Nothing like Ozil. Ozil is extremely lazy at times. Mata will always give 100% regardless.
8
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 42
- Goals
- 10
- Assists
- 6
- Yellow cards
- 5
- Status
He shouldn't have started but that is more hindsight than anything tbf. Looked visibly emotional holding the trophy.
People keep bashing Mata and Martial for this game. They certainly didn't have their best games in a United shirt, but look at how the game went.
We were being pressed high and hard we were hoofing the ball out of the back. Our midfield struggled to control the tempo. They had to spend most of their time defending and when they got the ball there were 1 or 2 players instantly on them pressuring them.
For Mata in particular, this was a bad game to be involved in. He always struggles when he's under pressure, he's not physical enough or fast enough to get out of the press. It was a good thing that Mourinho took him off.
He'll bounce back. He's great to have on 90% of the games, but we needed a stronger player out there today.
We were being pressed high and hard we were hoofing the ball out of the back. Our midfield struggled to control the tempo. They had to spend most of their time defending and when they got the ball there were 1 or 2 players instantly on them pressuring them.
For Mata in particular, this was a bad game to be involved in. He always struggles when he's under pressure, he's not physical enough or fast enough to get out of the press. It was a good thing that Mourinho took him off.
He'll bounce back. He's great to have on 90% of the games, but we needed a stronger player out there today.
He gets a pass from me today. Emotionally and mentally he wasn't in the match. Floated around well when he was on, but the way Soton was playing bypassed him entirely and rendered him irrelevant.
Almost is a key word. Mata is not ideal for a pressing game nor does he provide efficient work rate, regardless if he gives 100%. He might not be as "lazy" as Ozil(which is a myth as Ozil mileage shows he covers a lot of ground), but he has more in common with him than most of our other attackers.
Anyone see his reaction when he was given the trophy? He clearly wasn't mentally in this today and it's understandable, given the circumstances.
It was only a year ago that he scored our FA cup final equalizer at Wembley. Not to mention numerous other goals that he has scored for us in big matches. What a load of crap your post is.
Seems like the game today wasn't suited for him. Btw as good as Bertrand was going forward, he was shocking defensively. A quicker player could have exploited all the space left from their fullbacks.
Struggled to get into the game today, it was too quick for him at times and he was the right choice to come off for Carrick.
I noticed this too, I agree he should not have played and just be used as a sub. He was very quiet and I don't think he should've played on the right when we had Lingard as a number ten.
Behave
Most of our players were average today, he's just an easy target to take off.
He's scored or assisted a goal in every other Cup Final he's ever played (inc. CL, EL, FA & Euros) as well as being one of our most consistent performers (and scorers) against Liverpool, City and Arsenal in his time here, as well as getting MOTM awards against Chelsea and Spurs away (just to complete the set).. It seems implausible that those games were significantly less intense than today. This was the anomaly for him, not the norm.
He didn't do anything particularly wrong today, but he didn't do anything of import either. He was a bit lost and it was right to take him off.
Last edited:
It was the right sub to make. I do kinda wish he was switched with Lingard however to see if it would have helped us (with lingard and Tony V on the right and Mata more centrally to help our midfield out to keep it when we got it).
I thought the same thing. I would have been upset if he hadn't started, but seems to me he just wasn't ready. Right to be taken off. Still a hugely important player for us with plenty of big contributions to come.
Absolutely deserves a pass for today, for a variety of reasons. Good call to Mou for taking him off at the half, but he clearly had a lot on his mind today. Completely understandable and all the best to him and his
Was there any reason why he and Lingard didn't switch positions at any point today? He was really struggling against Redmond and Bertrand, they just had too much pace and power for him to keep up with.
In the past year Mahrez and Vardy were some of the best attackers in football. Things changes over a year, so it is pointless to use that as a rebuttal. It was a poor performance today and if I wanted to talk about his goal record in his past performances I would have stated that.
Scoring a goal/s does not always equate to a good performance. Football is not black and white. Everyone that watch Manchester United knows that Mata has an eye for goal in important match, but when it comes to strategic gameplan in particular man marking or pressing, against team that plays with high intensity his performance occasionally struggle especially if not given a free central role. He is more suited to be a orchestrator of our attacking play providing intricate passing and progressive attacking movement rather than tracking back and adopting a pressing gameplan.
Last edited:
That's actually hilarious considering the irony of you passing judgment on him based off one match. "He played poorly today therefore he is Ozil-like in his tendency to disappear in big games". That's what I saw in your post.
IMO that switch should have happened (if mourinho would want to give it a go), cause at times in the first half mata was looking lost and he needed to put his foot on the ball to calm down our play.
Mourinho saw the problem and changed it at half time by introducing carrick.
I never stated he is like Ozil because of his tendency to disappear in big game. I do not know how you came up with that
. I stated he is like Ozil because of his footballing characteristic. I had a discussion about this with a poster on here awhile back, so it is not a statement I made just of today. Like Ozil, Mata is clever with the ball, poor defensively, somewhat lazy, can be creative and is an intelligent footballer, amongst other similiar attribute.Mata is anything but lazy. He might not be great at tracking back because he's slow and a bit weak at tackling, but he always gives his all. He is usually the player who has run the most distance in a game for us.I never stated he is like Ozil because of his tendency to disappear in big game. I do not know how you came up with that
His usual performance out wide. Slows our game down but keeps the ball all day as he is loaded with quality. When he gets the ball in and around the box though he is capable of anything as he has wand of a left foot. Good player shoehorned into a position that doesn't quite suit him fully.
People far too critical today of our best performer this season. He had a poor game today and was rightly subbed. His grandfather died and he rushed back for the game, give him a break for christ sake. We won the game, people need to get a bit of perspective. Mata has delivered in the big games for us. His link up with Miki has been fantastic, I think the creativity they can offer will unlock many goals in the future.
What? Valencia was still poor, until we took the shackles off him and let him attack down the right.
For most of the game he was sitting by the CBS for some reason.
I think it is only understandable he played just 45 minutes. I thought it was partly tactical and the piece that required sacrifice at the time, especially with the goal late in the first half. Bertrand and Redmond were absolutely rinsing our right hand side and it looked to me to be a tactic to stand off Mata and push up on Valencia.
Love him though, he had a huge hand in winning this one in the knockouts.
Love him though, he had a huge hand in winning this one in the knockouts.
This week's blog
Hi everyone,
This trophy, as any other trophy that I have won through my career, has been for you. Thank you for being an example in everything, for everyone. I will always take you with me.
Thank you from my heart for all your messages of support and affection.
Hugs
Hi everyone,
This trophy, as any other trophy that I have won through my career, has been for you. Thank you for being an example in everything, for everyone. I will always take you with me.
Thank you from my heart for all your messages of support and affection.
Hugs
I love Mata, and my respect has grown for him for being at his Granddad's funeral then travelling to London for the final on the Sunday. Must have been hard for him during the game and his blog was very heartfelt this week. Hope his family are all coping well.
Had no idea about the grandfather thing... really puts his performance in perspective.
I'm assuming the 'you' in the 1st paragraph is his granddad. Someone in the team needs to go to him and hug him!
He has a hugely satisfying signature.
Yea it is a myth that needs addressing. It can be confused that since he is slow and is a terrible tackler, it can equate to being lazy. But, just like Ozil they both seem to cover some distance throughout a game. Which is why I indicated 'somewhat' because his slowness can be a metaphor for laziness.
Definitely. He just doesn't have the physical qualities to suit that type of game. He's both slow and physically small/weak. He has great aspects to his play offensively but the type of game like yesterday's doesn't suit him and no amount of effort from his part can change that.
He's just about the perfect human being (and a great footballer as well.)
Man Utd 1:1 Bournemouth
Tried to calm things in the final stretch but struggled to get into the game today.
Completely invisible today.
Pogba and Zlatan were more outrageously shite but at least you noticed them.
Pogba and Zlatan were more outrageously shite but at least you noticed them.
Doesn't anyone know his penalty record for us? I can't remember him missing any for us.
Should be our taker.
Should be our taker.
Came into the game when he was tasked with being the playmaker through the middle.
- Status