I love Mata but that was woeful today.
8
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 40
- Goals
- 3
- Assists
- 7
- Yellow cards
- 1
- Status
Poor today.
He has been awful all season imo.
Get rid.
Get rid.
Love Mata but he’s not a RW. We’d get away with it if we had someone like Kyle Walker providing width, but Valencia is hopeless.
Mata was poor today, and I sadly think this will be his last season here.
Mata was poor today, and I sadly think this will be his last season here.
What was he doing today? What does he offer? Feck all goals and assists this season anyway.
Not a lot. I'm not sure what the point of him is. He doesn't create anything and he rarely scores. If he's there for quick one touch passing I don't see the point because there's no off the ball movement in the team, and he mostly passes it backwards anyway. Just a waste of space really
You are letting emotions cloud your judgement there. I bet every team in the league would rather we did that too.
BTW id love to know how Mata can be afforded Messi like privileges on the pitch for us. By that I mean, he seems to be allowed to pop up anywhere he wants.
Painfully average player, should move to another league that might suit his limited ability better
He's the sort of player that will have about 9 of these kind of nothing performances then pop up with a contribution in a game and everyone will say "SEE! THATS HOW GOOD HE IS HE NEEDS TO BE IN THE TEAM". If he wants to stay next season and come off the bench then that's fine with me as he seems a quality squad option and team mate but he is absolutely 4th or 5th tier when it comes to where we need to be.
I doubt he will get many minutes next season if we are flying in any kind of significant way.
I doubt he will get many minutes next season if we are flying in any kind of significant way.
I think most of the comments are harsh - it wasn't long ago people were saying how much better we play with him in the team, and how much better our win ratio is when he starts games etc.. one bad game after a defeat and he's useless and offers nothing.
That said, he was awful today, and I was amazed he last the whole game, which is amazing as he is usually the first player Mourinho takes off when he's making a change. I don't mind him roaming when he's played on the right wing - but he was on the left wing way too much today.
That said, he was awful today, and I was amazed he last the whole game, which is amazing as he is usually the first player Mourinho takes off when he's making a change. I don't mind him roaming when he's played on the right wing - but he was on the left wing way too much today.
I don't like to criticize our players individually but what exactly does he offer us? And before someone mentions goals, that should be secondary as he's supposed to be our attacking brains, not a finisher.
All he ever does is pass it backwards or to the side, or worse still, back to where the pass was coming from.
Lacking pace, lacking inventiveness, lacking creativity, lacking guile, absolutely shocking!
Ozil gets a lot of flak around here but over a season he makes twice the contribution Mata does. It's all well and good being a 'nice' guy but he's a footballer first and foremost, not a pope, he has to pull his weight in the team. I can't remember any season since he joined ever thinking, "he's our main man, our creative outlet", or "the guy to open up the game for us". Never once.
The first decent offer that comes in for him this season he should be sold. Chelsea had his best version, even then, he wasn't in the supreme class of Spanish midgets like Silva or Iniesta, or even now, Isco.
All he ever does is pass it backwards or to the side, or worse still, back to where the pass was coming from.
Lacking pace, lacking inventiveness, lacking creativity, lacking guile, absolutely shocking!
Ozil gets a lot of flak around here but over a season he makes twice the contribution Mata does. It's all well and good being a 'nice' guy but he's a footballer first and foremost, not a pope, he has to pull his weight in the team. I can't remember any season since he joined ever thinking, "he's our main man, our creative outlet", or "the guy to open up the game for us". Never once.
The first decent offer that comes in for him this season he should be sold. Chelsea had his best version, even then, he wasn't in the supreme class of Spanish midgets like Silva or Iniesta, or even now, Isco.
Should have been dragged at half time. Normally he's good in games where we have most of the possession but this was his worst performance of the season.
Dad asked me what we meed to sign next season. A right sided attacker. Perhaps Mahrez.
Same crap different day. We have no right winger unless we shove people out of position and usually they are poor. Mata has offered almost zero and in combination with Valencia our right side is mostly a wasteland.
Same crap different day. We have no right winger unless we shove people out of position and usually they are poor. Mata has offered almost zero and in combination with Valencia our right side is mostly a wasteland.
This. Offers nothing. I’d also add, he is physically weak. Seems to get pushed off the ball very easily, it’s almost embarrassing to watch, at times.
Mata is a nice guy and we all appreciate his humbleness, but it's been obvious for a while he is not good enough to start for a top team, I'm not sure what he offers from the bench either. He is so slow, weak on the ball and disposed with ease, and to be sincere there are times I watch him and wonder why the feck did you do that. I won't say that I want him to leave this summer, but if we want to improve we need to phase out this type of players.
To be fair to José, I think he might've wanted to build on the performance against City by having Herrera/Matic/Pogba continue to form an understanding between eachother which is understandable. I still think Herrera and Matic should be in the opposite roles they're deployed in together.
On Mata, as usual he was invisible but, after the Pogba sub, I thought he did pretty well in a deeper position. He recycled the ball well and got us further up the field with some nice passes.
This! absolutely this ! 100 times.
His passing was terrible yesterday. Nomally while having his usual nothing performance he keeps his passing simple and tidy, but yesterday he was losing the ball all the time and was very sloppy.
I dont think we need a 3 man midfield against weak teams at home. We have played 4231 at home all season against teams like West Brom.
I don't remember that many bad passes or touches from him the other night, tbh. Not saying there weren't any but no more than the usual for him from what I noticed. I do remember him playing an excellent ball out to the left, which is rare for him to attempt, and, when moved into a deeper CM position, he played a few nice passes to get us further up-field. Nothing to write home about but, considering I didn't expect much from him at all when replacing Pogba's position on the pitch, I wanted to give him some credit.
I don't either but I can see why José went with it here. Not because we needed the extra defensive cover but to try and build a constant first XI/formation. Better late than never.
No he was very unusually sloppy in most of his passes and controlling of the ball. Won't suggest to watch it again to confirm though as no one deserve such torture twice in a week.
I think he either starts as a number ten or he just comes off the bench, we need more pace and width on the right.
Mata is the ultimate luxury player. Was probably protected by a good Chelsea team still at the top of their game.
He reminds me of a scrum-half that can only prosper with a good pack around him. Unfortunately, we are nowhere near that Chelsea team in terms of physicality or quality.
Not only have I ever seen him win a 50/50 challenge, but he loses anything up to 65/35 in his favour. As soon as any second ball breaks near him, we’re usually on the back foot.
He occasionally makes up for this with a good game here and there, but nowhere near enough for me.
He reminds me of a scrum-half that can only prosper with a good pack around him. Unfortunately, we are nowhere near that Chelsea team in terms of physicality or quality.
Not only have I ever seen him win a 50/50 challenge, but he loses anything up to 65/35 in his favour. As soon as any second ball breaks near him, we’re usually on the back foot.
He occasionally makes up for this with a good game here and there, but nowhere near enough for me.
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He played for probably our weakest squad since the mid 90's (despite the CL) and then a flawed squad where the players were either too young or old. He does have flaws which is why he was eventually dropped when the squad started hitting title challenging standard again but he was far from being protected in a great team.
That Chelsea team really wasn’t that great. Pretty sure he won player of the year there as well.
You clearly didn't watch that Chelsea team very closely.
United should move on from Mata. Clearly, Mata does not have the desire to be the best player in the team. He doesnt want to carry the team and he's okay with being used as a sub half the time.
The desire isn't there. He's not even asking for a transfer out. United could be luckier if they just focus on Herrera.
The desire isn't there. He's not even asking for a transfer out. United could be luckier if they just focus on Herrera.
I'm not his fan but i do think if he can transform into a central midfield role, he will be more useful to us. Mata's vision is still something special in our current squad, combining with his passing skills, probably he can recreate what his fellow Cazorla did for Arsenal.
Otherwise i would like to see him go. Dropped, not even involving as a substitution on birthday occasion, his future has already been set
Otherwise i would like to see him go. Dropped, not even involving as a substitution on birthday occasion, his future has already been set
Just a ridiculously speculative post.
Or... maybe he doesn't want to leave the club, because he loves it here... realises he's been below par of late, and is waiting for his next opportunity to be in the team, so he can play well and show his value to the manager and the squad (like he's done many times before?)
I actually quite agree that Mata seems to be content with playing a small role than to be a starter, completely different from his Chelsea days. I don't think Mourinho treatment of him changed much since both were together at Chelsea, he wanted him as a part of squad but not a main starter week in week out and this is what happening here too. The only thing different is Mata seems to be more content of this principle now than what he was at Chelsea.
Probably he realized he's not young anymore and has declined a bit, that he's not going to find any better club than United at this stage and he's loved by all staff and fans so no point in seeking a main role in an average team.
Probably he realized he's not young anymore and has declined a bit, that he's not going to find any better club than United at this stage and he's loved by all staff and fans so no point in seeking a main role in an average team.
Decent squad player, don't see him reaching the heights he did under Mou at Chelsea. Will he even make the Spanish squad?
To add to the above, I genuinely believe Mata loves it here and he relishes the challenge of helping us get back to the top of the league. He could've left after the LVG years or the two summer windows with Jose but he didn't even make a squeak. He's 30 with a CL and World Cup in his resume, the one thing oddly missing is a league title. He never won one at Valencia, Chelsea or United yet. It would be great to win the league, but the added narrative of being part of that group to win our first league since SAF retired must really fire him up.
This is all conjecture though. For all we know, Mata could be looking to move back to Spain to a team where he could be a starter, while Mourinho could be more than happy to let him go and use the wages on a player more suited to his type of football. Until the summer plays out we won't know what their intentions are.
I personally like having Mata as a squad option. But I'm thinking if the first team spot goes to someone better, is he better than Lingard or Rashford as a squad player? Is he really necessary for next season? Currently, I'm leaning towards no.
I don't mind him leaving at all as he's not necessary anymore for our play, but I don't think he himself is intending to leave. All his quotes and actions say so imo. He's happy to stick around and also, as long as he's not a main starter I have no problem either.
I agree we should try and get Mata playing deeper. I don't see why he couldn't play in a midfield 3. He'd be more use to us their deeper hitting runners with his passing.
I don't see him succeeding in a deeper role. He is effective only when he operates in and around the 18 yard box making short passes. His long range passing is not that great and he seems to have lost the ability to dribble past players.
Last season he was very effective in making ghostly runs into spaces vacated by Zlatan and coming up with important goals. But this seasons he has been far less clinical and also taking lesser number of shots. He could probably work in a deeper role in La Liga, but he would easily be out-muscled in the PL.
In my observation, Mata has never been the player he used to be since his groin injury around the same time last year. He has lost his cutting edge and his knack of scoring tap-ins.
I guess his best option would be to move back to La Liga if he wants more playing time, may be return to Valencia as they are now back in the CL. However, I'd love to have him around as an experienced squad player with a calming influence in the dressing room.
Last season he was very effective in making ghostly runs into spaces vacated by Zlatan and coming up with important goals. But this seasons he has been far less clinical and also taking lesser number of shots. He could probably work in a deeper role in La Liga, but he would easily be out-muscled in the PL.
In my observation, Mata has never been the player he used to be since his groin injury around the same time last year. He has lost his cutting edge and his knack of scoring tap-ins.
I guess his best option would be to move back to La Liga if he wants more playing time, may be return to Valencia as they are now back in the CL. However, I'd love to have him around as an experienced squad player with a calming influence in the dressing room.
Brighton 1:0 Man Utd
Not having a good season. Despite never reaching the level he showed at Chelsea you used to be able rely on him to bring a level of composure to our play.
Most luxury player I have ever seen playing for United.
Don’t see why we ever play him in away matches, just doesn’t have the physicality required anymore.
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