Not been a good start at all.
8
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 40
- Goals
- 3
- Assists
- 7
- Yellow cards
- 1
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
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Agreed, he's most dangerous near the box, with clever running and eye for a goal, he's such a weak player that you can be 99% sure that any time opponent player press him from the back he'll lost the ball, should never play that deep, and his crossing in particular has been piss poor this season
Not good enough sadly.
Our number 10 and RW need to be addressed in the next summer.
Our number 10 and RW need to be addressed in the next summer.
I have maintained that I would not start him on the wing away from home. At home, yes, but not away from home. He does not have the speed.
Big big mistake today.
Big big mistake today.
Was he playing central when he lost the ball? Maybe that's the reason why managers don't play him centrally.
Not good enough, unfortunately. He will always get exposed in certain situations. His experience, reading and understanding of the game is above our other attackers which is why he's still a starter. No doubt Mourinho will dump him though, as soon as we get adequate replacement in.
Yeah he moved centrally but he wasn't getting in the game, so he was dropping deeper and deeper to get the ball then that happened.
Yeah, because Mata could never make the difference against Liverpool.
He had an poor game, made a horrendous (and uncharacteristic) mistake and isn't in great form generally. Isn't that enough to criticise him for without exaggerating?
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I was screaming at the tv when he lost the ball that lead to the goal. Absolutely infuriating that a grown man can lose the ball as weakly as that.
Like Mkhi he needs to be upgraded on.
Like Mkhi he needs to be upgraded on.
Pedestrian performance. Dilly dallying on the ball too much. Just not suited to high press high tempo game. Should be brought in when in need of breaking parked buses.
It was a very uncharacteristic mistake. He deserves to take the blame for it, but I wouldn't crucify him.
Not good enough anymore really.
Been underwhelming since he's been signed.
Been underwhelming since he's been signed.
This, can’t afford to let man and ball past you in that position
I'm a big fan of him but his performance level hasn't been as good this season as it has been previously. I still wish that he would get a run of games in the #10 role, at least over Mkhitaryan or Lingard.
Not even sure how and why he ended up in the defensive midfield position to get and lose the ball that led to their first goal. Our midfield as a whole was fecking pedestrian.
That one off game against 10 men 2 years ago is pretty much the only memorable thing he's done in nearly 4 years here. He wouldn't start for any of our rivals but we are relying on him to be one of our match winners.Yeah, because Mata could never make the difference against Liverpool.
He had an poor game, made a horrendous (and uncharacteristic) mistake and isn't in great form generally. Isn't that enough to criticise him for without exaggerating?
Unless I'm wrong I seem to remember a few crucial goals against City, a goal against Arsenal in a 1-1 draw, further contributions in games against Liverpool, an equaliser in the FA Cup final and MOTM performances in games like Chelsea and Spurs away? All in the context of however many other important goals and assists he's got for us while the team was generally struggling.
But he was bad today so sure, let's pretend none of that happened.
He is living off a couple of high profile goals 18-24 months ago and a double at Anfield.
The reality is, for about at least 8 or 9 months now and in every game this season, his performances have not been good enough.
He is now just a passenger and a huge reason why our attack is so poor at times. If we want to move on and win a league and challenge in europe, then sadly Mata needs to move on.
He is a busted flush unfortunately and a few big goals 2 years ago is not what he should be judged on, its now
Lets just not overreact here. He was poor today but he has been the guy who has been making our game tick for the past season and a half. He has statistically gone down this year but his overall contributions have still been as good as any other player.
in which we finished 6th and 5th the season before.
he is not high enough quality enough to be a creative force for an elite club, else he'd be in the mix with Spain national team.
Time to get rid, or permanently demote to squad status.
If we had control of the midfield he wouldn't have been that deep in the first place.
Yep, we were lacking a Pogba or Fellaini. Matic and Hererra dont have a good partnership so they both went AWOL and left Mata on his own.
If we are talking about our finishing position, then I feel nearly every member needs to be changed because at least in the last season, we sruggled with finishing off chances rather than making chances.
As far as inclusion in national side is concerned, Spain side is brimmed with talent and more importantly young players and it makes perfect sense to omit players like him to bring in youth at a time when they are somewhat in a rebuilding phase. He was in the side till November last year and IMO was wrongly omitted from Euro'16 side as he had a better season than some of the players that were included.
Also, guys like Martial have been excluded from French sides despite being in fantastic form so I'd prefer to overlook the National team inclusion as some sort of metric to gauge a player's ability.
He has been playing decently well this season and while Ibelieve we need to eventually upgrade him, I feel we need a replacement for Mkhi and a RB at the very least before we replace him
Horrendous mistake, also unusual lack of intelligence running the length of the field straight to the ball when it is a handful of yards out from the goalmouth. What was that supposed to achieve, get back and man up the most important player on the opposition team for the eventual tap in or communicate to your team better. What a comedy of errors.
His confidence is definitely rocked in my opinion and I would not be surprised if he is playing as though he knows he's not going to get a new deal and is the one on the chopping block. A shame because as I always say he is a likable fella but his legs are almost completely gone for this type of fast counter attack/transition attack football.
His confidence is definitely rocked in my opinion and I would not be surprised if he is playing as though he knows he's not going to get a new deal and is the one on the chopping block. A shame because as I always say he is a likable fella but his legs are almost completely gone for this type of fast counter attack/transition attack football.
Very poor today. His best games seem to come at home. Need to step up now also away from home!
Share similar view. Mata is no Iniesta or David Silva. He would not dribble his way out of tight mark all the time so he relies on his movement which against deep , compact team, he instead drop back in our own side of pitch. It's a freak accident, but the problem is always there with him is not preferred centrally. This went to his Valencia days too. I never understand why people talk as if Mata was always a central no 10 all his career.
He's probably slipped past his peak but guys what do we expect of a slow, weak, small, left footed player starting on the right? Of course he'll come inside and pass sideways. Its literally the only option he has coming off that right hand side.
No.10 or bench.
No.10 or bench.
City have Silva and we have Mata. Silva has balls and Mata has a blog.
It's ridiculous how scared our players are to take people or or try a through ball
It's ridiculous how scared our players are to take people or or try a through ball
That's easily the worst I've seen him play for us, he got made to look a total mug. I've never seen him lose the ball so much.
Had a stinker.
Heard from my friend that Juan Mata put Angel Gomes as "former team mate" in his blog, before correcting it.
Well researched
Man Utd 2:0 Benfica
He's almost as bad as Mkhitaryan. I say almost because he doesn't lose possession as often, but from an attacking point of view he does next to nothing. Would get rid of the pair of them in the summer and invest heavily in some creative players.
He is ten times better than Mkhi.
Thought he played well.
Should be utilised at 10 imho.
Should be utilised at 10 imho.
Offered absolutely nothing yet again. Such an average player.
He's finished.
This is an odd place.
What is it you think he did well?
I love Mata but I thought he did absolutely nothing tonight and he hasn't done much all season to be honest.
Mata will not be a Manchester Utd player next season. He has been poor this season.
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