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There were about 20 metres between the KC Stadium's exit and Manchester United's luxury Eavesway coach, and even within that short dart it was possible to gauge a number of players' moods in Hull.

Robin van Persie, an unused substitute who was told he would be sold earlier that week, was first onto the coach and looked resigned and isolated. Victor Valdes, fresh from an impressive full début, was chaperoned to the vehicle's entrance in an attempt to avoid questions about David de Gea. Adnan Januzaj, despite a bright outing, looked pleased to see the back of 2014-15 and his compatriot, Marouane Fellaini, sheepishly skulked past the three waiting journalists following his vicious tackle on Paul McShane.

And then there was Angel di Maria. Withdrawn in the 23rd minute with a hamstring injury, he strode casually and even gave the thumbs up.

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“I believe he felt something in his hamstring and didn’t want to risk it,” Louis van Gaal told MUTV after the game.

That picture of Van Gaal eyeing Di Maria as he limped off is the defining image of the pair's relationship. Van Gaal has scepticism etched across his face, whilst Di Maria avoids eye contact to speak with goalkeeping coach Frans Hoek.

Van Gaal mismanaged Di Maria. He started him in a diamond, on the left flank, the right, as a playmaker and even up front. The Dutchman should have used Di Maria on the left of an attacking midfield trio yet by the time he fathomed the 4-3-3 system suited United best the Argentinian was on the right wing and produced a horrific first-half performance against Sunderland in late February. In a game where Jonny Evans played his infamous back-pass, Di Maria's contribution was the nadir.

Di Maria deserved to be dropped for the next game at Newcastle, especially since Januzaj, his replacement, had performed so ebulliently in the second-half versus Sunderland. Instead, Di Maria was reprieved, performed woefully in the first 45 minutes yet, just as he had appeared to hit his stride after the pause, was removed for Januzaj on 59 minutes.

With his confidence as low as the impotent Radamel Falcao, Di Maria killed his United career the following week in one mad minute against Arsenal in the FA Cup quarter-final. A shameless dive and tug on referee Michael Oliver's shirt saw him dismissed and his only other start came at Hull.

Van Gaal offered him chances. At Anfield in March, Di Maria assisted Juan Mata's acrobatic winner and enabled Daley Blind to win a penalty, however these contributions masked an ineffectual and flaky 35 minutes that compelled Van Gaal to admonish him afterwards in the dressing room.

Di Maria stirred United two weeks later versus Aston Villa and that was his last noteworthy impact. Thrice he emerged in games United were trailing in an effort to galvanise the team yet he was peripheral, rather than pivotal. Hiding instead of foraging. The turning point was never on the horizon.

Perhaps Di Maria's talent was stolen in that attempted burglary at his Prestbury home in January. His decline had begun months before that trauma, admittedly, and it is one understandable excuse behind his departure, especially since he preferred to join Paris Saint-Germain last year.

Ultimately, though, Di Maria has been exposed as a feeble and fragile talent. Before 2013-14, it was not unfair to compare him to Nani, another erratic and infuriating forward, who at least showed a smidgen of grit to prosper at United over six years.

Di Maria was horrendous in Argentina's World Cup knockout game with Switzerland yet had the resilience to convert an elegant winner. He was devoid of such gumption as early as February with United.

The midfielder was the man of the match in Real Madrid's Decima final but Di Maria might be remembered as football's most expensive failure. His durability is so brittle he does not have the stomach to oust Ashley Young from the United side and the willingness to play in a league as unremarkable and unchallenging as Ligue 1 highlights Di Maria's frailty and cowardice.

United have discovered through their eminent signings last summer the cost of placating supporters. The popular Falcao preferred to join Real Madrid and, although Di Maria was rightly heralded upon his arrival, his signing threatened to spark a shallow transfer strategy of the kind United supporters mocked City for.

“It's not that Di Maria doesn't have the quality. He has to perform in a way that we want,” Van Gaal said in May.

“Not in the way I want but in the way we want as a club.”

Carlo Ancelotti might well have been armed by Florentino Perez to aim his parting shot at Di Maria, yet the gun shot rings true.

“Some players love to compete, others prefer to make more money,” he fired.

Van Gaal searches for players who fit his profile and Di Maria, a player who favoured a move to a Qatar-owned club with five titles – three of which came after Qatar Sports Investment's 2011 takeover – did not fit his or United's.

There has been a coach-load of them.

See Di Maria's United career timeline below

Time Line Angel di Maria's United timeline August 2014 Di Maria signs for United in a club record £59.7m transfer from Real Madrid August 2014 Di Maria performs brightly on his debut however United draw 0-0 at newly-promoted Burnley September 2014 Di Maria scores his first United goal on his home debut against QPR and assists Juan Mata's strike September 2014 Di Maria provides an early goal of the season contender with a marvellous lob over Leicester's Kaspar Schmeichel. United lose 5-3, though October 2014 Three goals in four games: Di Maria nets past Everton's Tim Howard and later assists Radamel Falcao's winner October 2014 Crudely upended by Branislav Ivanovic, Di Maria dusts himself down and provides the cross that eventually leads to Robin van Persie's late leveller against Chelsea November 2014 Minutes into United's stroll against Hull, Di Maria suffers a hamstring injury and spends a month on the sidelines January 2015 Di Maria seals United's laboured FA Cup win over Yeovil with a delicate dink January 2015 Van Gaal plays Di Maria up front against Southampton and the Argentine performs woefully as United lose 1-0 January 2015 An attempted break-in at Di Maria's Prestbury mansion compels the midfielder to move his family out and the house is put up for sale a month later February 2015 Di Maria is so horrendous in the first-half against Sunderland he is substituted at the interval March 2015 With United 2-1 down, Di Maria collects two yellow cards in a minute for diving and grabbing referee Michael Oliver's shirt in the FA Cup quarter-final loss to Arsenal March 2015 Di Maria is involved in a falling out with Van Gaal after United's colossal 2-1 win at Anfield May 2015 Di Maria's season ends with injury on the final day at Hull

See pictures from United's win over Barcelona