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2014-15 Performances


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6.0 Season Average Rating
Appearances
35
Goals
10
Assists
4
Yellow cards
2
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Eric'sCollar

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I'm not a fan of bow ties but he makes it work. Have not celebrated a goal like that for a while.

 

jem

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I'm not a fan of bow ties but he makes it work. Have not celebrated a goal like that for a while.

Did you see his acceptance speech? He looked tiny on the stage, delightfully scuttling around as the presenter told him where to stand. He is truly the human teddy bear.
 

Eric'sCollar

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Did you see his acceptance speech? He looked tiny on the stage, delightfully scuttling around as the presenter told him where to stand. He is truly the human teddy bear.
I felt as though he was going to drop the trophy.
 
Hull City 0:0 Man Utd

Devil may care

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It is going to be interesting to see what happens with Mata, he was supposed to be the right sided attacker in the front 3 today but spent most of the game centrally, with Herrea spending more time out wide than him.
 

Eric'sCollar

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I have made no secret of my man love for him but I really think he had a great season. He can do a lot better but given the balance of the squad and the way we set up, I think he was very good. Hopefully see him move in to off the striker next season with Depay out wide.

Hugs.
 

Kill 'em all

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Mata used to top assists charts at Chelsea and most likely in the league. Is it possible that it's so difficult to get one of our strikers clear on goal in the same way Mata gets clear on goal for many of the goals he scores for us.

I really do think we lack movement in our final third. The only movement Mata finds in the final third is Herrera most of the time. Herrera and Mata both make the kind of runs off the ball that our strikers should be making.
 

saivet

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Mata used to top assists charts at Chelsea and most likely in the league. Is it possible that it's so difficult to get one of our strikers clear on goal in the same way Mata gets clear on goal for many of the goals he scores for us.

I really do think we lack movement in our final third. The only movement Mata finds in the final third is Herrera most of the time. Herrera and Mata both make the kind of runs off the ball that our strikers should be making.
Not sure how many of them there were but I imagine he would have had a huge chunk from set pieces. Put in a decent delivery each time and there's a chance one of their big guys will put it in.
 

Kill 'em all

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Only Silva was ahead of him in the league for chances created. Eplindex says 69% of the goalscoring chances he creates are from open play.

His assist levels and chance created statistic is very poor since joining us and I don't think it's his fault.
 

Jaxa

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I actually still believe he is very underrated and is usually playing out of his favoured position most of the time, he's a brilliant and talented footballer and has been one of our main players this season and has a lot more to offer, I hope he stays here and we can fit him in our system.
 

sullydnl

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I actually still believe he is very underrated and is usually playing out of his favoured position most of the time, he's a brilliant and talented footballer and has been one of our main players this season and has a lot more to offer, I hope he stays here and we can fit him in our system.
I think so too. Arguably our best outfield player.
 

Kill 'em all

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He is one of our best players together with De Gea, Herrera, Carrick and Young based on their performances for Manchester United this season.

If we were to sign a striker I think he deserves the number 10 spot ahead of Rooney on both ability and performances. He is very underrated on this forum and I don't know why since many worse players in other leagues are thought of as world class on here.
 

sullydnl

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Based on ability? Or you mean based on his performances this season?
Bit of both, I guess?

He's been one of our best outfield players this season and he's more talented than any of those who actually were better than him. So of all our supposed superstars (Rooney, RVP, Di Maria, etc) he's the one I'd have most faith in atm.
 

Sammyjunn

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In Smalling's pocket (as every other person)
He's had a mixed season imo, he began quite poorly, not creating enough and not influencing our play enough, later in the season he has played a more significant role, created more, scored more, so generally I think he's been good.

Next season I expext him to be even better, he needs pace, dynamism around him, people who make runs, when he plays around the likes of ADM, Depay, Young he will thrive and get closer to his old form, especially Depay is ideal for a player like Mata. Similar to Ronaldo, he's always making runs behind the defence, trying to be direct, to score. I wonder if he'll get back to the NT, I think that could be a good aim for Mata.
 

Cassidy

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The amount of clear cut chances he creates in that video alone and our players miss is incredible. :lol:
Yes we have seen some incredible wasting of chances from some of our forwards this season, and Fellaini. TBH though I think Mata missed a hat trick of sitters vs Southampton too :lol:
 

Kill 'em all

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That is why I believe he will be the first name on the team sheet once we get a top striker.
I think van Gaal really likes him as well. If we get a proper defensive midfielder we could go with with a 4-3-3 with 1 holding, 1 box to box and a play-maker in midfield. This will allow Mata to push even further and be in and around the box where he's the most effective, centrally. Something like a Schneiderlin type, Herrera as a box to box and Mata shall work I think. Their dynamism shall compensate for his lack of strength when defending.
 

sullydnl

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If we believe what LVG said when Mata was dropped (that it was solely due to the balance of the team and that Mata is actually one of our best players) then you would logically assume that whatever changes we make in the summer will help Mata bed in even more.
 

Eric'sCollar

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If we believe what LVG said when Mata was dropped (that it was solely due to the balance of the team and that Mata is actually one of our best players) then you would logically assume that whatever changes we make in the summer will help Mata bed in even more.
I think what Mata needs most in regards to new arrivals, is a powerful midfielder, someone to partner Herrera and allow Mata to be the 10 in a 3 man midfield.
 

RooneyLegend

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I think what Mata needs most in regards to new arrivals, is a powerful midfielder, someone to partner Herrera and allow Mata to be the 10 in a 3 man midfield.
We'd be short on numbers in midfield if we did that. He's not really a midfield 10, he can barely defend and when games get really tight he disappears. He also can't breach the midfield line and can't create space for others. Not what you'd want in that position. He's fine where he's currently playing, just needs to play with more freedom.
 

Eric'sCollar

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We'd be short on numbers in midfield if we did that. He's not really a midfield 10, he can barely defend and when games get really tight he disappears. He also can't breach the midfield line and can't create space for others. Not what you'd want in that position. He's fine where he's currently playing, just needs to play with more freedom.
While he is fine where he is, he is far better in a central area.
 

Shark

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There were times this season when Mata has looked world class, then he'll go off the boil. He seems quite temperamental in that he needs the team to be on a similar wavelength. He's never going to be a player you build around or relied on to carry the team.
 

finneh

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There were times this season when Mata has looked world class, then he'll go off the boil. He seems quite temperamental in that he needs the team to be on a similar wavelength. He's never going to be a player you build around or relied on to carry the team.
I think the bolded is exactly why he excels when a team is built around him. His combination with Herrera shows just how effective he can be when technically gifted player's are around him. If he's going to be played on the right side then an upgrade on Valencia will make a huge difference (also a more mobile and technically proficient striker would benefit him). If he's playing through the middle an upgrade on Fellaini technically will hugely benefit him.

I think Smalling, Mata, Herrera & Shaw are the 4 player's we should be building around (hopefully Depay will prove to be in this category to) for the next 5 years.
 

Offside

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Happy to keep him but we need better players in our first XI to challenge for the huge honours. But he is good to come in and out and score 10+ goals.
 

Kill 'em all

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Rooney's brilliant first touch on display there at 0:55. :mad:
Rooney these days. :annoyed:

Any other striker I would expect to take it into his stride and score. Many are saying we don't create enough chances but passes like those are clear cut chances for most strikers when it was such an easy pass to control.
 

Bwuk

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He and Di Maria are our two best outfield players, and thus we should build around them.
 
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