Let’s heat up some age old rivalry as we begin the new season. Manchester United have finally let Angel Di Maria move to PSG after breaking the British record to sign him this time around last year.
The Argentine who had a mediocre season with the Red Devils was always pitted against Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho for a simple reason that while Di Maria was termed as a flop and has faded into oblivion, Coutinho’s efforts have been recognized enough to merit a nomination for the PFA Player of the Year and the PFA Young Player of the Year. However, if you look at their stats, Coutinho’s best season at Liverpool, is not much better than di Maria’s worst season (or maybe his only season at United).
Both players have been the shining lights for their team’s campaigns when they have lit up, lulling the other team members into a false sense of bravado, which has come hurtling down as soon as the player – di Maria or Coutinho – fails in yet another match. If Angel di Maria’s performances were commendable at the start of the season, Philippe Coutinho’s performances have been commendable in the second half of the season.
Here is where the difference crops in. The statistics may suggest that their performances have been nearly equal, but in football, the statistics could be misleading. When the focus is changed to the number of games in which each of the players has had an impact, that number is also nearly level. The burning issue is – why was Coutinho nominated, and why was di Maria not nominated then? The answer hinges on a number of factors:
Thus, it was more than just the statistics that culminated in Coutinho’s nominations for the PFA awards, in what has easily been his best season in his budding playing career. Angel di Maria went through one of his worst seasons in his playing career, as he was trying to cope with the Premier League, and even though his statistics are similar to Philippe Coutinho – meriting United fans’ anguish at the nomination, Coutinho has taken two years to surpass the expectations that the League had from him, which have been expressed in his nomination.
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