Lovely No 10…who we almost never played there. Good luck to him.
Juan Mata officially leaves Manchester United
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The way things are going at the minute.
He might just be worth a punt on a free.
He might just be worth a punt on a free.
Yup, we never really went for these classic number 10 type players under Fergie. Kagawa is the only one I can think of.
Far too slow to ever be a winger in a Fergie side as well.
Its funny how Mata is viewed, it seems being a nice guy is a cure for all the things other players would be critcised for.
A record signing who underwhelmed, just like Pogba but only one of them was criticised extensively. Also worth noting Pogba was far better for us than Mata ever was.
A player who overstayed their welcome just like Lingard and Jones. Again its knives out deservedly for the latter two but hugs for Mata.
Played on his loveable character with the fans and used it to score PR points as a way to extend his stay. Rashford constantly gets lambasted PR routines.
Lastly the excuses made for him are just hilarious. He didn't play as a No.10 is such a flimsy excuse. First off if he was good enough, he would've won the position, secondly he played out wide regularly for Valencia, Spain and Chelsea and put in great performances. No different to David Silva who was probably better centrally but still put in world class performances for City.
The truth is Mata was never our first or second most important attacker at any point in his time here. Martial, Rashford, Ibra, Lukaku, Bruno, Greenwood, Cavani were all more important than him as starters here. You may like his personality and that's fine but the adulation he receives having been bang average on the pitch is baffling. Its even weirder as he came through in the Moyes era and made it all the way to Ralf, so he's been around for the duration of one of our most rotten periods.
A record signing who underwhelmed, just like Pogba but only one of them was criticised extensively. Also worth noting Pogba was far better for us than Mata ever was.
A player who overstayed their welcome just like Lingard and Jones. Again its knives out deservedly for the latter two but hugs for Mata.
Played on his loveable character with the fans and used it to score PR points as a way to extend his stay. Rashford constantly gets lambasted PR routines.
Lastly the excuses made for him are just hilarious. He didn't play as a No.10 is such a flimsy excuse. First off if he was good enough, he would've won the position, secondly he played out wide regularly for Valencia, Spain and Chelsea and put in great performances. No different to David Silva who was probably better centrally but still put in world class performances for City.
The truth is Mata was never our first or second most important attacker at any point in his time here. Martial, Rashford, Ibra, Lukaku, Bruno, Greenwood, Cavani were all more important than him as starters here. You may like his personality and that's fine but the adulation he receives having been bang average on the pitch is baffling. Its even weirder as he came through in the Moyes era and made it all the way to Ralf, so he's been around for the duration of one of our most rotten periods.
Jaun Mata's PR and social media campaigns worked, whereas Rashford, Pogba and Lingard's were viewed with cynicism.
If only he was as good at football than he was at PR. It's weird seeing how many people swallowed it without a second thought.
Hugs
Even Mata is getting abuse now
No one stands a chance on here
No one stands a chance on here
Weird post.
When he first signed, was the main starting attacker for us. He then regressed physically, automatically down the pecking order.
He also left the club because he think he is not good enough anymore for a club like United.
What PR stunt? Can't you appreciate a genuinely nice person?
So basically we should treat the good guys the same as we treat the twats then? If that really is the society we live in then I fear why anyone would strive to be good. Thankfully I don't believe that is the society we live in just the thoughts of a few on an Internet forum
There's no PR spin when it came to Mata, he's basically just had 2 seasons at the club where most forgot he even existed. Compare that with Lingard another player who barely played over the last 2 seasons. One was a model professional who no one heard a peep out of the other was always in the media for one reason or another. Are we really saying these two players should be treated the same?
There's no PR spin when it came to Mata, he's basically just had 2 seasons at the club where most forgot he even existed. Compare that with Lingard another player who barely played over the last 2 seasons. One was a model professional who no one heard a peep out of the other was always in the media for one reason or another. Are we really saying these two players should be treated the same?
I think the point is to question whether Mata is anymore a ‘good guy’ than the black lads who are the ‘baddies’.
Rashford is clearly a really, really feckin decent guy who’s done more with his profile than just about any top flight English player, and has also done more for Utd than Mata - yet Mata is viewed with warmth and positivity and the other is viewed with negativity.
This stuff can be ingrained very deeply and is very often not conscious, but if you step back and look at it objectively, it’s very clearly more than a little warped.
Think this is because Rashford is more outspoken and vocal on social media, where as Mata is safe and quiet.
You will always get backlash when you speak more, that's the nature of the internet.
Mata who had his own blog…?
I'm not sure is a skin colour thing but then I love Rashford and still remain hopeful (albeit maybe naively) that he'll return to form so I'm probably not the one who has the answers to that
I don't think United players are capable of the kinds of sophisticated PR campaigns that some posters here think they are. They give the impression of wearing tinfoil hats
out of fear that Rashford's PR agents will brainwash them like the other sheeple.
Maybe people just like certain players and dislike others without it being because of some vaguely defined "campaigns"?
To be fair, the personal hatred for Rashford is dumb.
I don’t disagree with the fact that there is ingrained and often subconscious racism in society and indeed in fans/pundits/media’s views on players. However in the case of the fan views and reactions of Utd players I don’t thinks it’s fair to give it such a black and white treatment.
Mata for example is widely regarded across all corners of every club he’s been at as a top professional, one of the nicest guys going, and also a pretty decent player on his day. Now I see some fans saying he outstayed his welcome by 1-2 years here. But I find it hard for that to skew my view or place too much blame on him given 1) hierarchies at be made those decisions to offer him extensions to earn a pay check where he is happy with his family, and 2) he conducted himself on and off impeccably, without a single incident I can remember of him publicly bad mouthing the club for a lack of games or similar.
Now let’s take a look at Pogba, who I actually reckon is also a decent and well-liked lad in the dressing room for the record. Pogba left on a free then went and did very well at Juventus, earning him a record-breaking market valuation. Same as Mata, he was a record signing for us with high expectations across all corners of the club. However similar to Mata he unfortunately came back at a time when the club was on the down turn and we had people at the top making bad decision after bad decision both in recruitment and other areas obviously. I wouldn’t say either Paul or Juan were actually one of those bad signings, but the recruitment in the squad around them and the decisions around managers were. The difference fan’s view between Pogba and Mata, is that being more outspoken and eccentric character will naturally draw more attention, but also Pogba’s personal comments and entourage’s comments constantly undermined the club and managers at the various times. That’s the professionalism and respect shown to the club is the difference, not the colour of their skin or even that one guy was nicer than the other. Take a look at Ronaldo currently as an example.
Then you take Rashford, again another important player and top earner at the club who I have more respect for out of any Utd player for what’s he done by going beyond his role as a footballer. He’s undoubtedly a super nice lad, well-liked, grounded, as you said. But even he in more recent times has had leaks coming from his entourage about ongoings and his unhappiness at the club, which combined with his clear as day dismal performances, and visible lack of fitness (or arguably determination) has irked the fan base this year and initiated some negativity towards him as a footballer.
This is my view on the Mata case anyway. Not doubting for a second that there isn’t racism built into things like media. Look at the headlines for Rashford buying him mum a house vs Foden, or the constant stick Pogba received from pundits (eg, hair styles, holidays, etc). I just don’t see the amicable reaction to Mata leaving, compared to Pogba leaving or that Rashford’s current reputation with fans as being racially-driven.
Happy for you to provide more context, as I appreciate my comments turned out to be a bit of a dissertation…
No when he joined, Rooney was still our main guy but I'll give you that maybe he was the second most important attacker in 2014/15 but that was it.
Mata stopped being of any use to us after Jose's first season in 2016/17. Since then he was either a liability in games, barely getting off the bench or playing against cannon fodder in the cups. He miraculously got two contract extensions that he didn't deserve.
He stopped getting played in league games because he was slow as a snail and had the strength of an 8 year old. There were many games in the last four years that he was awful in.
This is my issue with the Mata love its hypocritical. Jones in all his time here hasn't been involved in any trouble and seems like a nice guy, doesn't stop him being the most ridiculed guy at the club. The same with Lindelof, seems like a nice guy and gets on with everyone at the club but after a bad performance he gets criticised to oblivion.
All our other players who have overstayed their welcome or gotten undeserved contracts have been treated nasty by our fans except Mr hugs. His 'peak' for us wasn't even that good and I'll struggle to remember what he gave us on the pitch other than Juanfield and maybe a few other moments in years to come.
As much as like Mata as a human being, and have nothing personal against Jones or Lindelof as people, this post makes complete sense from a football perspective
Absolutely spot on. I've never understood the love this guy gets. He's been on the periphery for so long now and hasn't shown any ambition to try and re-ignite his career elsewhere. Content to pick up cheques like the many other players that haven't been good enough for a long time, but is somehow beyond criticism and placed on a weird pedestal.
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According to AS, who explain the Whites are among several sides interested in the 34-year-old this summer.
He is represented by his father, Juan Manuel Mata Rodriguez, and the agent is trying to find a new destination for his son. There are several clubs in Spain and Turkey looking to sign him on a free transfer, including Galatasaray and Beşiktaş.
As it stands, the former Chelsea star has not received any concrete offer except one from an English club. This is when Jesse Marsch’s side are tagged.
It’s claimed Leeds sporting director Victor Orta has contacted Mata’s father to secure his services. AS explain the negotiations are slow, but the deal is on track. That’s because the two parties ‘want to close the transfer’.
There’s no mention about the details of the contract that Leeds plan to propose to Mata. If this deal were to take shape, Mata can extend his stay in the Premier League, at least for one more season.
He is represented by his father, Juan Manuel Mata Rodriguez, and the agent is trying to find a new destination for his son. There are several clubs in Spain and Turkey looking to sign him on a free transfer, including Galatasaray and Beşiktaş.
As it stands, the former Chelsea star has not received any concrete offer except one from an English club. This is when Jesse Marsch’s side are tagged.
It’s claimed Leeds sporting director Victor Orta has contacted Mata’s father to secure his services. AS explain the negotiations are slow, but the deal is on track. That’s because the two parties ‘want to close the transfer’.
There’s no mention about the details of the contract that Leeds plan to propose to Mata. If this deal were to take shape, Mata can extend his stay in the Premier League, at least for one more season.
Juan Mata is dead to me
Hope he gets a decent club who gives him playing time.
Jeez, that’s a bit strong !
Agreed 100%
Most fans have VERY low standards which is why they happily hail players who are bang average and laud them.
He is a nice guy but he is useless to us. Ole fell into this category.
Juan Mata joined us 6 months after SAF left and is the one man who has stayed throughout our failures.
Personally, I want a group of assh0les and bastads who everybody hates, but know how to win games. Roy Keane is one of my favourite players and he was the biggest A-hole in football.
Ander Herrera was another "dirty" player who I absolutely loved. He knew how to get the job done and was a pain in the backside to play against.
Our current set of players are too easy to play against, which is why they lose most of the time.
Surely this is wrong, a guy as nice as Mata should be playing at the highest level. Where's the links for Barca, Real, Bayern? Do they not know that on his day he is one of the nicest players in all of world football.
Perfectly said.
I wouldn't give anyone who gives Mata abuse the time of day. If only other players, including (or especially) Pogba had put in the same effort Mata did, we might not have been the disaster we have been. Whether he was too slow or too lightweight is irrelevant. Players who were supposed to have the speed, the build and the talent showed only half the commitment, or less. At least Mata looked bothered and doesn't deserve abuse.
If this happens I can’t wait for the mental gymnastics about how him joining them is ok on this occasion
Why wouldn't it be ok? It'd be no different to Dan James joining LeedsIf this happens I can’t wait for the mental gymnastics about how him joining them is ok on this occasion
you’re just trying to justify your own transfer across the pennines in 2004.
Isn’t that their own fault for behaving like bellends?
Criticism of Mata is more than weird. I‘m ambivalent towards him more than anything else.
Why not? We can always say Agent Mata on a mission to relegate them to show his love for United!If this happens I can’t wait for the mental gymnastics about how him joining them is ok on this occasion
If you can’t acknowledge the difference in the fan fair between the 2 then you’re a prime example of the mental gymnast I’m on about. Mata was an awful signing but. . . ‘he got the club’, ‘cares so much about the fans’, ‘[insert other non-football related nonsense here]’. Only to then move to that lot having not really justified extending his contract with us in the last few years.
Me personally I could care less if he goes there but this makes those waxing lyrical about this guy look even more silly.
Now if this is the plan I’ll gladly eat my words.
. If he were too slow or too slight, then how did he win PFA player of the year for Chelsea before coming to us? We got a bad deal with him - simple. Bring a gentleman isn’t a reason to gloss over years of inexplicable mediocrity.
Well, Mata is not creating murals of how amazing he is while being one of the main underperformers. Players like Shaw, Henderson etc have received similar criticism. Unfortunately, there are people (hopefully not forever) that may consider race and color as their main reason to criticize someone, regardless. of how idiotic and vile this is. But I don't think that for the majority here this is the case.
A post straight from the zero sum and nothing else matters handbook.
I disagree with the things that matter to you in football.
Being unhappy that a player is being lauded as being a genuinely good human being is right up there at the peak of toxic fan culture, where misery and negative vibes is the order of the day.
Do you think that Rashford painted that himself?
Often these biases aren’t conscious and perfectly good people can fall down these traps usually based on societal factors. Discounting unconscious biases doesn’t help anyone.
It might also have to do with the fact that Mata didn't actually play anywhere near as often as the players who did, so might be absolved of some of the blame? The number of minutes he played last season had feck all to do with our overall results and performances.
Who’s doing this? Not figuratively but literally.
People are saying the way he’s viewed given what he actually did for the club doesn’t correlate with the way others are. Don’t strawman this discussion. Him being a good guy [he genuinely seems like he is one] is no excuse for the poor player he turned out to be for us.
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