This has nothing to do with Rooney. Mata has had his chance while Rooney is out and he's done nothing with it.
8
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 35
- Goals
- 10
- Assists
- 4
- Yellow cards
- 2
- Status
I thought he looked great against QPR.. Then again QPR makes everyone look good - except the scousers though..
He won't be at the club in 12 months time. A shadow of his former self. Januzaj (although he was poor tonight) should be ahead of him in the pecking order for the #10 position.
Kagawa was never this meek and anonymous.
It's like I've always said: as far as overall game goes, Mata isn't really better than Kagawa. Mata is more effective in front of goal and is generally better at passing, not to mention set-pieces. But Kagawa is quicker, more versatile, better at linking up, more direct, more daring, works harder and is better defensively.
I'm starting to agree with the people who say that it would have been better to keep Kagawa. Today's game was screaming for a player like him, imo.
He's so talented on the ball, but physically he's like a child. So weak, very small, incredibly slow and that means that basically he has to be your main player in order to perform, and if not, then he'll be invisible. And he's nowhere close to being our most talented player. Sorry, lovable guy and all, but he shouldn't be a starting 11 player. If he's content to be a squad player then all the better for us as he's a brilliant player on form in the right system. I just don't think he'll still be here by the time next summer comes around.
Januzaj, as poor as we was, was at least trying to make things happen. He played in a beautiful pass for Rafa in the second half for example.
Mata tried nothing, just constant backwards passing. Like watching Ashley Young in the middle of the pitch. Just whiter, and more dreamy.
I've been disappointed with him. I wanted him to cause LVG a selection headache for the #10 spot, but he just isn't doing it. Rooney has that spot locked down despite my preference for a player like Mata who has a better first touch and short pass. Rooney is just performing much better.
Not taking his chances well so far while Rooney has been suspended.
As much as I was a fan of Shinji, and I do think he would have been a perfect fit for Van Gaals style and generally is quicker then Mata, Kagawa was this anonymous plenty of times. My argument would be though that it was because of the style we played, which completely was opposite of the style that he's suited to and so he was just invisible far too often.
Vidal for Mata in January.
Yeah I was thinking more of the Leicester game, he was truly awful then.
No physicality or pace at all. Mourinho was right about him and Ozil.
Honestly Mata is one of the players in the squad who desperately needs to step up. Ive always considered him a world class player on the level of the likes of Silva and Hazard, but he has been completely anonymous most games this season.
He simply doesnt seem influence the game enough - I suspect he would do a lot better with strikers in the mould of Welbeck or Hernandez, and with Rooney out I really hoped that Mata would take his chance but he has been very, very poor.
Not sure what the problem is, and he is such a likeable character that it would be sad to see him go, but he just doesnt dictate the play the way he should. He pops up now with some nice goals and assists, but he can spend the other 80 minutes of the match invisible. That is usually acceptable for a striker, but the #10 needs to be the one constantly linking up play and looking to create.
He simply doesnt seem influence the game enough - I suspect he would do a lot better with strikers in the mould of Welbeck or Hernandez, and with Rooney out I really hoped that Mata would take his chance but he has been very, very poor.
Not sure what the problem is, and he is such a likeable character that it would be sad to see him go, but he just doesnt dictate the play the way he should. He pops up now with some nice goals and assists, but he can spend the other 80 minutes of the match invisible. That is usually acceptable for a striker, but the #10 needs to be the one constantly linking up play and looking to create.
Kagawa was just as bad. They are both as bad as each other except Mata is more productive..
Kagawa would have done nothing today either. Both cowards.
He played LB also. Portugese League isnt very physical though. The Prem's a different kettle of fish..
I remember there was a thread on Rawk a couple of years ago where many of them were arguing over who was the better player, Mata or Silva, most of them picked Mata.
Its pretty funny to think about that now.
Its pretty funny to think about that now.
Ya there was also a decent cross for Fellaini and that good run down the wing when Lescott was (harshly) adjudged to have fouled him. I literally cannot think of any positive contribution from Mata. As I saw someone else saying on here it was Ozil-esque is terms of his anonymity.
Thought he started the season quite well, he was making good runs and getting into the box, but I agree, he has been poor in the last two games. Doesn't get on the ball enough, drops too deep and doesn't do much with the ball.
Oh god, i'd do almost anything for that to happen.
Kagawa was more anonymous if anything. Mata and him simply aren't fit for the style we're trying to play.
Absolute passenger. You cannot play in the PL in his style. You get hounded in the #10 role for every blade of grass. He will never get the space he requires or wants to be creative. Should cut our losses and sell him.
It really is starting to look like Chelsea completely mugged us off with this one. They played us perfectly tbf.
In hindsight, if Jose is quite willing to sell you a player, then that should probably ring a few alarm bells.
In hindsight, if Jose is quite willing to sell you a player, then that should probably ring a few alarm bells.
He's playing the same way he did in his last six months at Chelsea, when everyone decided it was Mourinho's fault for not giving him a chance...when what actually happened was Mourinho kept giving him chances and being forced to either move him around or take him off the pitch entirely to get his team playing effectively.
I remember people on here laughing at me because I said I didn't really rate him or Ozil, but the two of them are just prime examples of why people on the internet don't understand what a good footballer is.
I remember people on here laughing at me because I said I didn't really rate him or Ozil, but the two of them are just prime examples of why people on the internet don't understand what a good footballer is.
I think even I thought he was nuts at first.
Luiz and Mata for a combined 88 million must be the best peice of business in 6 months ever.
Would love to do a deal with him for Vidal or as part exchange for Pogba.
I remember at the start of the whole 'Rooney saga' when there was that leak that Jose was willing to let Mata/Luiz go as part of a Rooney deal. Everyone thought it was madness, and clearly bullshit. 18 months later, and it turns out that it was probably true. Amazing.
We've been done up like kippers. If I didn't think he was brilliant, I'd bloody hate Jose right now.
Is Mata a sci fi fan? because I think he has bought a cloaking device off E bay.
Despite his apparently good numbers for us, he just doesn't do enough for me. Mostly anonymous in games we don't play well which is quite often worryingly. I'd much prefer Rooney to him regardless of the position. For 37M, you'd surely expect more.
He was immense at Chelsea for a while. I like the bloke a lot but he plays at a pedestrian pace and when the going gets tough he becomes invisible. I thought he'd relish his game time in Rooney's absence but he hasn't really.
This is a nonsense argument though. At Chelsea when he was excellent, his team mates and team as a whole were hardly pulling up any trees.
I commented earlier saying Spanish Ozil, but I think Ozil's far better..
Ah now poor and all as Mata was tonight lets not get too carried away.
Why? What has he shown to suggest that he should be ahead of Mata?
Januzaj fan boy alert. There is nothing you can produce to back that nonsense up. Mata hasn't been great but he is a far better player at present than Januzaj, who from i've seen thinks he is better than he is. Maybe he visits the caf where everyone thinks hes the new Mest (Best + Messi) and believes the outrageous hype.
Didn't Mourinho say something about Ozil being the best in his position in Europe? Sadly, his take on Mata is looking more and more correct.
Has had a great opportunity over the last 2 games to show why he should be first choice in that #10 spot and hasn't done nearly enough.
It's not entirely his fault though. As with Kagawa our passing play in the final 3rd has again been slow and laboured. Last night wasn't quite like Fulham away last season but for large parts of the game we still looked to have nothing through the middle and just looked to put it out wide.
It's not entirely his fault though. As with Kagawa our passing play in the final 3rd has again been slow and laboured. Last night wasn't quite like Fulham away last season but for large parts of the game we still looked to have nothing through the middle and just looked to put it out wide.
Except he was.
The issue isn't simply the player. Every #10 we play (Mata, Rooney + Kagawa) we are unhappy with. Strikes me as an issue with the team/how we're playing than simply the player.
First sentence is exactly why no one takes you seriously on the matter.
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