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Ángel Di María is no the only one to blame after Real's horrendous 2-2 draw at Pamplona. He joined the game for Gareth Bale, who was completely invisible, yet as soon as Carlo Ancelotti decided to make that substitution, Real Madrid lost momentum and started to appear totally clueless in the field.
More on Di María
More on Di María
El Fideo is going through a complex situation. Yes, he started the season really well and every Real Madrid fan wondered how Bale was going to make him stay on the bench, but as soon as the Welsh player recovered from his injuries and started scoring goals, Di María threw in the towel and gave up. His last few games have certainly been worrying. The Ángel Di María we knew, pressing defenders and running until the last minute, has gone. He now gets rid of the ball as soon as he receives it -although we were quite familiar with that already- and he doesn't dribble past defenders either.
There have been rumors about a potential 35M€ move to AS Monaco. Apparently, Di María wants to be important for Sabella in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and therefore wants to play more minutes this season. If he's trying to force his way out of the club and Monaco are offering 35M€, Real Madrid should pull the trigger and accept the deal. Jesé has looked quite convincing after all, and he could get those minutes off the bench.
It would be great to have Di María coming off the bench, of course. And if Ancelotti manages to convince him to stay, Real Madrid will surely have a stronger squad. But a FIFA World Cup might be too much to fight against. It is as if Di María's best moments with Real Madrid were well behind already.
