Juan Mata | Official: Signs two-year contract with option of a third

kouroux

45k posts to finally achieve this tagline
Joined
Apr 25, 2007
Messages
95,709
Location
Djibouti (La terre des braves)
Oh absolutely, ideally we wouldn't be in this position at all. If possible I'd happily see half the squad cleared out, the likes of Mata, Young, Jones and the rest included.

That literally isn't possible from where we are though. More than a few players we want gone have to be kept. That's the reality of the low ebb we find ourselves in.

Sending out a signal that we mean business would be nice but if you're Solskjaer it means an awful lot less than making sure you have enough players in your squad for the coming season.

Draw up a list of all the players you want out in your mind, then imagine you're told you have to keep 3/4 of them for next season. That's Solskjaer's job and it isn't an easy one.
His job isn't easy at all, specially when he's discovering everything. We're gonna regret this I'm afraid. Renewing Mata.. It's really funny when you think about it
 

Snuffkin

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Mar 2, 2019
Messages
671
This is great news. He'll be an asset to the dressing room as well as an ace on the park.
Lets hope he gets game time as I love him to bits.

Maybe this will encourage his pal David to sign an extension as well. Then I'll be over the moon.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

sullydnl

Ross Kemp's caf ID
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
34,063
His job isn't easy at all, specially when he's discovering everything. We're gonna regret this I'm afraid. Renewing Mata.. It's really funny when you think about it
I don't agree with it in Mata's case but I definitely empathise with the sentiment. When Jones got his contract I literally laughed out loud and it wasn't a happy laugh. Stuff like this really emphasises where we're at.
 

kouroux

45k posts to finally achieve this tagline
Joined
Apr 25, 2007
Messages
95,709
Location
Djibouti (La terre des braves)
I don't agree with it in Mata's case but I definitely empathise with the sentiment. When Jones got his contract I literally laughed out loud and it wasn't a happy laugh. Stuff like this really emphasises where we're at.
I don't have an issue with Mata per se, if he had been the first one extended out of that bunch, I'd be fine with. However seeing Smalling, Jones, Young and even Rojo the previous year all get extensions just makes me wonder where we're going.
 

Tarrou

Full Member
Joined
May 13, 2013
Messages
25,538
Location
Sydney
3 years is a bizarre decision

I guess the Glazers are tightening the purse strings what with all the barely serviceable squad players we're renewing
 

sullydnl

Ross Kemp's caf ID
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
34,063
:lol: Great position we're in. Get rid of Sanchez and I understand keeping Mata. But we're likely keeping him because nobody can afford him. So now we have both. Say what you will about Lukaku, I'm one of his biggest haters but hes still the only player of that group who is even around their prime, and one who can provide a decent benefit to the squad, yet I'd bet hes the only attacker who leaves (which would leave us in an even worse state than now).

I understand the whole thing about not being able to get rid of everyone. I want to get rid of Darmian and Rojo because they literally never play. Same with Sanchez. Its empty wages. People hate on Young but it makes sense keeping him as a back up fullback (rotating with Dalot as first back up). Its just that there's so many of those that half of them at least half to go.
Exactly. We have so many substandard players it has become less about who we want to keep and more who we want to sell first. Darmian, Rojo and especially Lukaku will at least be paid for by someone while Sanchez will free up big money in wages. Whereas the likes of Mata and Young aren't even worth losing to my mind as we get nothing for them while opening up another position we need fill.
 

Tonjo

Full Member
Joined
Sep 23, 1999
Messages
715
Location
Singapore
Already not tough physically and do not have the tank to last. Yet offered 3 years contract? What a joke. This showed Woodward doesn't know football or whoever advised him.
 

Ole’s Wheel

New Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2019
Messages
649
Supports
CR7
The state of this club.


The Glazers and Woodward with decisions like this are why United have turned into a laughing stock. I remember when we used to be a top world club not just in entity but on the field too. The latter - those days are well behind us.
 

El Jefe

Full Member
Joined
Dec 28, 2012
Messages
4,855
The ones who are applauding deals like this will be the first to be shouting Ole out!
On the contrary, I think the same lot will be asking for us to give Ole time and back the manager when we're out of the top 4 race by March 2020.
 
Joined
May 22, 2017
Messages
13,122
The club want him as an ambassador when he retires I think. He’s really settled in Manchester too it seems.
He’s got a restaurant...

As far as I can see, the length of his deal has not been confirmed yet? Let’s all reserve our outrage until it has! I genuinely can’t see it as a three year deal - perhaps a 2+1 as Mata would want more security than just a one year deal.
 

RedDevilRoshi

Full Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2017
Messages
13,180
Honestly I am genuinely not surprised one bit about this news

Especially when you have headless chickens running this club.

:rolleyes:
 

RedPed

Whatabouter.
Joined
Jun 24, 2015
Messages
14,558
On the contrary, I think the same lot will be asking for us to give Ole time and back the manager when we're out of the top 4 race by March 2020.
Nah, they'll be saying we did the right thing by giving Mr. Nice Guy a lifetime gig because he's such a decent guy and does his blogs 'n' stuff. Then going mental in the matchday threads when we're overrun by Brighton and Sheffield United at home.
 

RedDevil@84

Full Member
Joined
Jun 5, 2014
Messages
21,549
Location
USA
Pretty much on par with the expectations, after the Smalling, Jones, Young deals. Be it 2 or 3 years
 

MiceOnMeth

Full Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2014
Messages
1,744
Mata lingard and Sanchez will make up the bulk of our wide options again next season let that sink in ladies and gents.
 

Florida Man

Cartoon expert and crap superhero
Joined
Jan 24, 2014
Messages
13,863
Location
Florida, man
I’m not too mad about a Mata deal. Could be useful for the Europa league where the pace and strength is reduced. He’s still skillful on the ball.
 

Annihilate Now!

...or later, I'm not fussy
Scout
Joined
Nov 4, 2010
Messages
49,674
Location
W.Yorks
Amazing how heavily people are criticizing this when we have no idea what our squad will look like at the start of next season.

If we're losing Pogba, Sanchez, Herrera, Lukaku and whoever else, then keeping around Mata as a squad option is a good bit of business...

Seriously, if Mata is being kept on to be a squad option for number 10, then why are people getting so pissed? He was actually pretty decent there towards the back end of the season whilst almost everyone else was playing like dog shit.
 

Jordan_mufc

Full Member
Joined
Oct 31, 2016
Messages
461
Mata must be a huge influence within the dressing room. However, I don't think that's enough to warrant a 3-year contract. He certainly doesn't fit in with Ole's style of football. One can only hope that there is an actual plan behind all of this and not just spur of the moment, panic decisions.
 

Patrick08

New Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2018
Messages
5,447
I’m not too mad about a Mata deal. Could be useful for the Europa league where the pace and strength is reduced. He’s still skillful on the ball.
140k a week, three years and one season at least in Europa league where we could have bread another player.
 

izec

Full Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2013
Messages
27,164
Location
Lucilinburhuc

What does Butragueno actually do at Madrid?
If it hasnt changed, he is Director of institutional relations. His role is bigger than an ambassadorial role though, he is much more involved with the club. For example, i see him with CL draws sitting in there and giving interviews afterwards. Also after CL games, he always is present somewhere. Not sure we have such a role at the moment for an ex player or legend

I find it hard to compare Mata to him, since he was Vice president at Real and played a decade for them, being an absolute legend.
 

MiceOnMeth

Full Member
Joined
Jan 26, 2014
Messages
1,744
Amazing how heavily people are criticizing this when we have no idea what our squad will look like at the start of next season.

If we're losing Pogba, Sanchez, Herrera, Lukaku and whoever else, then keeping around Mata as a squad option is a good bit of business...

Seriously, if Mata is being kept on to be a squad option for number 10, then why are people getting so pissed? He was actually pretty decent there towards the back end of the season whilst almost everyone else was playing like dog shit.
1) plays predominantly as a winger even though hes slow as shite and well past it physically

2) huge wages which could be better spent elsewhere

3) limits involvement of younger players such as Chong as he will be given game time in the cups and Europa

4) painful reminder of the shithouse Moyes/LvG era and never lived up to the expectations that came with a then record signing

But hes a sound bloke and well liked in the dressing room so feck it?
 

BlueHaze

New Member
Joined
May 20, 2018
Messages
4,453
I can't believe so many people are okay with this? We have just given a 3 year deal to a finished 31 year old and this comes from me who like Mata the most out of any player we have because he is a very good person. That's pretty much it with him, he's a great guy to have around but performance wise he offers us very little so how does that warrant a 3 year deal? Why are we even extending with these type of players at all instead of moving on and replacing them with better alternatives?
 

Luke1995

Full Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2016
Messages
3,444
Our midfields options are so bad in terms of creativity other than Pogba that Mata is actually one of the best, but the lack of pace is a big red flag...
 

Ali Dia

Full Member
Joined
May 10, 2013
Messages
14,137
Location
Souness's Super Sub/George Weahs Talented Cousin
Out of all the crappy renewals this is the one that makes me least frustrated... I still have no clue what the club is at though. I need to stay away from here while the club is being run so badly. If you don’t have something nice to say and all that...
 

sullydnl

Ross Kemp's caf ID
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
34,063
If it hasnt changed, he is Director of institutional relations. His role is bigger than an ambassadorial role though, he is much more involved with the club. For example, i see him with CL draws sitting in there and giving interviews afterwards. Also after CL games, he always is present somewhere. Not sure we have such a role at the moment for an ex player or legend

I find it hard to compare Mata to him, since he was Vice president at Real and played a decade for them, being an absolute legend.
I guess with Mata it would be less to do with his ties to the club (though he will have been here for nearly a decade too if he stays for another three years and is apparently very settled in the area) and more to do with his personality generally. Between his work with common goal and his savvy media skills (it isn't an accident that everyone thinks of him as such a nice guy) he would seem to have the capacity for some sort of post-playing role at some club. We probably figure he's generally a good person to have representing the club in some capacity. He's a PR dream really.
 

Litch

Full Member
Joined
Dec 23, 2013
Messages
10,183
I am worried. Smalling, Jones, Young and now Mata? We are fecked.....
 

sullydnl

Ross Kemp's caf ID
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
34,063
I can't believe so many people are okay with this? We have just given a 3 year deal to a finished 31 year old and this comes from me who like Mata the most out of any player we have because he is a very good person. That's pretty much it with him, he's a great guy to have around but performance wise he offers us very little so how does that warrant a 3 year deal? Why are we even extending with these type of players at all instead of moving on and replacing them with better alternatives?
Because by the time we've managed to replace all the other players who need replacing Mata's new contract will be up anyway.

We have so many players who need upgrading that re-signing the likes of Mata and Young won't hinder us at all. We have years of transfer work to do even with them in the squad. Replacing them now would just slow us in replacing others as we'd have to divert money from higher priority problems.
 

dpansheth

Full Member
Joined
Oct 27, 2012
Messages
1,086
I’ll support the club but I’ll not watch a single united game.. Mata given an extension is the line in the sand for me.
 

BlueHaze

New Member
Joined
May 20, 2018
Messages
4,453
Because by the time we've managed to replace all the other players who need replacing Mata's new contract will be up anyway.

We have so many players who need upgrading that re-signing the likes of Mata and Young won't hinder us at all. We have years of transfer work to do even with them in the squad. Replacing them now would just slow us in replacing others as we'd have to divert money from higher priority problems.
This part is confusing. Why should we just prolong the inevitable? Good functioning clubs move on from these players who offer very little as quickly as possible and replace them with younger and better options. There is literally no reason to spend further years paying these guys wages when we could clear up space for others. Mata and Young will have little to no impact on the upcoming season and we should have moved on from both years ago.