[Obiorahking_]

When Mata is in the game, he oozes of class and he is great at creating chances for our team;however, he also has the ability to go missing from games and not have an impact on what is going on.

 

[roykeane19]

Thought he was our best attacking player by far today, really think if he had herrera with him, they could have nicked us a win, their understanding is one of the best between players in the PL

 

[Ballache]

Easily our best player today.

 

[Sammyjunn]

He was great, everytime he was on the ball, he made the right decision and created chances. This is what the Chelsea Mata looked like.

Dont want him taking our free kicks, he has good accuracy but no power. Only close range ones, should be his.

 

[Varun]

Thought he was our best attacking player by far today, really think if he had herrera with him, they could have nicked us a win, their understanding is one of the best between players in the PL

Yup, he was excellent. Very good game from him.

 

[LeftyBlaster]

Was very very good today. Should've hit the target off Rooney's cross, but was very incisive.

 

[Devil may care]

I am often critical of Mata but I thought he was by far our best attacker today, looked sharper and stronger than usual and had all the ideas just no one to finish them off.

 

[quiet_united]

Smart player but he's too limited to be a top player

 

[DWelbz19]

Really? I wasn't impressed. He cut inside at every single opportunity and often did nothing with it - most of the time it was from really deep positions. No wonder Darmian looked so knackered.

He was the best of the front four but wasn't hard.

 

[Freak]

He was good today, our best player.

 

[kouroux]

He is taking more and more responsibility and I like that. He really should work out a little to protect the ball better, he gets dispossessed too easily at times.

 

[prarek]

He's attempting riskier passes now and I don't think Silva or Ozil could have done any better.

 

[VorZakone]

Seriously needs to give more through balls, he has the ability to do it but why is he holding back? There were several moments in which Depay could have exploited the space between Mbemba and the right CB.

 

[Skills]

Magnificent today. More of this with better finishing please.

 

[Obiorahking_]

Mata was really good today. He created 5 chances today. However, I thought he could have done a better job in terms of finishing.

 

[Stringer]

Impressed me today. Got on the ball a lot and was more adventurous with his passing. Comfortably our best attacking player.

Also did anyone think he was a lot more central than usual today?

 

[Raw]

When he was playing more centrally in the first half he was fecking brilliant. I really wish Van Gaal would just try him out there for once.

 

[bosnian_red]

Class again today. Started the season in very good form and is looking more and more creative. A shame we are so toothless up front if Memphis isn't on his game. But Mata was brilliant again

 

[Stack]

Glad to see people appreciated his effort today. Work his socks off, always looked to play forward, most of our chances today he had an involvement again. Cant believe some of the muppets claiming he was bad in the match day thread.

 

[sullydnl]

Really? I wasn't impressed. He cut inside at every single opportunity and often did nothing with it - most of the time it was from really deep positions. No wonder Darmian looked so knackered.

He was the best of the front four but wasn't hard.

You say he cut inside all the time like you'd expect him to do anything else. What else is a false winger going to do?

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Very good today. I don't know why some people are complaining about his performance.

 

[Slevs]

You're forgetting he played brilliantly the last 30 minutes because he on the tip of a midfield triangle.

Mata
Schneiderlin Carrick

That was how it was. In the first half, he was out on the wings and contributed nothing offensively.

It's obvious he's best either playing as a number 10 or on the tip of the triangle in midfield.

Mata in the number 10, Young on the right and Memphis on the left is the best formation.

 

[MAME DIOUF 32]

We need more movement in front of him and to get him off that wing.

 

[bosnian_red]

Had 5 key passes apparently, and has generally been creating a lot more. Hes perfectly fine on the right IMO. People will complain all the time though just because they want him to be in the middle so will make shit up to suit the argument

 

[WyoManU]

Smart player but he's too limited to be a top player

I agree with this. By no means bad against Newcastle, but does not offer enough of an all around game. I can certainly see why he plays as he has the ability to pick a killer pass, but when a team wants to park the bus and close the spaces I find Mata not very useful. Compare his work rate defensively to someone like Ayoze who sprinted from one side of the pitch to the other to defend heroically. If we expect to win anything we need more players who play all facets of the game.

 

[11101]

He had a good game going forward but he looked half asleep at times. He needs to be brought in off that right wing permanently because he neuters Darmian and leaves the flank open. Play him in the middle where he causes the most damage.

 

[the hea]

He is totally wasted as a winger everyone saying he was brilliant today but for the first 60 minutes when he played out wide he did nothing of note it was only after he took a more central position he started to have any influence on the game he needs to play centrally and we desperately need a new right winger.

 

[Hed Zitin]

He has flashes of quality that I'd love to see him do more by staying central, but our game is simply hindered by not having pace on the right.

 

[m1y2]

ran the show, his best game of the season

 

[van Persie]

If we aren't going to play him centrally where he can best utilize his great skills we should just get sell him. He's wasting his potential on the wing. I'm tired of seeing him being played out of week in, week out. To be brutally honest I don't know how the idea of playing him out wide and having Januzaj, even Depay in the first two games, in the middle makes zero sense from van Gaal when both Januzaj and Depay are more suited to playing on the wing.

Hoping for a change.. when he's working more centrally he's brilliant.

 

[the hea]

If we aren't going to play him centrally where he can best utilize his great skills we should just get sell him. He's wasting his potential on the wing. I'm tired of seeing him being played out of week in, week out. To be brutally honest I don't know how the idea of playing him out wide and having Januzaj, even Depay in the first two games, in the middle makes zero sense from van Gaal when both Januzaj and Depay are more suited to playing on the wing.

Hoping for a change.. when he's working more centrally he's brilliant.

The problem is that we don't have a quality right winger so Mata is seen as the best choice of the current players.

 

[Varun]

Really? I wasn't impressed. He cut inside at every single opportunity and often did nothing with it - most of the time it was from really deep positions. No wonder Darmian looked so knackered.

He was the best of the front four but wasn't hard.

What else do you expect him to do?

Really incredible that someone can watch that game and say he did nothing.

He had a good game going forward but he looked half asleep at times. He needs to be brought in off that right wing permanently because he neuters Darmian and leaves the flank open. Play him in the middle where he causes the most damage.

He links beautifully with Darmian and the partnership will get better as the play more. Releases him so many times.

 

[Insanity]

Ran the show? Well, it was a flop show. Needs to do orchestrate better shows.

Did anyone else think: Man, we could have done with Pedro instead of Mata here. Darmian and another wide player with pace could cause havoc.

 

[MarkC]

I thought he was good today but wouldn't go OTT he saw a lot of the ball and for for ran down quite a few blind alleys as well. One thing that I don't understand and can only assume comes from Van Gaal is how often Mata will have the ball on the right and Darmian will make the run on the outside yet he never(rarely at least)uses him or plays him in.

 

[DWelbz19]

What else do you expect him to do?

Really incredible that someone can watch that game and say he did nothing.



He links beautifully with Darmian and the partnership will get better as the play more. Releases him so many times.

Maybe keep some width and double up against Haidara? Ayoze tracked backed well and Darmian was constantly ganged up on with no support from Mata. Just because he's a second striker playing on the right doesn't mean he gets to shirk all winger responsibilities.

 

[11101]

He links beautifully with Darmian and the partnership will get better as the play more. Releases him so many times.

We must have been watching different games then. Darmian was constantly checking his runs in case Mata left him exposed, and frequently ran at down that side.

 

[Varun]

Maybe keep some width and double up against Haidara? Ayoze tracked backed well and Darmian was constantly ganged up on with no support from Mata. Just because he's a second striker playing on the right doesn't mean he gets to shirk all winger responsibilities.

Newcastle barely threatened us and Mata was constantly working defensively. If there is any game where he should shirk some defensive responsibility to attack more, it was today.

Btw, he wasn't playing as a second striker at all. It's a bizarre thing to say about the guy running the game for us. Being a winger doesn't mean hugging the touchline and banging crosses in.

 

[Varun]

We must have been watching different games then. Darmian was constantly checking his runs in case Mata left him exposed, and frequently ran at down that side.

You are talking about the defensive aspect of the partnership while I am talking about the attacking aspect of it. Darmian did check his runs at times but every full back that plays with a winger that cuts in has to do that. Nothing unique about Mata in that.

 

[Isotope]

He has to be on the team. He's the only player who might have a clue of what to do in attack.

 

[charlenefan]

He wasn't good today Mata but was still better than Rooney, Januzaj and Memphes