He'll probably drop him for 10 games after this.
Van Gaal makes my head hurt.
8
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 54
- Goals
- 11
- Assists
- 11
- Yellow cards
- 7
- Red cards
- 1
- Status
Yeah you can see the progress that they are making in the carousel forward line and it is nice to see such free form movement, it will only improve further as each players understanding of one-another does. Just imagine its effectiveness with four in-form players lining up there, its barely operating at 50% at the moment IMO.
why is it that people here still say that they expect Mata to do the job of a winger, when clearly he is not a winger, and I don't think LVG is expecting him to play as a winger. Just because he starts out wide, doesn't mean he is a winger. Could he just not be a wide forward or something or do people still prefer a winger to run on the byline and whip in crosses all day long?
I didn't refer to Mata as a winger, nor that he should be doing that job. I simply referred to the teams ("our") lack of width on the right. I think it would be hard to argue that point given the performances this season which have seen minimal activity on the right whilst in the final third. I believe this does limit our options somewhat and that certain teams may be able to turn this to their advantage and the selection of Mata on the right does indeed contribute to this.
Width doesn't necessarily equate to the "byline" and "crosses" either. Memphis provides pretty good width but isn't the stereotypical winger you outline, in-fact he could be considered a wide forward. Imagine that, a wide forward providing width.
I'd personally have Rooney drifting towards that space, if we assume the same set-up, because my issue is with the general lack of width on the right and not a fixation on who should or shouldn't be providing it.
Yeah, sure he will. Actions speak louder than words and Van Gaal evidently rates Mata very highly indeed. Hence he's played him for almost every minute of every game this season. Including the game against PSV when 90% of the caf wanted him subbed off instead of Hererra.
On a side note, I've just realised how incredibly uncomfortable Mata's form this season must be making life for Jose in Chelsea. Which adds a delicious subtext to those amazing goals/assists statistics. Lovely stuff.
You do realise there's loads of examples of very successful teams with wide forwards that don't provide any width at all?
Yeah I was kidding. Van Gaal likes him a lot.
I was being somewhat flippant and in that spirit surely a wide forward providing no "width at all" would merely be a centre forward or an uber-hipster "false wide forward".
I do agree that some may only provide limited width which I assume is what you were getting at.
He's reminding me of how Iniesta played the same role around 2010 but Juan has a bit more end product to his game.
I couldn't give him a higher compliment, he just needs to make these performances routine
I couldn't give him a higher compliment, he just needs to make these performances routine
Yeah, pretty much. Wide forward really just describes someone whose starting position is anything other than central. They don't have to provide width, though. A decent attacking full-back will do that. I'd like to see us start the next game the way we finished the last, with Young at RB. He made a difference when he came on and played a big part in our second goal.
De Bruyne and Lukaku (although I don't rate him too highly) are performing too. Mourinho knows best.
Can only imagine Jamie Redknapp's face watching him at work last night. No bigger 'Wan Mata' fan in the world probably.
The little man really was special. It really does infuriate me that if we had a performing #10, our attack really could be frightenigly good. The front 4 is playing with a -1 handicap, and still outgunning teams. Yesterday was the first game in four that we didn't get 3 goals, and we easily should have. The front line is clicking.
The little man really was special. It really does infuriate me that if we had a performing #10, our attack really could be frightenigly good. The front 4 is playing with a -1 handicap, and still outgunning teams. Yesterday was the first game in four that we didn't get 3 goals, and we easily should have. The front line is clicking.
So we do have something to thank David Moyes for.
I agree, and i hope that LVG has the balls to drop Rooney if he continues with this form. Januzaij could have done a better job in that role compared to Rooney as he offers absolutely nothing.
Sorry lads. Juan Mata is out for the City match. Me and Juan are having a romantic dinner that evening.
What a man, share a special dinner?
I am going to be so jealous of the winner. A date with Mata!
I'd divorce my husband after that dinner.
Seriously, is he doing media work/promo for the whole fecking club? Might as well change the name to Juanchester United
That's pretty impressive repetition.
A date with Juan
You'll also have to fight Herrera off!
He's very quick off the first few yards, these bursts of speed are what avail him to get in great positions to score his goals, but he struggles when it becomes a race.
Arsenal 3:0 Man Utd
Why hasn't guy's thread been bumped? He's been crap.
Because there's about 8 other players that have been worse.
Is that why every other player playing has had his thread bumped? He's hardly been better than the rest of the useless lot.
Because (unlike some our other players) he's otherwise been very good this season.
He's the caf favorite and is our Silva.
Tbf he's not the type of player that can make a difference in these matches with high pace and intensity.
He's been completely invisible.
As opposed to the others.
Totally agree. He always gets an easy ride from many. He's done well the last couple of games. Excellent assist midweek, but he was crap today and doesn't get his thread bumped.
Didn't play well today, but neither did the entire team (minus Martial I guess).
He's still provided more than Rooney throughout the season. And LVG's line-up today was bizarre imo, especially putting Ashley Young at left-back
Wasn't the type of game that suits him, with no threat on the overlap he didn't have the space to work in and can't go past players so it was mostly sideways safely.
He wasn't crap.
He did nothing of note, but at least he didn't make any mistakes like pretty much any of our other player on the pitch did. He was decent with the ball, and actually in few minutes before he was subbed he was one of our best players. It would make more sense to haul him off at HT than at that point.
Didn't do much because there wasn't much he could do.
He doesn't seem to be a player who steps up if we're shit. He's doing well if everything is in full flow
He had absolutely no one who made any sensible runs into the box. Our off the ball movement is atrocious.
Couldn't do anything. He is not Messi, nobody was moving and nobody was making runs or making themselves available for the pass.
- Status