You must be seriously disappointed with Di Maria, right?
8
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 35
- Goals
- 10
- Assists
- 4
- Yellow cards
- 2
- Status
You must be seriously disappointed with Di Maria, right?
It's not something I'd praise him for either. And he he absolutely nothing for the rest of the game. That's not my definition of a good performance.
And Mata's job is to create then? Which he never look like doing. Twist it how you want, but that's was a bog standard average performance. If that had been Tom Cleverley...
Tom Cleverley was an average, sideways passer. Mata actually was being quite dangerous in that game, taking it past players, playing some good balls.
That's not really true. When Herrera plays there's a notable increase in tempo more often than not. Take the Hull game for instance where we picke up after he came on.
Alright then.
Me too. If he'd been as productive as Mata has - in terms of goals/assists per game - I probably wouldn't be criticising him at all, mind you.
What good balls? The only good attacking progress came from Valencia. Mata was playing it safe as always and doing nothng with it.
I think he has more goals+assist than Mata though hasn't he?
EDIT: Played less minutes too. So that would make him more productive.
Can't recall much specifically from the game since it was a couple of weeks ago, but I do remember Mata being quite dangerous at times through the middle, causing some problems for the Southampton defence. Granted, his end product was terrible, although his productivity on the whole has been decent this season, especially since his overall game was quite poor in the early stages.
Di Maria had a good start, looked like he might be worth somewhere near what we paid but then got injured and we moved away from the midfield we were using, with Blind and Ander supporting him. I've been dissappointed with him since his return yes.
He still looks far more dangerous than Mata ever has though
You've missed my point completely. I meant that because the team was so successful and we hammered a few teams throughout the season, people seem to think that all the attack was great all that season when imo only Ronaldo was great, while Tevez and Rooney were good but nothing spectacular. Kinda like Mata has been in his year here, which was my main point all along.
Is that right? Presumably this season's data?
Well:
Di Maria has played in 14 games, scoring 3 goals and assisting 6 goals.
Mata has played in 19 games, scoring 5 goals and assisting 3 more.
Mata's apparent productivity vs other attacking mids: (Based on this seasons EPL data)
I always thought Mata was very productive vs our other attacking midfield players, so I decided to check with interesting results:
Mata Productivity vs other attacking mids
Player: Mins Goals Assists Goals+Assists G+A Per 90
Di Maria-----1204-----3 -----6 -----9 -----0.79
Mata -----1455-----5 -----3 -----8 -----0.49
Herrera -----656 -----2 -----3 -----5 -----0.69
Rooney -----1575 ----8 -----4 -----12 -----0.69
Fellaini -----865 -----3 -----1 -----4 -----0.42
Looks like Mata should actually be benced for Herrera, at least he can also contribute defensively.
I always thought Mata was very productive vs our other attacking midfield players, so I decided to check with interesting results:
Mata Productivity vs other attacking mids
Player: Mins Goals Assists Goals+Assists G+A Per 90
Di Maria-----1204-----3 -----6 -----9 -----0.79
Mata -----1455-----5 -----3 -----8 -----0.49
Herrera -----656 -----2 -----3 -----5 -----0.69
Rooney -----1575 ----8 -----4 -----12 -----0.69
Fellaini -----865 -----3 -----1 -----4 -----0.42
Looks like Mata should actually be benced for Herrera, at least he can also contribute defensively.
Yes based on this season of course, but obv Di Maria was also more productive last season too.
I suspect its because he was so lacklustre up until a few months ago and now he's trying to repair the damage. He's definitely got better since then and I'm guessing his productivity increased the same way
In Spain!The reason I ask is I remember Mata coming very close to a goal or assist per game earlier on this season and didn't think Di Maria had been anything like as prolific. If has, then fair play to him. I'm doing him a disservice.
The reason I ask is I remember Mata coming very close to a goal or assist per game earlier on this season and didn't think Di Maria had been anything like as prolific. If has, then fair play to him. I'm doing him a disservice.
Di Maria was pratically scoring or assisting in every game when he first came into the team, his productivity dipped when he moved out wide.
I actually think the opposite has happened. From memory, he seemed much more productive at the beginning of this season. The biggest drop-off would be in goals. Was a regular goal-scorer last season but much less prolific this time round.
Just make him exchange more passes with Herrera and Di Maria in a midfield area and he'll be a feckin king of creativity.
Except in the last 6 EPL games he has 1 assist and 0 goals.
In the 6 before that he had 3 goals and an assist (this is when people started to talk about him as productive)
In the 6 before that again he had 1 goals and 1 assist.
The reason I ask is I remember Mata coming very close to a goal or assist per game earlier on this season and didn't think Di Maria had been anything like as prolific. If has, then fair play to him. I'm doing him a disservice.
So what if in Spain? Champions League too. Or are you one of the people who think La Liga is crap and Premier League is awesome?
Yeah just looking now and he got his 3 assists and 5 goals in his first 15 games this season, since 28th of December 2014 and the match with Spurs (included) he's had a run of 5 games with no goals or assists which has been the only time he's gone more than 2 games without either
Being the player behind 2 strikers, he really should be creating more chances and have more the 3 assists. Might be a slight lack of agility is hurting him in the teams set up as theirs nothing wrong with his passing ability.
Mata has been having a decent season and has chipped in with his fair share but just doesn't look like a Man Utd player long term. Di Maria in his first few games looked like he was going to become player of the season but has been extremely poor ever since. When comparing the two it's obvious that if Di Maria can maintain a high standard here then he has a bright future here. Mata will come in very handy and he can see and make a pass that no one else can on his day but in most games apart from when we are spanking other teams - he just looks off the pace despite always creating a goalscoring chance or two out of nothing in every game. I don't see him having a long term future here unfortunately but hope he proves me wrong
No, I'm one of those people who've watched a host of La Liga (and other big European leagues) stars fail to replicate the form they showed in their domestic league after moving to the UK.
Do you really need me to start naming names? How's about you start with former Madrid team-mates of Di Maria?
Mata, Di Maria, Rooney, Falcao and RVP can’t be accommodated into the same side, 3 of them is about the limit and as none are likely to be subs given their wages and stature 2 need to be moved on. Falcao and Mata look the most likely to me, Falcao we just don’t sign and Mata has a sell on value and is less likely to stay in place of Rooney or Di Maria.
LVG’s comments since he took over show he isn’t happy with the lack of pace and the lack of wingers so I think that spells the end for Mata, his performances have been up and down recently, good against Spurs and Yeovil but that’s about it, not sure if we will ever get to see the player he was at Chelsea because of a combination of his form, limitations and the fact we don’t/won’t play to his strengths.
LVG’s comments since he took over show he isn’t happy with the lack of pace and the lack of wingers so I think that spells the end for Mata, his performances have been up and down recently, good against Spurs and Yeovil but that’s about it, not sure if we will ever get to see the player he was at Chelsea because of a combination of his form, limitations and the fact we don’t/won’t play to his strengths.
Even at his peak for Chelsea, in a system that suited his strengths, Mata's output in terms of goals + assists, don't match Nani's productivity for United at his peak.
Mata 2011-12 and 2012-13 in the PL 47 goals + assists (according to transfermarket) in 60 starts + 9 sub. Nani 2010-11 and 2011-12 in the PL: 48 goals and assists in 55 starts + 7 sub
Mata 2011-12 and 2012-13 in the PL 47 goals + assists (according to transfermarket) in 60 starts + 9 sub. Nani 2010-11 and 2011-12 in the PL: 48 goals and assists in 55 starts + 7 sub
Well, going by this you'll need a complete overhaul of the team.
Sell everyone (except DDG), sack LVG.
His stats are mint, though.
As you and Pogue have already asserted, he was close to a goal or assit every game in his first 5 months (in fact he was involved in 50% of all our goals - way more productive than Di Maria for example) and involved in 8 in his first 13 this. So yes, I think that's perfectly acceptable for a £40m player. Especially one in an underperforming side. The fact people are losing their minds over his recent form (which has still, even by your standards, included at least 2 great performances) is precisely the point.
Worth every penny? Who knows, he's only been here a year. Satisfactory by any reasonable standard? Easily.
Comparissons with Kagawa for example, are ludicrous. Despite being more than twice as productive in less than half the time, he's even ahead of Kagawa this season at Dortmund.
That's an interesting paradox actually. Statistically, you'd have him on a decline over the last couple of months but I think those two games against Newcastle and Spurs were arguably his best in a United shirt so far. Particularly that first 45 against Spurs, the week before they rogered Chelsea. You can add to that the game changing impact he had off the bench vs Yeovil.
I've been a fairly vocal critic of the lovable wee scamp and watching those games was the first time I could really see him as the player I hoped he'd be when we signed him.
Read up, they're not THAT mint.
There are plenty of players who are scoring or creating a goal every 2 games that dont cost anywhere near £37 million
This suggests the fee was way too much for that kind of service
Also, I have by no means said that he had 2 great performances. They were just 2 performances that were above the "average" performances he's had this past month and the rest of the season, good days against decent opposition
That's actually a lie.
Can people check facts first before they speak.
Di Maria had 6 assist and 3 goals in his first 10 games for United. In the same 10 game period Mata had 2 goals and 1 assist.
Di Maria hasn't even been playing for a while, and Mata was at his most productive when Di Maria wasn't in the team 3 goals and 2 assists. Still at a rate lower than Di Maria prior to his injury.
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I dunno, can they?
No he didn't.
Considering his first goal was followed immediately by 2 at Newcstle, he can't possibly have had 2, unless your cut off point was half time at St James.
But if he genuinely had 1 assist, I'll take your point. But going on that, I'm not too confident in your stat gathering abilities.
In their first 5 months though, Mata easily wins. But obviously if you want to chose arbitrary cut off points, meh. We can all do that. I chose a half season, you chose 10 games. Nananananana.
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Completely agree. I was quite critical about him at the start of the season when he was being pretty productive, but he's shown the last couple of months how good and important he can be for us given a proper role where he can influence games. Before he was essentially a poacher for us, but recently hes been showing his creativity and ability on the ball to run games which is why we bought him. I have no doubt that he'll be even better and more consistent once the rest of our team settles and we start stretching teams more so he can actually use his skills and pick out passes. Think its pretty harsh to judge any of our new signings properly since Fergie retired because of all the question marks over our team in the last year and a half.
He had 3 goals and 6 assists, he got that mixed up. Either way I think he has a better rate then mata does, completely guessing though.
Just checked, mata has 5 goals and 3 assists in 1459 minutes this season, 6 goals and 4 assists in 1231 minutes last season, di maria with 4 goals and 6 assists in 1030 minutes.
Ill post it again just for clarification. At no point this season has Mata been more productive than Di Maria:
Mata's apparent productivity vs other attacking mids: (Based on this seasons EPL data)
I always thought Mata was very productive vs our other attacking midfield players, so I decided to check with interesting results:
Mata Productivity vs other attacking mids
Player: Mins Goals Assists Goals+Assists G+A Per 90
Di Maria-----1204-----3 -----6 -----9 -----0.79
Mata -----1455-----5 -----3 -----8 -----0.49
Herrera -----656 -----2 -----3 -----5 -----0.69
Rooney -----1575 ----8 -----4 -----12 -----0.69
Fellaini -----865 -----3 -----1 -----4 -----0.42
Looks like Mata should actually be benced for Herrera, at least he can also contribute defensively.
Mata's apparent productivity vs other attacking mids: (Based on this seasons EPL data)
I always thought Mata was very productive vs our other attacking midfield players, so I decided to check with interesting results:
Mata Productivity vs other attacking mids
Player: Mins Goals Assists Goals+Assists G+A Per 90
Di Maria-----1204-----3 -----6 -----9 -----0.79
Mata -----1455-----5 -----3 -----8 -----0.49
Herrera -----656 -----2 -----3 -----5 -----0.69
Rooney -----1575 ----8 -----4 -----12 -----0.69
Fellaini -----865 -----3 -----1 -----4 -----0.42
Looks like Mata should actually be benced for Herrera, at least he can also contribute defensively.
Well, then you have players like Sanchez, Fabregas, Silva, Toure and Aguero who have been much better in England than Spain. I actually cannot think of many top class players who would go from Spain to England and fail.
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