Ten days ago, as Angel Di Maria trudged off the field to a chorus of boos and jeers from the Real Madrid fans, the forward turned to the fans and appeared to grab his crotch provocatively in their direction, incensing the Bernabeu faithful. Although starting both of Madrid’s last two games after being cleared of the incident, it is clear his patience is wearing thin with the treatment he is receiving.
He scored in Wednesday night’s away win to Osasuna that saw Madrid live up to their short odds in the football betting and progress to the quarter final stages of the Copa Del Rey, and the goal will have done him the world of good in the eyes of potential suitors. He would be almost guaranteed starts at the clubs interested in him, AS Monaco and more recently Galatasary after proving himself at Madrid throughout his three and a half years.
His impressive wing play before this season saw him net 27 goals and provide over 40 assists for his teammates in only 90 appearances prior to 2013/14. But that was under Jose Mourinho and it is clear after half a season that current boss, Carlo Ancelloti, would prefer to utilise Gareth Bale or youngster Jese Rodriguez alongside forwards Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. The evidence is there. Di Maria has been limited to just 17 La Liga games this season, and has struggled under the pressure to fight for his place, only managing two goals and three assists.
He is also the player Ancelotti usually decides to substitute when he looks to turn a game on its head. Di Maria has been substituted 11 times across all competitions for Madrid, and has started on the substitute’s bench eight times. Fans of the live football commentary know that this lack of game time is likely not enough to convince Argentina boss, Alejandro Sabella, that he deserves a spot in the Argentinean forward line at the World Cup.
Di Maria can’t expect to do that at a club where he is clearly not enjoying his football. In the past, he has hit out at the Spanish press, claiming they do not like him personally; he is down the pecking order under his new boss and after losing the fans backing, now is time more than ever to jump ship in order to truly showcasing his talent.
(Article provided by ICS Digital, with thanks)
most of your stories are always base on assumptions….why are you speaking for the player?