You can hardly fault the early weeks of Angel di Maria’s Manchester United career. While he has tailed off in terms of impact over the last few weeks, his overall contribution has been excellent. Di Maria has done as much as any member of the team to speed up play and add penetration to a side which was painfully slow and inefficient under David Moyes.
So, in an ominous statement for Manchester United’s rivals, it’s rather frightening to hear the player suggest that he still needs to adapt in order to fully express himself.
He’s quoted in The Daily Mail as saying:
‘I must adapt to my team-mates because there are still moments in the game in which I feel I am not fully adapted yet,’ he said.
‘The language barrier has also made it a bit harder, but I am trying to overcome that as soon as possible so I can communicate with everyone.’
He also stated that the added physicality of The Premier League hasn’t been an issue for him:
It’s true, the defenders are big and strong here,’ he said. ‘But I never have any fear. If they have to hit me, then so be it. That’s part of the game. I will always try to play my way, no matter how big the defenders are.’
Di Maria has scored 3 goals and made 6 assists in his short time at Manchester United. His momentum has been broken by the hamstring injury sustained against Hull last weekend but, while he will most probably miss the Southampton game, there is a good chance that he will be fit to face Liverpool in the crunch game at Old Trafford next weekend.
Let’s see some of Di Maria’s better moments for Manchester United so far this season. Manchester United fans: can The Reds still beat Southampton without the guile and pace of their main man?
