What you think was previously deserved criticism might be seen as ridiculous & "obnoxious" criticism by others. So it really works both ways.
8
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 54
- Goals
- 11
- Assists
- 11
- Yellow cards
- 7
- Red cards
- 1
- Status
That would imply that he's never had a run of bad games for us, which would be as incorrect as suggesting he'd never had a run o good games. The thing I see is too many have players that they have such a thing for they can't just say if they had a bad game and vice versa for players they don't like. Plus you can criticize or praise without being obnoxious.
Not fast enough. Sell him and buy Zaha back.
Ouch.
Eh, right.
Thanks you idiot Moyes for bringing us the gifts that Mattah. Sublime footballer and did the business tonight, as he has been doing for a long time now. I am sure LVG is grateful to his predecessor, even if he sometimes seems grudging in his praise of the Inherited Juan.
He is soooo stagnant. Memphis form is suffering because of Mata.
And all such arguments have been back flicked by Mata yesterday
And all such arguments have been back flicked by Mata yesterday
I can hear them on George Best after the Benfica game. Took his chances well but ... (moan moan moan)
So you noticed too?
He has the touch of an angel!
Quite possibly the only good thing Moyes ever did in his life.... Ever.
Quite possibly the only good thing Moyes ever did in his life.... Ever.
A lot of funny guys in this thread, but the reality is he has his flaws. However, if he plays like today- on the right, combining with fullback, pushing the defender inside with a little bit of dribbling- he’s just very very good.
I’m not a fan of him roaming around and leaving the right side “empty”, but today I thought he was excellent. I hope we switch back to 4-3-3 and play Herrera on the right behind him, it’ll be even better.
I’m not a fan of him roaming around and leaving the right side “empty”, but today I thought he was excellent. I hope we switch back to 4-3-3 and play Herrera on the right behind him, it’ll be even better.
As I said earlier in the thread, Beckham used to do this all the time (not quite to the same extent as Mata, but still) - and people regard him as one of the best wingers the club has ever had.
Mata always begins on the right (granted, he seemed to actually stay out on the right a lot more yesterday - though he still drifted) and then drifts in as play develops, it's what makes him so dangerous and what gets him goals and assists... I'm not sure why anyone would want him to stop doing it, bar personal preference of how they like a winger to play.... but ultimately, him doing it is clearly not harming the team (despite what some people say).
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And Silva himself was awful yesterday.
He deserves some slack cut due to the fact he's just come back from an injury, but still.Modern footballers. They tend to roam to find space for themselves or create space for others. If we had a right full back who could make use of that space then we'd be golden. Noticed that Martial drifted right a lot last night in the space vacated by Mata. Led to some good moment for him too.
Anyone noticed that Darmian as played a lot more freely down the left, getting to the byline more and being less conservative with his passing/crossing. Didn't really do that on the right in the games he's played there.
He's always going to roam about as he's more of a playmaker operating from the right than a winger. That's how Van Gaal wants him to play too otherwise he'd be on the bench.
Anyway, can we talk about that back flick a bit more? 'cos that was properly outrageous. To do that with a bouncing, spinning ball, and weight it perfectly so that it a) goes over everyone and b) plays into a really dangerous area of the box...
Anyway, can we talk about that back flick a bit more? 'cos that was properly outrageous. To do that with a bouncing, spinning ball, and weight it perfectly so that it a) goes over everyone and b) plays into a really dangerous area of the box...
Nothing he does ever surprises me anymore. His spatial awareness and judgment of the ball are perfect. Just as the way he killed the ball dead against Sunderland, but even more outrageous.
Great to see him (attempt to)shut the doubters up week after week.
His first touch is just sublime, kills it stone dead.
His first touch is just sublime, kills it stone dead.
I'm excited by him, if the team don't play well then he suffers because he will receive the ball deeper and doesn't have the qualities needed to beat his man with pace. But when the team play well (and he helps us do this by recycling possession) it means he can receive the ball in the box where he is deadly.
So far he has a goal or assist per game.
I expect United to only improve as the season goes on, in 2012 / 13 at Chelsea he had in the league, champions league and europa cup 41 starts and 8 sub appearances getting a combined 36 goals and assists.
In the league for Chelsea that season he got 12 goals in 31 starts and 4 sub appearances, I can see him getting 15 league goals this season if he stays fit.
Martial has shown what he can do, and we know Depay has goals in him, he just needs to find his form.
So far he has a goal or assist per game.
I expect United to only improve as the season goes on, in 2012 / 13 at Chelsea he had in the league, champions league and europa cup 41 starts and 8 sub appearances getting a combined 36 goals and assists.
In the league for Chelsea that season he got 12 goals in 31 starts and 4 sub appearances, I can see him getting 15 league goals this season if he stays fit.
Martial has shown what he can do, and we know Depay has goals in him, he just needs to find his form.
Glad that someone brought up the Sunderland goal because you need great skill to kill the ball , if you see the Rooney chance last night he had a lot of time to take a touch but with his first touch he would have lost the chance anyway
Anyway, can we talk about that back flick a bit more? 'cos that was properly outrageous. To do that with a bouncing, spinning ball, and weight it perfectly so that it a) goes over everyone and b) plays into a really dangerous area of the box...
Pierre van Hooijdonk said on Dutch tv that the praise for that backflick was too much, it wasn't anything special, that any footballer would do that and it was mostly luck
A lot of things that happen on the football pitch require a bit of luck but he must have a tough life if he can't even appreciate that back flick. I certainly enjoyed it as did most people who saw it, I'm sure! Things like these are what you watch football for in my opinion. Just these little moments of magic.The Legend....has arrived @)_(
Incredibly influential.
And some posters were questioning his role in the team. Ridiculous, really.
He was pretty ineffective in the first few games to be fair (so were a lot of other attacking players actually). I think that since the Liverpool game he really started to shine, coincidentally that was when Martial made his debut.
If we bring in one or two better quality players, we'll see Juan continue to be influential and I would trust him far more then say a Di Maria. Pleased for him.
Mata has said himself that Martial has been a big help to our attacking game, not only when he gets on the ball, but off the ball too. He's exactly the type of striker that compliments him and it's great to see.
Was it me or did he look much quicker last night? I don't know why but he was actually dribbling passed players, I couldn't believe it!. He's been in great form recently, just coming into the tough fixtures is perfect timing.
Incredibly influential.
He's been insanely productive so far this season.
Someone posted some stats a while back showing that since he's joined United his goals/game is already better than it was at Chelsea but his assists/game wasn't quite as good. At this rate he''ll score more goals and get more assists than he did even at his very best in a Chelsea shirt.
EDIT: Feck it, I'll do the math (PL & CL games combined)...
2011/12 Chelsea: 40 games @ 0.4 assists/game and 0.2 goals/game
2012/13 Chelsea: 36 games @ 0.42 assists/game and 0.36 goals/game
2013/14 Let's ignore this one, as he spent half a season at each club
2014/15 United: 27 games @ 0.15 assists/game and 0.33 goals/game
2015/16 United: 9 games @ 0.44 assists/game and 0.44 goals/game
Just have to hope he continues the way he's started this season as those numbers are insane so far. It's probably helped Rooney as well, that Mata has picked up much of the creative burden.
He's scored or assisted 45% of all of our goals so far this season according to that Andy Mitten tweet.
He's previously been criticised quite a bit on here for doing little to influence the game then popping up with a goal but I think his performances are much more aligned with his stats now.
Martial up top brings the best out of him, imo. Mata's passing tempo becomes less of an issue when there's a pacey targetman occupying defenders and offering a secure out-ball at all times.
give over already. Mata is one of our most effective players, and coming in from wide seems to suit our system, unless you know better. He is doing the business yet you'd like him to play somewhere else?
Having Martial up front helps him, but he was our best attacking player in first 3 or 4 games too so it's not really fair on him to say that he is good just since Martial arrived because he is excellent since start of the season.
Always said that once we get more pace in the side around him, we'll see the best of him. How could he pick out passes and show his creativity if nobody is making runs like the last couple of seasons? Now we finally have pace and players like Memphis and Martial making runs and it's made a world of difference to Mata. Looking every bit the world class player he was at Chelsea. Has been class this season, apart from that one game against PSV where he just had an off day with his touch. He's showing his creativity and quality in every game though which is the main thing and it's no surprise that he's pretty much running our games these days.
Just watched LvG's post match presser, I don't get his comments about Mata, I guess the players understand his nature but I can't see why he is so reluctant to offer praise.
All the armchair pundits who were critical of the little genius have gone eerily quiet, luxury player but in the right system, with the right manager and when on form he is sublime.
Easily my fav player at United at the the mo, that backheel last night was fecking outrageous, born to grace the theatre of dreams.
Easily my fav player at United at the the mo, that backheel last night was fecking outrageous, born to grace the theatre of dreams.
Mata is probably the only good thing we took from the Moyes reign.
Well I've been slightly critical of him on here, largely because I don't think that he's playing in his best position and I'd like to see a quicker, more direct forward at RW.
That said, he was excellent last night and is enjoying the best form of his United career right now. He is a very effective player. I still don't think that this is his best position but he's adapted brilliantly and is intelligent enough to have made it work for him.
That said, he was excellent last night and is enjoying the best form of his United career right now. He is a very effective player. I still don't think that this is his best position but he's adapted brilliantly and is intelligent enough to have made it work for him.
I still believe there are occasions when our lack of width on the right may end up costing us games but Mata needs to be starting and if that is the only place we can fit him in then so be it.
Thought he actually offered more from wide, in the final third, last night than he usually does and he was definitely the main driving force to get us back in to the game. Martial playing has also seemingly helped Mata become more threatening. When Memphis fully hits his stride we will have a really impressive forward line, even with the albatross at #10.
Thought he actually offered more from wide, in the final third, last night than he usually does and he was definitely the main driving force to get us back in to the game. Martial playing has also seemingly helped Mata become more threatening. When Memphis fully hits his stride we will have a really impressive forward line, even with the albatross at #10.
I think the front three work well together to be honest. If Mata comes inside we see martial peel right and Rooney steps up to the CBs. If we need a different approach there is always Ashley Young that can come on.
- Status