Yeah! Even less ball retention... You need different players in a team. Mata played his role really well.
8
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 32
- Goals
- 6
- Assists
- 3
- Yellow cards
- 3
- Status
I still have mad love for this guy. He left us with such delightful memories. When he absolutely destroyed Spurs at White Hart Lane I remember the commentator declare the match "The Juan Mata Show". 
He did well, very diligent performance defensively. Intercepted the ball a fair few times and added the assist for Shaw. If Sanchez pulled his head out his ass and made the right pass, he might have got a goal as well.
He was good today. He'll never be a classic winger, but he didn't allow himself to be pushed off the ball and kept possession even under immense pressure from defenders. He made some nice incisive passes. With a dangerous attacking fullback overlapping him, Juan could be much more dangerous.
Great play for the goal, otherwise, meh.
Non existent in the first half, was good in the last 20 though.
Felt he was pretty decent. Great assist, a few nice passes and a few moments where you felt that he shouldn't be playing RW. All in all, he offers something that other attackers dont- composure and thats why he needs to be playing till we get an apt replacement. Also his ball circulation skills are underappreciated greatly
Wished we had another alternative to Mata on the right. He was pretty good today i thought, but we are not as dangerous as we could be when attacking, due to him being unable to move past a defender. He doesn't have the pace either for really quick counters, he'll get left behind unless we stop and kill the tempo. Which he will do himself too if we give him the ball.
He was poor and didn't show any end product. I haven't managed to watch all United games last season, but this was the worst I've seen him play in quite some time.
Really poor apart from the assist. Leicester dominated his side of the pitch. A typical Mata performance.
Grew into the game as the second half progressed.
His best stuff comes when he's central.
His best stuff comes when he's central.
The one brown spot in the counter attacking aspect of our game tonight, his legs are completely gone. Apart from that, the setup for Shaw's goal was very tidy.
the right wing will again be non existent all season long.
Lingard will be ahead of him when fit regardless. He's a very ordinary player at this. Good technique and intelligence but is far too easy to play against.
I find it a bit mad that anyone can watch that second half performance and class it as poor unless it's being fueled by preconceived notions.
He was controlling the ball well in tight spaces, linking well with others (when they could actually pass to him and didn't feck it up) dribbling very well (he even went past people!) and was quite clearly our most productive and consistent attacker. He also won possession back for us a bit too.
He was on the "wing" and made as many passes as Fred and Periera, which show how he was an influence in the game
He was controlling the ball well in tight spaces, linking well with others (when they could actually pass to him and didn't feck it up) dribbling very well (he even went past people!) and was quite clearly our most productive and consistent attacker. He also won possession back for us a bit too.
He was on the "wing" and made as many passes as Fred and Periera, which show how he was an influence in the game
Game didn't suit him tonight, is lack of pace stopped a few counters.
More than usefull on a different day but not right wing.
More than usefull on a different day but not right wing.
He was good. Just wish he was a bit bigger and stronger
He played a lot more attacking passes than we were used to last season. There was less of that pointless sideway and backward passing - he actually had purpose with his passing this time, and it was mostly forward. Good to see.
Thought he was poor, both offensively and defensively. Was letting Chilwell bring the ball forward 30-40 yards at time and going forward, it's clear and has been for a while that we need some genuine pace on the right hand side, which Mata does not offer. He's not dynamic enough to affect the game in the final third, and isn't really the most creative player. We should have upgraded him in the summer.
And that pass to Shaw was just garbage....
I like having a player out wide to rotate the ball, but he needs a more dynamic fb outside him to offer width otherwise we look far too narrow.
Felt sorry for Darmian on his own down that right flank
He doesn’t have the pace when we are deeper, he does have the quality on the ball though.
Some say he was go some say he was bad. It was a typical Mata performance.
Good ball retention some nice links up and crosses. He could have had a goal from Sanchez’s pass, if not for the deflection. But also lack of width on his side, the fullbacks just jog past him and he can’t catch up, the combination with Darmian on the right make that side so weak that all our attacks go down the left and all the opponent attack's come down our right.
Good ball retention some nice links up and crosses. He could have had a goal from Sanchez’s pass, if not for the deflection. But also lack of width on his side, the fullbacks just jog past him and he can’t catch up, the combination with Darmian on the right make that side so weak that all our attacks go down the left and all the opponent attack's come down our right.
One of the best players yesterday IMO.
He works his ass off, keep the ball and plays some very smart passes.
MOM for me.
He works his ass off, keep the ball and plays some very smart passes.
MOM for me.
He just doesn't suit the way Jose wants to play. If we had a more possession based style it would be OK, but when we sit back and attempt to counter he's just useless.
I'd much rather we had somebody pacey that can attack 1v1 and cross themselves, it would give our attack a new dimension.
If mata is going to play it needs to be 1 of the CM/CAM positions IMO.
I'd much rather we had somebody pacey that can attack 1v1 and cross themselves, it would give our attack a new dimension.
If mata is going to play it needs to be 1 of the CM/CAM positions IMO.
Good assist, but I'm so sick and tired of seeing him on the right wing with his zero pace and zero strength. But I guess that's the only place he can play under Jose.
Don’t think anyone’s mentioned the weird position he played for a lot of the game. Mou moved Rashford to right wing and played Mata as a false nine once it became apparent we couldn’t defend for shit down our right side. Quickly became apparent that Mata is not very good as a false nine! He improved a lot (as did all our attacking players) when Lukaku came on and we finally had a proper striker on the pitch.
Agree with you, as I’m sure does Mourinho. It’s why he sold him at Chelsea and why, allegedly, the club has offered Mata to Inter. However, our board in its infinite wisdom decided not to go for a right winger. Let’s not forget Malcom was on Jose’s list according to Duncan Castles and ended up going to Barca for a quite cheap sum when we had months to get in first. More signs that our board doesn’t know anything about assembling a team.
Let’s put DDG on the right...and then when he fails we can all say it was because it’s not his best position. 
How many times does Mata get to play on his stronger side? He still has good moments though and he and Sanchez were pretty exciting on the tour. About time he got some credit for playing out of position, doing his best, and never complaining about it - and as an inside left he's often dangerous.
How many times does Mata get to play on his stronger side? He still has good moments though and he and Sanchez were pretty exciting on the tour. About time he got some credit for playing out of position, doing his best, and never complaining about it - and as an inside left he's often dangerous.Not his best game but still looked like the player to create a goal for us.
I agree we need another player for the right wing but I still think Mata can produce out there, probably more so when we have Valencia or maybe even Dalot at right who can get on the outside of him.
I agree we need another player for the right wing but I still think Mata can produce out there, probably more so when we have Valencia or maybe even Dalot at right who can get on the outside of him.
Mata's best position is arguably an extreme number 9 poacher in the box who occasionally drops to link up play. He's good at sniffing out space in the box because his lack of legs won't really allow him to play any other mobile role effectively. Unless you really sure up the midfield behind him. But with Pogba/Matic plus our lack of actual fullbacks it makes it hard to do that. Every combination seems to have an equal and opposite combo breaker in every position at the moment.
He needs some milk.
Laced with steroids.
Legs are completely gone.
Laced with steroids.
Legs are completely gone.
Might take him some time to get in match rhythm, though I'm not keeping my hopes up. He was never that athletic to begin with to say the least.
If anything he was better when the game got stretched in the last 20-25 minutes or so and Leicester started to push up more and we played more counter attack. He just didn't have the pace to make more of it but at least he entered the game more. In the 1st half when the spaces were closed he was much more ineffective. He doesn't suit possession football either. All he does is pass sideways and move sideways. No penetration. Ideally we play Lukaku or Rashford or even Sanchez there from now on. I'm sure anyone is an improvement there. Should he play midfield I wonder? I'd rather bring on Mata than Fellaini or McTominay just to keep the ball better at least.
A tad unfair. He's put through some cracking balls which have led to goals. Would you call his pass to Shaw sideways or a perfect pass?
That was only for about ten minutes at the end of the first half was it not? In the second half we reverted to Mata right and Rashford up top, and we had more control of the game than in the first half with the exception of Leicester’s push at the end. Lukaku definitely made an impact, he was a much better outlet.
Had few nice passes like that one for Shaw's goal, but overall quite underwhelming.
He is a liabilty. He should be sold. Just having a few nice touches is not good enough. Sanchez gave the ball to Lukaku on a plate but he had a bad game too. So why is Mata getting a free ride? He has been terrible. We normally play with 10 players when we play against sides that are counter attacking us. He cannot defend for his life and is too slow to do anything when we do not have the ball. Yes give the ball to him and he can make that brilliant pass but that is being a passenger when we do not have the ball. We need a better ride sided player than him. Even Rashford is better than him on the right. Rashford has not been able to lead the line so he needs to cement the right wing his own.
People on here clearly watched a different game to me on Friday night. I thought Mata was superb v Leicester. IMO he looked all the more impressive as he was doing everything right that Sanchez was doing wrong. He might not do anything fancy, but he was composed, held up and moved the ball consistently and generally had a top game. He was an MOM contender for me. In Sanchez's defence, he's capable of delivering a lot more, whereas Mata showed his A game, and maybe that's why so many fans have written him off. 8/10 for me on Friday (Sanchez 5)
- Status