The plaudits have come from all quarters, from manager, players and supporters. It feels like an entire club is experiencing the giddy sensations of falling in love with a footballer.
Manchester United last experienced it during Robin van Persie’s golden, goal-filled debut campaign, 2012/13. Yet then there was an expectation of excellence, an annual title challenge to sustain them. Then United endured their most miserable season for a quarter of a century and signed Angel di Maria.
No wonder that there is an element of wide-eyed wonder among the fans, still surprised that one of the world’s best players has traded the European champions for last year’s great underachievers.
It scarcely seems to matter at the moment that United overpaid for a player Real wanted to sell. Nor have Carlo Ancelotti’s suggestions that Di Maria left the Bernabeu for a pay rise dented his standing at Old Trafford. His relationship with United is at that pure stage where motives are not questioned. His blend of art, craft and graft is such that he fits into the truest tradition of United’s finest players. They had attitude and ability alike.
Five games after a £59.7 million (Dh352.9m) move, Di Maria looks the modern-day successor.
While colleagues were never likely to criticise, their tributes have been frequent and generous. “A great signing,” Juan Mata said of the man who replaced him as United’s record signing. Daley Blind, another of the summer newcomers said: “He’s amazing. He is an excellent player. He can score goals, make assists.” Ander Herrera said: “Angel is one of the best players in the world.”
Assistant manager Ryan Giggs, who has two decades of experience as United’s left winger, said: “He gets bums off seats and he excites me. He’s the kind of player you love to watch.”
There has been praise from Madrid, too. Even James Rodriguez, the successor who was supposed to represent a fashionable upgrade on the unglamorous galactico Di Maria, has been hailing the Argentine.
His reputation has rarely been higher. It helps that his fan club includes United’s most popular recent player. If they cannot get back Cristiano Ronaldo, perhaps the next best thing is to sign one of his favourite footballers.
For all his flicks and tricks, the Portuguese became a remarkably productive performer at Old Trafford. So, too, is the new No 7. Manager Louis van Gaal cited his tally of 22 assists, the most in Europe last season, when unveiling his most expensive addition. Di Maria has become a more regular scorer for his new employers. He goes to West Brom on Monday after his past four United games produced three goals and three assists.
He may have already won United’s goal-of-the-season competition with an astonishing scooped finish against Leicester City, revealing a rare combination of high-speed movement and delicate finish. Evidence of a current Midas touch is provided by the fact that two of Di Maria’s scuffed shots have become goal-supplying passes to teammates, whether Mata against Queens Park Rangers or Radamel Falcao versus Everton. Everything he has done has turned to goals.
Van Gaal has asked: “When you give assists and also you score goals, what can you ask more of a player?” The answer the manager has often provided is to deliver more off the ball. Di Maria’s work rate is rarely faulted but the challenge for him, and the other attacking talents, is to protect the inexperienced defence rather better.
The question if United can score more than they concede threatens to become the pivotal issue in their season. They didn’t at Leicester, where they lost 5-3, with the home side’s final two goals coming after Di Maria was, surprisingly, substituted.
For him, there is the question of what happens when United’s fixtures become tougher, when his mis-hit shots no longer turn into assists, when high-calibre opponents devote more time and manpower to halting the record-breaker.
Perhaps the Argentine, accustomed to life in Europe’s top team, will find it harder alongside lesser players and in an imbalanced team. But for now United and Di Maria look a marriage made in heaven. They are certainly in their honeymoon period.
sports@thenational.ae
Follow us on Twitter @SprtNationaluAE
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
DEADPOOL & WOLVERINE
Starring: Ryan Reynolds, Hugh Jackman, Emma Corrin
Director: Shawn Levy
Rating: 3/5
The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price, base: Dh1,731,672
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
UAE gold medallists:
Omar Al Suweidi (46kg), Khaled Al Shehhi (50kg), Khalifa Humaid Al Kaabi (60kg), Omar Al Fadhli (62kg), Mohammed Ali Al Suweidi (66kg), Omar Ahmed Al Hosani (73), all in the U18’s, and Khalid Eskandar Al Blooshi (56kg) in the U21s.
APPLE IPAD MINI (A17 PRO)
Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Storage: 128/256/512GB
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, digital zoom up to 5x, Smart HDR 4
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR 4, full-HD @ 25/30/60fps
Biometrics: Touch ID, Face ID
Colours: Blue, purple, space grey, starlight
In the box: iPad mini, USB-C cable, 20W USB-C power adapter
Price: From Dh2,099
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Napoleon
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Eco%20Way%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20December%202023%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ivan%20Kroshnyi%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Electric%20vehicles%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Bootstrapped%20with%20undisclosed%20funding.%20Looking%20to%20raise%20funds%20from%20outside%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Thank You for Banking with Us
Director: Laila Abbas
Starring: Yasmine Al Massri, Clara Khoury, Kamel El Basha, Ashraf Barhoum
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
PROFILE OF STARZPLAY
Date started: 2014
Founders: Maaz Sheikh, Danny Bates
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment/Streaming Video On Demand
Number of employees: 125
Investors/Investment amount: $125 million. Major investors include Starz/Lionsgate, State Street, SEQ and Delta Partners
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League final:
Who: Real Madrid v Liverpool
Where: NSC Olimpiyskiy Stadium, Kiev, Ukraine
When: Saturday, May 26, 10.45pm (UAE)
TV: Match on BeIN Sports
Joker: Folie a Deux
Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
Company%20Profile
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My Cat Yugoslavia by Pajtim Statovci
Pushkin Press
The specs
Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
Power: 620hp from 5,750-7,500rpm
Torque: 760Nm from 3,000-5,750rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch auto
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh1.05 million ($286,000)
STAY%2C%20DAUGHTER
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20OneOrder%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20March%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Tamer%20Amer%20and%20Karim%20Maurice%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Cairo%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E82%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Series%20A%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
Karwaan
Producer: Ronnie Screwvala
Director: Akarsh Khurana
Starring: Irrfan Khan, Dulquer Salmaan, Mithila Palkar
Rating: 4/5
How to wear a kandura
Dos
- Wear the right fabric for the right season and occasion
- Always ask for the dress code if you don’t know
- Wear a white kandura, white ghutra / shemagh (headwear) and black shoes for work
- Wear 100 per cent cotton under the kandura as most fabrics are polyester
Don’ts
- Wear hamdania for work, always wear a ghutra and agal
- Buy a kandura only based on how it feels; ask questions about the fabric and understand what you are buying
Simran
Director Hansal Mehta
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Soham Shah, Esha Tiwari Pandey
Three stars
Tips for job-seekers
- Do not submit your application through the Easy Apply button on LinkedIn. Employers receive between 600 and 800 replies for each job advert on the platform. If you are the right fit for a job, connect to a relevant person in the company on LinkedIn and send them a direct message.
- Make sure you are an exact fit for the job advertised. If you are an HR manager with five years’ experience in retail and the job requires a similar candidate with five years’ experience in consumer, you should apply. But if you have no experience in HR, do not apply for the job.
David Mackenzie, founder of recruitment agency Mackenzie Jones Middle East