelle drew Saints level before the end of the first half
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Southampton 1 Manchester United 2 Van Persie celebrates his second goal of the match that turned out to be the winner
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 Stoke 1 Juan Mata and Marcos Rojo celebrate United's second
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 Stoke 1 Steven Nzonzi fires in the equaliser
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 Stoke 1 Marouane Fellaini scores United's first goal of the game
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 3 Hull 0 Chris Smalling scores United's opener after a goalmouth scramble
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 3 Hull 0 Maroune Fellaini controls the ball as Curtis Davies looks on
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 3 Hull 0 Juan Mata attempts to close down Ahmed Elmohamady as he passes
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 3 Hull 0 The United players congratulate Robin van Persie after he scores a much-needed goal
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 3 Hull 0 Wayne Rooney scored again, netting United's second
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 3 Hull 0 Ashley Young stretches to control a high ball
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Crystal Palace 0 Michael Carrick started a game for the first time this season, in centre-midfield
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Crystal Palace 0 Robin van Persie again went scoreless - he has just three goals in 10 matches
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Crystal Palace 0 Angel Di Maria is crowded out by Yannick Bolasie and Adrian Mariappa
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Crystal Palace 0 Marouane Fellaini tries to win a header from a corner
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Crystal Palace 0 Substitute Juan Mata fires in a 25-yard strike, that took a deflection, to score the only goal of the game
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Crystal Palace 0 Mata and United players celebrate the goal
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester City 1 Manchester United 0 Chris Smalling picks up a booking for blocking Joe Hart
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester City 1 Manchester United 0 Later in the first half, Smalling was shown another and then sent off
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester City 1 Manchester United 0 Kompany tackles Di Maria
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester City 1 Manchester United 0 Sergio Aguero celebrates the only goal of the game
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Chelsea 1 Robin van Persie celebrates his late goal
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Chelsea 1 Robin van Persie scores the equalising goal in the final minute
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Chelsea 1 Referee Phil Dowd shows a red card to Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Chelsea 1 Didier Drogba celebrates his goal
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Chelsea 1 Didier Drogba heads in to give Chelsea the lead
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Chelsea 1 Thibaut Courtois saves an effort from Robin van Persie
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Chelsea 1 Didier Drogba shields the ball under pressure from United players
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Chelsea 1 The players make their way out onto the pitch at Old Trafford
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures West Brom 2 Manchester United 2 David De Gea could do nothing to stop Stephane Sessegnon's opener
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures West Brom 2 Manchester United 2 Sessegnon celebrates his early goal
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures West Brom 2 Manchester United 2 Marouane Fellaini celebrates bringing the scores level after his introduction at the break
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures West Brom 2 Manchester United 2 Berahino (right) put West Brom back in front. Picture left is Marcos Rojo, who was terrible throughout
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures West Brom 2 Manchester United 2 Daley Blind rescued a late point for Manchester United with a sweet finish
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 Everton 1 Radamel Falcao celebrates scoring the winner
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 Everton 1 Steven Naismith equalises for Everton
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 Everton 1 Leighton Baines has his penalty saved
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 Everton 1 Angel Di Maria celebrates opening the scoring
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 West Ham 1 Wayne Rooney is shown a red card by Lee Mason
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 West Ham 1 Wayne Rooney kicks out at Stewart Downing
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 West Ham 1 Diafra Sakho scores for West Ham as his header loops over Robin van Persie
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 West Ham 1 Radamel Falcao has an effort on goal
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 West Ham 1 Robin van Persie and Luke Shaw go for the double-high-five after the striker scores for United
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 West Ham 1 Robin van Persie doubles United's lead against the Hammers
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 2 West Ham 1 Wayne Rooney opens the scoring for United
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Leicester City 5 Manchester United 3 The remarkable comeback was complete after Leonardo Ulloa tucked in a penalty to make it 5-3. After Tyler Blackett had fouled Jamie Vardy in the box, getting sent off for his troubles, United's afternoon went from bad to worse.
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Leicester City 5 Manchester United 3 Livewire striker Jamie Vardy, who only broke into the Stocksbridge first team at the age of 21, put Leicester ahead late on.
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Leicester City 5 Manchester United 3 Despite Ander Herrera restoring United's three goal lead, Leicester just would not lie down. Following David Nugent's penalty, Esteban Cambiasso blasted City level.
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Leicester City 5 Manchester United 3 Leonardo Ulloa, a sensation since joining the Foxes, got his side back in the clash almost straight away.
Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Leicester City 5 Manchester United 3 Angel di Maria, following Robin van Persie's opener, appeared to have put the game beyond Leicester. Stunning, outrageous chip over Kasper Schmeichel.
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 4 QPR 0 Radamel Falcao makes his United debut
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 4 QPR 0 Juan Mata completes the rout at Old Trafford
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 4 QPR 0 Wayne Rooney celebrates the third
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 4 QPR 0 Daley Blind and Sandro in action
Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 4 QPR 0 Angel Di Maria celebrates his first goal for United against QPR
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Burnley 0 Manchester United 0 Juan Mata is crowded out by Burnley defenders - indicative of the home side's effort and work rate for the full 90 minutes
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Burnley 0 Manchester United 0 Angel Di Maria made his United debut but couldn't influence the side and eventually limped off with an injury after 70 minutes
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Burnley 0 Manchester United 0 Manchester United players react after referee Chris Foy waved away what looked like a handball that would have been a penalty
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Burnley 0 Manchester United 0 Former United boss Sir Alex Ferguson looks on in anguish at Turf Moor as United failed to win again
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Burnley 0 Manchester United 0 Sean Dyche's team picked up their first point of the season with an excellent performance
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Burnley 0 Manchester United 0 Louis van Gaal is still winless as Manchester United manager after three matches in charge of the club
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Swansea 2 Louis van Gaal was not too disheartened at the full-time whistle, but he will know how much work lies ahead following his first defeat as United manager
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Swansea 2 The two goalscorers Ki and Sigurdsson were left to celebrate at the end after inflicting United's first opening day defeat since 1972
Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Swansea 2 Gylfi Sigurdsson stunned Old Trafford for a second time in the same afternoon as he restored Swansea's lead following a goal-mouth scramble
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Swansea 2 Gylfi Sigurdsson fires home the winner to secure Swansea a 2-1 win over Manchester United
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Swansea 2 Wayne Rooney managed to drag United level after he took advantage of a loose ball to smash home a close-range bicycle kick
Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Swansea 2 Wayne Rooney acrobatically scores a bicycle kick to level the scores
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Swansea 2 Ki-Sung-Yeung celebrates after making it 1-0 to the visitors Swansea
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Manchester United - the latest match in pictures Manchester United 1 Swansea 2 Tyler Blackett was handed a shock call-up by Louis van Gaal to start United's opening match against Swansea.
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Why is this? Because Van Gaal is showing no inclination to stretch the pitch, either vertically or laterally. We’ve talked on these pages before about how United need either the aerial presence of Marouane Fellaini or the pace of a James Wilson up top with Wayne Rooney, to get their opponents worrying and dropping six yards deeper to make sure that they give themselves a head start in that particular duel. When the defence drops, it creates space for the players behind, like Di Maria, to do their work. And bingo.
I was encouraged when I saw that Van Gaal had selected Fellaini to start at Newcastle on Wednesday night. ‘Now we’ll be seeing you’ was what I thought about Di Maria. And then it transpired that the Belgian was in a line of five behind Rooney. None of that aerial danger, a horribly compressed midfield again and no real difficulty for two of Newcastle’s players to mark three of United’s.
Di Maria was hauled off early against Sunderland and Newcastle (Getty Images) When United are in possession at the moment, it looks like they are on a five-a-side pitch. You have Rooney – dropping deep; Radamel Falcao – dropping deep; Di Maria – wanting to come inside from the right; Ashley Young – wanting to come in from the left and get on his favoured right foot.
I like what I’ve seen in Young these past seven months. For me, he’s one of United’s players of the season. These are four of United’s most dangerous players. But all that compression in the middle gives Di Maria no space whatsoever. The match stats from Newcastle told the story of a player tucked up in midfield with no room to create. Just 63.6 per cent pass completion and 59 minutes on the field – to go with the 45 minutes he was given at home to Sunderland, four days earlier.
Compare this situation to the one Di Maria had at Real Madrid last season and you’ll see what a world of difference it was for him there. Carlo Ancelotti had him playing behind a line of Gareth Bale, Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo and it was the way the side was set up to stretch the game, as well as the quality of those players, which helped the Argentine. Ronaldo would drive inside, leaving space for di Maria behind him. What a contrast to Wednesday, when it must have been music to Newcastle’s Ryan Taylor’s ears to find that Di Maria was not going outside to test him, one-on-one.
Rooney and Fellaini can help create space for Di Maria (Getty Images) United are missing some of the most basic principles required to stretch a team. When both of your wingers are playing on their ‘wrong’ side, cutting in on their favoured foot, you need full-backs who can fill the space they vacate and power down the wings to push defences back. There’s no sign of that.
This is a club which has always been built around stretching sides to breaking point. You’ve had full backs like Gary Neville, flying past the wingers and taking the opposition full backs with them. You’ve had players like Andrei Kanchelskis, Lee Sharpe, Ryan Giggs and David Beckham making the field big, creating space for someone like Paul Scholes. I only played for United on a few occasions but I can tell you that no one had to mention this was the way we played. It was implicit in every attack-minded player Sir Alex Ferguson bought. I can tell you how it feels being on the receiving end of a team that stretches the pitch like that. One 3-0 defeat to United sticks in the mind as much as any. Your head was in a spin when you were up against them.
Van Gaal needs to get Di Maria playing with width (GETTY IMAGES) There is a psychological dimension to Di Maria’s difficulties – but it actually belongs to the opposition. At Madrid last season, he was considered the third or fourth most important member of the team and third or fourth on the list of players the opposition wanted to stop. This season, opponents are viewing him as the most important member. ‘If we stop Di Maria, we stop United’ is how teams are viewing it.
As for this idea of it being hard for him to settle – well, I’m sorry, but I don’t agree. Many of us have unsettling times in life while we’ve been playing and periods when we’re not too happy. But football becomes the oasis and something to put your focus into when everything else around you is difficult. It ought to be the same for Di Maria, if Van Gaal would just start pushing teams back like Chelsea, Manchester City and Liverpool do. It is time for him to tell his most expensive player that the left wing is the territory that belongs to him and a place to make his own. Players like Di Maria don’t forget how to devastate defences overnight. I know that from all-too painful experience.
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