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2014-15 Performances


View full 2014-15 profile

6.0 Season Average Rating
Appearances
35
Goals
10
Assists
4
Yellow cards
2
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Acole9

Outstanding
Joined
Feb 17, 2013
Messages
12,507
He's looked a shadow of the player from a few weeks ago. Too much sideways passing.
 

DWelbz19

Correctly predicted Portugal to win Euro 2016
Joined
Oct 31, 2012
Messages
34,034
He's supposed to be our creative hub but he always looks as though he needs someone else to be that. Too much sideways passing.
 

Adam-Utd

Part of first caf team to complete Destiny raid
Joined
Sep 10, 2010
Messages
39,954
For a wide player the lack of attacking his fullback is pathetic.

Ok you can blame tactics but he is always coming inside into traffic, he needs to atleast try and get to the byline?
 

Amar__

Geriatric lover and empath
Joined
Sep 2, 2010
Messages
24,116
Location
Sarajevo
Supports
MK Dons
I thought he was decent but wtf has happened to his crossing? He used to get so many assists from his "short" crosses but now it looks more like he is spending his free time hanging out with Valencia and Young.
 

kouroux

45k posts to finally achieve this tagline
Joined
Apr 25, 2007
Messages
96,049
Location
Djibouti (La terre des braves)
I thought he was decent but wtf has happened to his crossing? He used to get so many assists from his "short" crosses but now it looks more like he is spending his free time hanging out with Valencia and Young.
He still crosses the ball but he floats it therefore it's got little chance to create danger.
 

DWelbz19

Correctly predicted Portugal to win Euro 2016
Joined
Oct 31, 2012
Messages
34,034
He's not actually very creative at all.
Yup, his game is far more fixated on goal scoring and finalising attacks. He is probably our most clinical finisher.
That's not what he's there, though.
 

saivet

Full Member
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
25,304
Thought he was pretty mediocre today. Shame that everyone else was poor too.
 

tom33

Full Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2012
Messages
1,525
He's looked a shadow of the player from a few weeks ago. Too much sideways passing.
Agreed, not sure what everyone else saw, but every time the ball fell his way, he looked as though he wasn't sure what to do.
 

Inigo Montoya

Leave Wayne Rooney alone!!
Joined
Oct 1, 2008
Messages
38,543
Agreed, not sure what everyone else saw, but every time the ball fell his way, he looked as though he wasn't sure what to do.
He can't accelerate like a Silva or Coutinho; technically good and intelligent but lacks pace
 

Ballache

Full Member
Joined
Dec 3, 2004
Messages
17,232
Location
Stockholm/Beirut
Supports
Martial
he was ok, the amount of times we miss his clever runs into the box is ridiculous. We need a cm that can play through balls like Gundogan.
 

Di Maria's angel

Captain of Moanchester United
Joined
Mar 19, 2014
Messages
14,792
Location
London
When was the last time he created a chance? He creates nothing when playing as a winger.

Additionally, his set pieces are absolutely woeful, too.

Shadow of the player we witnessed at Chelsea.
 

Señor

Humongous twit who can't read
Joined
Jan 5, 2014
Messages
8,721
There's no point in playing him out on the wing against teams that park the bus. We need width against those teams and all he does is cut in. Not to mention the buffoon playing beside him who rarely goes forward and if he does, shits himself and turns back.
 

Mockney

Not the only poster to be named Poster of the Year
Joined
Jan 27, 2009
Messages
40,956
Location
Editing my own posts.
Ah, I see it's "open season to ressurect your previously unpopular agenda with any fielded player" week. Good good.
 

Di Maria's angel

Captain of Moanchester United
Joined
Mar 19, 2014
Messages
14,792
Location
London
There's no point in playing him out on the wing against teams that park the bus. We need width against those teams and all he does is cut in. Not to mention the buffoon playing beside him who rarely goes forward and if he does, shits himself and turns back.
Blaming Valencia for Mata's shortcomings?
 

shabadu84

Mint? Berry?
Joined
Jan 12, 2010
Messages
4,744
Location
Muppet Treasure Island
Without Herrera's support, and only Valencia's usual overlap, he had fewer options and wasn't able to influence much. Get Herrera back on the right and I think he does better. Can see Mata being benched though.
 

Wade3

Correctly predicted France to win World Cup 2018
Joined
Dec 4, 2013
Messages
2,729
He continues to play it way too safe, which could also be an order from LVG though. He didn't commit many mistakes, but he really create anything either, which is his job.
 

Señor

Humongous twit who can't read
Joined
Jan 5, 2014
Messages
8,721
Blaming Valencia for Mata's shortcomings?
Not at all. They were both as bad as each other today. But having a floating right winger means you have to have a real right back there who will overlap and provide an outlet when the inverted winger cuts in. Valencia rarely does that.
 

Speak

Step up to my misogyny soapbox
Joined
Dec 5, 2013
Messages
6,347
People clearly got carried away a few weeks ago. Understandably I guess, but this (plus maybe a goal) is closer to what you'll get over a season from Mata.
 

FlawlessThaw

most 'know it all' poster
Joined
Oct 26, 2005
Messages
29,601
he was ok, the amount of times we miss his clever runs into the box is ridiculous. We need a cm that can play through balls like Gundogan.
Glad I wasn't the only one who missed that. I thought I was making that up!
 

Amar__

Geriatric lover and empath
Joined
Sep 2, 2010
Messages
24,116
Location
Sarajevo
Supports
MK Dons
People clearly got carried away a few weeks ago. Understandably I guess, but this (plus maybe a goal) is closer to what you'll get over a season from Mata.
Yeah, games against shit opponent when the whole team is crap are definitely the ones that define the player, not the away games at Anfield and some other unimportant ganes like that. How he plays against WBA at Old Trafford is all that matters.
 

Walrus

Oppressed White Male
Joined
Aug 25, 2008
Messages
11,165
I argued before in this thread and I will say it again - Mata's job in the team is to create. We havent scored a goal in the last 3 games and so Mata needs to take some responsibility for that.
He looks tidy and technical and all that, but he just isnt a particularly productive player. It goes back to the "luxury player" debate.
 

Eric'sCollar

Asked for his wife's permission before signing up
Joined
Mar 5, 2013
Messages
8,720
Location
Sydney
Thought he should have been moved inside for Fellaini. It was too tight in there for Fellaini and it needed someone who could get on the ball and do something on the ground.

Did very well considering.
 

United22

Full Member
Joined
Jun 9, 2013
Messages
2,802
Mata should not be the player that has the burden of creating in our team. He is basically a second striker, he will eat up chances if he is given them. I'd say he is without a doubt our most clinical finisher right now
 

markhrad

Full Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2014
Messages
1,100
Location
St. Kitts
I argued before in this thread and I will say it again - Mata's job in the team is to create. We havent scored a goal in the last 3 games and so Mata needs to take some responsibility for that.
He looks tidy and technical and all that, but he just isnt a particularly productive player. It goes back to the "luxury player" debate.
I agree. He would be the first person I would get rid of in the summer. I hold him mainly responsible for the poor form of our strikers and their subsequent lack of confidence. I was hoping he would be like a fabregas, carzola, iniesta or david silva type but he does not seem to like to dribble and clearly does not look for through passes or little neat touches to our strikers.
Seems like a nice guy but he was not brought here for his personality.
 
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