The confirmation of Angel Di Maria's arrival at Manchester United on the same night that they were thoroughly embarrassed by MK Dons in the League Cup was declared by many to be prophetic.
The Argentinian superstar is seen as the talismanic influence that United need to lift themselves from the mire that they have found themselves in under Louis van Gaal's management so far.
However, despite the lengthy pursuit of the Argentinian by CEO Ed Woodward and United, Di Maria's transfer still reeks of a panic buy. When the dust settles, United will find themselves with a player who undeniably improves the squad but who does nothing to address the glaring issues in the team.
It's a trait that Woodward has been guilty of since succeeding David Gill and assuming responsibility for United's transfer policy.
Juan Mata's arrival in January for £37.1 million also strengthened the side but essentially only gave them another option in a position in which they were oversubscribed while leaving gaping holes in other areas of the squad.
Di Maria joins United with the squad already brimming with players capable of playing in his favoured position, albeit not as well as him. However, Van Gaal's favoured tactical formation throughout pre-season and in his first three competitive fixtures has been 3-5-2. This requires the wingers to operate as defensive wing-backs as well as fulfilling attacking duties.
With Di Maria being one of the best attacking players in the world, and with his costly acquisition, the idea that United would then force him into an unfamiliar and unproductive role is a non-starter.
The suggestion thus far seems to be that Van Gaal will switch to a 4-3-3 system, which, on early evidence, may well prove more successful than the current formation.
On the other hand, it does mean that Van Gaal and United will need to start again from square one. For a manager famous for his unshakeable faith in his systems, and who has said that it will take three months for his players to adapt to his style, per The Guardian , it seems like a major roll of the dice and could serve to undermine his authority.
While there's no real question of Di Maria upsetting the balance of the squad—he made little fuss about making way for Gareth Bale last season at Real Madrid and moving into a central role—what his signing does do is change the mentality around United and potentially alter their transfer policy irrevocably.
Under Sir Alex Ferguson, there was a significant emphasis placed on youth and bringing players through, from the class of '92 to Cristiano Ronaldo.
Of course, they attempted to plug the gaps with signings—often expensive ones—but throughout Ferguson's reign, there was a strong homegrown element to the side. He never sought to build an entire squad through premium transfers.
Di Maria is 26 and entering the peak of his career. There can be no argument that his signing is filling a hole, with Shinji Kagawa, Danny Welbeck, Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia all comfortable playing on the wing.
His purchase may be a declaration of intent by United to the rest of the Premier League and Europe, but it's also an admission that they're now fully committed to the transfer arms race.
It also creates short-term issues. The logic of other clubs will be that if United have this much money to spend on a player that they don't particularly need, they will be willing to pay over the odds to recruit players in the positions they do need to fill.
Ajax boss Marc Overmars has stated that United target Daley Blind will only be sold for his "absolute top price," per The Daily Mail .
Di Maria may well prove to be a superb player for United, someone who can win them games—and silverware—single-handedly.
He is, however, a potentially disastrous signing. He plays in the position where a depleted squad is arguably strongest.
His massive fee of £59.7 million will hobble Woodward's negotiating ability for the rest of the season at the very least and could well signal the end of Ferguson's dynastic faith in youth.
Finally, his almost obligatory inclusion in the starting line-up will necessitate a tactical rethink from Van Gaal and set United back even further.
//from Bleacher Report http://ift.tt/1pmSuhz
via IFTTT August 28, 2014 at 10:41AM
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