Juan Mata image 8

Juan Mata Spain flag

2017-18 Performances


View full 2017-18 profile

5.9 Season Average Rating
Appearances
40
Goals
3
Assists
7
Yellow cards
1
Status
Not open for further replies.

Champagne Football

New Member
Joined
Nov 28, 2015
Messages
4,187
Location
El Beatle
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.
He only brings composure in home games when we dominate possession. He's guaranteed to be invisible in tough away games like that
 

#07

makes new threads with tweets in the OP
Joined
Oct 25, 2010
Messages
23,258
When did he last play well? If the plan was to put him in the shop window we're just driving his value down.
 

Roboc7

Full Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2014
Messages
6,562
Three successive managers have failed to realise that it is pretty pointless playing him without an attacking rb.
 

Jeppers7

Pogfamily Mafia
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
Messages
7,287
When you play Mata you give yourself a massive problem. He's so slow and weak it's like playing with ten. I have no idea how he was actually regarded as a top player and one of the best in the league at Chelsea. It just seems impossible
 

NinjaFletch

Full Member
Joined
Sep 30, 2009
Messages
19,818
He's been utterly pointless all season.

He's a nice guy, but I just don't think he's at the required level anymore.
 

bosnian_red

Worst scout to ever exist
Joined
Aug 13, 2011
Messages
57,587
Location
Canada
The sooner he leaves the better. He's laughably useless on the pitch. Has been all season.
 

anant

Correctly predicted Italy to win Euro 2020
Joined
Feb 28, 2015
Messages
8,258
There's literally no point playing him as part of front 3 when we are playing a 4-3-3. Ideally we shouldn't play 4-3-3 against the likes of Brighton and WBA, but even if we do, Mata shouldn't be a winger in these games! We have 2 immobile CMs and add to that Mata isn't the greatest threat individually, as in he can't take players on .
 

Ashley R1+O

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Oct 3, 2016
Messages
2,174
His legs have completely gone. I think he knows it, organically he'll fall out of the rotation and the team when we fix the right wing. He'll be a good backup player as he loves the club and can play all across the front line. I think he could develop off the bench as a poacher as he has the scoring instinct. Playing him anywhere but 10 yards from goal just seems to shine a blazing light on the fact that his legs are gone and he can't run anymore.
 

ti vu

Full Member
Joined
Jun 16, 2015
Messages
12,799
Three successive managers have failed to realise that it is pretty pointless playing him without an attacking rb.
:nono:

Giggs did well provide him support from the FBs.

On serious note, Mata adds quality in certain circumstances, but never the type of player we really need under any of our managers. I don't see SAF ever buy him.
 

Bastian

Full Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
18,444
Supports
Mejbri
He's got the best first touch in the team, super nice individual, impossible not to love him. He might be transformed somewhat with a changed defense where the full backs are capable of making decisive positive contributions in the attacking build up, but I just think he'd be better off elsewhere.

He's a classy player in a setup that suits him (runners around him for instance). What could he fetch in the market?
 

Eddy_JukeZ

Full Member
Joined
Aug 21, 2012
Messages
16,977
He's been pointless all season.

Our worst attacking player all season by far.

If he's still at the club next season, then I'm lost for words.
 

MoskvaRed

Full Member
Joined
Sep 24, 2013
Messages
5,230
Location
Not Moskva
Pound for pound (taking into account January 2014 prices), I’d say he’s one of United’s worst ever signings. An appalling waste of money.
 

Harry190

Bobby ten Hag
Joined
Apr 18, 2010
Messages
7,603
Location
Canada
When you play Mata you give yourself a massive problem. He's so slow and weak it's like playing with ten. I have no idea how he was actually regarded as a top player and one of the best in the league at Chelsea. It just seems impossible
He hadn't lost his legs yet.
 

sullydnl

Ross Kemp's caf ID
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
34,063
Love Mata but even I recognise that he's had a poor season. His productivity in particular seems to have fallen off a cliff.
 

Bojan11

Full Member
Joined
May 16, 2010
Messages
33,113
He needs to go back to Spain. Seems like the pace has caught up with him. He gets muscled off the hall too easily. The difference between him and Silva is huge. Silva despite being the same size rarely gets muscled off the ball.
 

el3mel

Full Member
Joined
Oct 23, 2016
Messages
43,735
Location
Egypt
He needs to go back to Spain. Seems like the pace has caught up with him. He gets muscled off the hall too easily. The difference between him and Silva is huge. Silva despite being the same size rarely gets muscled off the ball.
And that's the reason why I find suggestions of putting Mata in the midfield is lame. Silva is x10 the player. Mata is as luxury as Ozil as the moment but with just a better mentality that doesn't mean much.
 

Djemba-Djemba

Full Member
Joined
Dec 19, 2007
Messages
21,157
Location
Manchester
I love Mata but you can't make excuses for him anymore. He's had an awful season.

Every other attacking player this season has had spells where they've hit form and looked good, even Mkhitaryan got loads of assists at the start of the season.

He offers us absolutely nothing. 3 goals all season is a terrible return.
 

MikeKing

Full Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2017
Messages
5,125
Supports
Bournemouth
Some games it's necessary, but using Mata is mostly overkill. All he does is make himself available only for him to realise he can't run past players so turns his back to protect the ball, then passes the ball. As i said, its a good trait in some games but this guy doesn't do it by choice he just does it because of his limitations in pace and physique. I have to admit, i always thought he was overrated a bit, even at Chelsea and he has never impressed enough here, especially if we disregard his few absolutely fantastic moments.
 

haram

New Member
Joined
May 28, 2017
Messages
12,921
He needs the number 10 to link with otherwise he gets isolated.
 

Canagel

Full Member
Joined
May 26, 2016
Messages
13,888
Mata was supposed to be a right sided player yesterday. Someone should pull up his heat map. I don't think he saw the right hand side of the pitch. He has to be one of the most tactically undisciplined players I've ever seen. There's no outlet on that right hand side. Darmian doesn't want to cross the half way line so the whole right side is non existent. Mata goes to the left where Martial and Pogba are, vacates his area and we end up with 3 players tripping over each other with nobody on the RW. Surely our successful WC manager can see this? And if he can and doesn't think it should be rectified then we have big problems. I'd love to hear from him one day what his wingers are supposed to do and is he happy with what they're doing because clearly they aren't playing like how wingers should. When Lingard and Sanchez play out wide it's the same.
 

Kostov

Full Member
Joined
Jul 4, 2017
Messages
9,399
Location
Skopje, Macedonia
I can not get this image out of my head, Mata on the edge of the box with Rasford right in front of him, while Martial behind him, and Mata who supposedly is one of our smartest and creative passers, crosses the ball over the defense and Rashford's head to fecking nobody. I mean wtf man? Pathetic display from a player who should be sold because he brings feck all. Maybe he can write something on his blog and fans can wank themselves to death of how good of a guy he is, otherwise please never again it was painful.
 
Last edited:

C'est Moi Cantona

Full Member
Joined
Feb 15, 2014
Messages
8,575
Strange how there's very little noise about him leaving, he's been great overall but is clearly in decline now.
 

jem

Full Member
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
Messages
9,258
Location
Toronto
I absolutely love the man - possibly my favourite player ever (mostly due to what a lovable dude he is.) However, performances like last night are so dispiriting - the constant backwards and sideways passing, the instant pass-backs. I don't agree with some of the nonsense being posted (ex. one of our worst ever signings,) but sadly I do feel that his time as a key contributor is coming to an end.
 

Oldyella

Full Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2014
Messages
5,756
I absolutely love the man - possibly my favourite player ever (mostly due to what a lovable dude he is.) However, performances like last night are so dispiriting - the constant backwards and sideways passing, the instant pass-backs. I don't agree with some of the nonsense being posted (ex. one of our worst ever signings,) but sadly I do feel that his time as a key contributor is coming to an end.
His off performances are becoming more and more regular too.
 

Bobski

Full Member
Joined
Sep 5, 2017
Messages
9,662
And that's the reason why I find suggestions of putting Mata in the midfield is lame. Silva is x10 the player. Mata is as luxury as Ozil as the moment but with just a better mentality that doesn't mean much.
Mata is by far the least talented of the 3. Ozil for all his flaws constantly creates. Mata has had some great moments as a finisher, the best part of his game, but his creative side is very limited, too easy to send backwards, not aggressive enough in his passing choices. Giggs at 37 was twice the player Mata has ever been for Utd.
 

bosnian_red

Worst scout to ever exist
Joined
Aug 13, 2011
Messages
57,587
Location
Canada
If we're talking purely about what they do on the pitch, then he has to have been one of the most overrated players in the world before we signed him. He had 1 productive season and was always pretty good, but nowhere near one of the best in the league. Incredibly reliant on system and players around him, he has the body and physicality of a child, and isn't even that creative on the ball. He just has a good first touch and is safe with his passing. He should be one of the first to be sold this summer, literally never provides anything and whenever he plays, the right wing is entirely pointless.

Overall he was an OK signing but massively overpriced at the time. Had good moments under LvG for us, especially at Anfield, but one of the most pointless players under Mourinho (as was expected tbf).
 

Donnie Brasco

New Member
Newbie
Joined
Dec 11, 2017
Messages
202
Location
Mulberry Street
Our worst 30+ million signing ever alongside with Shaw. Jose's signings arent the problem in this squad it's what he inherited, LVG was an absolute disaster in the transfer window.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.