Does Falcao have one more shot at Man United redemption?

Posted Thursday, May 07, 2015 by ESPN

It's been a rough campaign for Falcao with only four goals and four assists in 24 Premier League appearances

On New Year's Day, when Radamel Falcao scored his third goal for Manchester United against Stoke, there was the belief, or maybe desperate hope, that 2015 would be the year for the Colombian to shine once more.

United were third in the league, just one point ahead of fourth placed Southampton, and just three ahead of Tottenham Hotspur below them. It was clear that the battle for a spot in next season's Champions League would only intensify as the months went by, so maybe Falcao would prove his worth by scoring goals that would sure up a spot for the club in the top four.

In a rarity, United had an easy run in the FA Cup, being drawn against the like of Yeovil, Cambridge United and Preston. With every passing victory, belief among the fanbase began to grow, with dreams of Louis van Gaal winning a trophy in his first season as manager. The club had waited over 10 years to lift the FA Cup, so maybe it would be in this competition that Falcao could make a difference to United.

Instead, United are clinging on to their top four status on the back of three losses in a row and their FA Cup hopes were crushed by Arsenal. And Falcao has become progressively less effective, last scoring against Leicester on Jan. 31.

The problem is, the team's supporters have been waiting for world class Falcao, the striker who scored 155 goals in 200 games, the player that several big clubs wanted, but there's every chance that player doesn't exist anymore. After damaging his cruciate ligament in January 2014, Falcao didn't recover in time to feature in the World Cup. Falcao spent seven months out and made his comeback at the beginning of August for Monaco, recovering from what could have been a career-ending injury.

In his first game back, he scored a penalty in his team's home defeat against Lorient, coming on for the final half an hour. In the next game, he came off the bench after an hour had gone, as Monaco were beaten 4-1. In his last game for Monaco, he played for 70 minutes, and scored another goal, this time creeping in at the back post unmarked to head home.

After only playing two hours of football in France's Ligue 1, United signed him on loan, agreeing to pay him a reported £265,000-a-week. Real Madrid were the Colombian's club of preference, with him even taking to Twitter to prematurely confirm that he had signed for them, only to later delete it.

"We considered signing Falcao," Real Madrid's president, Florentino Perez, confirmed. "But in this club we follow a sporting-economic equation which [the former club president Santiago] Bernabeu taught us, and we decided not to do so."

Falcao's father, Radamel Garcia, confirmed this to be the case, with Real Madrid not prepared to pay the player what he believed he was worth. Garcia said, "Real Madrid chose not to [sign Falcao]. I don't know, I have the feeling they wanted the player for free with a number of conditions."

When clubs like Real Madrid deem a player to be too expensive, that surely should set alarm bells ringing. The difference is that United were far more desperate than the Spanish club, especially after missing out on the Champions League last season. So when the opportunity to sign a player with Falcao's goalscoring record presented itself, Executive Vice-Chairman Ed Woodward snapped Monaco's hand off.

Was this too hasty? Should United have waited until he proved himself after returning from injury? It was a gamble, one they hoped that would pay off, but at the moment, has just cost them a lot of money for very little return.

Monaco vice-president, Vadim Vasilyev, confirmed this week that the two clubs have met, yet there has still be no decision on whether United will sign the striker on a permanent basis.

It seems incredible that United would even entertain keeping Falcao on the books next season, after such a disappointing campaign. Some will argue he hasn't been given enough of an opportunity to shine, particularly when trying to adapt to a new league. He also picked up injuries in the first half of the season which delayed the transition further. Yet, Falcao has been given some opportunities to prove himself, starting against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge and at West Ham in Upton Park along with various substitute appearances, yet it still hasn't happened for him.

Considering the salary he demands, United surely can't afford to prolong the gamble for any longer (although it has also been reported that Falcao's future might be tied to that of goalkeeper David De Gea). Maybe he'll join a team in Spain where he previously starred with Atletico and return to being fantastic or, maybe, at 29, his best years are behind him. Either way, based on his first season in England, he shouldn't be United's concern in a few weeks' time.

However, Falcao may find his redemption in the final weeks of the Premier League. The remaining three games confirm United's place in next season's Champions League. United fans have been waiting for his big moment for months.

Can Falcao go out with a bang and score an important goal or two before he leaves? Or is he destined to be remembered as one of the Premier League's greatest flops? United fans will be desperate for the former, but after the season he's had, they won't be holding their breath.