Friday 9 January 2015 13:26, UK
Radamel Falcao is yet to ignite his Manchester United career as Louis van Gaal waits for fireworks. Adam Bate looks at those lingering injury concerns and the need to see more from the brilliant Colombian...
For all the Manchester United stars in action at Yeovil’s Huish Park last weekend, it was the sight of Radamel Falcao limbering up that captured the imagination most on FA Cup third round weekend. A fish out of water tale from the West Country for the man nicknamed El Tigre. And yet, the wait for Falcao to look truly at home in the Premier League goes on too.
Against Yeovil, it seemed cruel that the striker should have to make way just as Juan Mata and Angel di Maria were introduced to help open the game up. It followed on from his New Year’s Day withdrawal at Stoke, a decision that left him visibly bewildered, coming as it did with the result in the balance and the striker having looked United’s best bet for a winner.
The reaction was one of genuine confusion rather than a case of grandstanding for the cameras. He soon remembered his surroundings and concentrated on geeing up his replacement but it added to the sense that every time Falcao’s fledgling career at United has threatened to ignite, the flame has been extinguished in quick time.
His headed equaliser at Aston Villa last month might have been a catalyst. It was a trademark goal from a man whose first 100 league goals in European football had come in just 122 starts. “He's scored so many goals over the years and you always feel that when he gets that chance he will score,” said Michael Carrick at the time. “Hopefully he can go on a bit of a streak for us.”
Instead there was the disappointment of a mis-hit from close range at Tottenham next time out – one of five clear opportunities spurned so far in his Premier League career, according to Opta. Indeed, there was a 208-minute wait between his Villa goal and the next one at Stoke. Even the trip to Yeovil was not the emphatic bludgeoning of the League One bottom club it might have been.
Old Trafford supporters and his team-mates at Carrington seem to have retained the faith. Mata has spoken of Falcao’s “outstanding instinct” and called him “spectacular in the box” while Ander Herrera has optimistically suggested that United might have the best three strikers in the world on their books.
Most crucially, of course, there is Louis van Gaal, a manager with a reputation for getting the best out of the best. And yet, despite his credentials when it comes to developing players, there was little mystery to the signing of Falcao. “I liked him when he played for Atletico Madrid and saw him scoring goals in finals,” said Van Gaal. He couldn’t miss him and Falcao couldn’t miss.
There were winning goals in consecutive Europa League finals for Porto and Atletico Madrid before a first-half hat-trick against Chelsea in the 2012 European Super Cup struck a chord with even the littlest of Englanders. Diego Costa, after all, was his deputy. But injury issues have complicated the matter for a player who suffered his first cruciate ligament injury while still a teenager.
That same left knee buckled for the third time at the beginning of last year and it has cast something of a shadow over his expensive loan transfer. It’s not the years with Falcao, it’s the mileage. He made his second-tier debut in Colombia as a mere 13-year-old.
The Premier League tracking data is encouraging in some respects. It shows that Falcao has been covering a similar amount of ground with a comparable number of high-intensity runs to Robin van Persie for every 90 minutes he’s spent on the pitch. Indeed, his numbers are slightly better.
However, these statistics come with a caveat. Given that Van Gaal has only entrusted Falcao with an average of 50 minutes per appearance compared to the 84 minute run-outs that Van Persie has enjoyed, those numbers might be expected to be rather more impressive. Regular substitute James Wilson, for example, averages 85 sprints per 90 minutes compared to Falcao’s 57.
Furthermore, Van Persie has also faced criticism suggesting he’s a fading force. Falcao is two-and-a-half-years younger than the Dutchman but the United board will want to be convinced of his fitness before committing to a longer-term deal for a player who has scored seven goals in his last 26 matches.
Of course, Falcao’s class is beyond dispute. Daniel Passarella, his old coach at River Plate, once compared him to Marco van Basten – a likeness Falcao presumably enjoyed given that he himself regards the former AC Milan great as second only to Brazilian phenomenon Ronaldo as his favourite striker.
However, the danger right now is that Passarella’s comparison was more accurate than he could have imagined. Van Basten was done at 28. Ronaldo scored his last ever Champions League goal at the same age. Falcao? He turns 29 next month. El Tigre can roar again, but Van Gaal might want further proof he can deliver regular goals – and 90-minute performances – before extending his deal. It's time for Falcao to fire.
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