Mata is probably getting sick of being substituted once again.
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Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 42
- Goals
- 10
- Assists
- 6
- Yellow cards
- 5
- Status
And I think he is fully entitled to be just that. It's a shame that our most consistent attacking player gets subbed off virtually every game. Personally I lose pretty much all interest in the game once we start to bring on inferior players like Fellaini. You just know you are up for 25 minutes of hoofing.
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Big day for him. We need him to deliver the goods.
Should start ahead of Martial normally.
Disagree. We look comfortably more dangerous when we can break quickly, and with Zlatan up top, we need pacey wingers. Martial just needs to find his form.
I'm almost always more confident going into a game with Mata in the first XI.
Like it or not he's just not the type of player Mourinho wants. And if we get another winger who is good enough to walk right into the first eleven, his chances will be even smaller.
I thought we put this myth to bed
Despite Mourinho's trust in him this season, I tend to still agree. Jose wants speed and trickery from his wide men, and Mata has neither.
He looks pretty far from being a starter right now. It doesn't look like he will be getting a chance to find form at the moment, considering he's not even traveled for Palace.
Agree with Shark. Even despite everything that has been said, I just can't see Mata as one of the must play first names on the list for the starting eleven in Mourinhos team.I thought we put this myth to bed
Mata should be played central with Mkhi and Martial on the flanks. We dont need Carrick in most of the games we play.
Think the record with / without Carrick pretty easily counters that point.
He's a number 10 primarily and he has 15 starts which is the third most in the team if you exclude De Gea. Mourinho even said that he is a player he wants at United and when he has played he's normally been one of our best players.
Results just haven't happened to follow when he starts...
Martial doesnt do anything with the ball lately, it's difficult to play with someone who just doesnt use the ball effectively.
He stretches play, at least. Offers some balance with pace in the side. Especially when Pogba/Zlatan are the 'front two' in the middle.
Not his fault that we didn't win those games.Results just haven't happened to follow when he starts...
Amusingly the record with/without Mata is similar to with/without Carrick.
I find little evidence of this considering how he took the flair out of Oscar and Hazard's games. Hazard even complained about being restricted under Mourinho's style and it took time before he let him have more freedom of expression on the pitch. Willian is more power and pace than trickery
If you look at how he used Ozil at Real, or Sneijder at Inter, there's sometimes room in Mourinho's team for a player who all those fast players can pivot around. Whether Mata is that particular player is another question of course.
Been one of our best players this season. Still, why not blame him for the poor results we got whenever he played?
On a side note, I notice Oscar is moving to China. The player Mourinho (and some here) thought was rightly played ahead of Mata at Chelsea. What an awful idea that was.
On a side note, I notice Oscar is moving to China. The player Mourinho (and some here) thought was rightly played ahead of Mata at Chelsea. What an awful idea that was.
Stats dont tell the full story. Missing Carrick wasnt the reason our attackers couldnt hit a barn door vs the likes of stoke, burnley etc. Carrick is vital to the team but his use is in controlling games and when we play a middle 3, its because we need an extra man in there. When we're created shit loads of chances vs weak opposition and yet draw the game, its because our attackers miss chances, not a lack of control in the middle of the park.
He has definitely been one of our best players but he doesn't fit in a 433 kind of formation. It depends if Mourinho is moving towards a 433 as the standard or if he continues to use 4231 as well.
In a 433 you have to be able to defend when playing as a winger, and Mata is not someone that can handle that. He just doesn't have the strength for it. I remember when we played Chelsea in Vilas Boas first season when Malouda (who was good defensively) was replaced by Mata. Nani just ran straight through him to score that amazing goal, Mata and Sturridge on the wings were a part of the reason for them shipping goals that year.
I think it would be interesting to see the recird with him and on the pitch vs him not on pitch. For example, versus arsenal, we were leading by 1 goal till he was on the piResults just haven't happened to follow when he starts...
Im all for pace but pace without use is just like Walcott of a few years ago, a decent RB will have an easy job with Martial's current form, although Mata and Miki as wingers might miss some width as well.
Crystal Palace 1:2 Man Utd
I'm not impressed with him in first half. Or I'm just being too harsh and expecting him to be as good as Mkhytaryan against Spurs?
Be surprised if he isn't subbed off pretty soon.
Nope, he's had a quiet game.
Very plain and boring today.
Bit quiet. Missed Valencia.
We are so much better when we have pace out wide!
Wasn't his usual self. Should have had a goal though, thanks linesman.
Just play him where he is most effective!
Play him centrally or don't play him at all. Time and time again he has shown that he isn't a wide player but still he has to play there far to often.
No doubt about that.
Looked quite off today.
Missed Valencia today but Mata should be playing centrally in the first place, he's so much better there. Despite all that, he should have still had the all important second goal, if the linesman wasn't completely incompetent.
If you're going to put him in a front three with Rooney and Zlatan you might as well not play him.
He needs things happening around him; he can still be productive without it (for example his 'goal' today) but he's never going to put in a great performance without runners to play in.
He needs things happening around him; he can still be productive without it (for example his 'goal' today) but he's never going to put in a great performance without runners to play in.
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