Thought he played well tonight and was everywhere. Could have done better with his chances but he’s a great player to have in and around the box.
8
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The 3 attacking players behind Lukaku the way I see it becomes an option of Martial, Rashford, Lingard, Mata and Sanchez.
PL, CL and hopefully an FA Cup run to contend with for the rest of the season. All 5 will get chances. But Sanchez should start the majority of games if he comes.
Thought he was poor compared to recent performances. Brushed off the ball far too easily.
Guys, if Mkhitaryan goes then we still have 3 players (Sanchez, Lingard, Mata) for 2 positions (#10, RW). Both Mata and Lingard will get a lot of games in a very busy season.
Now, regarding the strongest starting XI, the truth is that while Mata's movement is excellent Sanchez offers a lot more pace, strength, running, penetration (by taking players on) and if the the last few years are any indication also goal threat. So yeah Mata might lose his starting place or have to share with Lingard, but that's only cause the team is getting stronger. That's a good thing.
Now, regarding the strongest starting XI, the truth is that while Mata's movement is excellent Sanchez offers a lot more pace, strength, running, penetration (by taking players on) and if the the last few years are any indication also goal threat. So yeah Mata might lose his starting place or have to share with Lingard, but that's only cause the team is getting stronger. That's a good thing.
Unlike previous seasons, I feel like he's doing better than ever with us in terms of his general game play. The only downside is his starts aren't as good as they usually are but I think this is the best we've seen of Mata here. He has a very important role in our current set up and enables us to keep possession and drag markers out of space with the little pockets he finds himself in.
Nah he was much better for us last season up until his injury, he's hit a bit of form recently almost like that pass in the City game has flipped a switch as prior to that he'd had a disappointing season
He played ok but was very wasteful.
I haven't been much of a Mata fan in the past, but in a team of ball-hoggers, he - and Lingard as well - help to keep the ball moving, and prevent our play grinding to a halt, and our players freezing into a static tableau like the enchanted inhabitants of a fairytale castle.
I'll bet no one has ever made that comparison in the entire history of the game!
He played well but missed two good chances. I think he loses his place if / when Sanchez comes in due to his lack of pace.
But the one thing I like as mentioned above is the way he keeps the ball and keeps it moving. Its a good way from going from defence to attack (and is something weve missed in some of the bigger games this season).
But the one thing I like as mentioned above is the way he keeps the ball and keeps it moving. Its a good way from going from defence to attack (and is something weve missed in some of the bigger games this season).
Finishing was off but he was involved a lot more than usual, great at retaining the ball and a few lovely lofted balls in the box. A lot to like about him, annoys me that he usually gets dropped when we have a big away game.
Nope. Sánchez doesn't play on the right. Mata plays a lot better on the right than Lingard who's a bit clueless there. Basically Mata is currently the only player that's in any way decent or good on the right and he makes the team tick in attack because he seems to be the only player that properly knows how to move off the ball both on offense and defense.
The comments about him being bullied are also overplayed. He doesn't lose the ball as much as Lingard, Rashford or Martial or even Pogba. Only Lingard has a higher passing percentage but Mata has about 20 more passes per game and is 3rd for the most crosses and he's only behind Pogba and ever so slightly behind Mkhitaryan in splitting the opposition defense open with passing. We've not scored in 4 matches this season and Mata was absent in 3 of them.
He's also good at helping out Valencia in defense. Definitely better than any of the other competing attackers and I think it's a big factor why he's a permanent in Mourinho's regular setup. He just brings a better balance whilst Rashford, Martial and Lingard fit more in different niches.
And? He finished the 15/16 playin of the right in a few games. Played there once last season and never this season. If he were so good there Wenger would play him there more often but he played him there in dead rubber games towards the end of the season because why the feck not?
It would probably affect the balance of the team. He may play better there, but maybe Özil's nowhere near as good when he's on the left, for example. Sanchez has played there plenty in his career anyway (more than on the left), so to say he doesn't play there is a stretch.
Was busy, made us tick in the final third, kept passing and moving, very good performance.
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Not a stretch, he might have played there from time to time (certainly not more than on the left) but now he plays on the left and that's where he made his name. Then again Mata was a central player and he's been pretty much been right only for us.
He only started playing more on the left at Arsenal. Look at his appearances overall (from Transfrmarkt):
A bulk of those games for Barca list him as a RW when he wasn't playing on the right wing and I don't care where he played before that.He only started playing more on the left at Arsenal. Look at his appearances overall (from Transfrmarkt):
Mata is the problem the opposition box get congested. He congests an already congested box. His moving all the time is not for the team at all. When he gets the ball he always moves inside from the right and come inside and goes to a congested final third. He does not have the space to dribble past people and the defenders can jog to keep up with him.
Or if he passes the ball from the right agains he comes inside the box and clutters the place by bringing in an extra defender. Mata if he is on the right should be trying to draw away or take a defender away with him. Not bringing one with him inside the box. He is gets too close to our own players and that means our player with the ball has to beat two players. That is his own marker and Mata's marker. HE should try to play for the team by staying wide and taking defenders away from the centre.
Or if he passes the ball from the right agains he comes inside the box and clutters the place by bringing in an extra defender. Mata if he is on the right should be trying to draw away or take a defender away with him. Not bringing one with him inside the box. He is gets too close to our own players and that means our player with the ball has to beat two players. That is his own marker and Mata's marker. HE should try to play for the team by staying wide and taking defenders away from the centre.
He was playing on the RW though?
Well, we are talking about a manager who hasn't won the league for 14 years and their fans think he's finished.
Eto'o played as a striker in Barcelona, when he moved to Inter he played on the right and Inter won treble.
I am with @Snow on this. I remembered he was tried plenty on the left especially the first season under Pep. His best season the third one, he featured more on the right though since you know who occupied that left wing.
Decent player, but I agree with the spacing & mobility issue a couple guys mentioned earlier. Ozil will be an upgrade in the summer. I'll miss the guy, class act, but there's a limit to where he can take us.
My memories of his 1st season are of him on the right when Pep was starting implementing his 3 at the back system. Pedro on the left, Alexis on the right, and they had stay wide to keep the width due to the midfield overload of Messi/Cesc/Xavi/Iniesta/Busquets/Thiago. That or he'd be the one to constantly run in behind as the CF, with said midfielders/Messi dictating the tempo and Alves/the LB keeping the width.
On Mata, I've noticed he's trying more dangerous passes in recent games and whilst he's never been the best passer, it's nice to see him attempt them than constantly passing sideways. Lingard's been in great form, and with Alexis likely to join, he'll probably be dropped to the bench, but I'm enjoying watching him play at the moment.
Burnley 0:1 Man Utd
He's having a mare.
He’s been good lately but he’s not doing his chances of keeping his place any favours today.
He has offered nothing today.
I love him as a player but Sanchez will be such a fantastic upgrade on the RW and will take the team up a level.
I love him as a player but Sanchez will be such a fantastic upgrade on the RW and will take the team up a level.
Probably one of the worst performances I've seen from him, very delayed decisions and none of his passes are getting through..
fecking terrible today
Worst I've seen him for quite some time.
His lack of pace is ridiculous, surely the slowest player in the PL.
His lack of pace is ridiculous, surely the slowest player in the PL.
Makes my blood boil watching him. So cowardly and so physically pathetic
He's so utterly pointless in tough away games. He offers nothing at all; just passes it sideways and backwards.
Every time he receives the ball in a good position he just turns around and passes it backwards. Can´t wait until he´s replaced by Sanchez in the starting eleven.
Should be his last start for a while.
Send him to Arsenal.
A nothing performance today. Can't wait for Sanchez to replace him all honestly.
Very poor. Could even keep up pace with the Burnley players.
His lack of dynamism was on show today, he's a lovely technical player but Jose talked before the game about picking players for certain games, to me this wasn't a game for Mata.
One of his worst games I can remember. Genuinely horrible. Even his touch was shite.
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