Haha, I thought exactly that when I read it back myself.Well said Yoda.
Haha, I thought exactly that when I read it back myself.Well said Yoda.
Haha, I thought exactly that when I read it back myself.
No, it isn't less dumb. Jones is much younger and a better player in his position than Mata.He's played as a #10 every game in pre-season except one and looked just as bad as always. Moves at a snail's pace, no goal threat, no defensive contribution and creates little. Lingard has been better than him and in the tiny amount of time we let Gomes and Pereira play that role they both offered more as well.
His new contract is a mistake only slightly less dumb than the new one for Jones.
I'd rather he doesnt share anything with kids at this rate.IMO, and i may be wrong here but i think Mata's extension is 2 fold.
1. He provides experience to our younger core in that area of the pitch. I wouldn't trust Pereira to have an impact in a crunch match against the top sides.
2. He has a genuine love for the club so he could be looked at as an ambassador and/or mentor. Perhaps a learning platform for Gomes and others.
He brings skill, experience and passion for the badge. We could use alot more of that in this current United side.
Smiling bloggerI'd rather he doesnt share anything with kids at this rate.
Exeperiences is overrated. It matters if youre legends of the game, not a bench warming smiling blogger who part timing as a footballer
He’d be world class in walking football
Exactly. Some of these posts make it sound like Ole is selecting Mata and Matic over Isco and Xabi. There’s no one better available on the bench. Fred is better, but two games after a few days rest for a player who hasn’t played since last season is an injury waiting to happen.Fully fit squad and Mata doesn't start the game. His inclusion and Matic's inclusion from the start is based on the amount of injuries we have. At most they are bench players and i expect them to come on for the last 15 minutes using their experience to see out a game.
Does anyone really believe that the manager or any of his staff wants to start these guys? Especially when you here them talk of being the fittest team and high pressing etc.
Fred should have started, however, i understand the managers point of view. The guy has only played one game in months. Probably easing him back in was the plan. I'm still not convinced that he will start once Pogba is fit and yes, we do need reinforcements in that position.
All in all, no injuries and we would have put up a better performance.
And i still remember the two seasons in thirteen whole years when Theo Walcott actually looked like the man who could lead Arsenal's attack. He's playing for Everton now and that's where Mata should be too. They are about the same age too.I remember when this guy had 20 goals and 40 assists in a single season for Chelsea...
Commentators regurgitate clichés after clichés without even looking at the current form of a playerI get uoset every time the commebtator says "creative". When he isn't scoring, he's useless.
Ed was desperate to give the impression he was in control when we were floundering around in Moyes' terrible post-Christmas spell. Mata was out of favour at Chelsea and the press were all going on about how despicably he was being treated by Big Bad Jose. Just the sort of thing Ed can't resist..Mata is no doubt a great guy, a lovely fellow, and he's my daughters favourite; but football wise I can count on one hand the number of really good games (whole games)he has had for us since he arrived and on two hands the number of passages of play within games where he has been top class.
Why we ever brought him here I don't know? Mata was reputedly a good No.10, but I haven't seen that in him, he was also (once) supposed be our attacking player down the right side, again apart from the Liverpool away game a few seasons back, he was much too slow and continually drifted inside. Some of his passing whilst accurate has usually been backwards or side-wards for the majority of times, but in fairness he has scored a few (a couple at least) of goals from fantastic free-kicks.
Whatever value he has in the dressing room must be fantastic for him to have lasted so long!
He’d be world class in walking football
Yes I agree, you could say it was Woodward's first sortie into player transfers...and its got worse ever since!Ed was desperate to give the impression he was in control when we were floundering around in Moyes' terrible post-Christmas spell. Mata was out of favour at Chelsea and the press were all going on about how despicably he was being treated by Big Bad Jose. Just the sort of thing Ed can't resist..
Sorry have to defend Matic! (Maticmaker!!)Massive decline from him, Matic like.
Yes, I don't think anyone disagrees with that but what most of us are saying is that he's done at this level.Sorry have to defend Matic! (Maticmaker!!)
His transfer was one Jose wanted and for once Ed Woodward came through.
Matic's move was an obvious one, he was only destined for one or two seasons to shore up our mid-field and to be Mourhino's man on the pitch. Chelsea let him go because of his recurring back injury, he had the op last close season, but he's now not what he was in mobility terms and to be fair he was never a creative midfielder.
Matic had a great first season for us, but doubt we shall not see that level from him again, think he will go at the end of this season.
Yes, I agree, but at the moment Ole has no choice but to call on him; had Pogba and Fred in particular, done the business Matic would be gone now!Yes, I don't think anyone disagrees with that but what most of us are saying is that he's done at this level.
That's the problem unfortunately. The choice wasn't Mata or Eriksen... It was Mata or no-one.This was a completely unnecessary extension and no other top club would have done this.
Imagine this - in the summer, we had thanked Mata and shaken his hand and wished him well. Woodward had signed off on allowing Ole to sign a new #10 for around £70-80m.
New signing first choice; Lingard/Pereira/Gomes as backups. With the intention being for the new guy to be The Man who played most games and contributed 10 goals a season.
Like a dream. A pipedream. Yet, a pipedream other clubs are capable of making a reality.
That's the problem unfortunately. The choice wasn't Mata or Eriksen... It was Mata or no-one.
With that choice and with an already threadbare squad it was the common sense (albeit frustrating) decision.
As I said in another thread, after fortunately finishing second we should have invested £150m net in each of the following two summers. Instead we invested £110m total. That £190m difference is a Mata replacement, a Herrera replacement and a right winger.Yep.
It's been said before. Replacing a player is more expensive than extending that player's contract. For a club aiming for league titles and glory, the latter doesnt come into their thinking. But if the club simply wants top 4/CL qualification, extending a player's contract is cheaper and who knows, they might just find that little drop extra and help drag us to 4th. Jones, Mata, Smalling, Young, all these type of players have previously helped us grind out results and finish top 4, a couple of times. It's cheaper to hope they do that again than to replace them.
Id have taken no one and given his squad place to GomesThat's the problem unfortunately. The choice wasn't Mata or Eriksen... It was Mata or no-one.
With that choice and with an already threadbare squad it was the common sense (albeit frustrating) decision.
So you have nussing to say?If I talk I am in big trouble.
As I said in another thread, after fortunately finishing second we should have invested £150m net in each of the following two summers. Instead we invested £110m total. That £190m difference is a Mata replacement, a Herrera replacement and a right winger.