Also worth pointing out that at 26 he should still have his best years ahead of him and, unlikely most of our squad, he has no real injury issues to hamper him either.
8
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 35
- Goals
- 10
- Assists
- 4
- Yellow cards
- 2
- Status
He's a player I've no concerns about to be honest, and that's saying something with our current squad.
He's suited to being a 2nd forward in a system that plays 2 up top, say.. a 4-2-3-1, two holders behind him, and 2 fast wingers flanking him... is where I personally see him fitting best, I don't see us changing to anything approaching that considering we have sparingly few wingers (Di Maria twice the player inside).
His flaws are the fact he's not particuarly creative for someone playing the no.10 role, he has no physical presence... at all, he doesn't really know how to make use of himself when we're not in possession, lack of speed and so on.
In our current system he's a tidy passer (when our midfield is dominating) and brings an eye for goal, thats really about it, oh and he's a good injury record,
Depending on how LvG sees us progressing next year with further signings will dictate if he's still here next year, personally wouldn't mind recouping some of our money on him and going for a fast/creative type who can beat a man instead. (oddly enough what Neville was saying we should do when we purchased him.) but thats just me.
His flaws are the fact he's not particuarly creative for someone playing the no.10 role, he has no physical presence... at all, he doesn't really know how to make use of himself when we're not in possession, lack of speed and so on.
In our current system he's a tidy passer (when our midfield is dominating) and brings an eye for goal, thats really about it, oh and he's a good injury record,
Depending on how LvG sees us progressing next year with further signings will dictate if he's still here next year, personally wouldn't mind recouping some of our money on him and going for a fast/creative type who can beat a man instead. (oddly enough what Neville was saying we should do when we purchased him.) but thats just me.
Some man love is brewing amongst the ranks.
I've been very critical of him but he's been our best player over the last couple of games.
The state of this thread. I swear some of you must be blind.
Consider me soulless.
The point about Cantona can't really apply here, Mata doesn't have the luxury of playing under Sir Alex, he doesn't have the luxury of being in an already free flowing side, he doesn't have the luxury of being a side already at the top - not a side going through huge changes in personnel both on and off the field, with other rich clubs leaving us behind.
It's partly the reason I'm so hostile towards Mata; we need players to be consistently performing, and for me the role he plays is the most instrumental for attacks, so I do have a high expectancy. I take on board your point about others doing feck all in that time period, but, bar De Gea, there's only two players I expect to be playing to a higher standard; Rooney and Di Maria. Rooney has had patches where he has looked brilliant this season, but since playing in CM has nullified a bit, and Di Maria has just returned from injury and is playing in a position that he has no ability to play as. Mata needs to step it up in their stead. The defence of Mata being Chelsea's PFA player is another one that irks me a bit. He was very good, pretty fecking good, so why are we accepting his current standard? Do we just wait it out, a player we spent a whole lot of money on, who isn't the most flexible tactical, keep him in the side even if he's only at 60% of his best level just in the hopes he can make it back?
Also, I think in general there's just a style of football Mata plays that makes me go to his goals and assists when looking at the player. He's a very clever footballer, but he's not like his fellow Spaniards in the league, unlike Silva or Nasri he doesn't like to dribble and weave past, or control the tenacity of the game, he likes to position himself in killer positions - react to a loose ball, or be in a position to make the final pass to assist or take a shot. It's almost second-striker like, and for a player whose game is very reliant on that, I would expect goals and assist to be his main outlet. And when you consider his time here, it basically is what we look to, to prove he hasn't been half bad.
He's been our best player in the last month or so. Some people need to take their head out of their asses when they watch the games.
Definitely agreed. After that rough patch, he came back swinging and has been the one player who actually looks like he can create a chance for us.
----------------------------De Gea------------------------
Raf-------Smalling/Jones------------Rojo----------Shaw
--------------Carrick------Herrera/Blind-----------------
Di Maria---------------Mata----------------------Januzaj
---------------------Falcao/Rooney-----------------------
Sell RVP. Get Depay in as an alternative for Januzaj. Buy a hardnut defender like Schar and maybe a RB. Rotate Mata, Falcao and Rooney a bit. More solid, more pace, more creativity, better passing etc.
Raf-------Smalling/Jones------------Rojo----------Shaw
--------------Carrick------Herrera/Blind-----------------
Di Maria---------------Mata----------------------Januzaj
---------------------Falcao/Rooney-----------------------
Sell RVP. Get Depay in as an alternative for Januzaj. Buy a hardnut defender like Schar and maybe a RB. Rotate Mata, Falcao and Rooney a bit. More solid, more pace, more creativity, better passing etc.
He's been very average this past month, his couple of good games came at the end of last year
Couple of good games? That's not right!
Spurs and Newcastle
He was our best player against Southampton and Yeovil too.
Why are you 'so hostile' to any of our players? Especially good ones?
Which they have.
Even if that were true, that doesn't mean he wasnt average.
Blind and Valencia had more motm votes on here for Southampton, Ander and Di Maria for Yeovil
Yes but the Caf is full of idiots, I tend not to take that as lore. As evidence by voting for the goal scorers like 14 year olds. Anyone with actual eyes could tell Mata changed that game.
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Rather than the guy who passed sideways all afternoon and then missed the goal 3 times from decent oppertunities? Nobody scored against Southampton so they didnt just pick the goalscorers. Even if that performance against Southampton was enough to say he was our best player (which again, the man of the match ratings dont agree with at all) it doesnt mean he wasn't average. He should have scored and created almost nothing.
Imagine a pacy 4-2-3-1 with di Maria and Bale either side of Mata? 
With Pogba and Blind sat behind?
With Pogba and Blind sat behind? Because he hasn't been to the standard we require? It is his job to be a good player, you know.
Not in the last 10 fixtures, as I just pointed out.
One can only dream...Imagine a pacy 4-2-3-1 with di Maria and Bale either side of Mata?
Clearly. That's why we won a Champions League with Tevez-Rooney-Ronaldo up front and played some of the worst football in recent memory with Mata and the current setup. People romanticize about Mourinho's brilliance too. Moyes at Everton and United: now there is a true genious.
Considering he scored 6 goals in our last 6 games at the end of last season, and 5 in our first 13 this, I think 'a couple of good games' is clearly underestimating it.
It was in reference to the past month I believe.
Easily the best player vs Southampton and Yoevil as well.
If by best player you mean having little actual impact in the game and missing chances that could have won the game, then yes he was by far the MOTM. Where are the guys that criticized Kagawa for defending poorly and disapearing?
Please don't bring up Kagawa, this will just start a very loooooooong debate.
How anyone could watch the game and criticize Mata for not having an impact is beyond me. Yeah, he missed 2 chances though, but he was the only one that even looked like scoring which is weird when you consider the names we had on the pitch.
Unfortunately Mata has taken many steps towards playing like Kagawa did last season. He's still scoring at a fairly good rate which is the only difference
I know, I know. Just can't help it some times.
We played Di Maria and Fellaini up front at one time, Rooney in midfield. Who else could provide any finishing other than RVP? Mata gets such a consistent run, he obviously will get into scoring positions. The problem is the lack of pace to his game. He favours a slow passing game, where he can switch up the tempo with long passes to the strikers. That's not the best fit for Rooney, Di Maria, Falcao, Wilson, Januzaj, Valencia, Young, Rafael, Shaw... RVP is an ok fit because he's getting older. Chelsea got much better without Mata, and I believe we could too if we could get a more agressive player for the CAM role. Or play Herrera more consistently.
Chelsea got better because they heavily invested in other players and Mata wasn't given the chance as first choice to build a relationship with those new players. They obviously didnt improve just because they took Mata out. And the guy who replaced him is only doing a bit better himself
Chelsea got better, because they bought better players, it wasn't just Mata leaving. I'm sure if he was still there he would be performing as that team has a lot of pace and movement in it, which Mata loves.
Anyway I really like Mata, but our team isn't right for him at the moment, not enough pace around him.
Also Mata and Rooney in midfield isn't right, either Rooney needs to play up top, or one of Mata/Rooney needs to be on the bench.
Which he is. He's been a perfectly good signing by any normal appraisal.
For which 4 of those he was our best, or amongst our best performers. And that's his worst run of his entire year here. It feels like you're dismissive of his stats because you don't think he's performing well, but when he performs well without accumulating stats, that doesn't count either. It's a bizarre, skewed way of looking at one of our own players.
Fellaini only came on with 10mins to go and Di Maria had already gone off by then if memory serves me right.
The rest of your post I simply cant agree with. The only player who actually looks like he prefers to play at a higher tempo is Di Maria. The likes of Rooney, and Januzaj dwell on the ball far too long to be classified as people that play at a higher tempo. Mata actually plays it faster than them which is why I actually want to see him, Di Maria and Herrera play together so that we can up the tempo. I'm just leaving out the 4 defensive options and Wilson. Falcao could do with a higher tempo I agree, but simply replacing Mata will Herrera there will achieve nothing as 1 player cannot simply raise up the tempo of the team as its painfully obvious with Di Maria.
How does missing chances count as being one of our best players? It's like people praising Falcao for missing sitters. Mata was bang average against Southampton like the rest of the team. Valencia was our only attacking player that stood out that day. He was as shit as everyone else against Yeovil.
He was good against Liverpool in the 2nd half, full game vs Newcastle and then the first half against Spurs.
He was good against Liverpool in the 2nd half, full game vs Newcastle and then the first half against Spurs.
Herrera can and has done so already this season. He brings quicker passing and tempo to our team. Yes, he misplaces a few more passes that Mata might not but there's an urgency to his game that Mata does not have.
Do you really think attacking players just stroll round the final third until, by complete chance, a sitter falls at their feet?
Of course credit is due for getting into scoring positions. Whether the chances is taken or not.
He was very good vs Southampton. Looked like the only one who'd make anything happen. He did miss 2 chances though, no excuse. Vs Yoevil, he came on and changed the game in the 2nd half.
Falcao's main duty is to score goals, though. Mata's isn't, strictly speaking.
Yeah, he missed quite a few chances against Southampton and he shouldn't be excused for that, but there were parts of the game where he looked like the only player who was capable of making something happen or creating chances. I was quite critical of him early in the season where his overall game was average and he was anonymous, but he's actually contributed a decent amount in some of our recent games.
Are you seriously suggesting that Juan Mata was worth every penny we paid for him?
Look at the likes of Sanchez, thats what you want when you're spending over £35 million on a player
He has urgency to his game, agreed, but with the way Van Gaal has us playing, simply playing him will not change anything especially as the ones around him are used to playing much slower and the system encourages that too. You can see how Di Maria struggles when he tries to up the pace as the guy he passes to either just takes 5 touches or passes it out wide killing the tempo.
- Status