Why are we tagging this guy along in the squad let alone starting in deep though?
It probably showed that we will need a midfield reinforcement in January.
It probably showed that we will need a midfield reinforcement in January.
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Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 12
- Goals
- 0
- Assists
- 0
- Yellow cards
- 0
- Status
Let that be the last of it. Please.
Hopefully that convinces RR that Mata should never play for United again.
I have no idea how Juan Mata has played for Man Utd for the best part of a decade. He's been done for years. The contract extensions over the last couple of seasons have been baffling.
He might be the weakest and slowest player I've ever seen in professional football. Sad because you can see the technique and brain is still there, but he needs to be playing in Saudi Arabia at this stage.
It's like he's contractually obligated to lose every challenge. Some nice touches & passes here and there but it's incredible how he's even a footballer at this point, he gets physically bullied by literally everyone. I love him to bits but he has to go.
He's good for a cameo not more than 15 mins. No way he can last one half at full intensity let alone the full match.
He has been finished for years.
There were some nice passes from Mata tonight. His shot from Greenwood's pass wasn't great, right into the zone with a defender and the keeper so no surprise that it got blocked. Rubbish off-target free-kick in the first half.
He looks 100 years old. Don't understand it he isn't even that old.
He's finished.
He's been decent and perhaps misused at the club, but he's done as a regular or for anything more than a few minutes.
He's been decent and perhaps misused at the club, but he's done as a regular or for anything more than a few minutes.
How had he been here eversince? He has been finished for nearly 5 years.
I don't understand why he got a game.
Just play a kid instead, where's the harm? What does Mata even provide anymore?
He's been finished for years.
Just play a kid instead, where's the harm? What does Mata even provide anymore?
He's been finished for years.
Nice to see him I suppose. Like when former players put on the shirt again for a testimonial.
Low key one of the worst signings in the post Fergie era. Was finished by LVG’s second season and has been getting paid for being a nice guy ever since.
He’s finished but he played some nice passes in the first half through the lines
Our hope of getting rid of him was Mourinho and he didn't want to be labelled a bad guy by selling him twice.
He was right on Mata all along.
It’s weird just how much he seems to have physically deteriorated. Whilst he’s never been a physical specimen I seemed to remember him at Chelsea being able to sometimes hold off players and get away from them, granted he’s 33 now it’s still not THAT old.
Great guy and all that but needs to be moved on.
Great guy and all that but needs to be moved on.
Not sure if he'll play again this season. Maybe in FA Cup if we go past Villa and draw some Championship opponent, or last game of the season in PL like vs Wolves in May when/if there's nothing to play for. There are many players in both CAM and RW positions that'll always be picked ahead of Mata.
Stole a living in his time here. It's time to move him on, guy has progyeria.
He is Ralf's little gegenpress machine. A few more training sessions and we can fully unleash him. Have high hopes for him in this new system.
The fact that he is happy collecting his wages rather than challenging himself and playing games elsewhere tells you everything.
Playing in a central midfield partnership with Van de Beek is not something I ever expected to see from Mata but he did alright, should have scored that chance Mason created for him though.
He needs better players around him....
I'll get my coat
I'll get my coat
Can't play at this level anymore imo.
I wonder how much we are paying him in his contract, I wouldn't be surprised if it is some stupid money. He's finished for more than two seasons now. And I swear I can still see some comments like he did well today. Laughing out Loud really. He's so slow, couldn't even control the ball at times, usually just offloading the ball with a sideway pass, only to play a couple of expected through balls to save his performance?
But I will not hate on him, he's gone the next season but his place could be given to younger players, even if they are not good enough, Juan should just retire and do an ambassador.
But I will not hate on him, he's gone the next season but his place could be given to younger players, even if they are not good enough, Juan should just retire and do an ambassador.
Agreed. Nice bloke but we spent a club record fee on him and he never had an extended period of time where he looked worth his fee. Somehow he's spent 9 seasons here, he's not even been a starting XI regular since 15/16.
It was a surprise and disappointing that he was given a 2 year contract extension back in 2019, when it looked like his best years were well and truly gone.
He’s been a model professional and a loyal servant to the club, but it looked like the right time for both him and Utd, to move on.
One last contract elsewhere and chance to see out his playing career..
Subsequently, he rarely featured at all over the next two seasons, especially last year and when he did appear, he looked over the hill and of limited use.
So it was totally baffling that we gave him another one year extension at the end of last season.
I thought it was an insane move on Utd, or Ole’s part.
It’s sad to see Mata being slagged off like this, when the club are to blame for keeping him on for far too long.
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He’s been a model professional and a loyal servant to the club, but it looked like the right time for both him and Utd, to move on.
One last contract elsewhere and chance to see out his playing career..
Subsequently, he rarely featured at all over the next two seasons, especially last year and when he did appear, he looked over the hill and of limited use.
So it was totally baffling that we gave him another one year extension at the end of last season.
I thought it was an insane move on Utd, or Ole’s part.
It’s sad to see Mata being slagged off like this, when the club are to blame for keeping him on for far too long.
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He signed the contracts so he has to share the blame, he’s been happy to sit on the bench rather than go and play elsewhere for some reason.
So much hate for a beloved figure.
Hey hey everyone calm down! Havent you all heard how much of a nice guy he is?
Glad to have him on the squad, he offers horse shit on the pitch but look at that smile that God damn smile.
Glad to have him on the squad, he offers horse shit on the pitch but look at that smile that God damn smile.
Why is he part of the squad, let alone starting IN MIDFIELD. The only explanation is Ralf showing he needs another midfielder.
The explanation could be that Ralf didn't want to field a complete U21 team and there was a player named Mata who had been given a contract extension by the club. So he was just lying there, picking up wages. So could as well play a bit.
The explanation also could be is that Ralf was new here and wanted to give every player a run in.
I don't know why people want to read so much into a dead rubber game. This is where you play your fringe players. Someone like Mata who is never going to come back to be first or even second choice in an actual competitive game are the ones you select.
That's true but the key is to have SOME kind of structure in the team, playing Matic as CB and Mata in midfield does no good to the youngsters. We could've played Mengi from the start, Matic with van de Beek and just drop Mata, who is a massive liability.
Well it's his last season with us so I don't mind him getting 1 game, pretty sure he's been offered an ambassador role next season, not sure if he's taken it or not.
He plays like someone twice his age. Should have played Matic in midfield and Mengi at cb. Hope to see as little as possible of mata in a united shirt, he should have gone many years ago.
He's only 33. Very few miles on the clock these last 2 seasons so I can see him being given at least another 2 year deal, with an option of a third.
Nice guy, really great guy but he was helicoptered in for a club record fee. He’s the most underwhelming signing for me. Not the worst….like Alexis was absolutely shocking. But Mata has been just meh for a decade, a few notable games aside.
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