Agreed. He used to be very creative when he first signed, but give the ball away perhaps a little too much. Over the years he's been able to create something less and less.
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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He still put in a good shift had a good run about wasn’t his day
There was a moment late on where he gets it unmarked with his back to goal inside the area and instead of turning, he just passes it sideways outside the area again. Was Bendtner-esque.
What the hell happened to him?
What the hell happened to him?
Anyone remember the fantastic pass to Demba Ba in the FA Cup against us? He never seems to do it for us. He has been a good signing, but he has rarely shown the consistent performances from Chelsea days. In 2012/2013 he had I think 20 goals and 30 assists, he has been nowhere near that productive for us. The managers we have had made him work harder and track back more, and that maybe has stifled his creativity.
our biggest problem right now, is Mata. offeres nothing from a key position where our rivals have players in double figures for goals + assists.
he plays well once in 7 or 8 games, the rest he just stands there passing the ball backwards and gets away with it because he is safe. safe isnt good enough for United and until Mata becomes a thing of the past, our current sh*t football will continue.
things were awful under Moyes - we sacked him.
s*it attacking football under LVG - we sacked him.
now people are blaming Jose when the reality is, our attackers just are not doing it.
the almost constant in all 3? Juan Mata. wake up lads, he is a liability.
he plays well once in 7 or 8 games, the rest he just stands there passing the ball backwards and gets away with it because he is safe. safe isnt good enough for United and until Mata becomes a thing of the past, our current sh*t football will continue.
things were awful under Moyes - we sacked him.
s*it attacking football under LVG - we sacked him.
now people are blaming Jose when the reality is, our attackers just are not doing it.
the almost constant in all 3? Juan Mata. wake up lads, he is a liability.
Three times under the end Martial had the ball 1v1 on the flank. All of those times Mata ran into the same corner, bringing with him a second defender and closed the opportunity for Martial to make something happen.
As intelligent as he seems it didn't seem the right thing to do.
He's also too slow, turns back away from goal too often and his crosses are often too high and easy for the keeper to deal with.
He's been a massive disappointment for me.
As intelligent as he seems it didn't seem the right thing to do.
He's also too slow, turns back away from goal too often and his crosses are often too high and easy for the keeper to deal with.
He's been a massive disappointment for me.
I just cannot fathom, given how about 8 other players have 'performed' in the last few matches that Mata could be drawing the criticism on here.
Did more in 5 minutes yesterday than Rashford and Mhiki contributed all match.
Not everything came off, but if you put him in a functioning attack he would be fantastic.
Did more in 5 minutes yesterday than Rashford and Mhiki contributed all match.
Not everything came off, but if you put him in a functioning attack he would be fantastic.
If only Lukaku scored that early chance and Mikhitaryan delivered the final ball after that counter started by Mata. It will be all praise here.
Pay no attention to them. They will criticise a player like Mata for not being effective and yet they’ll wet their little panties when Martial completes one dribble before running into a hoard of defenders.
Some fans seem to be out of touch a little bit with reality. Complete ineffective “myth” players like Shaw and Martial are beloved whereas hard working players that actually try and make things happen like Mata, Lukaku and Fellaini get all the flack. It’s ridiculous.
similar passing data per 90 minutes, including chance creation numbers, key passes and completion. He is a light version of Silva but not some hobo.
He's an okay player, which is the problem. He's just okay. Rarely pulls out anything special and will never be the man to drag us to a win when the team is struggling. Kinda epitomises our attack really; painfully mediocre.
Agree 100%, it is truly mindboggling. I've only seen the second half yesterday, but how Mata can be the one to be called United's true problem is truly insane from what I've seen. He was the only one who had some urgency to his game and he absolutely worked his socks off. If anything, he should be the last guy that gets so much stick. So just because United are going through a bad patch it's the fault of one of your best and most hard working players?! How about maybe you would be in an even worse position if it wasn't for players like him? Why not start shipping out the worst players instead? Seriously, it's just bonkers.
Did Martial steal your girlfriend? You're obsessed.
The problem with stats is the lack of clarity in sporting terms. You watch both players? You see the same as the stats suggest?
Like I asked in that post, some one show me the most recent killer pass from Mata. A pass that made you go wow.
The Guardian footballer of the year 2017: Juan Mata
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jan/01/guardian-footballer-of-the-year-2017-juan-mata
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/jan/01/guardian-footballer-of-the-year-2017-juan-mata
Everton 0:2 Man Utd
He 'works hard', but that means little. For years he's been eating one of our attacking slots without doing anything barring the occasional goal (and by years I mean ever since Moyes signed him). You have to watch him week in week out - he literally does the same thing. Gets the ball, passes it back, runs away into the centre. Make a dribble or body shift to get away from the attacker ala David Silva? No. Play the ball to him in a tight area? He'll lose it or pass back. Him closing down the opposition? May as well not bother, he sticks out the shortest half-arsed leg ever and seldom ever gets the ball back. He has a decent pass and shot on him but as a player in our attack he offers nothing other than the easy pass back and the occasional goal from him standing in the box waiting for the ball to fall to him, when he should be out there creating. Compare him to any other wide attacker or no.10 in the other top 6 sides ala Mane, Salah, Sanchez, Sterling, Willian etc and he's so so far behind.
Can someone please explain to me what he does?
Honestly. I'm not one to criticise players but it just looks like he gets the ball and pops it off straight away.
Pogba, Lingard, Matic and Martial all have probably lost the ball more than him today, but it's because they're actually trying more audacious things.
Honestly. I'm not one to criticise players but it just looks like he gets the ball and pops it off straight away.
Pogba, Lingard, Matic and Martial all have probably lost the ball more than him today, but it's because they're actually trying more audacious things.
He's supposed to be a playmaker but he creates next to nothing. He's more Tom cleverly than Ozil. Sadly he's another mediocre player stinking out our team.
We all love Juan as a person, and he's a cracking little footballer, but he's also the senior attacker out there today (as he almost always is) and he just doesn't control games and influence them anywhere near as much as he should.
I'd say the same criticism can be levelled at Pogba as well. When you're in a rut you need these players to step up and grind you out of it. I don't think Mata has it in him to do it.
I'd say the same criticism can be levelled at Pogba as well. When you're in a rut you need these players to step up and grind you out of it. I don't think Mata has it in him to do it.
Really appreciate him as a human being. Will never talk Ill about him but we must replace him. He is not at all threatening in spraying great balls. Surely we must improve on him.
Very very good game from Mata, shame 1 of those 2 long shots didn't go it, preferably that one that hit the post. With he had a bit more pace or agility, he would have been an amazing player.
I thought he's been better the last couple of weeks. Today he played with real purpose and intent.
That second half was much more like it. More of that Mata please.
He looks much better when we play with more fluidity. A guy like Mata relies heavily on passing and moving to create space as he has 0 pace, good match from him today.
What? I thought he's been briliant these last few games. Also almost scored a goal of the month today. Really unlucky.
Better second half. The two shots is what I want to see him doing. Doing something out of the ordinary, instead of playing it simple all the time.
He is a safety pass merchant. If I had the time I would make videos of all the moves that don't progress because he decides to play safer pass which usually backwards.
Deserves a contract, i think he is clearly a good player and great squad rotation option to have, I hope we keep him and sell mkhi . His [erformance was overshadowed by Pogba's but i think before that he was fantastic, also could have scored two great goals and made some very good plays by finding spaces and creating good passes. I hope we keep him unless we make two attacking signings.
Together with Matic, he is our only player you can trust to use his head during a game of football – Mata did really well (again) today and was unlucky not to score at least once (hit the post).
He's really stepped it up over the past month.
Played well today. In the first half his lack of pace was a bit of an issue but as the game opened up he exploited the spaces and kept us ticking over.
Thought he was very good. Would play him constantly with the players we have.
First half the one moment I noticed was when he put in a poor cross when we had free men at the back post area. 2nd half he was very impressive, two super shots, very unfortunate not to score the 2nd. Excellent close control as usual.
Give him a new deal!
He was so unlucky not to have two goals today.
He was so unlucky not to have two goals today.
Definitely improved in the last few weeks. Deserves a new deal.
First half he was pointless but the second he was really good. His long range shooting was great. Should try it even more.
Keep him at the club please.
Very good today, offered calmness on the ball and the system allowed him to focus more on the attack.
No one in our squad has the composure and first touch that he has. That alone makes a huge difference when he's in our team. Yes, he can play it safe a lot of the times, but a lot of times, it's because there isn't a good option ahead of him. Mata has proven on countless occasions that he can provide excellent defensive splitting passes when there is space and a good run being made ahead of him.
Thought he was very good today. He really helped us to knit things together, and gives us greater control in the middle of the park.
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