[R'hllor]

At least he doesnt look like his parents are Bermuda triangle and Black hole.

 

[sullydnl]

Decent performance and plenty of work rate.

 

[red4ever 79]

best player on the pitch today. Creative kept the ball moving

 

[Cliche Guevara]

Excellent second half. He’s clearly a player who needs options around him and excels when the team is in full flow.

He can still contribute.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

Thought he was pretty average in the first half, maybe even passenger-ish. 2nd half he started to find the spaces and passes and got involved in the game and turned it around. I do wonder what more damage we would have done if we had a RW out there instead of Mata, someone who can pass and carry the ball.

 

[PlayerOne]

Poor first half, but grew into the game. He's actually much better on the wing rather than no.10. Ran the most too, does a lot of off the ball running.

 

[charlenefan]

His lack of pace is starting to be a real problem

He's seems like a nice guy and football needs more of them but we shouldn't have room for sentiment and he just isn't good enough to be starting for us

 

[Marcelinho87]

His lack of pace is starting to be a real problem

He's seems like a nice guy and football needs more of them but we shouldn't have room for sentiment and he just isn't good enough to be starting for us

Except he is good enough and with the right players around him he has a place here. He is better than Mkhi..

 

[gavdim2002]

Mata is very, very important for our ability to build pressure on - and penetrate - deep defences. Without him, we tend to play a type of "trail and error" kind of football that makes any game, and any opposition, more dangerous than deserved. Played well today and was importan to our very good 2nd half.

 

[charlenefan]

Except he is good enough and with the right players around him he has a place here. He is better than Mkhi..

He was the weak link in attack today and if he didn't have the right players around him today then he never will

 

[DarkXaero]

No idea whats with all the negativity in here. Mata had a fine game tonight, one of our better players.

 

[breakout67]

A good player that puts a shift in. Grateful to have him here.

 

[Devil may care]

Had a decent second half and unlike Mkhi doesn't constantly lose the ball which helps build some momentum.

 

[Ljungster]

He was the weak link in attack today and if he didn't have the right players around him today then he never will

Weak link in attack? Did you see Rashford yesterday? He was the one who missplaced passes and lost the ball a number of times.. Mata was really good, especially during the second half.

 

[Pogbasky]

He was the weak link in attack today and if he didn't have the right players around him today then he never will

Wait. What??? What game were you watching?????!!

 

[Kostur]

Covered the most kms today, as basically every match. It's funny how he has awful statistics this season but apart from that Huddersfield match it's hard to pinpoint a match where he'd have been shit.

 

[haram]

Great player. Hope he starts every week.

 

[Randall Flagg]

He doesn’t go missing, sometimes though the game doesn’t find him

 

[ReallyUSA]

If he can demand more influence I would love him every game.

 

[VeevaVee]

Really enjoyed his performance. It's no surprise that our players perform better when we up the intensity a bit. Mata was zipping around everywhere.

 

[haram]

There is a reason why we didn't go after a RW this year. Mata is very important to this team.

 

[Mike09]

I think people will stop complaining about Mata not playing as a no 10. Today's game showed why he shouldn't play as a no 10 regularly.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

He did well, no secret that we can make improvements in this position.

 

[Raees]

His lack of pace is starting to be a real problem

He's seems like a nice guy and football needs more of them but we shouldn't have room for sentiment and he just isn't good enough to be starting for us

We need a player like Mata in the side I.e a link player and a possession player, killer passer but problem is he himself just isn't good enough. Team needs a quicker, more influential and aggressive Mata replacement in the side.

 

[Yagami]

Did well today but his lack of pace hindered us on the counter a few times. Still, better than Mkhi.

 

[kotha]

After the shit we got served the last few weeks from Mikhi,I can't believe people think it was a bad performance..

 

[freeurmind]

After the shit we got served the last few weeks from Mikhi,I can't believe people think it was a bad performance..

Honestly it feels like people were watching a different game.

 

[OoopsMisclick]

good workrate. I'd keep him over mikhi...

Need to sell one of the two to make space for a RW

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Mata was great. Involved in all our best work, popping up everywhere and consistently picking the right pass. Such a massive upgrade on what we’ve had at 10 in recent weeks.

 

[SachinJ22]

Except he is good enough and with the right players around him he has a place here. He is better than Mkhi..

Well, Mkhitaryan is a far better player with the right players around him, right tactics and freedom. Instead of that he has to defend also. Mata is no where near Mkhi when Mkhi is in form.

 

[Treble]

Mata was great. Involved in all our best work, popping up everywhere and consistently picking the right pass. Such a massive upgrade on what we’ve had at 10 in recent weeks.

Mata was great yesterday but it was Newcastle and not Chelsea or Spurs. Mata started against Huddersfield though.

 

[whatwha]

Wasn't great, but better than Mkhi.

 

[Marcelinho87]

Well, Mkhitaryan is a far better player with the right players around him, right tactics and freedom. Instead of that he has to defend also. Mata is no where near Mkhi when Mkhi is in form.

I respect your opinion, but I disagree.

Outside of the PL Mkhi may well be better but in it? Nah.

 

[Aren86]

Mata is a much better option than Mikhi and played good imo.

If he stays in the hole with the pace and power he has in Rashford/martial/Lukaku/Ibra he can thrive similar to David Silva at City. He just needs a run of games now in that position. He was so effective before but i think the interchanging between Mikhi and him forcing him out of position led to his form dipping quite a bit. I reckon once we start firing hell go back to assisting/scoring most games.

Mikhi has had 3 x more poor games for united than his had decent to good. The love for him is a bit odd, because his only decent when we are romping a game.

 

[MadMike]

On current form both him and Martial deserve to be ahead of Mkhi and starting games. He had a good game yesterday

 

[Freak]

I seem to notice that for a #10, Mata's majority of play involves spreading play wide rather than through the middle. I get that Newcastle were compact in the middle, but as soon as Zlatan came on, we basically had more passes going through the middle in the attacking areas.

 

[anant]

Well, Mkhitaryan is a far better player with the right players around him, right tactics and freedom. Instead of that he has to defend also. Mata is no where near Mkhi when Mkhi is in form.

Who exactly are the players he needs to play with? And he has played with a lot of freedom in nearly every game. Secondly, Mata doesn't have to defend is one of the biggest myths here on caf. His defensive duties have been far more than any of our front 4 players. Thirdly, Mkhi hasn't been in form for the last 1.5 years, so I'm not sure what you're basing this argument on

 

[SachinJ22]

I respect your opinion, but I disagree.

Outside of the PL Mkhi may well be better but in it? Nah.

We haven't seen Mkhi at his peak yet in the PL, I feel that he has a higher ceiling compared to Mata.

 

[SachinJ22]

Who exactly are the players he needs to play with? And he has played with a lot of freedom in nearly every game. Secondly, Mata doesn't have to defend is one of the biggest myths here on caf. His defensive duties have been far more than any of our front 4 players. Thirdly, Mkhi hasn't been in form for the last 1.5 years, so I'm not sure what you're basing this argument on

No one was in form before the Newcastle game, so I don't understand why people are blaming only Mkhi here. Mata and Mkhi are different players, Mkhi wants to be involved in the attack more than to sit back and defend and Mata doesn't mind even if he has to defend. I never told Mata doesn't defend. No one was saying anything when he was getting assists at the start of the season, when the whole team started playing badly everyone started bashing Mkhi. Freedom? Really? He hasn't been allowed to use his pace, by the time he gets the ball the other team players get back in position to defend.

 

[SachinJ22]

Who exactly are the players he needs to play with?

The players who played yesterday excluding Mata.