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2014-15 Performances

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6.0 Season Average Rating
Appearances
35
Goals
10
Assists
4
Yellow cards
2
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I love him. He might be a bit of a "luxury" player at times.. but he is worth carrying. He is terrific.
 
Randall Flagg said:
I think he has had a very nice game today
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I feel like he's been anonymous for large parts, but he's contributed when it matters. His weighted pass to Rooney and the assist to RVP is exactly what I expect him to be doing for us.
 
Fantastic composure and unselfishness, just as you expect from him.
 
Typical Mata performance until his goal, then started getting space and hurting them on the half turn. That's what we expect from him every game.
 
Now THAT is the Juan Mata I want to see. The weight of pass for the 3rd goal where he first played Rooney in was perfect, then the vision and execution of the pass to RVP was just brilliant.

Thats what he can do, and thats why its so frustrating when he plays the easy options 9/10.
 
He has always been brilliant in and around the opposition penalty area.

My issue with Mata is that he just doesnt contribute enough elsewhere - he is very much like a trequartista who simply doesnt add anything defensively. That is fine, but when he is playing in midfield, or with Rooney as a midfielder, he needs to work a bit harder.

Personally, if we are starting Mata I would rather see him basically up front behind the main striker. It is hard to fit him and two strikers into a team without it being lacking defensively - although when RVP puts in the sort of shift he did today, it alleviates it substantially.
 
Like Rooney, he can do little in the game then pop up and score/ assist. That is what we need in the team, because as we can see from Liverpool, these guys have that finishing ability.
 
kouroux said:
Much much better second half. That pass for Rooney for the third is the sort of pass he should attempt more.
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That's the problem. We don't get into enough counter attacking positions like that. That's his bread and butter. Playing into space.
It's 75% of the time, when we're camped in the other team's half and he needs to ride a challenge when he struggles.
 
Speak said:
That's the problem. We don't get into enough counter attacking positions like that. That's his bread and butter. Playing into space.
It's 75% of the time, when we're camped in the other team's half and he needs to ride a challenge when he struggles.
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You're right, just think that if he still doesn't attempt them enough even if it's not a counter attacking situation.
 
We need to start playing more with Herrera and Mata together. It's clear both of them have a very good understanding and read each other's game.
 
MOTM today with De Gea for me. Excellent at keeping possession and in the final third.
 
Almost like having Berba still. I really like mata but you do have to compensate for him
 
Had it not been for De Gea he'd of been my MOTM, outstanding in the second half. I didn't think he played bad in the first half, he kept us ticking over after Liverpool stepped off.
 
Freak said:
Just play Mata, Herrera and Di Maria in the middle and we are good.
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This is where we will see him at his best when he plays with those two. Mata works best when he has good movement and quick passers around him, and Di Maria & Herrera are the two best that we have to work with him.
 
Felt he was poor first half, but ended up with a goal. Much better second half, and that lookaway assist was lovely; Scholes like assist.
 
coolredwine said:
Mata
di Maria Herrera
Blind/Carrick
​
Rooney up front with RvP (going out wide to stretch the play). Possible?
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That midfield is way to "nice" they would be handing out greetings card during the Christmas period! For the Premiership you need some ugly players in the middle i'm afraid.
 
RuudTom83 said:
That midfield is way to "nice" they would be handing out greetings card during the Christmas period! For the Premiership you need some ugly players in the middle i'm afraid.
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Nah, if you can get a collection of top quality players with great technique, it's much better to take them than dirty players. I'd only prefer an ugly player in there if they had the technical ability required as well. There's a reason Spanish sides have often run rings round English clubs.
 
I'd play Mata every Home game tbh, he is perfect for Old Trafford and helps gel the forward line together, even if he is not glaringly obvious while he is doing it.

Glad for all the scorers today. All three are players who play better when they are scoring.
 
RuudTom83 said:
That midfield is way to "nice" they would be handing out greetings card during the Christmas period! For the Premiership you need some ugly players in the middle i'm afraid.
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If we get some pretty football going on, this wouldn't matter. And we can easily stick in Fellaini when we want some physicality in the team. Otherwise these players seem to be on the same wavelength wrt passing, making the runs, etc. and hence would complement each other.
 
Confuses me how Mata's average rating on here is 5.8 and Fellaini is 6.2. Mata contributes assists and goals consistently yet is held to some ridiculous standard, Felliani just has to not be shit and he gets praise.
 
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