Mata - not even close, come on now. He's probably in the top 5 of signings post fergie. I don't think Fellaini was a bad signingeithe,r, we've certainly had worse.
Which was the better signing - Mata or Fellaini?
- Thread starter KM
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MATA is a superb player, on his day he can run a game through with his passing and movement. Great finisher and scored some great goals. His lack of pace is his main drawback (major drawback when played wide right) . On a skill/technical basis he is twice the player Fellaini is.
Fellaini is a decent player with his own attributes. Amongst the best at bringing a ball down on his chest, tidy and solid most of the time and obviously a big ariel threat. Hes the type of player you dont want in the opposition but he is not a Man united style player.
Mata is the better signing imo
Fellaini is a decent player with his own attributes. Amongst the best at bringing a ball down on his chest, tidy and solid most of the time and obviously a big ariel threat. Hes the type of player you dont want in the opposition but he is not a Man united style player.
Mata is the better signing imo
Both were stupid signings. Up there with signing Sanchez .
I really hope a DoF fixes this .
I really hope a DoF fixes this .
For me Fellaini represents everything that has been wrong with the post Fergie years. From that botched first summer that resulted in his signing, to the constant reliant on Allardyce style tactics by all 3 of the post Fergie managers.
While Mata has never quite lived up to what we hoped, I don't grown when I see him warming up.
While Mata has never quite lived up to what we hoped, I don't grown when I see him warming up.
Why did the Special Juan banner get made then?
He's far from awful - he'd produce Chelsea form if used in his best position. And he wasn't awful last night either.
100% agree. (Because you are 100% correct
)I've got a lot more joy from watching Mata than Fellaini. Don't really see how anyone could feel differently.
There are (currently) 113 people on this forum who should be on a knitting forum instead...
If I had to choose, Mata. But frankly they've both been shite and a massive waste of money.
Mata is exactly the type of lightweight, flatter to deceive fluff we used to buy pre-Fergie. Jesper Olsen without the pace. I am no great fan of Fellaini either but it’s not like we are comparing Giggs against Obertan.
Mata was way better. The fact he had o play in the same team and under the same managers that valued Fellaini is harmful to him. I want both sold but Mata has never been a RW and he'll still do well in a lower paced league playing as a 10. The caf's problem in judging players is that they wanted Mata to be Silva and Rooney to be Ronaldo. Mata is class but a class below the best. Being worse than the very best doesn't make you shit. Fellaini has had nice moments but goes against everything this club has stood for in my last 20 years of watching us.
Fellaini's best performances actually came possession football Van Gaal, when we had that period of best football post-Fergie and in which he only scored one header (as if it was a crime) and was instrumental to our exhilarating football played on the deck. Not that anyone cares to remember perhaps as we love our 'ol' big lump, Fella' narrative.
That saying Mata's been better as he was usually our only source of quality early on and has mostly delivered the goods when it mattered.
Mata was a good player for Chelsea but for us, he's been a flop. Fellaini wasn't a player I liked at all but he did better than Mata.
Fellaini was good at a specific thing but he hindered us so badly in all other aspects. His passing, movement, technique, intelligence are all so far off the highest level.
Mata for all his physical short comings never really played awful and has been asked to play almost his entire career away from his favorite position.
Mata for all his physical short comings never really played awful and has been asked to play almost his entire career away from his favorite position.
In 2012/3 Mata was arguably the best player in the league, certainly it's most influential attacking player. He could have been a great signing if we'd noted Rooney's decline, moved him on whilst he still had some value and played Juan as a #10. As it was we paid what was then Big Money to play him in a position he wasn't suited to under managers who either weren't up to scratch at the top level, had philosophies he didn't fit into, or both.
With Fellaini, I think had he been signed for his release clause price early in the window, before we brought in the nailed-on top class midfielder we obviously needed, his career here might have been very different. On the basis of his 12/13 form he would have been a good addition to the squad, rather than being a very focal, very expensive reminder of Woodward being out of his depth as a CEO and Moyes being out of his depth as a manager.
Both signings haven't turned out as were hoped, but our failure to not even make a decent attempt to get the best out of Mata when he was in his prime years is one of the biggest disappointments of the post-Fergie years for me.
With Fellaini, I think had he been signed for his release clause price early in the window, before we brought in the nailed-on top class midfielder we obviously needed, his career here might have been very different. On the basis of his 12/13 form he would have been a good addition to the squad, rather than being a very focal, very expensive reminder of Woodward being out of his depth as a CEO and Moyes being out of his depth as a manager.
Both signings haven't turned out as were hoped, but our failure to not even make a decent attempt to get the best out of Mata when he was in his prime years is one of the biggest disappointments of the post-Fergie years for me.
Indeed. So predictable, every speed bump we hit and people get their knives out for a couple of players who are the opposite of flavour of the month.
At least poor Jesse is spared now, but lord knows if he has a weak game or two people will insist he’s not fit to put play in League 1.
Both shouldn't have came to United, but Mata.
Van Persie and Gareth Bale took the cake in that 2012-2013 season. Mata wasn't near them, I think.
Mata was a panic buy. His time at United has been wasted by playing him out of position on the RW. He's a #10 and we haven't had a tactic that consistently deploys a #10 for years. Mata is a quality player, but I'll never understand why we signed him. He just wasn't the right player for United and United wasn't the right club for him.
There are games which we would have won or held on if Fellaini was playing. Burnley is a game where Fellaini was needed. The game against spurs when we were under the cosh are the types of games Fellaini is needed
The EL final we won because Ajax could not get close to Fellaini. He played a very important role for Belgium against Brazil too in the wc.
The EL final we won because Ajax could not get close to Fellaini. He played a very important role for Belgium against Brazil too in the wc.
They were both good signings. I disagree with some opinions that Fellaini is flop. He scored a lot of important goals and did his job here good.
But i give advantage to Mata. I think that we should use Mata more on no10 position but in general he is the guy who scored 50 goals for us and had dozens assists so both were good signings but Mata was better
But i give advantage to Mata. I think that we should use Mata more on no10 position but in general he is the guy who scored 50 goals for us and had dozens assists so both were good signings but Mata was better
In my opinion both players should be allowed to leave ASAP
I didn’t think this would really be that hard of a question to answer but here I am on day 2 I think and still don’t really have a reasonable answer for either way. Mata is undoubtedly the better player but in reality Fellaini has probably been the most effective one of the two and I hate to say it but probably Fellaini.
I can't believe this is even a question?! Come on now, Mata of course.
Mata for me.
At the same time, I’d be very reluctant to give him a new deal this summer and would rather use his wages to bring in a better player that would suit us more. Lovely lad but he is totally wasted on the RW for us.
At the same time, I’d be very reluctant to give him a new deal this summer and would rather use his wages to bring in a better player that would suit us more. Lovely lad but he is totally wasted on the RW for us.
Its closer than a lot of you are saying. Matas been more disappointing. Infact he's been a total disappointment minus Juanfield,Juve and a few other moments. We have played some good stuff with him in our team though.
Probably better with him in our team than Fellaini.
Fellaini was never a Manchester United player but he's had some good individual moments and he's been more important than Mata with regards to the trophies we have won post Fergie.
Never been a fan of the hoof it long onto Fellainis chest style of football for such a great team like Manchester United though.
Probably better with him in our team than Fellaini.
Fellaini was never a Manchester United player but he's had some good individual moments and he's been more important than Mata with regards to the trophies we have won post Fergie.
Never been a fan of the hoof it long onto Fellainis chest style of football for such a great team like Manchester United though.
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Juanfield sways it for me. Also Fellaini represents everything that's been wrong at United in recent years.
Fellaini looks too much like Martin Keown since his hair surgery!
Mata without a doubt but to be fair to Fellaini he was also played out of position for most of his time here.
They both were.
Of course, that's why I said 'also'. It seemed like people were only mentioning Mata being misused.
We spent 27 million on Fellaini and 37 on Mata.
Had we spent less than 15 million of Fellaini, which would have been his actual valuation, probably he would have been the better value of money.
Poor old Juan, he came here at his peak age during our worst phase in decades - this club was never suited for him. Has been mediocre since the 17-18 season.
Hope he goes back to Spain/Italy and gets to play his natural game.
Had we spent less than 15 million of Fellaini, which would have been his actual valuation, probably he would have been the better value of money.
Poor old Juan, he came here at his peak age during our worst phase in decades - this club was never suited for him. Has been mediocre since the 17-18 season.
Hope he goes back to Spain/Italy and gets to play his natural game.
Has to be Mata but if we're honest, neither have been great. Hopefully they're both at other clubs next season.
This even being a question..
Only one of them is a footballer.
Only one of them is a footballer.
This even being a question..
Only one of them is a footballer.
Mata.
Signing Fellaini is a total hoofball tactic.
United would be better doing what they did at Burnley as a Plan B, rather than sticking Fellaini on and playing hoofball like under Jose.
Signing Fellaini is a total hoofball tactic.
United would be better doing what they did at Burnley as a Plan B, rather than sticking Fellaini on and playing hoofball like under Jose.
Fellaini has proved useful at times but he's been useful because of the poor managers we have had - it's not Fellaini's fault that he is not suited to the type of play United should have been playing.
Mata has been very good at times and pedestrian at others but Mata could have been brilliant for us.
Shame we had three managers who did not know how to get the right blend most of the time.
Mata has been very good at times and pedestrian at others but Mata could have been brilliant for us.
Shame we had three managers who did not know how to get the right blend most of the time.
What is "out of position" in Fellaini's case?
Both Fellaini and Moyes believed midfield was his best position and we signed him primarily to play there. Yet most of the people praising Fellaini are referring to the impact he had when played further forward, particularly in terms of his goals & nuisance value. So in his case if he hadn't been used "out of position" he would likely have had less impact for us.
Playing off the front man is his best position. He's played there some times for us but the vast majority of the time it was further back in a position which doesn't get the best out of him. Don't get me wrong, he should never have been a regular for us regardless of where he played.
I didn't want Mata, I don't think that he has been a success but he has been the better player by far. He has been consistent and has ad as many important moment if not more. The difference is that every good moement that Fellaini provided is seen as some sort of redemption.