Non existent in the first half but when Lingard came on and he moved into the #8 role I thought he was decent.
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Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 32
- Goals
- 6
- Assists
- 3
- Yellow cards
- 3
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
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His loveliness cannot hide his gash performance today. Never EVER play him on the right. It's like playing with 10 fecking men.
One of the better players on the pitch tonight. Wont be acknowledged because people made up their minds 10 minutes into the game. Every other player in the front six was worse bar arguably Matic.
Let him go.
He needs to leave at the end of the season . There's no room for him in this team. There's room for only one playmaker in the team and that's Pogba. Anyone else needs to be defensive minded or attacking goal threat.
Exactly.
If anyone can watch the last 20/30 minutes of that game and say that he was crap, then I don't really know what they were watching.
He did well considering he's the worst player to ever play for the club.
(according to the match thread)
(according to the match thread)
Stared slow but was inspirational in the come back. Much more suited to the number 8 role.
This. But he is so slow that it is a danger defensively because he does not have the pace to track back.
He got bullied all over the pitch. When will we stop playing him against physical sides ?
Only reason he looked decent in the centre was because Burnley were sitting deep. Last time he played there from the start (Huddersfield or Brighton last season, I think), he was bullied like a ragdoll.
His tendency to drop deep to collect the ball (in a game where we've had 80% possession) in the middle of the pitch leaving us a man short up top really hurt our attacking chances. Mata needs the ball to be effective. We've won games with Ole thru off the ball movement. Playing Mata in a game where we already have Pogba is pointless. Pogba does everything Mata does from a different position.
Last time he played there from the start was Chelsea... And he was excellent.
Exactly! He was great in the last 20-30 minutes and even in the 1st half, he was the one distributing the balls and was doing a decent job
He wasn't bad tbf but as soon as I saw him on the team sheet I was worried about the result. He simply does not score or assist at anywhere close to a good enough rate and it costs us game after game.
Such a pointless player.
Played well after the subs but should be moved on in the summer. Nice guy and good player but just doesn’t suit us. Credit to him for creating a lot of our chances in the comeback and could have done more if Young in particular had made better choices. Mata took up a lot of clever spots in the channels but wasn’t found often enough.
He was good today and showed a real fight to try and get the win.
He is not good enough. Some players werent better, but usually they have a better day. Mata standard performance, he makes us a whole team worse. He likes to keep the ball and ruins the tempo, makes no killer passes, doesnt score. He just plays it nicely and save, wanders around all over the pitch with zero impact. Looks good when he is on the ball and slows the tempo down, pointless though. Did he play badly? No. Did he play well? No. Is he good enough? No. Just buy someone or give Gomes the minutes.
2 year contract would be a joke.
2 year contract would be a joke.
From the start of what? Since he joined us from Chelsea? I have my doubts.
BTW, Mata is one of the 3 nominees for the MOTM
I like him but he needs replacing
Had the ball at 94:50 in a crossing position and passed it backwards, into midfield. That infuriated me.
He played well by his standards, the problem is he doesn't fit a system in PL football, and thus makes the side easy to defend and predictable.
Defense can load up on the left, and he'll roam into the middle making passes infront of them.
He played well by his standards, the problem is he doesn't fit a system in PL football, and thus makes the side easy to defend and predictable.
Defense can load up on the left, and he'll roam into the middle making passes infront of them.
Never should be starting on the right. Why?
He just congests the midfield. Then we wonder why we have no width on the right.
This says a lot.
Not a comment on his individual performance, but we undoubtedly play worse when he's in the team. We need lively, pacy wingers on either side.
I thought he was arguably our best player tonight.
He looked good at times when he was a bit deeper in midfield when we were making our push for the comeback.
He's not good enough I'm afraid. Unless we play him as CAM all the time, it's a waste to renew his contract. He's awful at RW and LW, and he is not physical enough. Keeping him for bench and RW appearances would be a total waste of money IMO.
And letting him go for free when we could easily sell him for a fair few million wouldn't be a waste of money?
Nice guy but he does not offer anything to the team. Sell him.
What millions would we make? By the time we extend his contract and he ages further - he’s not going to get us much profit and yet by having to play him regularly he holds back the development of younger fresher players and tbh ever since his arrival kind of like Fellaini he’s been a bad omen as he is just a bad fit for the club.
He has to play as a 10 or not at all.
Overall id have to say he's been one of the most disappointing players we've ever signed. I couldn't believe it when Chelsea sold us him, but he's hardly been recognisable as the player he was at Chelsea. He's just so nothing.
I wish we didn't keep playing him.
I wish we didn't keep playing him.
This.
Hope i never see him play on the right wing again, though sadly i know i will have to endure it again at some point.
Centrally he's fine, played better when he moved in, but jesus does he hamper the right side of our attack when he's deployed RW.
He's tidy,industrious forward but as time passes on we're noticing his deficiencies in his game.
Unfortunately his mind is quicker than his legs.And apart from being a good set-piece specialist there's not a great deal of worth he can offer the team in open play.
Unfortunately his mind is quicker than his legs.And apart from being a good set-piece specialist there's not a great deal of worth he can offer the team in open play.
Code for he needs to leave.
Pogba is the 10. And far superior.
Where is Mata going to play? He doesn't have the speed to play on RW and we have better player in his preferred position.
If we could just sub him on,and sub him off, for close-range freekicks then he has some worth.
This. I think the biggest issue is that his style simply doesn’t suit the United way. He is probably much better in other teams with different style.
He is still a good player, at least technically. But I just don’t see his future with us anymore
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