[ErranMorad]

Don't know why we didn't sell in summer. He'll leave on a free next season after stinking the place up for another season.

 

[.Rossi]

Toss

 

[Roboc7]

Other than a few nice touches every so often he is pretty useless, I don’t think he would even get on the bench at any other top 6 side but will start most games for us. He is nowhere near the level he was at Chelsea and should be allowed to leave but will probably get a contract extension.

I have no idea why he even attempts to help defensively, a cone would be just as effective.

 

[luke511]

Probably the least intimidating player in PL history

 

[AndyJ1985]

He may very well be the nicest bloke at the club, but he's a fecking pointless footballer.

 

[anant]

Had a poor game, but it says something about our side that despite doing pretty much nothing he was among the better players in the 1st half! That's how low the bar was set by us in that half

 

[Van Piorsing]

Time to write some meaningless hipster shit on the blog.

'We fought bravely but Brighton had Murray. Hugs.'

 

[acnumber9]

Another player that doesn’t look physically up to it anymore. He tried but his limitations are becoming more and more exposed.

 

[Adam-Utd]

He should never start an away game,
And should never be played as a winger.

He’s an absolute passenger and is putting us under more danger than he creates.

Rashford might not be a right winger but at least he scares the opposition.

 

[sullydnl]

Don't know why we didn't sell in summer. He'll leave on a free next season after stinking the place up for another season.

It's not like him still being here is some sort of mystery. Selling him would have required buying a replacement. Which judging by the transfer window just gone is clearly much easier said than done.

 

[Bobski]

One of our most pointless signings ever.

 

[Foxbatt]

Starting him is now a minus for the team. Anyone but him on the right would have been better. Even Fellaini. Jose has lost his mind. He should have played Darmian as the right back and Young as the right winger. At least Young will run a lot faster than Mata and may even dive in the penalty box.

 

[VorZakone]

Nice guys finish last.

 

[Coops73]

Awful, I blame him for the first goal, literally jumped over the ball that led to the cross for the goal and sadly just lacks any pace for the right, seems like a bloody nice chap though which is why I hate saying these things but then maybe that’s half our problem.

 

[mewnew11]

Just see Silva at City. Play him at 10 or right wing he will absolutely give you a performance.

Both are almost same in physicality and pace. However Mata is just a coward. He doesn't take on people and all his passes are either sideways or back.

It's mind boggling that we have kept him and it's even more depressing to see the manager start him.

 

[MadDogg]

Normally he is at least providing something. It's often still not enough to make up for his limitations, but at least there's something. This match however there was absolutely nothing. I think there was one decent pass to Young, but otherwise every time I actually noticed him it was in a negative way. The most obvious for me being when we won the ball back and the defender (Lindelof I think) looked to pass it out to the right wing only to find Mata had come inside pretty much to Pereira's position. That one really annoyed me.

To be fair to him, last season when we were playing 4231 we inevitably played better with Mata on the right than we did whenever we tried any other option. But even last season towards the end when we started playing 433 it was obvious he didn't suit that formation. With three central midfielders already on the pitch we need width and attacking threat far more than we need another passer coming into the centre.

 

[Harry190]

Just see Silva at City. Play him at 10 or right wing he will absolutely give you a performance.

Both are almost same in physicality and pace. However Mata is just a coward. He doesn't take on people and all his passes are either sideways or back.

It's mind boggling that we have kept him and it's even more depressing to see the manager start him.

Nah, Silva is about the same as Mata was about 7-8 years ago, when he was with Chelsea.


Someone nutmegged him with a pass. I lost my shit when it happened.

 

[Raw]

If we're gonna play him, play him as a #10 if we use a formation that uses one. Even then, he should be backup to the likes of Pogba or Lingard. He's so fecking pointless on the right.

 

[Fosu-Mens]

Playing with Mata is like having one less player than the opposition if they have the ball or they are pressing high, regardless of what position Mata is played in. Hobbit of a player.
Only time he can be useful for us is when we are playing against a team that is parking the bus with no pressure, which is unlikey we will do seing the success Brighton had with their style.

 

[IAmAWinner]

I have been so disappointed with his time here. Not been anywhere near the player he was at Chelsea.

 

[Eddy_JukeZ]

I can't believe he's STILL at the club.

It's mind-boggling honestly.

One of our worst ever purchases considering the record fee at the time.

We'll never forget Juanfield though.

 

[Classical Mechanic]

Just see Silva at City. Play him at 10 or right wing he will absolutely give you a performance.

Both are almost same in physicality and pace. However Mata is just a coward. He doesn't take on people and all his passes are either sideways or back.

It's mind boggling that we have kept him and it's even more depressing to see the manager start him.

Silva’s pretty quick. Mata is probably the slowest attacking player in the league.

 

[11101]

Shocking. He was terrible against Leicester and he was terrible today. Opposition players literally run around him with the ball. They can almost forget about having to defend our right flank and they know they can gain 50 yards unchallenged if they play it down that side themselves.

 

[MadMike]

Silva’s pretty quick. Mata is probably the slowest attacking player in the league.

And weakest at the same time. I think he's done in this league. Maybe Italy, I don't know

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

He's poor now, but let's not rewrite history. One of our better players under LvG and was good in Mourinho's first season. Individually, his contribution to the club has been pretty solid. He's noticeably slower and doesn't really suit what we're trying to do, but he doesn't deserve to be discredited as a "pointless signing" or "worst ever purchase" when in that time we also signed Di Maria, Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger, Darmian, Mkhitaryan and loaned Falcao. He's been a good signing, but not an amazing one.

Right now. I'd pick any of our attacking players ahead of him in any position.

 

[Woodzy]

Has he tweeted about how sad he is yet, and how the team will bounce back and must do better?

 

[Classical Mechanic]

He's poor now, but let's not rewrite history. One of our better players under LvG and was good in Mourinho's first season. Individually, his contribution to the club has been pretty solid. He's noticeably slower and doesn't really suit what we're trying to do, but he doesn't deserve to be discredited as a "pointless signing" or "worst ever purchase" when in that time we also signed Di Maria, Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger, Darmian, Mkhitaryan and loaned Falcao. He's been a good signing, but not an amazing one.

Right now. I'd pick any of our attacking players ahead of him in any position.

Bloody likeable chap too.

 

[MAME DIOUF 32]

I don't think you can get away with having a player so lacking in mobility now. Imagine Mata in City or Liverpool's front line.

 

[mewnew11]

He's poor now, but let's not rewrite history. One of our better players under LvG and was good in Mourinho's first season. Individually, his contribution to the club has been pretty solid. He's noticeably slower and doesn't really suit what we're trying to do, but he doesn't deserve to be discredited as a "pointless signing" or "worst ever purchase" when in that time we also signed Di Maria, Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger, Darmian, Mkhitaryan and loaned Falcao. He's been a good signing, but not an amazing one.

Right now. I'd pick any of our attacking players ahead of him in any position.

Absolute bollocks. He was shite under lvg and no where close to being counted a good player in Jose's first season.

I would love to see you back up your words with some numbers. Juanfield , some free kicks and that's it

 

[Canagel]

Should never ever play RW again. Midfield or bench.

 

[Henry Gaervell]

Absolutely baffling why he continues to get picked on the Right Wing. Lots of the criticism on here is valid, my main beef is that he simply does not operate as a RW. Always positioned in the centre when off the ball, rarely goes down the touchline with the ball, no dribbling into the box from the flank.

He effectively operates as a Attacking Mid (his natural position), but even then he seems diminished with lots of negative sideways passing and does very little defensively. More significantly, his positioning and lack of RW ability completely disjoints our attack.

It's a scandal that Jose continues to pick him - he's completely failed in this position over the last 12months. Even bigger scandal (if rumours are true) that Unit ed are offering Mata a new contract.

Two things need to happen:
1) We need to stop selecting Mata as RW. Either put an 'unatural' player out there who has better RW qualities (Sanchez, Lingaard, Rashford)*

2) Get Mata sold this window if possible. High salary, diminishing resale value and I can't sever see us playing a formation that best suits his (diminishing) abilities


* The alternate option is to eliminate the problem altogether and go 352

 

[jem]

Time to write some meaningless hipster shit on the blog.

'We fought bravely but Brighton had Murray. Hugs.'

God the term ‘hipster’ is tiring and indeed meaningless if you think it applies to Mata. That being said, he was again anonymous today.

 

[OnlyTwoDaSilvas]

Absolute bollocks. He was shite under lvg and no where close to being counted a good player in Jose's first season.

I would love to see you back up your words with some numbers. Juanfield , some free kicks and that's it

14/15, 2nd highest scorer behind Rooney.
15/16, 3rd highest scorer behind Rooney and Martial. Highest assists in the team this season.
16/17, 4th highest scorer, behind Rashford, Mkhi and Zlatan.

Not many of those were even free kicks, so yeah, there was more to him than just Juanfield and some free kicks.

Though there's more to football than "numbers" and overall his play was decent during those 3 seasons (go re-read his performance threads, this place was generally positive about him during 14/15 and 15/16), he wasn't so good under Moyes (thought still scored 6 and assisted 6 in half a season in a shite team) and was definitely on a massive decline last season.

As I said. He was a good signing, but not an amazing one. He definitely wasn't the "worst purchase ever" or "pointless" as some have reduced him to, else he wouldn't have been consistently in our top contributors over the course of that period. A "worst purchase ever" wouldn't be doing that.



He's crap now though, and I'd rather anyone else play ahead of him, but to write off his entire contribution is harsh on him. He was a good player, but a shame that bid from Inter never materialised this summer.

 

[Godfather]

How he is still starting football games for us is beyond me.

 

[Henry Gaervell]

14/15, 2nd highest scorer behind Rooney.
15/16, 3rd highest scorer behind Rooney and Martial. Highest assists in the team this season.
16/17, 4th highest scorer, behind Rashford, Mkhi and Zlatan.

Not many of those were even free kicks, so yeah, there was more to him than just Juanfield and some free kicks.

Though there's more to football than "numbers" and overall his play was decent during those 3 seasons (go re-read his performance threads, this place was generally positive about him during 14/15 and 15/16), he wasn't so good under Moyes (thought still scored 6 and assisted 6 in half a season in a shite team) and was definitely on a massive decline last season.

As I said. He was a good signing, but not an amazing one. He definitely wasn't the "worst purchase ever" or "pointless" as some have reduced him to, else he wouldn't have been consistently in our top contributors over the course of that period. A "worst purchase ever" wouldn't be doing that.



He's crap now though, and I'd rather anyone else play ahead of him, but to write off his entire contribution is harsh on him. He was a good player, but a shame that bid from Inter never materialised this summer.

That's a good post. Overall I think Mata has been a successful signing for United - he improved our side under Moyes and has had some great games for us.

He's been a victim of our system and has not been played in a position that suits his skills (451 or 4411). He may as well play at CB as he should RW given his current abilities

Needs to be moved on, but I agree with you that he has contributed a lot to the team over the years

 

[AndyJ1985]

He's not been our worst signing; unfortunately we have so many terrible signings he'd probably struggle to get in the top 10. But I wouldn't say he's been a success either. He's mediocre. In many ways he encapsulates the spirit of our team since he's been here. Dull, uninspiring, much like a plain dry sponge cake; there's nothing to get excited about, he's just...there.

 

[MoskvaRed]

I struggle to recall a more insipid footballer for United (or at least one who has spent 4.5 years here and for whom we broke the tranfer record). An enduring symbol of poor value,post-Fergie mediocrity while City and Liverpool have been signing up genuinely dangerous attacking talent.

 

[devil in me]

You just know that when the team sheets are out and he is on the right, what sort of performance we are in for. One with no balance, flair, creativity or pace.
Its not his fault, because he quite simply is in no way whatsoever suited to the right, but he makes us so unbalanced, whilst offering pretty much nothing.
I cant for the life of me understand why 3 managers on the bounce have insisted on playing him there, and our lack of a true right winger has been a glaringly obvious weakness in our side for god knows how long.
At least a few years ago he was a good player with a bit of a goal threat, it looks like those days are gone.

 

[Prodigy24]

I love him still think he's a great player but he's wasted as a RW and offers the team very little from that position. I honestly forget that he's playing at times and struggle to see what he's contributing from the wing. Most of the time during our rare attacks it looks like he's taking a central role, with Lukaku moving out to the right, which I think completely messes up any build up.

Can't remember the last time he had a good game from that position, and he never seems to have a good understanding with his defender, Young or Valencia or whoever it might be (not that they are any better but hey). Hope we can find a new role for him and start Lingard or someone else on the right.

 

[Foxbatt]

He should be sold.