Louis Van Gaal Hits Back at Angel Di Maria over Manchester United Career

Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has encouraged Angel Di Maria to take responsibility and not blame external factors for his struggles during his one-year stint at the club.

Di Maria was signed by the Red Devils for a British record transfer fee in the summer of 2014, but he was moved on to Paris Saint-Germain ahead of this season after failing to live up to expectations. In a recent interview with BBC Sport, the midfielder accused Van Gaal of playing him out of position constantly during the campaign.

However, Van Gaal thinks the former Real Madrid man should look a little closer to home when assessing what went wrong, per Chris Wheeler and Anthony Hay of the Daily Mail:

"

I have never seen players who look at themselves, who look to the way they have performed here, and that is always the fault of the manager.

So he is one of the players who are in the row of players who have no self-criticism. Unfortunately, it is also my life as a manager. It is always like that.

"

Michael Regan/Getty Images

Di Maria looked as if he was going to be a revelation in the early stages of his career with the club. He was a scintillating presence in the starting XI, hauling United forward with his mazy dribbling, committing opposition players in the final third and making decisive contributions. But his form gradually tailed off as the season went on.

United took the opportunity to move him on to PSG in the summer, and he’s given the French champions a different edge to their play, as we can see here:

The form of Di Maria this season has left many United fans lamenting the sale of the player. After all, he’s been thrilling in attack for PSG, while the Red Devils, for long spells in 2015-16, have been one-paced and predictable in their football.

These numbers from Squawka Football sum up just how effective Di Maria has been in Ligue 1 in 2015-16:

While he was moved around the side Di Maria was viewed by some sections of the Old Trafford crowd as a figure who lacked the stomach for the fight.

When Van Gaal rewarded Ashley Young’s fine run of form with a succession of starts, the Argentina international never looked the same player. The fire to fight for a place in the team was never noticeable.

KENZO TRIBOUILLARD/Getty Images

Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News feels there is ultimately blame for both Van Gaal and Di Maria to shoulder:

Sometimes these transfers simply don’t work out. Had Van Gaal given Di Maria a set position in the team, then he would, perhaps, had performed better over time. But one of the most exciting points of the signing was the versatility the player showcased at Real Madrid; it’s a quality he never quite carried over to Old Trafford.

Additionally, Di Maria had his house burgled during the season, which would have had a majorly disruptive effect on his lifestyle away from the field, especially when settling into a completely new culture. Now he emits the aura of a player contented at the Parc des Princes, while United, although they’ve toiled this term, are taking the team in a different direction.