Player Focus: Pedro a Better Fit Than Di María for Louis van Gaal's Manchester United

For all the sound and fury surrounding Ángel Di María’s departure from Manchester United, there remains a rather compelling piece of football logic behind it all. 

Of course, Louis van Gaal has never been a man to conform to general football logic, and that is perfectly displayed by this entire saga as well the Dutch coach’s purely football decision to opt for Pedro of Barcelona ahead of the Argentine. 

Let’s first look at the bare elements, beyond all the spin and leaks about Di María’s exit. 

It’s difficult to deny that, in terms of his inherent ability and basic ball manipulation, the Argentine winger is one of the finest players in the world. His national team management certainly think so, and feel he is a more dangerous attacker than even Sergio Agüero, placing him behind only Leo Messi in the team’s hierarchy.  

It’s also repeatedly been made clear that, in the right system, Di María can be raucously brilliant. Any of those questioning his mentality in the wake of what happened at Old Trafford need only watch his last-minute World Cup goal against Switzerland or the way he ran a Champions League final the month before. 

Despite all that, Van Gaal greatly favours Pedro to Di María, and is said to be a “huge fan” of the Barcelona winger. It does not do Pedro a disservice to also say that he is just in the Argentine’s league when it comes to basic talent. He’s just much more limited, more functional. Similarly, although they may often occupy similar areas of the pitch, they couldn’t be more different in terms of style or role. Whereas Di María is gloriously individualistic and freewheeling, Pedro is the ultimate team player, almost an automaton when it comes to following orders. 

The latter, however, precisely cuts to the core of why Di María didn’t work out at Manchester United, why Van Gaal favours Pedro, and why this might be better for all parties involved. 

To begin, there is one principal reason why the Argentine is leaving United, and it isn’t his demeanour. Really, it is because he and the manager were just the wrong fit, right from the start. 

Although it is true that Di María never wanted to move to Old Trafford - and was effectively helped in that direction by circumstances and his agent - there was a sense at the start that it could work out. The winger seemed to have sufficient freedom to express himself, and there was an initial joy to his football, best seen with that brilliant chip at Leicester. 

That very match saw Van Gaal start to rein in his team, given United were remarkably overturned 5-3, and it effectively overturned Di María’s chances of thriving at Old Trafford too. 

The Dutch coach began to more dogmatically enforce his tactical ideal, which doesn’t really have much space or freedom for individuals who like to run from deep and create on the fly. 

From there, all sources state that Di María’s conduct has been less than admirable, as he really just wanted out. He was trying to force a move. 

On the other side, those around the Argentina squad at the Copa America felt that Van Gaal had “destroyed” the player’s football rhythm, and claimed his relationship with the United boss was non-existent. 

As Pedro’s own situation with Barcelona indicates, Van Gaal is unlikely to ever have such problems with the Spaniard. The situation would probably never even get to that point, because Pedro almost represents the United manager’s ideal in a winger. 

The fundamentals of the Van Gaal system are well known. He almost sees players as faceless numbers, and expects them to follow rigorous team orders, with most of those revolving around maintaining possession. 

As a winger on the more automated side of the famous La Masia schooling at Barcelona, Pedro is already well in tune with many of these principles. He will do exactly what Van Gaal demands. 

A few stats emphasise this well. Whereas Di María attempted 1.7 dribbles per game last season, Pedro tried just 0.6, and that in the Barcelona team. The latter also attempted fewer shots - at 1.1 compared to 2.3 - and had a much higher passing percentage, at 86.9% against Di Maria’s 77.8%. 

That partially comes from the fact that he also tried fewer crosses and long-balls, at 0.4 and 0.2, respectively, to Di María’s 1.6 and 2.5. 

In short, Pedro is far less likely to try the kind of risky move that actually makes Di María the player he is. It may be unfortunate and even somewhat sad that a club of United’s history loses a flair individual like the Argentine for whatever reason, but the consequence is likely to be the better performance of the collective, which is the entire point. 

Di Maria is a better player than Pedro, but the Spaniard is just a better fit.

How do you think Pedro will fit in at Manchester United? Will he be a success under Louis van Gaal? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below