Don’t forget Sanchez playing the piano in the background while we sink.
Juan Mata | Official: Signs two-year contract with option of a third
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
Why group them all together? He's not going to be competing with most of those players. For our RW we have James and maybe Lingard and Greenwood, though it isn't ideal for them to play in that position. He can also play at the head of the midfield. He isn't going to get tones of minutes, but provide depth for when we need it.
If we play Mata in the hole behind the Strikers I still think we have a great player. His passing is right up there. If we use him as a wide option we might aswell play with 10. I hope ole plays him in the role that he excels at and not a square peg in a round hole
Desperation, negotiating from a position of weakness and incompetence. Mata at best should have been offered a one year deal, take it or leave it. He’d have to take a pay cut anywhere else and probably hasn’t had great offers.
OK 
I think it's probably going to be a 2+1 deal rather than a complete three year deal. Still a complete shambles.
Yeah appalling. Wonder what the numbers are. I doubt he took a pay cut for those three years. I heard 140k per week but doubt that is true..
Let's extend Sanchez's contract, too, while we're at it.
I think this is important for us, more so in terms of the dressing room/professionalism of the club and the re-signing of De gea
Ya you’re right it’s really just one big problem. And I’m not asking for one new squad. I’m pointing out the fact that this sort of deal we make with retailing mediocre players is far too common a theme for the past 6 years. And if we are signing him for another 3 years at the wages he’s on to be a peripheral player then it makes our decision making all the more dubious. We have never ever made the best use of the Mata archetype player anyway. Kagawa and Mhki are prime examples. Small techical skillfull creators who thrive on movement in the team.
Back to my point, it worries me that this smacks of penny saving and using experience as an excuse. He’s a nice guy but has declined so badly. And we are signing him for 3 years. As a peripheral player. Makes sense? Not to me.
I thought us coming 6th would open up to major surgery of the team; start by releasing overpaid, old, or ineffective players.
I can see the need for transition, but 3 years contract on high wages for a 31 y.o. ineffective attacking midfielder? Is it because that vague "he understands the Club" excuse?
I can see the need for transition, but 3 years contract on high wages for a 31 y.o. ineffective attacking midfielder? Is it because that vague "he understands the Club" excuse?
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Good news.
Hopefully in this upcoming season he's actually got a coherent team around him (and some others) so he can actually perform like he can do
Hopefully in this upcoming season he's actually got a coherent team around him (and some others) so he can actually perform like he can do
Guess he will now take up the team mascot role, like Ando did for all those years.
That's the thing, you've mentioned the wage that he's on as a concern, but also call it penny pinching. It can't be seen as profligate and tight at the same time.
We haven't made best use of him over the years, but that doesn't mean Ole won't. I think the first 10 games or so was a strong indication of how Ole wants us to play. He wants fast transitions, fluid movement and aggressive defending from the front. Unfortunately our players weren't equipped to do that for than a dozen games. Mata's struggles to play under previous managers tactics shouldn't be held against him here. He's a good player still, which is why he had attracted the attention he has. He offers good squad depth but in no way will he be seen as anything more than a peripheral player.
Why? Do you think DDG makes his decision based on whether Mata is around? IMO, it is unprofessional to pay players a very high salary who are not good enough anymore and should leave
worse, can imagine being played as RW again if we won't sign a winger.
In the middle he's still ok for an year considering our options..
I have but still doesn't change the fact that none of us have any remote idea what our squad will look like come August... It could be massively different to what you or I or anyone can expect.
If we get rid of Sanchez / Darmian / Toni etc and Young / Smalling /MatiC / Mata are all relegated to second choice then isn't that the right way to be going? We still need our squad players, and it's is easier to get squad players through demotion in the squad then buying them in
Mata is one of the most creative players on our team, highly intelligent footballer, can pass and assist well enough. But he lacks pace. He seems to have all the attributes Rashford is missing, if we could only find a way to merge them into one player we’d have a heck of a player.
Having said that, I don’t understand why his contract is being extended even for 1 year, as he doesn’t seem to fit into Ole’s style at all. Maybe the plan is to keep him a year and then sell him to MLS.
Having said that, I don’t understand why his contract is being extended even for 1 year, as he doesn’t seem to fit into Ole’s style at all. Maybe the plan is to keep him a year and then sell him to MLS.
Mata has been a squad player. Lingard is chose ahead of him behind the strikers or right wing.
Magnificent news, we can enjoy watching the most unathletic player in the league become even slower over the coming years.
The millions a year we'l be giving to Jones, Young and Mata off these renewals is a complete joke.
Iv given the clubs power men the benefit of the doubt for a long time, but im starting to come round to what a lot of you have been saying for years, the club appears to be run by complete clowns.
Its not just Matas contract in isolation, its a series of events which add up to paint a bleak bigger picture.
The millions a year we'l be giving to Jones, Young and Mata off these renewals is a complete joke.
Iv given the clubs power men the benefit of the doubt for a long time, but im starting to come round to what a lot of you have been saying for years, the club appears to be run by complete clowns.
Its not just Matas contract in isolation, its a series of events which add up to paint a bleak bigger picture.
That and he is clearly a positive influence in the dressing room. The club are in a strong enough position financially that extending his contract will have little to no effect on the budget or future purchases. I expect he will play a relatively limited role on the pitch (as has been the case for the last few years) so why not keep him around?
I think this is a smart move all things considered.
That's how it is for me too. I like Mata but this is too much now. After the recent renewal of many of our average players, it's frustrating to see this one too.
So this is done, accept it and move on.
Personally, I'd rather keep Mata and move on some of the other immovable objects.
Personally, I'd rather keep Mata and move on some of the other immovable objects.
Happy with this. Creative squad player, get the impression he's a good pro and stabilising personality around the place, can still change a game from the 10 position, Spanish buddy for Dave.
Just like @2mufc0 said, a mascot role like Ando?
"Mark" your words
Woodward doing this to avoid spending on new player.
Don't mind him if we sign 4/5 first 11 this summer and get rid of some dross. A good squad option especially when the oppisition sits deep and defends.
yeah exactly. I don;t see him getting much game time but having him around training etc. shouldn't be a bad thing. Can see him being used in League Cup and potentially could be used to break down teams who have parked the bus (where pace won't be as useful).
Agreed. Sort out the other positions and this could be quite smart business.
Probably make him captain and play all the academy players with him, so we don't have to spend..
Any prove of this during his 4 yrs stint here?
Mata’s salary will not change significantly but the three-year contract contrasts well with the one year offered initially. He played 32 times last season, scoring six goals. He was taken off at half-time in the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain. Despite playing an increasingly limited role, Ole Gunnar Solskjær considers him a useful squad player.
I think maybe some of you are more than just a little unreasonably hysterical.
Another new contract for our army of deadwood players shouldn't surprise anyone. Our only hope was that he would get a good offer from somewhere else and leave but it seems there has been little interest in him even on a free transfer.
It's another mistake by the club of course and I agree with others that the volume of errors we make is arguably more depressing than the severity of them. It will also be the latest example of Solskjaer's lauded speech about United needing to be ruthless and having a survival of the fittest policy on players being nothing but hot air. Listening to that interview was a moment where I felt that United finally had a manager who was aware of how substandard the current squad was and would do something about it. It's a shame that has so quickly proven to be not the case.
It's another mistake by the club of course and I agree with others that the volume of errors we make is arguably more depressing than the severity of them. It will also be the latest example of Solskjaer's lauded speech about United needing to be ruthless and having a survival of the fittest policy on players being nothing but hot air. Listening to that interview was a moment where I felt that United finally had a manager who was aware of how substandard the current squad was and would do something about it. It's a shame that has so quickly proven to be not the case.
I imagine he’s on exactly the same salary he was on previously which would be around 150k a week. I doubt he’d earn more than half that if he left but every time we negotiate a contract the player either doesn’t sign or gets a deal way better than they would get anywhere else.
There simply isn’t the competence at the club to negotiate a good deal.
If only we had the Internet when Brian McClair got his final contract. Jesus. I think I'm done with you lot.
Bye then
Only in China or MLS I guess. Agree he won't get it somewhere else.
On a flip side we didn't give Herrera contract around that mark to give Mata a three years one. Herrera would've been more useful to Mata as things stand.
I simply don't understand. He's a nice guy but he's done very little of consequence for some time and was so often not a starter last season.... seems to say an awful lot about where we are right now and our thoughts on getting desired targets
Yeah, a mascot