Off the top of my head, Newcastle (home), Spurs (away), QPR (away) were a few of the games where he created some decent/very good opportunities.
8
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 35
- Goals
- 10
- Assists
- 4
- Yellow cards
- 2
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Mata behind rooney is what I've wanted to see for a while now. Let's hope it works
He starts again 
Show us something Juan
Show us something JuanGood to see him play and as usual I hope I'm wrong but I just can't see how he can really play his game in this line up. He's either going to be wider than he wants, being asked to cross it to the bank post to Fellaini or he's going to be playing behind Rooney/Fellaini, neither with pace, Fellaini who won't link up how Mata wants to and with Valencia/Young stick wide so he can't try to play them in.
I'd love to see mata, januzaj, rooney and di maria/young given a couple of games together to see how they do. I always think it's unfair when we might play a few of them in one game and people knock it when it doesn't immediately click. Give them a few games together and I think it's a far more balanced side with players who actually complement each other. Fellaini can be effective but for me he takes a way more than he gives.
I'd love to see mata, januzaj, rooney and di maria/young given a couple of games together to see how they do. I always think it's unfair when we might play a few of them in one game and people knock it when it doesn't immediately click. Give them a few games together and I think it's a far more balanced side with players who actually complement each other. Fellaini can be effective but for me he takes a way more than he gives.
So after, what, 10 games out, he's thrown back in in a tough game and expected to perform immediately. And when, like the rest of the side, he's inevitably mediocre, he'll be sent to the reserves again. I find it pretty odd, tbh.
Will be starting on the wing, tracking back against Rose will be very important, I hope we don't regret it.
Always plays well vs Spurs. So hopefully today he does again.
Yep that's how I see it. It's a bizarre thing where people discount context of a performane, i.e. a lack of momentum in to the game and also in a set up that doesn't suit him. Like I said, give him an extended run with Rooney and two of januzaj, young and di maria and then I think it's fair to judge him and I think personally he'd do a lot better there.
LVG has just said, Mata is a similar player to Di Maria. Is he retarded?
He is philosophical
His argument was that they were both left footed. He had no idea how to answer that question. Probably also wouldn't have been able to answer why Fellaini is still a #10.
Yeah, really strange. Apart from the fact that you could vaguely categorise both as attacking midfielders, they're incredibly different.
Man Utd 3:0 Tottenham
He was actually tracking back .......wow
Brilliant player.
Looks like he has a fire in his belly today, fighting hard. Still a liability given how slow and weak he is but playing himself into the game and he's a good threat when the ball goes into the box. Hope he has a good second half
His passing is nice and much more accurate than Di Maria's, but his lack of pace and how easily he is knocked off the ball in a one on one situation is still very evidently an issue.
Mata's pressed today. Like, genuinely. Haha. Been great on the ball too. Played a couple of reverse passes that have had me grinning like a Cheshire cat.
He's adding some ball retention, and handsomeness to our team today.
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Terrific half. He needs to play
He needs to play more often
Seems to like playing Spurs. Great player to watch when on form.
This pretty much!
Impossible, Redcafe told me he isn't creative.
1. Play Mata
2. Play Herrera
3. ????
4. Win everything
2. Play Herrera
3. ????
4. Win everything
He needs to play on the wing. Always has. Far more time and space out there then down the middle.
No idea why he hasn't been starting the past couple of months. We actually were decent over Christmas when he was playing and our dip has been while he's been benched. Great player.
I still think in certain games Mata cannot be the starter out wide, particularly the games in which we require a bit of pace out there.
Should start most games behind Rooney,.
Its the same with Di Maria. Not that I feel you're comparing the 2 but pointing it out.
As well as his passing he's fairly on the ball when it comes to the tracking back and sticking in side of things today too. A right little terrier when he wants to be.
Him and Herrera just link up well.
Considering he hasn't played for ages he has had a great half. I hope @Raees will close his Eriksen thread where he was ridiculously overrating him. If Mata had played like Eriksen today, G Neville, half of the Caf and I don't know who else would be calling him a pub player. How can anyone want Eriksen in our team when a much better player in Mata is not even a starter for us at times?
3. Play Rafael?
Mata has been great this half, he really should have started more games recently.
Play him till the rest of the season LvG! After being out for so long he's fitted back in like a treat.
Very good so far. Exactly the type of performance we bought him for.
Disagree. I don't think there is a genuine necessity for pace in the side but there is for creativity which Mata brings but only from the wing. Even under Moyes, he looked far better and more involved from the wing then off the front. Just too easy to brush off the ball and crowd out.
The team should be built round him.
Thought he played really well today. Its mind boggling he hasn't played in a month, he's been decent all season imo.
He had a number of games at the start of the season where he was largely anonymous, but he's been brilliant today.
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