Radamel Falcao reduced to tears by Man United woes, claims friend

Radamel Falcao has been reduced to tears by his problems at Manchester United this season, according to the striker's mentor.

Falcao, on a season-long loan from Monaco, has struggled to make an impact at United, scoring just four goals in 21 appearances since moving to England last summer.

The Colombia striker's lowest point came when he was left on the bench as United were dumped out of the FA Cup to Arsenal – his misery compounded by being forced to play for the club's reserves the next day at Old Trafford.

Falcao's disappointing form continued in that game, with the 29-year-old being taken off after 70 minutes, a chastening experience for the forward, according to his former agent Silvano Espindola.

Espindola said: “We talk a lot. I'm not going to say that he feels happy because he's not. We've spoken many times and cried together.

“It's not an easy situation because every player wants to play and every goal-scorer wants to score goals, that’s normal.

“But, at the moment, he isn’t scoring and that’s part of his football. He’s recovering his best form.

"When we spoke, I told him that this happens to every striker, that he’ll get over this poor run, and has happened to every great striker.

"When you don’t score, you’re going to begin to feel the pressure.”

Espindola, speaking to AS Colombia, said Falcao found it hard to accept being asked to play for United's second-string, just 24 hours after being left on the bench by Louis van Gaal for the FA Cup defeat to Arsenal.

“When he was on his way to the ground to play this game with the reserves, he called me,” said Espindola.

“We spoke for 20 minutes until he reached the stadium and he told me 'I've never been through something like this, I don't know how to deal with this situation. It feels weird for me'.”