Oh it wasn't directed at you
but yeah, one could read it like that I admit!
7
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 32
- Goals
- 4
- Assists
- 13
- Yellow cards
- 3
- Red cards
- 1
- Status
but yeah, one could read it like that I admit!"Value"... Not much we can blame Fergie for, but the way he let the squad fall into disrepute after the sale of Ronaldo is a pretty big one. Still, we can't blame him too much. It was only because of his genius man-management that we got those titles after all.
That run in the lead-up to Herrera's goal was prime Ronnie. Another pacey outlet for the other side, or give Januzaj his due and we will be set. Mata will be in heaven picking up the spaces created by the pace on either wing and playing through everyone ahead of him.
He has slotted nicely to the league. No bed in period for him. Yesterday felt like we were watching a team that has played together for years.
Agreed. We had our zip and pace in the passing. The movement was excellent. It all started when ADM picked up the ball. He wanted to run at players and commit them. A joy to watch, which is something I haven't said at OT for at least 3 seasons.
I'm certain it was a mishit shot but quite a few people seem to think it was a pass, so I've made a homepage poll to settle this once and for all
I don't think we did.
Di Maria was the only one who injected any pace into the play, otherwise we were neat and tidy but still very, very slow in build up.
It didn't matter because QPR were genuinely one of the worst teams to come to OT for a long while and never got near us pressing wise but we weren't quick by any stretch of the imagination.
It was the lack of pace in the build up that meant we almost went into half time at 0-0. Obviously Di Maria's free kick meant the pressure was off a bit but we didn't look like scoring until that happened.
Lol at the poll. I think it was a miss-hit cross-shot.
It was a shot, no question about it. You don't crank up your standing leg like that for a "pass".
The one thing I love about him is that he simply has so many ways to produce a pass. He'll see a player (like that RVP run) an produce whatever pass - inside our outside of the foot - needed to pick him up. Artistic, in a way.
Even if it's a pass that has to cover 30/40 yards very quickly to ensure that Mata still has space to receive the ball and not have it intercepted? The more I look at it, the more I think he might have meant it.
I had to have another look after this debate. I found this vine which seems to show it from the best angle:
At the time I thought it was an intentional ball weighted to perfection and I stand by it. You can even see him glance up at Mata before he plays it. The only reason it seems like a shot is because of the technique he uses imo, which is more conventionally used for shooting.
At the time I thought it was an intentional ball weighted to perfection and I stand by it. You can even see him glance up at Mata before he plays it. The only reason it seems like a shot is because of the technique he uses imo, which is more conventionally used for shooting.
No way man. He looks at the goal, shapes his body for the shot, gives it a good whack with his laces and mishits it. I don't see how people can think otherwise.
You can see the gap he's aiming for between the three defenders in front of him. Nobody passes like that, not even Di Maria.
...but so far the majority in the poll are saying 'Pass'. Madness, I say!
Herrera's laugh and Mata's tweet basically confirmed it was a shot. I just voted pass for the lolzy's.
It was a shot.
Mata took the piss out of the assist on Twitter, the two and Herrera could be seen laughing about it after the goal, his body is shaped to shoot, it definitely wasn't a pass.
I think it's pretty clear that it was an intentional pass
At the time i wondered if he ment it or not, but looking at that vine, a QPR defender was right in front of him, so why would he shoot?
His assist for Lamela last week against Germany and the chance he set up for RVP it wouldn't surprise me if he ment it.
His assist for Lamela last week against Germany and the chance he set up for RVP it wouldn't surprise me if he ment it.
I hope he starts regularly passing like that, just to prove me right!
Apologies spamming the thread with vines, but this one shows it with an extra half second of build up. I'm convinced his little glance up before hitting it is a little look at Mata!
Can we also take a second to appreciate Mata's touch and finish. He made it look incredibly simple but it was straight out the top draw.
We need player cam, with a high def super slow-mo shot of his face as he's about to shoot. That'll settle it
Yep, we actually haven't spoken enough about the first touch, it's absolutely incredible.
Yeah Mata signals, Di Maria looks up and picks him out, looks more clear-cut from that last vine.
Unfortunately I've been through every reply of it on the internet (or so it feels) and there isn't oneWe need player cam, with a high def super slow-mo shot of his face as he's about to shoot. That'll settle it
We'll have to resign to the outcome of the poll settling it
It's such a shot, some of you are mad.
And then we can start debating about the one Mata fluffed inside the 6 yards area, was that a shot or a pass to Rooney?Unfortunately I've been through every reply of it on the internet (or so it feels) and there isn't one
We'll have to resign to the outcome of the poll settling it
The poll doesn't lie!!It's such a shot, some of you are mad.
That would be a much shorter debate
You would think.
It was a shot! It's clear as day. Their reactions after confirmed it.
It really looks like a mishit cross to me. Include that option and redo the poll. Mata's reaction on twitter suggest he thinks it was a shot though (although it could still mean a botched cross). I assumed he meant to drill a curled cross in front of the defenders but he mishit it a bit and it actually fell to mata behind them.
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Didn't Mata joke about it being a 'nice assist' after the game?
Had Mata not made that smiley in his tweet where he thanks Di Maria for the assist, I would say that it was an intended pass. Let's just pretend that it was.
Do people seriously think it was a pass? I suppose it's understandable really as he's an assist king, but I personally feel it was a shot.
People are dreaming, so they just pretend it was a pass. Clearly a shot though, havent seen anyone passing the ball like that, even Di Maria isnt that good. He clearly wants to smash it in the net. When Mata and Herrera, 2 players who know the difference between shooting and passing and close to him and on the pitch laugh about it, you know it wasnt meant. I dont know why people say he looked at Mata, he just looked in front of him to see who is there, but decided to try his luck. Just like Ramires the other day with his shot and Costa anticipated it.You think you can build up quick against a team defending in their own half? you are a hard one to please.
Rooney was the only player I thought was slowing us down, he played safe backwards passes every time the ball got to him.
Isn't it a usual thing at the highest level to pretend to do something else (like to shoot) while in reality you are looking for a pass to confuse defenders? I remember Ronaldinho, Deco and Henry doing that - why can't Di Maria?
I'm just trying to be realistic. It wasn't like we'd gone all guns blazing at them and yet people think we were.
We genuinely struggled to carve out openings, despite all the new talent out on display until after the pressure was lifted by Di Maria's free kick. Had we not gotten that, it probably would've been 0-0 at half time and then what would've happened?
Had RVP gotten a shout from Ander and left it for him to put it away when the game was 0-0 what would have happened?
Agreed with this. For all the positivity about the 'amazing' football, we had a lot of the ball but struggled to create proper chances until Di Maria's free kick. It was the sort of the fast start we occasionally saw under Moyes, before Rooney would score a free kick.
It's still something we really need to work on, because even when the other team's defence is deep, you still see City getting to the byline and creating really good chances inside the box early on.
The days when we consistently create good clear cut chances early on, and score from one of them to take the lead - that's when I'll be really really impressed.
Di Maria's goal came at a great time, because we were struggling to actually open them up.
Coasting in the second half was nothing special - we did that under Moyes at home a few times against relegation teams.
We're fine when we go in 3-0 up, it's creating proper chances early on that we struggle with.
And it still needs to be improved quite a bit.
- Status