Hopefully Mata can be the catalyst for a surge back up table and instrumental in claiming a top four place. I feel positive about the Cardiff game even if Mata is only the solution to some problems and their are underlying weaknesses it the team that far outweigh what Mata can solve.
Still the psychological and morale boost that this signing will mean to the club, fans and squad is monumental and I fully expect it to have a big effect on this game whether Mata starts or comes off the bench. Just hope that Ole doesn't inflict more misery - which is a common theme this year.
De Gea
Rafael - Smalling - Evans - Evra
Fletcher - Jones
Mata - Kagawa - Young
Welbeck
Subs: Lindegaard, Fellaini, Cleverley, Valencia, Januzaj, Rooney, Hernandez
This is of the assumption that Rooney and Fellaini will return from injury and Carrick, Nani and van Persie are still out - as Physioroom suggests - while Vidic is still suspended obviously. With that in mind, a lot of the team picks itself either due to bad form of other players or not necessarily on merit.
Some of the noticeable absentees that usually play such as Januzaj and Valencia would not start, because with the former, we should be wary of burnout and with Mata here now, there isn't such necessity for him to start; and the latter, as he has been too poor to warrant a starting berth and it also takes emphasis from using poor wingplay down the right as our only attacking avenue. It also encourages a more fluid and creative game attacking through central areas with him out of the picture - even if Young is a stocking of shite himself.
We have to be cautious with how we use Fletcher, but he will have a near weeks rest for this game and he is more reliable than any current central midfielder at our disposal - even if that doesn't say a lot. I'd like to see Kagawa play centrally with Mata on the right, as Mata is more adaptable to playing wide, but Moyes will have to encourage a more expressive, fluid system to accommodate the two and play them at their best. Mata's delivery is immaculate, so drifting centrally on his left foot is ideal if he's playing wide.
Enough impact from the bench if this goes tits up also.
