Wednesday 14 January 2015 14:12, UK
Manchester United winger Angel di Maria admits it has taken him time to adjust following his move from Real Madrid, but he is targeting a major improvement in the second half of the season.
The 26-year-old Argentina international accepts it has not been all plain sailing since his arrival at Old Trafford, with Sunday's 1-0 defeat by Southampton his first start since November because of injury.
"It is difficult for a player, especially when you come to a new club," he said. "You just want to arrive and you want to show them how well you can play.
"So when these things happen it is unfortunate but, that said, the important thing was that when I came back I needed to make sure that I could help the team and that's what I did.
"It's important for me and important for the team to be really doing my best and showing what I am capable of."
Di Maria believes boss Louis van Gaal is creating something new at Manchester United and has urged fans to look forward rather than back to the Sir Alex Ferguson era.
"From the start of the season to now, you can see that we've grown," he told MUTV. "We weren't so great at the beginning but we've started getting a few victories under our belts.
"There are some people saying that we're not playing in a particularly good style or that it's not the old Manchester United - but it's not.
"We're beginning something new here. We've got a new style, we've got a new manager and we're all working hard to make sure we're putting Manchester United back where it belongs.
"We're focusing on growing as a team, working hard and getting as many points as we can. We all know the Premier League is difficult, but all we're focusing on now is meeting our objectives and our targets for the year.
"So whether it's qualifying for the Champions League, making sure that we do well in the FA Cup or getting as high in the league as possible, these are things we are going for now."
