Radamel Falcao has now been paid £6m since joining Manchester United... Louis van Gaal must wash his hands of the £280,000-a-week gamble if the striker doesn't improve

  • Radamel Falcao has scored just three goals since arriving at Old Trafford
  • The striker earns £280,000 per week on his season-long loan from Monaco
  • His agent, Jorge Mendes, said last week about Falcao: 'He is a player who needs to play 90 minutes and I don't understand [why he isn't]'
  • Falcao played 90 minutes against QPR and Cambridge but couldn't score
  • The 28-year-old has struggled with injury throughout his career
  • Louis van Gaal must wash his hands of Falcao if he form does not improve 

Picture this.

It's 7.50pm, and you're walking out of the tunnel at the Abbey Stadium to the welcome of a 7,987-strong attendance. To your left is Radamel Falcao – a man who earns £280,000 per week, or £40,000 a day, while you earn pennies by comparison.


Cambridge United were in that very situation a little over a week ago, when a Manchester United XI – total cost, £276million – drew 0-0 with their League Two counterparts – total cost, zilch.

 Radamel Falcao walks out for Manchester United in their FA Cup tie with Cambridge at the Abbey Stadium

 Radamel Falcao walks out for Manchester United in their FA Cup tie with Cambridge at the Abbey Stadium

As in so many matches this season, Falcao was ineffective as United were held 0-0 by the League Two side

As in so many matches this season, Falcao was ineffective as United were held 0-0 by the League Two side

RADAMEL FALCAO'S WAGES

Signed on: September 1

Wages per week: £280,000 

Wages per day: £40,000

Goals in all competitions: 3

Pay per goal as of January 29: £2million

Yet forget that FA Cup hiccup because this week marks an anniversary, and sometimes that calls for celebration.

Jorge Mendes can only have been tempted to use the good China on Thursday, when his client, Falcao, passed 150 days at Old Trafford.

The milestone for the man with three Barclays Premier League goals marks the day his wages hit a cool £6m since moving to Manchester from Monaco. Tax aside. Bonuses not included.

It was on August 31 when Falcao was photographed peeking out of the window of a private jet. No stop off in Madrid or London, despite apparent interest from Carlo Ancelotti and Jose Mourinho. 

The moment Falcao touched down in a private jet to sign for Manchester United on deadline day last summer

The moment Falcao touched down in a private jet to sign for Manchester United on deadline day last summer

Louis van Gaal got him. A club desperate to become European heavyweights once more added the world-renowned striker named after Paulo Roberto Falcao – the Brazilian that starred for the greatest side not to win the 1982 World Cup. 

In a £6m season-long swoop plus wages they nabbed the natural-born killer from 12 yards or less, coached in the art of terrorising defenders by one himself: his father, Radamel Garcia.

It was Falcao's father who arranged his first contract – £50 per week – before his debut on August 28, 1999, in the Colombian second division for Lanceros Boyaca at the age of 13 years, 199 days.

Fast forward 15 years and it was Mendes, the most powerful agent in football, who orchestrated his latest contract – leaving behind a club that average less than 15,000 fans at Stade Louis II.

Falcao poses with the Monaco No 9 shirt after joining the Ligue 1 side from Atletico Madrid in 2013

Falcao poses with the Monaco No 9 shirt after joining the Ligue 1 side from Atletico Madrid in 2013

Falcao score 13 goals in 22 appearances for Monaco over two injury-affected seasons

Falcao score 13 goals in 22 appearances for Monaco over two injury-affected seasons

How Falcao scored his last goal against Stoke City

How Falcao scored his last goal against Stoke City

Yet his move from Monaco to Manchester has not matched expectations. Not by a long shot.

Not enough to warrant the Glazer family spending £2m per goal, nor enough to feel obligated to relinquish £43m to make his loan arrangement permanent.

Falcao has not scored or provided an assist since New Year's Day against Stoke City. 

Between then and now, he's faced Yeovil Town (60 minutes), Queens Park Rangers (90) and Cambridge (90).

Against QPR, to his credit, Falcao's positioning was second to none. Yet every chance – the point-blank header from five yards out, for example – was squandered.

One miss in particular was ridiculed, mainly because it was captured from an unkind angle where you could not see Steven Caulker get his studs to it beforehand. Twitter reacted to the air shot appropriately: 'Even Fernando Torres...' You can guess the rest.

Manchester United created more chances (16) against QPR than any other team this year. The closest after that being against Crystal Palace, Chelsea and Aston Villa (all 15).

Had it not been for Rob Green, Falcao would have his fourth, perhaps fifth or even sixth goal in all competitions. The pesky QPR goalkeeper was seemingly hell-bent on not allowing him relief.

Falcao fails to make contact with the ball as he passes up a sitter of a chance in United's match with QPR

Falcao fails to make contact with the ball as he passes up a sitter of a chance in United's match with QPR

The missed chance at Loftus Road has been one of a number of moments of disappointment this season

The missed chance at Loftus Road has been one of a number of moments of disappointment this season

Falcao's heat map from United's 2-0 win at Queens Park Rangers a fortnight ago

Falcao's heat map from United's 2-0 win at Queens Park Rangers a fortnight ago

And so to Cambridge, where Falcao managed 24 touches and one shot on target against a team loitering some 76 places below them in the Football League basement. 

The appropriately-named Richard Money, meanwhile, is rubbing his hands. His club are prepared for a £1.7m windfall in their return trip to Old Trafford on February 3, a smidgen more than their annual income of £1.6m. Bang for the buck, indeed.

All this frustrates Mendes, who accordingly stuck his nose in. The not-so-average Mr 10 Percent took aim at his client's new manager, insisting Falcao would be better off under the guidance of Manchester United's previous leader. No, not David Moyes.

'I would have liked it if Falcao was with Sir Alex Ferguson,' he told La Sexta last week. 'He is a player who needs to play 90 minutes and I don't understand [why he isn't].' 

Falcao pictured with his agent Jorge Mendes, who has leapt to his defence in recent weeks

Falcao pictured with his agent Jorge Mendes, who has leapt to his defence in recent weeks

FALCAO VS QPR 

Minutes: 90

Goals: 0

Assists: 0

Shots: 3

Shots on target: 3

Total passes: 33

Accurate passes: 22 (66.7%)

Duels: 17

Duel success: 58.8%

Offsides:

FALCAO VS CAMBRIDGE UNITED

Minutes: 90

Goals: 0

Assists:

Shots: 3

Shots on target: 1

Total passes: 18

Accurate passes: 18 (100%)

Duels: 9

Duel success: 33.3%

Offsides: 1

Be careful what you wish for, Jorge.

Falcao's 90 minutes apiece against QPR and Cambridge saw six shots, four on target, 40 accurate passes, two offside calls, no goals and no assists. All this, shown above.

This doesn't fit the reputation of a man voted for by Cristiano Ronaldo to win the 2013 Ballon d'Or. No petty, political, Eurovision voting by the Madridista that year, it seems. 

Is it a lack of service? An injury hangover? Louis van Gaal's formation? Plain, old rotten luck?

Well, against QPR, Falcao (No 9) played a supporting role behind Angel di Maria (No 7), as the average positions below demonstrate. A conundrum in itself. Against Cambridge, he averaged a role further up the pitch, more central, slightly ahead of Di Maria.

Next up, Leicester City, the club bottom of the Premier League, and minnows Cambridge – both at Old Trafford. Score against them, and what were we worried about? Fail, and uh oh. 

Falcao (No 9) played behind Angel di Maria (No 7) against QPR
Falcao (No 9) was the highest player as these average positions show against Cambridge

Falcao (No 9) among Manchester United's average positions against QPR (left) and Cambridge (right)

When Falcao signed in the early hours of September 1, the headlines wrote themselves. 

Take, for example, The Daily Telegraph's 'Striking it rich', Daily Star's '£350,000 a week', or Daily Mail's 'Wow Falcao'. That buzz, however, has left. The hype, barely existent. Patience wearing thin.

This was always a gamble. They hired a man that suffered anterior cruciate damage in January – an injury which stole the 2014 World Cup and eight months from him.

It was the third severe knee injury of his career. Falcao, still to this day, is understood to ice the delicate area following every training session. A rumour strengthened when he uploaded a photo to Instagram, inadvertently showing what looked to be an ice pack strapped to his left knee.  

There are still concerns about Falcao's knee, which caused him to miss the World Cup last year

There are still concerns about Falcao's knee, which caused him to miss the World Cup last year

United must make a decision on whether or not to sign the Colombian striker on a permanent basis

United must make a decision on whether or not to sign the Colombian striker on a permanent basis

Not so reassuring, either, is Falcao's diminishing records at Manchester United when compared to Monaco and Atletico Madrid.

His shot conversion rate (15 per cent) is the 64th best in the Premier League. It is by far his lowest at every club he's been with since 2011, as the table below shows. His average shots per game (1.5) is down, a far cry from his record with Atletico in 2011/12 (3.2) and 2012/13 (2.9).

Yet not all is lost. His shooting accuracy (70 per cent) is better than ever, and he now has as many assists (3) as he has managed in any season since 2011. 

FALCAO'S RECORD IN LA LIGA, LIGUE 1 AND THE PREMIER LEAGUE
Season Team Games Mins Goals Shots (on target) Total shotsAverage shots per game  Shot conversion rate Shooting accuracy Assists
2011/12 Atletico Madrid 34 2940 24 60 1083.2 22.2% 55.6% 3
2012/13 Atletico Madrid 34 2905 28 53 992.9 28.3% 53.5% 1
2013/14 Monaco 17 1393 9 24 402.4 22.5% 60.0% 0
2014/15 Monaco 3 128 2 2 31 66.7% 66.7% 0
2014/15 Manchester United 13 694 3 14 201.5 15.0% 70.0% 3
Falcao greets Lionel Messi at the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony in Zurich back in 2012

Falcao greets Lionel Messi at the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony in Zurich back in 2012

Perhaps this is a storm in a teacup, then.

Maybe his so-called 'adjustment period' is just longer than others. 

But Louis van Gaal is losing patience, no matter what he says. Dropping a man being paid £280,000 per week against Southampton – your Champions League qualification rivals – hardly screams faith.

A goal against Leicester or Cambridge would be a start because, so far, there's no value for money to be had here. And if it persists, Manchester United would be better washing their hands of Falcao.