Arguments for and against, imo he is not at the races, since he has come to us he has shown, in glimpses, an ability to get into the box on the end of moves to score some goals, his weaknesses are obvious and you take the hit for that once he is producing what you know he can on the ball, but he is not producing... he is not having a defining influence on games, he is surprisingly conservative in possession and is getting knocked over like a feather all the time while coming across in several interviews as if he is loving it and things are going well, like he is enjoying where he has got himself to but not maintaining those standards that got him there. If this is what he has to offer us it is not good enough, not only has he been disappointing, he has been a liability, losing possession in advanced positions with our players on the front foot has put us under pressure time and again.
8
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 35
- Goals
- 10
- Assists
- 4
- Yellow cards
- 2
- Status
Perhaps, but even something as being so easy to push off the ball (as we've seen multiple times this season,) should exist (or not,) more or less regardless of system. Again, that's why I'd love to hear from those who watched him regularly: did he have that same issue at Chelsea?
I've always admired him as a player, but at this moment in time, he's looking like a poor buy. I've no idea what's happened to him since leaving Chelsea.
I agree with all that, but I wouldn't hold his positive attitude against him. We'd be criticizing him if he were pouting about (as many felt RVP was doing last season.) My theory is that he's simply going through a rotten spell, and will eventually emerge from it. The question is whether that will happen with us or another team.
One thing I read recently in an article by Sid Lowe back when Mata was at Valencia, is that he was more of a winger there (albeit one who would drift around and make plays.) It's strange, because the word 'winger' has not been one I'd associate with Mata, based on what I've seen.
Yeah, I'd agree. He looked really out of place when he was first put on the wings and was having much more of an impact when we put him in a central role. Of course, being a winger at Valencia could've potentially meant in a drifting role, where he'd start outside and drift in a lot, still playing a fairly central role. Under Moyes, he was being deployed in a way where he had to predominantly play as a more traditional winger, which really limited him and didn't suit his style at all.
I think the bottom line is that he needs to have a long hard look at himself and sort out his form, because right now he looks nothing like the player we were all expecting (or even like the player who was scoring quite regularly for us by the end of last season.)
As I've said, I thought he was excellent towards the end of last season. He was the one player who looked capable of producing a bit of creative magic in a largely dire side with less imagination than the average Adam Sandler movie.
I don't know what's happened to him. You can argue that it's perhaps the system that's affected him, or the newer style of play, but he just seems like a completely different player. He lacks that invention and creativity which we largely bought him for in the first place. It's not that he's been actively poor in most games - it's more that he's just been anonymous and quiet, which is the last thing I was expecting from him.
Yeah, there's nothing about him that screams 'pass me the ball'. It's like Cleverley, minus the obsessive pointing at the ground. Very strange and disheartening.
Yeah, that's exactly what it's like. Not necessarily doing anything wrong, but just not doing too much right either. Obviously he's a far superior player to Cleverley in every single way (minus the point of course!), but I see what you mean.
Tbh I'm just scrabbling around in the dark looking for reasons as to why he's looked, to be perfectly honest, crap this season.
If you'd never seen him play before, and didn't know who he was, you would never in a million years guess this was a player who used to called 'world class' and who most fans would love at their club (I remember numerous posters on here, not all United, who would dream of their team buying him). Which adds to the frustration that we went and did that, and he's playing like this. Its baffling.
I've been going ape shit at the TV in the last few games, at the amount of times theres been a huge space between the oppositions defence and midfield, that Mata could quite easily drop into and pick up a pass from our defenders/midfielders. Yet he tends to just run forward into the box, like a striker.
Even RVP did a better job in the 20 minutes he was playing that #10 against West Brom, then Mata has managed in the last few games. Its like he doesn't even want the ball atm.
Yeah, completely anonymous. It's funny, people keep mentioning his dropping deep as a reason for being ineffective, but all I can recall from the last game is Mata standing around in the areas you'd expect to find the strikers and basically looking like he'd rather be anywhere else than on the ball. It all screams 'confidence issue.' The question is why.
Because he knows he'll probably get pushed off it.
Probably so, but that's not the Mata I remember, even from last season.
He seems to be either playing far to high, or far too deep imo. Just never in the actual space between the two opposites that I want to see him playing
The most frustrating thing about that video on the last page is the amount of quality through balls he plays, yet I don't think he's played one decent ball behind a defence yet season. His finishing has generally been very good, but everything else about his game has been a real disappointment.
Its as frustrating as it is bizzare.
The one thing I will add, is that in that video, all of Mata best work tends to be when Chelsea are breaking at pace and Mata is carrying the ball through the centre, with lots of space, and picking out runners ahead.
Maybe it could just be a case of thats the only kind of football that will truly suit him, and get the best out of him. He doesn't have that guile and strength on the ball like Silva, which I actually thought he did before we signed him (maybe those weeknesses were just hidden by the style of football Chelsea were playing at the time?) So in a team playing possession based football, like we've been trying to this season, and where the final 3rd is very congested, he just simply won't stand out as he doesn't have the physical presence to find the space needed?
I'm kind of hoping that LVG's long term masterplan would include quick counter attacking football, which would then hopefully get the best out of Mata.
Maybe it could just be a case of thats the only kind of football that will truly suit him, and get the best out of him. He doesn't have that guile and strength on the ball like Silva, which I actually thought he did before we signed him (maybe those weeknesses were just hidden by the style of football Chelsea were playing at the time?) So in a team playing possession based football, like we've been trying to this season, and where the final 3rd is very congested, he just simply won't stand out as he doesn't have the physical presence to find the space needed?
I'm kind of hoping that LVG's long term masterplan would include quick counter attacking football, which would then hopefully get the best out of Mata.
100% agree. A lot of it comes down to the space ahead of him, and his lack of ability to hold the ball when things get congested. Hence why he's either too high (attempting to get on the end of things) or too deep.
He looks smaller and smaller each game I see him. Is he shrinking? Literally and metaphorically that is
Confidence really does play a huge part in the games of professional footballers. Especially for ones who don't have any physical attributes that they can use to still have an impact, his actual game has to be pretty much on top form always to have an impact, if it's not, then he's just invisible. Players like Di Maria, Sanchez, Bale, Reus, Ronaldo, etc., all have their pace to turn to and just run at defenders if they aren't having a great game technically, they can still cause a threat because of their physical attributes. Mata with pace would be a tremendous player probably. Sadly, he just doesn't have any and so he goes missing far too often, especially as he's in and out of the team.
Or is the people in the match just all taller than him recently?
Di maria playing behind him takes the ball away from mata instead of passing to mata as di maria dribbles more than he passes.
What type of reception do you believe he'll get off the Chelsea fans on Sunday if he plays?
Theres a period at chelsea I remember when he was played on the left and was bursting into the box creating alot of goals and assists. I only remember it from the MOTD highlights. Most people say his central role for Rafa were his best performances tho?
Final proof that MW was no more than a sock puppet for Kagawa. Incapable of letting go or moving on.
He's been banned for a while for seemingly not letting go and bringing Kagawa up relentlessly in Kagawa thread.
Final proof that MW was no more than a sock puppet for Kagawa. Incapable of letting go or moving on.
Im sure he'll get a fine one, he didnt really want to leave at all, it was only because of not playing and Jose in the end and there was no way we were turning down that kind of money!
No ill feeling towards him whatsoever, however there may be those pocket of supporters who just boo any ex player randomly anyway.
That's just silly.
Sorry, I got it a bit wrong, it think he was banned on Tuesday and it's temporary.
don't feel too sorry for him, Billy. If MW ever got the chance he'd kill you and your whole family.Ah, right. Poor MW though
Its a interesting one at the weekend, as he has a real point to prove. But in our team currently and especially against top sides he's a luxury player. You think we could swap him for Carrick and play Carrick and Blind behind Herrera / Di Maria and have a pretty solid midfield still with attacking options. Even in the diamond you could do something similar.
It's a hard one to solve with Mata, but if there's any game he should be up for it's Chelsea.
He has been productive stats wise for us to be fair to him, but in no way has he been the Mata we saw at Chelsea a few yrs ago. You'd think with Spanish contingent they'd be able to gel and enjoy doing so.
It's a hard one to solve with Mata, but if there's any game he should be up for it's Chelsea.
He has been productive stats wise for us to be fair to him, but in no way has he been the Mata we saw at Chelsea a few yrs ago. You'd think with Spanish contingent they'd be able to gel and enjoy doing so.
I hope we give him a chance on the right side before we give up on him. That's where I thought he'd play when he signed him and I reckon he could do a very job there. He would have a lot more space than he does through the middle and the physical aspect wouldn't matter as much.
He's better off there than in the centre, I think.
But his defensive work leaves a lot to be desired. And even in games when we're camped in the oppositions half, you need to be aware of what's going on the other way.
Ah, right. Poor MW though
Save your sympathy for the next user who suffers from blatant mod abuse. I'm thick-skinned by nature
Save your sympathy for the next user who suffers from blatant mod abuse. I'm thick-skinned by nature
'kinell, he's back!
Goals wise he's got great stats, but I think he has something like 5 assists for us so far, which is pretty average for a #10.
He seems to be either playing far to high, or far too deep imo. Just never in the actual space between the two opposites that I want to see him playing
The most frustrating thing about that video on the last page is the amount of quality through balls he plays, yet I don't think he's played one decent ball behind a defence yet season. His finishing has generally been very good, but everything else about his game has been a real disappointment.
Its as frustrating as it is bizzare.
In fairness I think it's a tactic of Van Gaal's as both Herrera and Fellaini were also randomly charging forward and leaving Blind and the defence isolated when the opposition got the ball. If anything Mata was slightly deeper than Herrera/Fellaini most of the time.
Can't understand the logic of it in a team with so little confidence defensively and, let's face it, a slight shortage of class there too. But then Van Gaal gets paid the big bucks, not me, and Fellaini certainly caused a lot of trouble in that role when he came on.
- Status