Best to start one of these for Mata as pre-season is here and it will be very interesting to see where he plays in our 4-3-3 system.
I hope that he can get around 7 goals and get at least 10 assists.
8
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 54
- Goals
- 11
- Assists
- 11
- Yellow cards
- 7
- Red cards
- 1
- Status
Best to start one of these for Mata as pre-season is here and it will be very interesting to see where he plays in our 4-3-3 system.
I hope that he can get around 7 goals and get at least 10 assists.
Not sure if he'll be a starter, but if he is and if he plays as a 10, there's no more excuses for him and he should come close to his Chelsea heights imo. Where he managed to be directly involved in 50 goals a season.
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No pressure then....
Think he'll get something like 15 goals and 10 assists (maybe more) if he plays consistently as the right winger like I think he will. Think it's unlikely that we will have 1 player with far more goals and assists then everyone else, because Van Gaal's style is always about the collective rather then making someone the main man.
Have to say I don't think he's ideal in that right wing/inside right position
An outstanding display at Anfield and a few other good games aside I just feel he lacks the pace to stretch defences.... this lack of pace from a few of our attacking players contributed to the slow predictability of our attack on a number of occasions
I can see him battling with a quicker Herrera to be part of a midfield 3
Think he'll start the season in the first team. Whether he stays there or not is down to how he performs.
He'll certainly get plenty of game time though.
I can't help but have high hopes for this guy. Of all our big name players (Rooney, Di Maria, Schweinsteiger, etc.) he's the one with the greatest capacity to step up to a level we haven't seen from him yet. At his age and with his talent he should be a key player for us....
He'll certainly get plenty of game time though.
I can't help but have high hopes for this guy. Of all our big name players (Rooney, Di Maria, Schweinsteiger, etc.) he's the one with the greatest capacity to step up to a level we haven't seen from him yet. At his age and with his talent he should be a key player for us....
I really hope he has a great season. He's a fantastic player when on form, and one of the most humble footballers out there.
Considering the heaps of talent he has, and the solid midfield we can play him in front of, he should be one of our star players this year.
Considering the heaps of talent he has, and the solid midfield we can play him in front of, he should be one of our star players this year.
We will play a lot more matches next season so the productivity of players will inflate though. Mata has proven in recent years that his biggest threat is his productivity, he scores quite a lot of goals and used to assist many too. Maybe 50 is over the top, but 30-40 could really be expected of a supposed world class player playing as a no 10 in his favourite position. De bruyne for example had 46 goals + assists last season, Ozil 51 in his best season at Real. With the new additions to the squad, we should improve as a team massively, and that should give room for individual players to improve too. But that's if he plays as a no 10 with close to no defensive duties.
Reus had 40+ goals and assists in the 2 seasons before last one, James had 44 last season, Muller has had in the 40's for 3 seasons in a row. Attacking midfielders with a free role at world class level mostly are prolific bar the likes of Iniesta, Hazard, Silva. It's something we should have too I think, it lifts off weight of our striker.
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I think he's the best finisher at the club. I'd expect 10-15 goals this year, he got 10 last year with no Europe and little involvement in the cup.
He's my favourite Utd player by miles though so maybe I'm biased. I hope he plays a big part this season.
He's my favourite Utd player by miles though so maybe I'm biased. I hope he plays a big part this season.
Between him and Memphis, we must have the right and left foot free kick takers covered. I hope Van Gaal keeps him in that right sided position, his off the ball runs were magical last season.
He did well last season particularly in the second half, and while he's always technically so sound and reliable in possession, I still want to see his Chelsea form in a United shirt. He was just a much more impactful player with them. With us he seems like a less confident, less adventurous, more safe version of that player.
I think 30 would be a great season, but it's unrealistic to expect more I'd say. We'll have Depay, Di Maria, Herrera all providing a decent amount of goals and assists without looking at Rooney. De Bruyne had that many and people saw him as the best performing attacking midfielder in the world last season because of that. I'd be delighted of course, but to get that many goals and assists out of Mata, the team needs to be built for everything to go through him as it was at Chelsea that one season, and that won't happen under Van Gaal. Unlikely he'll play as a #10 as well but we'll see.
It's fair enough, although in the situation I think he should be getting high numbers, Herrera wouldnt be a starter. And I dont think we can expect too much of Depay that season. Above I placed some other examples of players who are getting very high numbers, and some of those players play alongside others players too who produce some numbers. James plays alongside Ronaldo, Bale, Benzema. Muller alongside Ribery, Gotze, Robben, Lewa. Reus played alongside Gotze and Lewa at that time. But Mata himself played alongside Hazard and Oscar at that time, he was the star but Oscar and Hazard managed to get almost 70 goals and assists between them in all competitions (included national tho, which contains about 10 goals + assists combined). So I dont think it's impossible for him, although 30 would be a nice aim for him.
I will be camped in here throughout the season. Hugs.
If we do move to a 433 with the point facing forward as LvG says, I hope we use him as a #10 more often next year.
I imagine he'll be thought of as, above anything else, Herrera's main competition in that position. I don't expect he'll see much game time on the 'wing' unless someone like Di Maria is badly underperforming there again. That said, as things stand I'd say he's fairly firmly second choice behind Herrera. As good as Mata was later in the season, Herrera was absolutely integral.
Think Mata will still stay on the wing primarily. He firmly established himself as first choice right winger last season, because even when he doesn't score or assist, he still has a huge impact on us dictating the play. Don't think Di Maria will be here at the start of the season anyway so it'll be Memphis, Herrera, Mata as the more advanced midfielders/wingers behind Rooney I'd say.
He'll stay on the wing, but will be given freedom to roam especially if we sell di Maria. He'll work triangles with Herrera and Darmian on their side. Guessing Shaw, Memphis and Schweini on the other side.
Even if he's used as a Right forward, he will get a lot more freedom to cut inside with Darmian backing him up.
I doubt it. LVG kept him there at the end of last season because it was working at a time when we just needed to win games. But fast wingers are something he's used throughout his career, and I highly doubt it fits his long term vision to be playing a slowish #10 out wide. Judging by Van Gaal's comments, I expect us to keep hold of Di Maria, and with Depay adding to our list of actual wingers the slot for ADM is very obviously now on the right. Mata might get the odd game there, or might be called back there if Di Maria's form doesn't materialise, but I'd be incredibly surprised if Van Gaal is planning to start him there.
It doesn't Mata where we play him, if he gets chance, he will bury it.
Yes, he's an absolutely clinical finisher. But, he's not as creative as one would expect. I think he's better as the inside right forward with Herrera through the centre.
It'll be interesting to see where he plays this season, and where he fits in. A lot of us expected him not to be here at certain points last season, but he really improved, managed to make himself fit into our system, and showed his class. He could potentially be key for us, although where he'll be being key from is another matter. I could see him in a fairly advanced role if we don't add too many more players up front.
He has done well enough for me on the right to justify keeping his place there.
He will always get game time because he is great in possession and a very good finisher.
Right in front of van Gaal, well in Juan. Hugs.
"They told me 'you are very important, you are one of the first'," Mata said.
"I knew the club was going to have these kind of signings,"
"It's not just about bringing good players in. It's about playing well and winning trophies."
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/33584202
"I knew the club was going to have these kind of signings,"
"It's not just about bringing good players in. It's about playing well and winning trophies."
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/33584202
When you say a player is creative or not creative what do you mean?
His ability to play through passes, directly play in the forwards for goalscoring opportunities - if I had to brand it with a stat to compare; it'd be more 'chances created' than tally of assists. I just feel that Mata normally lacks that aspect of the game when we're crying out for something to be made out of nothing, he normally prefers to pass the ball around and keep retention rather passively.
I see this too, however I didn't get that from him before, I'm not sure if its him or its LVGs influence...
That's what I thought. Watching the game from a tv screen you have a clear picture of where most of the players are during the attacking phase. Most of the time I look at our midfielders, not just Mata and think that there's no real options ahead of them and they pass the ball side ways. Creativity isn't something accomplished by 1 player, the other players have to make the right movement and create space in which to pass the ball for creativity to exist.
At Chelsea he created the end highest number of chances from open play after David Silva. If Mata had Ronaldo and van Nistelrooy ahead of him, he would create chances for fun. Our movement in the final third is sometimes too static and that is what's hindering our creativity as a team not just individually.
I think he will be great this season, I also think we will start with Young and him and slowly rotate them with Januzaj/The Pie and Di María
I agree - for me Mata should be our equivalent to Silva or Hazard, the primary playmaker who can change games on a regular basis.
But that's the thing, his play at Chelsea was over two years ago. We of all people should know how much can change in two years with RvP. I'm not saying Mata is finished or anything, but the butchering done by Mourinho and Moyes have really taken their toll. He's definitely had some decline as a player. Like @Walrus said; he should be, and once was, an elite, top-tier player, but at the moment he isn't showing that.
Hopefully he turns that around, but at the minute he is just a very clincial player with deft movement and an excellent first touch.
I really really hope he is moved into a #10 more often this year. Absolutely majestic in that role.
Problem is a 2 of Rooney and Mata is pretty slow and unagile. Will allow us to be pressed high which isn't good.
I'd far rather Mata in a side than Rooney but that's a conversation for a different topic.
I get that too but players in his position normally find it difficult to shine in a dysfunctional setting like we've had over the past couple of years. I, for one, would be interested in seeing what he can do when flanked by the pace that Memphis and Di Maria bring to the side and being propped by a Schweinsteiger/Carrick - Schneiderlin midfield axis. If Memphis and Di Maria cause grief on the wings I can see Mata thriving in the middle because teams will have much more to worry about on the flanks and so will be less inclined to double up on him.
Mata is great in that he is a very good finisher and thus can provide us with a significant number of goals - enough to match most support strikers around. He has regained his confidence after the Mourinho and Moyes episodes, we now have a balanced squad, the onus is upon him to take the chance and reclaim his place amongst the elite playmakers in the game.
Mata was passive when used in cm last season too, but I think its mainly the role he plays on the right where he doesnt feel he has freedom like he used to in the hole where he would consistantly create for Chelsea.
In the end it doesnt feel like he gives much from the right hand side, other than when he pops up and scores a goal like he did in several important matches last season. Overall the performances are underwhelming
In the end it doesnt feel like he gives much from the right hand side, other than when he pops up and scores a goal like he did in several important matches last season. Overall the performances are underwhelming
- Status