He was very poor today. Assist or no assist.
8
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 35
- Goals
- 10
- Assists
- 4
- Yellow cards
- 2
- Status
It's a bit disappointing to see such a timid performance from a player who must know he is not assured of a place. He had his moment but there just wasn't enough happening.
I don't think van Persie is helping anyone around him at the moment but Mata's inability to impose himself is worrying regardless of what is happening in front of him.
I don't think van Persie is helping anyone around him at the moment but Mata's inability to impose himself is worrying regardless of what is happening in front of him.
He's got so much quality on the ball but that makes no difference if you're not imposing yourself on the game. At times I even forgot he was out there because it was our other players winning their battles or troubling their defence. Players like Falcao and Di Maria have such good movement he should be feeding some really clever passes into them. Everton just hustled him out of the game and forced him to be too negative with his play. He's got 2 more chances to impress otherwise Rooney is justifiably coming back in.
Needs to impose himself a bit more on the game, I am desperate for him to perform better.
Heh, goes to show you can see an entirely different game when you're at the ground. I thought he had a very good game funnily enough. Some excellent touches, and neat passing that really set us on our way... he used his quick feet to his advantage a lot today to get out of tight spots, knock the ball in the right direction at the correct time.
But considering I look to be the only person with this opinion, maybe I'm wrong.
But considering I look to be the only person with this opinion, maybe I'm wrong.
I am not too bothered about his defensive weaknesses, it's his lack of creativity that's the issue. He's basically a 3rd CF something people accuse Rooney of . I'd play januzaj next game.
I feel Mata can only play if we drop RVP or Falcao. And play him alongside them and put someone more influential into midfield.
He wasn't that bad, RVP i felt was the bigger culprit in terms of poor performances, and if it wasnt for a goal Falcao aswell
I just don't think he does enough in that role at the tip of the diamond, he doesn't dictate the game the way Silva does and he doesn't have the explosiveness and workate to play as an AM in the role. He's really become a second striker who would probably be better off pushed further up nearer Falcao or RvP with either Rooney or Herrera in the AM/#10 role.
Spanish Ozil.
I'd play him against West Brom, but I fear that he'll be a passenger against Chelsea. Therefore, I would play a midfield of:
Blind
Valencia - Di Maria
Herrera
This midfield four will have the energy, grit and counter attacking ability to trouble Chelsea, in my opinion. Just hope Herrera's back.Valencia - Di Maria
Herrera
Very harsh, that. He puts up figures that Ozil would pine for.
He needs to learn to drop deep and work hard else he will end up in the same way Berba and JSV did.
He'll thrive when our team- especially our attack- is more settled. Everton was always going to be tough for him tbh, they had an extra man in midfield and Mata had to contend with both Besic and Barry. He does seem to always be good for a goal a game though. Either creating or scoring.
I thought he played well in the 1st half, but faded after half time when Everton began to press more. He could have done with dropping deeper to help Blind out in midfield a bit more (something which Rooney generally does pretty well), although what we were really missing in there was Herrera.
Overall I doubt Mata did much to persuade Van Gaal that Rooney needs to be dropped in favour of him, but if it were me picking the side, on current form it would be Van Persie that misses out, rather than Mata/Rooney/Falcao.
Overall I doubt Mata did much to persuade Van Gaal that Rooney needs to be dropped in favour of him, but if it were me picking the side, on current form it would be Van Persie that misses out, rather than Mata/Rooney/Falcao.
I do wonder why he struggles so much physically. Yes he's small, but so are the likes of Herrera, Silva, Di Maria etc etc So why does Mata get so easily pushed off the ball?
Herrera is 6ft, Di Maria is 5'11'', 4-5in taller than Mata.
I was thiniking more in terms of body size. I mean Di Maria looks as skinny as a rake but you very rarely see him out muscled on the ball. Mata sometimes seems as weak as a leaf. Its really annoying as his abilty on the ball can be spectacular.
He was a passenger today, a few nice touches but didn't get a grip on the game
I thought he was too advanced and there was so much space in front of Blind he should have been dropping into to pick up the ball
I thought he was too advanced and there was so much space in front of Blind he should have been dropping into to pick up the ball
That's the thing though, he can't afford to be only thrive when the attack is all rosey. The good part about him is that he has been contributing to goals and assists.
Mata has two things against him for me. Firstly his obvious lack of acceleration, which during today's game I noticed meant that instead of receiving the ball on the turn and breaking forward, he got caught up by Everton's attacking players as they tracked back and had to avoid their challenges before releasing the ball. Secondly he can be overpowered and dispossessed pretty easily, his poor ability to hold up the ball left us open on the counter on the few occasions in the last 10 minute where we'd managed to get the ball upfield.
That being said, neither of these criticisms are anything new. I still think he's great and obviously his productivity is through the roof and in most games I think he should take the #10 position. However, when we're under the kosh a bit like at the end of today's game, the likes of Rooney and Januzaj are far better at relieving pressure from the defence and that should probably be taken into consideration when the fixture list starts throwing up the top teams.
That being said, neither of these criticisms are anything new. I still think he's great and obviously his productivity is through the roof and in most games I think he should take the #10 position. However, when we're under the kosh a bit like at the end of today's game, the likes of Rooney and Januzaj are far better at relieving pressure from the defence and that should probably be taken into consideration when the fixture list starts throwing up the top teams.
The excuses look more and more daft each week tbh. Sick of saying it but if he wants to be a United player HE needs to do more. If he needs everyone else to do that for him, then he's little more than an obstacle.
We can build a great team around Mata and hope he starts playing well, or we can just build a great team around players who already play well. One of these options is easier and much, much more sensible than the other.
That said I wouldn't say he isn't working hard enough. It's more that he just isn't doing enough. He puts a shift in, and he makes runs, but he gets the ball and takes too long to do nothing with it. He closes people down and takes up his position off the ball, but in a way that means he may as well not be there.
He needs to grow a set basically, and play as if he thinks he's the best player on the pitch. Instead of just being a smoothed up Tom Cleverley.
We can build a great team around Mata and hope he starts playing well, or we can just build a great team around players who already play well. One of these options is easier and much, much more sensible than the other.
That said I wouldn't say he isn't working hard enough. It's more that he just isn't doing enough. He puts a shift in, and he makes runs, but he gets the ball and takes too long to do nothing with it. He closes people down and takes up his position off the ball, but in a way that means he may as well not be there.
He needs to grow a set basically, and play as if he thinks he's the best player on the pitch. Instead of just being a smoothed up Tom Cleverley.
Did alright. Wasn't part of our buildup enough, as usual. I don't see the need for him playing like a striker when we already have rvp and Falcao on the pitch. In this set up, mata needs to show why he's relevant imo. He can get goals playing right up too. We need creativity and playmaking from the guy at no 10.
Other than the lay off to di Maria he did nothing, too much of a luxury in this current setup, don't see him being a success with two up front because you end up with three players all stood centrally, offering nothing in wider areas and leaving the rest of the team exposed. He can only succeed if we start playing with one up front and more width either side of him, he just isn't mobile and athletic enough to be effective unless he is surrounded by movement and pace.
His habit of losing the ball in dangerous areas just because of a lack of awareness is pissing me off a bit. Gets pushed off the ball too easily.
This is the biggest problem with him and is the reason he loses out to Rooney because even if Rooney's passing is inconsistent he, at least, gets involved in the build up play and is a factor off the ball. We should have never signed him as we wouldn't have let Kagawa go and he would thrive in this particular set up. I don't have that big a problem with his shit defensive game but he should be justifying his selection by running the game, like when we were under the cosh you'd expect him to keep hold of the ball, pass it about and relieve the pressure.
For how long is it going to be a case of "he'll thrive when..."?
Di Maria's been here a matter of weeks and he's thriving just fine.
You can argue that Everton are a tough team, but Silva would leave his mark on this sort of game. The problem is Mata's not actually going to influence games at all like Silva. He'll score and assist, but half the time he'll be pretty anonymous.
It's got nothing to do with the lack of quality around him, and everything to do with his style of play. Just not that suited to our style of play going forward.
The sooner people accept that he's a good goalscorer/assister, but not a proper no.10 - the better.
even with a couple poor games his recent goal scoring record is incredible. The criticism is ridiculous here.
Not enough upper body strength ? I have no idea but one thing I do know is that it's got nothing to do with his height as there are plenty of short players who are tough to dispossess.
We really shouldn't build the team around Mata, even if he's playing well. He's just not the sort of player to build a team around, in my opinion.
He hits good numbers, but he's really not someone who can consistently hold the ball and dictate a game, which is what you need when you build your team around a 'no.10'.
I expected him to take that cross from Di Maria on the volley and hit the target, a rebound would have likely fallen for one of our strikers but he's just taking too many touches and being a little too passive as of now. He's got two more games to show something but playing him clearly means lesser defensive presence in the middle of the field and lack of someone who'd drop back to add possession. I like him a lot but he's got to show more to his game to justify that position.
Was also hoping he'd take corner duties from Di Maria, he's done a good job at Chelsea with those and Di Maria has been rather poor from set pieces.
No, I totally agree with you and I was there also. He's never going to be a 'power player'. Not sure why people are expecting him to be something he isn't, and wasn't at Chelsea. He's a clever little player who can make the telling difference, and he did that (yet again) today.
Always wanted the ball, and usually did something good with it.
This.
Hasn't been the same player since Mourinho shot his confidence to shit
Isn't today an example?
As a scorer assister you can rack up the figures in shite season for the team but a team with our defense needs the total package, someone who will post the figures but dominate crucial phases of the game. In this situation we can not have both him, Van Persie and Falcao in the same side. Decisions have to be made in the summer.
Explain to me how you can you score and set up goals and yet be anonymous?
I don't really see why Mourinho should get any blame for Mata not delivering for us. He looked excellent when he first came and showed glimpses of his true ability, but has flattered to deceive this season for the most part. If he's affected so much by being dropped by a former manager, even now he's at a different club, then that's not Mourinho's fault.
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