Chris Wheeler:
Louis van Gaal has hit back at Angel di Maria over allegations that he did not help Manchester United’s record £59.7million signing to settle at Old Trafford.
Di Maria moved to Paris Saint-Germain last summer after scoring just four goals in 32 appearances in an unsettled season at United, and the former Real Madrid star has blamed Van Gaal for playing him in a number of different positions.
However, the United boss says Di Maria should look at himself before blaming the manager, claiming the 28-year-old is just another example of players who refuse to be self-critical.
I have never seen players who look at themselves, who look to the way they have performed here, and that is always the fault of the manager,’ said Van Gaal.
‘So he is one of the players who are in the row of players who have no self-criticism. Unfortunately, it is also my life as a manager. It is always like that.’
Di Maria and United looked to be a match made in heaven when Van Gaal forked out almost £60m to entice the Argentina international away from Real Madrid.
However the 28-year-old’s big-money move to the Premier League proved to be a disaster with United having to cut their losses by selling him to Paris Saint-Germain for £44m just a year after breaking their club transfer record.
Di Maria, speaking to the BBC, said of his time in England: ‘It’s not nice to say certain things, but it’s more that they didn’t let me settle properly than I couldn’t settle.
‘I left and that team are still playing the same way. Out of the European competitions, far from being champions of the Premier League.
‘I don’t think it was my fault or the fault of my team-mates. Every time I was given the opportunity, I did all I could but it didn’t work out as I hoped.
‘So I decided to leave, not only to be happy but to win things. I started a game in one position then the next game in another. I scored goals playing in one position, then suddenly the next game I was picked to play in a different position.’
Di Maria, who helped PSG win their fourth consecutive league title this season, believes Van Gaal should have done more to help him acclimatise to life in England.
He added: ‘I think this also didn’t help me settle. It’s up to the manager to decide where and how every player should play, but I think that the player should be comfortable in that position and adapt to it.
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