[Red00012]

In Mata's 282 appearances for United, I wonder how many of them were actually in the #10?

I doubt it reached 20

 

[Livvie]

Cutting in and linking play is one of his best qualities.

Fair enough. Maybe I've been brainwashed by all the comments about him being bundled off the ball too easily.

 

[Tom Van Persie]

An absolute class act on and off the field.

 

[FrankDrebin]

When you're winding down the season, just dust off Mata from the shelf and throw him in. Its a running theme that he features in the last remaining fixtures when the season is practically dead for us.
And the same conversation tends to occur too.

 

[Dec9003]

When has Mata ever been an important player, not likeable but important? He hasn’t. He could be injured, even in his early days it wouldn’t matter. The other four players have all been important members of the first 11 most of their time here. Mata’s been a nice guy. Played well today on his farewell to be fair. Goodbye to 9 years of nothing.

Several times he's been an important player for United. During LVG's first season when he played on the right in the 4-3-3, we went on a fantastic run to get into the top four.
In the 2015/2016 season he played all 38 matches in the Premier League, starting 34 of them.
Jose's first season he was important as well, article here describing him as a key man, was at one point averaging a goal or an assist every 95 minutes.
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport...rinho-efl-cup-final-southampton-a7595436.html

 

[TrustInJanuzaj]

Not because he's left footed, no, but not a physical player so able to get a cross in right off rather than needing to cut in. His right foot isn't bad though

This makes no sense

 

[caid]

People seem to have forgotten his games under Moyes, Van Gaal and Mourinho's first season. He was an important player in that time and played every week. He wasn't a headline player dragging us through games every week but he was one of the few that put in consistently good performances while the rest of the team was having a meltdown. He was just a good player for us despite not really being needed and not really fitting in with the managers and squads we built, which is a rarity these days.
I think hes in a group bought in the last decade that probably contains about 5 other players that i'd call a success. I think i might struggle to hit 5 actually.

 

[Devil may care]

I didn't know Mata was confirmed as leaving until the commentator mentioned it tonight, decent performance to sign off at Old Trafford with.

 

[el3mel]

Thanks for the memories. Cheers. A successful signing considering how many years he gave us and how many critical goals he scored. Crazy to think he has been here for the entire post Fergie era.

Classy guy and player. Shame that we didn't get him in his prime but we still extracted a lot of great moments from him.

Best of luck in his future.

 

[Red the Bear]

Good luck chap , will miss ya.

 

[Tom Van Persie]

Tweet

— Twitter API (@user) date

 

[AndyMUFC]

Top pro and great way to bow out at Old Trafford tonight.Has never played in his best position here consistently and there's no way he shouldn't have featured more this season in games where need a goal or will need to break sides down.

 

[sullydnl]

Pretty sure if you were to look past over the reactions on here to each of his limited appearances in the last few years, the proportion of them that were generally considered to be somewhere between okay and good would actually be quite high. There just wasn't enough of them.

 

[Varane around town]

Have I missed something? Has Mata actually confirmed that he's leaving?

I know it's almost certain but we thought that last year.

 

[RussellWilson]

He didn't do much amazing but controlling the ball well, passing quickly and with the right weight and not behind people made him look like a magician. We are so starved of world class level technicians it's funny.

 

[tentan]

New 5 year contract please.

Only joking.

 

[TuzlaUnited]

Off the top of my head, a few productive free kicks, saved games against Newcastle and Juventus for starters.

Never understood this transfer.It was move to save that season under Moyes but we were already in downfall.
I remember that time and I was telling my self, it can not get worse than this.

 

[Red00012]

I was always baffled by Moyesy signing him and not using him in the number 10 position where he excelled for Chelsea for so long.

 

[roonster09]

He was good, I think Ronaldo linked up better with Mata than any player. When he is involved in most of the play, game is very smooth.

 

[meamth]

He didn't do much amazing but controlling the ball well, passing quickly and with the right weight and not behind people made him look like a magician. We are so starved of world class level technicians it's funny.

Even Bruno looked abysmal this season, technically.

Yeah we should've used Mata more this season.

 

[Golden Nugget]

He was good, I think Ronaldo linked up better with Mata than any player. When he is involved in most of the play, game is very smooth.

I felt the same. Mata simply did something that our players don’t do enough of - passing and moving. It’s all it took for the chance he missed on his right foot after some wonderful play and skill from Ronaldo.

 

[anant]

There was a moment in ~74th min or something where Mata had some fantastic control and then made a pass forward to Ronaldo on left wing who cut inside dribbling a defender and got into the box.
Any chance you would have that clip? @GifLord

 

[crossy1686]

We’re going to go out and sign De Jong to replace Mata and then waste his career because no one knows how to use him also

 

[AngliaRed]

we wasted most his time here playing RW where the modern full back had a field day playing against him.

loyal servant, grafter & nice guy!

I hope he gets a good gig like Erikson

 

[DickDastardly]

He's a slick individual, on and off the field.

He has flair, a sort of dashiness about him. He's not going to outrun you, or go on a solo dribbling run....what he will do is provide that slick touch, that killer blow, just the right amount of tick to make the team tock.

His problem is the team wasn't tocking since he came along no matter how much he ticked.

What he did deliver, is a standard 7/10 every time he was on that pitch.

 

[Real Name]

We both misused him and his career was on a down after a while but its strange on his part he never wanted to leave while having all the reasons to want to leave.

 

[Oldtraffordboy]

Often the only one who can seem to glue midfield and attack together with a short passing game.

And he's got the first touch most of the squad can only dream of so can pass to him in tight areas with confidence.

Criminally wasted at RW and scapegoated.

 

[Real Name]

Last time he was used properly was in LVG's second season.
If I remember correctly which might be totally wrong.

 

[AndySmith1990]

Deserved a good send off and deserves our respect. He's always conducted himself professionally and done the club proud, despite having to work along side certain people who he must've felt embarrassed to call teammates.

 

[Raw]

Always found it strange how he seems happy to stay here and barely do anything on the wings when he could easily move and regularly start for someone who will actually play him in his best position. Maybe the money's too good.

 

[Roboc7]

He played well but he’s been in decline for years and should have been shipped out couple of years ago. Ever understood why he signed that last contract, didn’t make sense for Mata or the club.

 

[Ash_G]

I'll certainly be sad to see him go and sit in the camp of feeling that we've wasted him. Clearly he doesn't have, and hasn't had, the athleticism to play every game, particularly given the problems we have throughout the team, but I definitely think we could have made more use of him and he is someone who makes others around him play in a smarter and more composed way, something that we've really needed.

It's hard to judge as yesterday Brentford gave us so much time but if ETH and the team thought he still had the fitness to contribute and that's something all parties wanted I wouldn't think it would be the worst thing to keep him for one more year personally if we're going to see the turnover we expect to see in the squad. The reality is that it's unlikely we can replace them all in one window and whilst some younger players will ideally be given a chance to step up to fill gaps in the squad having someone like Mata couldn't hurt either.

 

[jackal&hyde]

Wonderful player that we misused most of the time. Mourinho has no idea how to use a player like this and Ole favored high pace counter instead of possession. In a City setup he would have been one of the best in the World. Such a fecking shame we made more use of players like Fellaini and Lingard rather then the truly gifted ones.

 

[#07]

Mata is one of the numerous victims of Man Utd's transfer 'strategy' over the past decade.

I've written Mata off, more than once, but that's because I was observing various coach's efforts to create order from chaos e.g., setting the team up to counter attack. Mata simply isn't built for that.

Had we built a team more suited to holding the ball and playing the Spanish style, like City have, then Mata's career at Man Utd might've gone differently. He's just another square peg for a round hole in this hotchpotch of a squad we have. It'll do him well to leave and join a team that has a clearer vision for a) how it wants to play and b) how it wants him to fit into that.

 

[DWelbz19]

A lot of praise for a player with one good game in 3 years.

It’s really weird.

 

[Name Changed]

He still has that touch of class. When you see him playing like that, it makes me wonder why he wasn't utilised more against that type of opposition.

Anyway best of luck to him. He seems like a great character.

 

[SirScholes]

For us

Exactly my point

best position is no 10 free role, I’m not sure how that’s even up for debate

might have better stats for us from wings but as a team we would of been better off using him as a no10 and building around him

 

[The Corinthian]

A class act on and off the pitch. Great example to the younger players too. I think he could do a job in midfield, and wouldn’t be surprised if he ends up playing as one when he goes back to Spain.

 

[GazTheLegend]

Dont start me on Herrera.... wish we still had him.

I'm going to start on Herrera then now because this reminded me of his existence.

I feel like there's two kinds of redcafe fan - and even football manager - and you can tell the difference between them quite easily by finding out who rates/rated Herrera and Mata and who rates Pogba and Lingard. Because the first two guys would probably statistically be way worse than the latter two - I'm sure Lingard and Pogba complete more dribbles, run further, or run longer than the other two guys so on paper they'd look better. But anybody that watches football that can appreciate 1) a player with a good first touch and 2) a player with an amazing football brain probably understands how ridiculously important those two attributes are. It's unbelievable to me quite how often Lingard lost the ball playing a stupidly bad pass, or Pogba lost the ball trying to show off right in front of our box, but I struggle to think of too many occasions Mata or Herrera did those things.

Losing Herrera without replacement was probably Solskjaers most criminal mistake. Underusing Mata - remembering Lingard didn't score or assist in a CALENDER YEAR - is one that goes overlooked.

 

[Revaulx]

Last time he was used properly was in LVG's second season.
If I remember correctly which might be totally wrong.

He had plenty of game time, and played well, in Jose’s first (and best) season.