Doesn't have a future in the first team unfortunately
8
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 35
- Goals
- 10
- Assists
- 4
- Yellow cards
- 2
- Status
LVG will probably eventually realise that Mata is really good and deserves to start. It's a bit unbelievable he sits on the bench while Fellaini, RvP and Falcao play. Him behind Rooney and just ahead of Herrera would be quality
He was only on for like 10 minutes, but he gets on the ball so much and is generally so assured with his touch. Compare that to Di Maria, who's touch is generally very loose (still a class player, just off form). Would love to see Mata start behind Rooney though, as part of a midfield trio with Herrera and Blind but at the same time ghosting in the box. He helps so much with controlling the ball, picking out the right man and his set pieces are generally on a different level to anyone else in our squad.
He has a really good understanding with Herrera as well, though they haven't played much together. Having both of them together will bring out the best of them, and of Rooney who has always been good with quick give and go type football despite what some on here will say.
He has a really good understanding with Herrera as well, though they haven't played much together. Having both of them together will bring out the best of them, and of Rooney who has always been good with quick give and go type football despite what some on here will say.
Clearly been putting his spare time into manscaping that beard to perfection.
Hasn't lived up to the expectations of the fans and his name. I know he isn't getting as much time on the pitch as he might have wanted but when he is given a chance he doesn't take it. He's not been our worst player this season but you certainly expect more from Mata. Probably the way we are playing doesn't suit him and it would be better for him to move somewhere else, like Italy (Juventus). He's a talented player but has failed to make a big impact since he joined last January.
Think him being dropped was quite harsh on him tbh, others have played a lot worse and remained in the team. The bad thing for him is that he is going to struggle to get back in to this team the way Van Gaal is lining us up. Seems a really nice guy but you would imagine if we do in fact sign a midfielder and striker in Summer which LVG is hinting at, then he will be a casualty unfortunately.
Couldn't have summed it up better. It beggars belief the way he's being sidelined.
Build the team around him
A couple of dinosaurs behind him will do him more benefit. His defensive aspect has always been unreliable which is understandable when one would observe his physical presence or lack of it.
He should be playing ahead of Falcao in this setup (4-4-1-1). Maybe van Gaal thinks that Herrera-Blind duo in midfield lack psychical presence so he prefers Rooney behind the striker. Can’t argue with that really.
It’s a shame he isn’t very adaptable.
It’s a shame he isn’t very adaptable.
He's a very good player, bit when teams park the bus it's just very difficult for him. He hasnt really been able to dismantle teams, doesnt really stretch play and generally doesnt make it happen, I think it's a wise decision from LVG to add some width in the team and sadly this has been at the cost of Mata. Rooney in that role offers a bit more penetration and needed power. Dont think he's suited to possession based play but rather to a system with fast and dynamic players around him.
Give me heads up next time, mate! #samestyle
I was just about to post that, it's just more proof of their secret romance
Surely they're on an Adidas promo day?! nobody with that amount of money would match that well surely lol.
To be honest, I think having the width will benefit him immensely. Gives him more space to work with in the middle, and he keeps possession better then anybody with his always reliable passing and control. Having pace out wide will help him creativity wise as well, as we can actually stretch teams when we use wingers with pace.
As for rooney, he's better as a striker anyways, using both would benefit us more. Hopefully Van gaal puts him in behind just rooney against Newcastle.
Probably worth a read 
https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blog...t--and-his-name-was-juan-mata-125907574.html?
https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blog...t--and-his-name-was-juan-mata-125907574.html?
I miss his face on the pitch. Hopefully he starts tonight behind Rooney.
"Drift into irrelevance" is a bit harsh. He's out of favour atm but as we've seen with Herrera that can change if he shows form.
Probably worth a read
https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blog...t--and-his-name-was-juan-mata-125907574.html?
lol... dude's not half depressing in his writing... Opening paragraph:
Whuh? I recall being pleased with a 2-0 win, meself. And I didn't sense Old Trafford being weighed down from the noises emitted by the television set... Anybody on here that was there on match day that can confirm that the spoiled brats at OT were disappointed with a controlled 2-0 win?
The only hint of booing I heard was when Falcao was about to be subbed after winning the penalty, but that was more of "oh why sub him off when he's finally done something" than "oh this performance is rubbish".
I was not at the game though either.
My Brother said a lot of fans at Old Trafford were not happy on Saturday, even after getting 3 points.
I was disappointed ....... with yet another utterly dire and frustrating performance. And yes I am spoilt ..... not by winning trophies but by our tradition of playing scintilating attacking football that has been a real privilige to watch for many years.
Are you saying you booed your team at home after winning 2-0, or were you just disappointed?
We must be turning into West Ham...
Definitely first half there was a lot of discontent - but then we were a bit gash, and it wasn't all that controlled (if Connor Wickham wasn't about as useful as a knife shaped spoon Sunderland would well have scored)... second half things did lighten up a bit (though there was the Falcao sub booing - which was completely mental) and so I definitely don't think anyone was "disappointed" after the game - but no one was exactly bouncing off the walls either. Most of the talk outside the ground (as it has been on this forum) is how we're just a bit shit really...
Strange article cause I didnt know Januzaj will be part of the clear out..Probably worth a read
https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blog...t--and-his-name-was-juan-mata-125907574.html?
Yeah, that's a bit of a shit article from Jim White. I'm sure nobody here would be topping themselves seeing Mata 'run the show for Monaco or Milan'.
In which case you must have been struggling for the last half decade or so.
Probably worth a read
https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blog...t--and-his-name-was-juan-mata-125907574.html?
Thanks for that, it was quite interesting but also very provocative. What i'd like to know is when did Moyes actually say that Mata was a Woodward signing that he didn't approve at the time? I googled it and found nothing but praise from Moyes towards Mata. And if i remember well, Mata had only nice words to say to the Spanish press when asked about how Moyes would do in La Liga. I also have to admit it's the first time i read that Scholes doesn't rate Mata, even as a backroom rumor. But maybe i'm misinformed in both occasions...
As for Mourinho and his tactics in which "Mata wasn’t quick enough, he didn’t tackle enough, he didn’t put in enough of a shift to tick Mourinho’s boxes". Well, neither did Sneijder yet he was pivotal in Mourinho's success at Inter. Jose wasn't exactly overjoyed when Mata was sold but it's true that he couldn't create the right conditions to take the best out of him in the #10 role. Players like Mata and Sneijder flourish when playing in the hole if their role is a dominant one, with two mobile and good defensively midfielders covering for them and allowing them to spend more time in the final third and focus more on their creative duties. Once Mourinho thought of that trick with Zanetti as the supporting midfielder next to Cambiasso, Sneijder had one of the best seasons in his career. Plus we can see that Jose tries to do something similar with Fabregas playing in a more advanced position and Ramires-Matic/Zouma behind him, so i'm not quite sure that Mata didn't fit in his plans at all. But in last season's Chelsea there was absolutely no way that Mourinho would drop Lampard and displease the "Old Guard" in favor of Mata. The fact that Woodward was willing to pay more than enough money for the player just made the decision to let him go easier.
And what's this all about LvG picking formations that don't include Mata? Both the diamond and the 3-5-2 formations did provide cover for him to stay in the final third and play the #10 role like he wants to play it. One can easily argue that LvG highly relied on rotating Rooney, RvP and Falcao up front with Mata playing behind them to get goals and assists. When that didn't work he started experimenting and trying players in different positions. Whether he will get more chances or not, right now, mainly depends on how well Blind and Herrera do. If they show more encouraging signs, like they did against Sunderland, that they can cover effectively all thirds of the pitch without leaving the defense exposed, Mata will get more games. If they don't, the manager will probably opt for a reverted triangle with Carrick at the base of it. The latter seems more logical tbh, given the fact that we have some very tough fixtures ahead of us.
Probably worth a read
https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/blog...t--and-his-name-was-juan-mata-125907574.html?
When the feck did that happen?
Moyes was limited to Everton's horizons before he arrived. Dithered to aspire to those horizons when he finally arrived. And today has resorted back to those horizons by trying to re-ecast his past. if he didn't want Mata but preferred Fellaini and Baines, then it just goes to show how limited those horizons were. Good riddance, glad he's gone.
Love how he makes Walker look like an idiot in that vid!
Didn't actually know Moyes apparently said that. It would explain a few things, and also a few things about how signings are being made these days.
Wouldn't surprise me if Woodward was the main driving force in signing Mata, to be honest.
Same as Di Maria and Falcao. obviously we already know Shaw and Herrera were club-driven.
It's not even been that long and I already miss the days of knowing (at the very least) the manager actually targeted the player who was joining. Except Bebe.
Wouldn't surprise me if Woodward was the main driving force in signing Mata, to be honest.
Same as Di Maria and Falcao. obviously we already know Shaw and Herrera were club-driven.
It's not even been that long and I already miss the days of knowing (at the very least) the manager actually targeted the player who was joining.
Except Bebe.Didn't actually know Moyes apparently said that. It would explain a few things, and also a few things about how signings are being made these days.
Wouldn't surprise me if Woodward was the main driving force in signing Mata, to be honest.
Same as Di Maria and Falcao. obviously we already know Shaw and Herrera were club-driven.
It's not even been that long and I already miss the days of knowing (at the very least) the manager actually targeted the player who was joining.
Maybe he's said it off the record, but as far as I'm aware, you won't be finding any quotes of him saying such things.
It may well be true though as we also appeared to have no interest in Ozil the summer prior.
I've never booed the team and I never will ...... West Ham?
Not struggling .... disappointed
Didn't actually know Moyes apparently said that. It would explain a few things, and also a few things about how signings are being made these days.
Wouldn't surprise me if Woodward was the main driving force in signing Mata, to be honest.
Same as Di Maria and Falcao. obviously we already know Shaw and Herrera were club-driven.
It's not even been that long and I already miss the days of knowing (at the very least) the manager actually targeted the player who was joining.
From what I heard Mata has been put on the market by Chelsea, and Woodward asked Moyes if he wanted him, Moyes said yes and Woodward purchased him. Moyes didn't asked for him and Woodward didn't forced Moyes to accept Mata.
West Ham consistently booed Big Sam last season, even when they won.
Fellaini picked again ahead of him. This guy can't catch a break.
Don't see him and Herrera starting together in midfield anyways. Unless in a diamond with both Carrick and Blind.
- Status