LVG on why four-goal Argentine should lead the attack.
Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal has attempted to explain his reasoning behind playing Angel di Maria in an unfamiliar striker role.
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Manchester United transfer news
The Argentine, a £59.7m signing from Real Madrid in the summer, was used upfront in a surprise move by van Gaal in United’s 2-0 win at Queens Park Rangers, sparking much criticism from fans and pundits alike.
This was the latest in a long line of strange tactical moves by the Dutchman this season, with a number of other players also being used out of position, while the team have also struggled to get used to a three-man defence.
Still, van Gaal has defended his use of di Maria – one of the world’s best playmakers – as a striker, saying it gives his team more pace in attack.
While this doesn’t sound like the most outlandish idea, it didn’t exactly seem to pay off in the QPR game, but the 63-year-old admits his ideas will take some time for his players to fully get used to.
“I tried him as a striker as we needed pace in that position. We must stretch the pitch,” the Red Devils boss was quoted by BBC Sport.
“Then you make the pitch bigger, your midfielders can play in a bigger space and play a better positional game.”
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