Louis van Gaal has urged the fans to give Angel Di Maria time to settle
The Argentina winger made a fine start to life in the Premier League after his £59m move from Real Madrid but his form has dipped alarmingly in recent months.
Di Maria, 27, was substituted at half-time during United’s 2-0 win over Sunderland on Saturday.
Van Gaal said that Di Maria is not alone and that most new signings take time to settle.
“I think it counts for all the players that we have bought, the first season is always difficult,” said the Dutch coach.
“You can see it for every player we have bought Luke Shaw, Daley Blind, Ander Herrera, Radamel Falcao and also Di Maria.
“For me it is not a big surprise, it is more a big surprise when he adapted as quickly as possible.
We have to give him time, not just Di Maria but all the players. We wait and see
Louis van Gaal
“In the Netherlands, Spain and Germany I had the same experience with players. “We have to give him time, not just Di Maria but all the players. We wait and see.”
Van Gaal admits he does not know how long it will be before fans see the best of the club’s record signing.
“It is dependable, you have to manage so many aspects,” he said.
“Not just the game, but the culture. The general answer is one year but you cant give a general answer.
“It is easy to say that, I cannot prove that. It is not scientifically proven.”
Van Gaal confirmed that Robin Van Persie is his only absentee for Wednesday’s match with Newcastle and there is no timeframe on the striker’s return from injury.
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