Angel Di Maria can’t help but be the missing man. During the World Cup it seemed that he would inspire Argentina, along with the spine of Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano, to the promised land. The ultimate prize. Yet, by the time the final came around, he was incapacitated and struggling in vain to be ready for the match. Argentina lost.
Angel Di Maria may be missing no more at Paris Saint-Germain
The Argentine international looks set for a move to France, and it might be what he needs to finally find his way.
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When he moved to Manchester United after the World Cup, it was an unbelievable coup. It was Di Maria who had been the best player on the park as Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid in the dying minutes of the Champions League final. Slotted into a more central midfield role after space on the wing became too scarce thanks to Gareth Bale taking his job, he excelled beyond expectations. Di Maria brought a winger’s piercing pace and dribbling and a juxtaposed directness to the middle. Combined with the tenaciousness and boundless energy of a box-to-box midfielder, he became damn near unplayable.
Bale’s header that finally put Real Madrid in front of Atletico in extra time was all down to Di Maria’s skill. At a time when every player seemed to be running in sand, the Argentine received the ball on the left wing and broke the hearts of colchoneros everywhere. He sprinted down the line surrounded by three defenders; he cut in, leaving one defender trailing behind and the other two wrong-footed and vulnerable. A feint inside and an outside cut and he was beyond both and into the box. The goalkeeper saved the resultant shot with his body, forcing it to loop into the air, only for Bale to pounce on the loose ball and head it into the open net.
Di Maria was also the man who ran through a near full-strength German side by himself after the World Cup. With Lionel Messi rested due to injury, Di Maria was given a free role by Gerard Martino, to which he responded with one of the best international displays in recent history. Three crosses led to three goals for Sergio Aguero, Erik Lamela and Federico Fernandez. Then he took matters into his own hands -- the fourth and his solitary goal would come after another breathless run past several defenders from the right touchline ending with a delightful chip over the sprawling Roman Weidenfeller.
It was a bittersweet reminder of his talent and how different things might have been, had he been healthy just a few months prior.
But with this performance fresh in mind, as well as his performances of that summer and the season before, it seemed impossible for Di Maria not to succeed in England. It was such a forgone conclusion that he was handed the legendary No. 7 shirt that had been worn by the likes of George Best, Eric Cantona, David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as the monumental Michael Owen and Antonio Valencia. He would be another legend to don the prized shirt.
That was the dream. The reality was that he failed spectacularly. After the first few games when Di Maria showed all of his abilities -- with unbelievably head-shaking runs, pinpoint crosses from deep and comically absurd goals -- he disappeared. The missing man went missing again. This time it was less of a case of injury, instead somehow suddenly becoming unable to actually control a ball. Di Maria was the same man, yet fans could be forgiven for believing that they had been sold an inauthentic replica. His first touch was taking the ball out of play, and he was now dribbling into dead-ends and launching crosses that were either over-hit or failed to beat the first man.
Reasons for failures like this are often complex. A player just doesn’t lose all of his ability overnight. The reports of Di Maria’s house being burgled and his family having to live in a hotel of fear and anxiety could certainly have played a big part in it, as his form began to dip around the same time. That distraction, along with the confusion borne from so many attacking players trying to occupy the same spaces thanks to Louis Van Gaal’s constant tinkering, would harm most players’ form. It certainly didn’t help that once his form started to slip, Van Gaal frequently left Di Maria out of the starting lineup, making it even harder to find his way again.
At a certain point, it was easy to see that the player had given up.
To be honest, Di Maria probably never wanted Manchester United. He had desired to move to Paris Saint-Germain, a move he finally appears to be getting a year later. Financial Fair Play had made the move impossible last summer, and United pounced at their chance. But the heart wants what the heart wants, and when it doesn't get what it wants, it sulks on the bench next to Radamel Falcao, only to eventually trot out for the last 10 minutes of the match with one eye on the dwindling time and another on the summer transfer window.
Now, Argentina's and Manchester United's missing man is poised to be the man that the French champions have been missing in their bid for European dominance. PSG are at an impasse -- while they can go strength-for-strength and beat the likes of Chelsea in a thrilling two-legged affair in the Champions League, they desperately need something more in order to take another step forward and compete with the Barcelonas of the world to actually win the Champions League.
That's especially true now that their talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic is closer to his inevitable departure, and players like Ezequiel Lavezzi have regressed to something less than what PSG brought them into the side to be. The timing and situation couldn't be much better for Di Maria to get his heart's desire -- in PSG, he will have a structured and talented midfield to work with, one composed of Marco Verratti, Javier Pastore, Blaise Matuidi and ... Benjamin Stambouli? Well, not everything can be perfect. Further helping Di Maria in PSG's attack, though, will be the too-hot-to-handle Lucas Moura, roaming the wings while a resurgent Edison Cavani runs at the tip of the spear.
The defense is manned by two of the best at the central position. Thiago Silva and the criminally underrated --likely do to his hair and his antics-- David Luiz. PSG aren’t a team in transition as United was when Di Maria transferred, this is a team that just needs a few additions to compete with the best in the world.
Wherever Laurent Blanc eventually decides to play Di Maria, he should succeed. Sometimes all that’s needed is a change of scenery for one to rediscover themselves -- time and space away from a place that didn’t suit them particularly well.
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