Why Angel Di Maria Is Putting the Swagger Back into Manchester United's Step

Manchester United are yet to find their rhythm under the stewardship of Louis van Gaal. The ex-Netherlands and Barcelona coach is as hard-working as anyone in football, but his fluid, all-attacking game is taking its time to sink in at a club that has spluttered rather than marched fluently through the opening stages of the season. 

Going forward, there are signs that it is coming together for the Red Devils after that forgettable 2013/14 campaign. At the back, serious questions continue to vex their new manager. 

But all is not doom and gloom in Old Trafford. In Angel Di Maria, United can count on arguably the most dangerous, influential wide forward in world football; and the Argentine has not wasted any time in making his mark. 

A British transfer record fee is by no means easy to carry around. Just ask the likes of Robinho, Andy Carroll, Fernando Torres or Juan Sebastian Veron, all fine players who earned the landmark in their time, but who ultimately failed to justify the expense.

But typical of Di Maria, the amount has not seemed to faze him in the slightest as he electrifies England with his strong running and outrageous talent on the ball. 

"Like a real life Duracell Bunny, Angel Di Maria has been in unstoppable form since arriving at Manchester United", 101 Great Goals writer Paul declares in a look at the former Real Madrid man's first five games in the Premier League. The statistics, via Opta, make pleasant reading for United followers. 

Three goals and as many assists have emanated from Fideo's feet since leaving Spain, while the winger has also weighed in with an incredible 16 chances created in just five games. But it is not just in the final third that Di Maria makes his presence felt. 

Averaging 77 touches per game, and with an 81 percent passing accuracy, the Argentinian has already become integral to the club's play. This is also a reflection of the yardage Di Maria covers across the 90 minutes. The Duracell Bunny tag is a fair one: He never seems to tire, bombing up and down the left flank from kick-off until the final whistle, always involved in play. 

The comparison with seemingly out of sorts Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie—dragging themselves around the turf while Di Maria speeds past as if he were in a Warner Brothers cartoon leaving the coyote in the dust—is unavoidable.

Statistics, however, tell only a part of the story. Di Maria's ability to do the unpredictable gives a new dynamism to United's play, allowing the club to attack from unorthodox angles or at full speed through their new star without compromising shape. 

Whether it is a pass delivered to perfection with the outside of the left foot or a quick burst of pace to get by the full-back, Di Maria has the tools to torture his marker. That skill has not just been apparent for United so far in the 2013/14 season. Three assists for Argentina and a goal against Germany showcased the extensive tools he has in the repertoire to change a match in the blink of an eye. 

Toiling under David Moyes last year, the Old Trafford faithful would have killed for a player equipped with that most dangerous of qualities. If there has been an improvement in United since Di Maria jumped on board, it owes a lot to just that; defences do not know what the lanky wideman, and as a result the Red Devils, are going to do when he has the ball and that is bringing back dynamic, attacking football to the club. 

Without Di Maria, his statistically proven impact and ability to do extraordinary things on the football pitch, the start of the season could have been far more painful for Van Gaal and United as they adapt to a new era at Old Trafford.