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The saviour, the enigma and the ‘old man’

Angel di Maria

Ripped off in the transfer market, ripped apart on the pitch, Manchester United’s summer is in need of divine intervention — and they might just find it in £59.7-million (S$124 million) record signing Angel di Maria.

Already, manager Louis van Gaal is crying out for somebody, anybody, to lift morale, because the dethroned giants’ attacking instincts are blunt.

Watching the defence struggle with the manager’s new “three at the back” formation has been borderline distressing, even for a neutral.

And finding positives to take from defeats against Swansea and MK Dons has been like getting water from a stone.

It’s scarcely believable, but David Moyes is looking more like a success story with every passing day.

Van Gaal and Manchester United pressingly need British football’s most expensive recruit to lift the gloom.

One of the quickest players in European football with the ball at his feet, a diligent worker and versatile enough to play inside or wide, Manchester United may have paid too much, but they’ve bagged a serious talent.

Still, where does he fit in? I, for one, don’t know.

In a 3-4-1-2 that’s designed to suit Robin van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Juan Mata, the system United have spent the past six weeks practising, the midfielder simply doesn’t work.

Di Maria must play as a winger, or to the left of a front three. Basically, he’s Arjen Robben without the flimflam — surely, not even the inventive Van Gaal can dream up a plan that deploys Di Maria as a wingback or central midfielder?

All of which means there may not have been a grand plan behind his purchase. The club’s esteemed new coach seems content to make it up as he goes along.

Today, though, all that matters is a win at Burnley and, with Di Maria involved, their prospects of lifting the gloom have been given a much-needed boost.

 

Mario Balotelli

They call him Super Mario, but let’s be frank here … just how super is Mario Balotelli?

I’ve watched him many times over the past four years and my feeling is “not very”.

I understand why Liverpool fans are delighted.

Blessed with natural ability to add fireworks to the Reds’ front line, I have no doubt that he will sporadically give them the spark they crave. His record in front of goal is, after all, still improving.

It’s Balotelli’s moody attitude that worries me — and the effect it has on those around him.

His off-pitch unpredictability is a consideration, but perhaps more important is his on-pitch instability.

He will let the side down. Whether through laziness, selfishness or hot-headedness, Balotelli isn’t somebody you can rely on. He never has been.

Quotes coming out of AC Milan this week were telling in a damning way, with coach Pippo Inzaghi saying: “We are certainly losing a great player, but we gain something more in team spirit and hunger.”

And this is why the striker was available on a cut-price deal.

Liverpool’s congenial squad hasn’t been used to carrying passengers — and I’m just not sure how they will react to his inevitable swings.

His signing is a massive gamble. But whatever you say or think about him as an all-round footballer, the striker is still box-office gold.

 

Samuel Eto’o

Every footballer’s career is akin to a candle’s wick, and inevitably the flame burns out sometime.

Showing flickers of life at Chelsea last season, Samuel Eto’o did enough to convince Everton manager Roberto Martinez he can still perform in the Premier League, signing a two-year deal this week.

Despite worries over his 33 years, the veteran’s signature is widely perceived as a win-win for the Toffees. They needed a proven backup for Romelu Lukaku, who can’t be expected to start every league, cup and European fixture this term.

Cameroon legend Eto’o is tailor-made for a fleeting in-and-out role. In certain games, he’s sure to provide fans with a reminder of the predatory instincts that convinced Barcelona and Inter Milan he was right for them in his heyday.

Eto’o’s debut could ironically come against the club that let him go this summer. And how he’d love to make Jose Mourinho eat his words for labelling him an old man last term.

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