Sky Sources : Blind and Mata set to leave this summer.

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11101

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Rubbish. No way Mourinho is letting go of anyone until he's seen them up close in training.

It's curtains for Mata though.
 

Von Mistelroum

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Yeah, well that's where we disagree. I think Lingard is better quality than Blind, in a way that doesn't need tailoring. He's younger. He's brought up by the club. And he deserves the chance to keep proving himself next season.
Can't see the quality. He's alright, but not top 4 material as far as I can see. I suspect he'll be plying his trade at (somewhere like) West Brom in a couple of years time. Blind, on the other hand, I believe would do well in any league where he's appreciated. I think that, if he leaves, he'll end up at somewhere like Juve/Inter.
 

Sammyjunn

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Have to love the current English mentality when it comes to football, every player has to be big, strong, fast, who cares if the player has no idea what to do with the ball, or turns into a clown when the ball gets played to him. It's really no surprise that English teams look to have amateurs in their teams when they get into Europe, we replace Blind, with another big, strong, fast guy (maybe even equivalent of Rojo/Jones) and we have a pairing with no ability on the ball, a pairing who cant linkup with midfield as the opposition can just pressure them a bit and make them play backpasses to de Gea, we do have a pairing that is stronger in the air, but then again tactically less in order and with less actual reading of the game, what becomes more important vs teams that dont just rely on speed and strength.

That having said, Blind is probably not good enough to be our first CB, but the reasoning behind that is what bothers me, we should get an improved version of Blind, someone like Laporte, or Alderweireld (just names) not another Smalling/Jones, it wont help us in our play, only with the 1 vs 1 physical battles.

As for Mata, I personally dont like the player, he can pop up with a goal from time to time, but he creates next to nothing, plays as a ball retention player in advanced positions and cant keep hold of the ball himself really, so when he gets in tight positions, he doesnt really have the ability to get out of those like Isco, James, Ozil, Younger Silva, Costa etc can. But as for a replacement of him (talking about the no 10) position, we dont need another runner, another physical guy with 3 lungs, and a decent long range shot like Barkley or Rooney (apart from the Valencia pass), we need a no 10 who combines the midfield with attack, has the eye for a through ball, creates chances, creates space for his fellow players and is a decent finisher. So basically we need to improve on Mata, not buy a player who's neccesarily different to him. I'd hate it to see us go back to the old English style of play based on physique and speed.
 

#07

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So Fellaini, Rojo, Bastian, Carrick would be out immediately.
I think Mou will want Carrick around, at least for next year, just for his title winning experience. Mou says he wants to win, and he will be wary of losing title winning experience with so many in our squad unused to squeaky bum time.

The others could be under threat. Schweinsteiger's contract length, and winning know how, could save him. Still, he will need to prove he's still the player who won the 2014 World Cup to have a real future.

Rojo is aggressive at the back, that'll be a tick for Mou.

Fellaini doesn't have the mobility. He's big but he doesn't get around the field like Mou wants. I've never seen Mourinho use a player like Fellaini. Doesn't mean it won't happen but you go through the list of Mourinho midfielders, from Essien to Matic, none have been as lumbering as Fellaini.
 

RedDevil@84

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I think Mou will want Carrick around, at least for next year, just for his title winning experience. Mou says he wants to win, and he will be wary of losing title winning experience with so many in our squad unused to squeaky bum time.

The others could be under threat. Schweinsteiger's contract length, and winning know how, could save him. Still, he will need to prove he's still the player who won the 2014 World Cup to have a real future.

Rojo is aggressive at the back, that'll be a tick for Mou.

Fellaini doesn't have the mobility. He's big but he doesn't get around the field like Mou wants. I've never seen Mourinho use a player like Fellaini. Doesn't mean it won't happen but you go through the list of Mourinho midfielders, from Essien to Matic, none have been as lumbering as Fellaini.
I guess so. I don't think Mou will make drastic changes in the team. He may even keep Mata if he can't get in a better player. It was not like he had some kind of personal fight with Mata at Chelsea. He preferred Oscar who was proved to be a bit meh.

I was anyways just reacting to the comment that Mou like players to be athletes with pace and power.
 

BennyBlanco

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Mourinho's first Chelsea team included Scott Parker, Tiago and Joe Cole. I wouldn't say those midfielders are pace/power types.
Parker and Cole were there before he came in, and Im not sure Parker played much under him. Tiago was sold after 1 season if memory serves, and joe cole was pretty zippy when young and energetic.
It would be interesting for someone out there with some energy to go back and look at Chelsea's signings over his two reigns, see what the general "build" of player he's bought.
 

Classical Mechanic

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So Fellaini, Rojo, Bastian, Carrick would be out immediately.
Fellani is one of the toughest and biggest players in the league, Rojo is a hard man defender, Schweinsteiger puts himself about big time. Carrick is 6ft 1 whereas Blind is 5ft 9. Carrick is more important as part of the fabric of the club too, by a long long way.
 

RedDevil@84

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Fellani is one of the toughest and biggest players in the league, Rojo is a hard man defender, Schweinsteiger puts himself about big time. Carrick is 6ft 1 whereas Blind is 5ft 9. Carrick is more important as part of the fabric of the club too, by a long long way.
But none have the pace or power you said Mou wanted in the players.
 

2 man midfield

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I misread your original post and thought it said 'tool', so my bad.

So what is there to like with being ruthless about something that is the least of our worries?!

LVG was ruthless too for the past 2 years and we know how some people saw it. Also, I don't remember Jose shipping tons of players out of old squads from his previous teams when he took over. Can someone confirm that?

Great managers usually make good use with what they have mostly instead of wholesale changes.
Hey don't get me wrong, I'd rather keep both. But I'm not the manager. If he's got something else in mind that doesn't require their services then that's up to him. So long as he doesn't leave the squad threadbare like van Gaal did, but we have sufficient left back cover and an abundance of number tens.
 

Classical Mechanic

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Mourinho's first Chelsea team included Scott Parker, Tiago and Joe Cole. I wouldn't say those midfielders are pace/power types.
Scott Parker put himself about and was a proper PL player. Can't remember much about Tiago as a player TBH. J Cole was perhaps the player that infuriated Mourinho the most for lack of work rate etc.

But none have the pace or power you said Mou wanted in the players.
I said pace and/or power.
 

sunama

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Very surprised about Blind. Can give very good cover in three different positions, but SSN has been a bit crap for a long, long time.
Indeed.
Mata was always going to leave, when Jose arrived. No surprise, there.
Blind though, I think he'll stay. Mourinho will appreciate his work ethic, technical ability and the fact that he can play in multiple positions.
 

sunama

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Consistently below average isn't something to be particularly proud about tbh.
When Blind was played in DM, he was fine and one of the highest rated players in his first season.
In his 2nd season, he was good. Not average. The problem is that he is not a defender and when played out of position, you cannot expect him to perform at his highest ability.
 

Skills

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When Blind was played in DM, he was fine and one of the highest rated players in his first season.
In his 2nd season, he was good. Not average. The problem is that he is not a defender and when played out of position, you cannot expect him to perform at his highest ability.
He was fecking dreadful. A defensive midfielder, who ran around like a headless chicken leaving the defense exposed. No sense of positioning, awareness or anything.
 

Loon

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Mourinho is probably going over the stats of all his players. It's his thing, isn't it?
 

NinjaZombie

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Mata has scored or assisted more goals than any other United payer barring Rooney since he arrived.

'Creates nothing', feck me.
Mata keeps it safe probably most of the time he has the ball, but who's to say it's not from Van Gaal's instructions?
 

Sammyjunn

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Mata has scored or assisted more goals than any other United payer barring Rooney since he arrived.

'Creates nothing', feck me.
Our entire team creates nothing bar Martial, Martial is our best forward, then Mata. It says nothing as all of our forwards arent good enough bar Martial. Compared to Ozil, Eriksen, de Bruyne, Reus etc, Mata is indeed not very creative. As in assists/chances created/key passes.
 

sullydnl

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Our entire team creates nothing bar Martial, Martial is our best forward, then Mata. It says nothing as all of our forwards arent good enough bar Martial. Compared to Ozil, Eriksen, de Bruyne, Reus etc, Mata is indeed not very creative. As in assists/chances created/key passes.
That's fine if we're replacing Mata with Ozil, Eriksen, De Bruyne, Reus or similar. Until we do though it might be a smart idea to hang on to him for the time being.
 

Leftback99

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We wouldn't miss Mata at all and it's hard to see where Blind fits in going forward. Wouldn't surprise me if this Sky guesswork came true.
 

starman

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I doubt he going to get rid straight away without having a look. Mata's workrate has improved since leaving Chelsea and Blind is a very good utility player

He probably said internally he had reservations with both as neither are pacey or powerful, and someone at Sky has caught wind this and ran this story.
 

VP89

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He was fecking dreadful. A defensive midfielder, who ran around like a headless chicken leaving the defense exposed. No sense of positioning, awareness or anything.
Like feck he was.
 

Someone

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Doesn't make any sense with blind, he had a good season and even if we want to replace him, we won't get a better cover than him.

It'd be a shame with mata but i could see it happening.
 

#07

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Our entire team creates nothing bar Martial, Martial is our best forward, then Mata. It says nothing as all of our forwards arent good enough bar Martial. Compared to Ozil, Eriksen, de Bruyne, Reus etc, Mata is indeed not very creative. As in assists/chances created/key passes.
I think its unfair to talk Mata down. He's a top player. He simply doesn't offer what Mourinho wants from a #10.

Mata reminds me a lot of Riquelme: a talented, physically unimposing play maker, whose strengths are technique and ability to open defences. If you have a player like that in your team, everything has to be built around him. The way you construct your midfield must compensate for his lack of strength and speed. It affects the football you play, you can't really have a high energy pressing game with that type of player in your team. That does not mean that players like Mata and Riquelme are bad or uncreative. Its just to play to their strengths requires a different type of football. Not the football that Mourinho uses to be successful.
 

VP89

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Our entire team creates nothing bar Martial, Martial is our best forward, then Mata. It says nothing as all of our forwards arent good enough bar Martial. Compared to Ozil, Eriksen, de Bruyne, Reus etc, Mata is indeed not very creative. As in assists/chances created/key passes.
Its not fair to judge most attackers under LVGs regime tbh.
 

bond19821982

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A perfect replacement for mascharano . Mata probably be part of Gomez deal.
So sad to see them leave - both are technically quite good . It was so refreshing to see blind at cb despite making some mistakes.

Hope it's just guess work!
 

Jonno

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I've thought Mata was a bit of a spare part for a good while now. Good player on his day, but in those advanced positions you can only probably afford 1 paceless player
 

SteveJ

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Daley shouldn't have said those nice things about van Gaal.
 

Ixion

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He was fecking dreadful. A defensive midfielder, who ran around like a headless chicken leaving the defense exposed. No sense of positioning, awareness or anything.
First season in the league coming from the Dutch league, he did fine. Look at Memphis for how badly that transition can go.
 

OohAahMartial

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http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/blind-determined-fight-his-place-under-mourinho#:ZRnHMuXBHh_VuA
"I will just give my all and work hard. Mourinho is a manager who has achieved a lot and I am keen to work with him.

"I might not be as big as Pepe, but I think I have shown in the Premier League that I can hold my own defensively. We conceded the fewest goals in the Premier League and I think we got the most clean sheets. That's something to be proud of. I played nearly every game and that is a good feeling.

"You might be looking for a certain statement [about my future], but I will just give my all under Mourinho."


Read more at http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/blind-determined-fight-his-place-under-mourinho#Y9YdQV2Gf0u7O0TA.99
 
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