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Has criticism of Angel Di Maria gone too far?

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Di mariaHaving a £59.7m price-tag can be a real monkey on a person’s back. There’s a certain level of expectation that comes with being one of football’s most expensive talents. Fans will expect you to perform week in and week out and they’ll be disappointed if you don’t.

Pundits, on the other hand? They’ll tear you apart at a moment’s notice. That’s proven to be the case with Angel Di Maria, who’s been subject to a good deal of criticism in recent weeks. Check out these comments from Jamie Redknapp (courtesy of The Express):

“When Di Maria arrived at United we all thought: ‘Wow, what an addition to the Premier League!’ Now he looks like he’s not interested. At the start of the season, Di Maria was gliding across the field, but at the moment he looks weak and sluggish. We all know what he is capable of and the United fans deserve better.”

Jamie continues: “His form has dipped dramatically, and if he doesn’t improve there will be some serious stick coming his way.”  I’m sure the irony of that particular comment was lost on him.

It strikes me that the criticism of Di Maria has gone a little over board. I’m not just talking about Jamie’s comments, which don’t amount to much. I’m talking about the vitriol that gets spouted over Twitter and other social media every time we get an opportunity to see the Argentine ace in action.

Di Maria is hampered by two things: the fact that he’s smack-bang in the middle of an adaption period where he’s still gelling with his team-mates and the fact that he’s currently playing for an ineffectual team.

It’s not just Di Maria who looks uninterested. It’s all his team-mates as well. The Red Devils are currently one of the Premier League’s most boring sides. Their quick passing never pays off and they’re dull and unadventurous in key areas of the pitch.

Di Maria is one of the deadliest attacking options in Europe. He was known as The Assist King during his time with Real Madrid. If you give him the chance, he’s going to prove his worth, but Louis Van Gaal needs to demonstrate some flexibility with his tactics.

I can’t help but feel that the criticism that’s currently being aimed at Angel Di Maria should be divided multiple ways: the player, his manager and his team-mates are all partly to blame.

Maybe it’s time to exercise some patience?

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