Could Herrera play his position?
8
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 54
- Goals
- 11
- Assists
- 11
- Yellow cards
- 7
- Red cards
- 1
- Status
Indeed. I did wonder earlier in the season what would happen if he got injured as we seemed so dependent on him for goals and assists. Seemed like we would struggle quite badly in terms of creativity.
Think it's safe to say that's been the case through this poor run of form. Really need him to pick things up. If we're going to start scoring more then he's going to be heavily involved. As is he's pretty anonymous.
Has been a passenger one of the main reasons we are struggling to create. People will point to his stats but they don't tell the whole story. The sooner he's moved out his role the better.
Wee need him to rediscover his form quick. Our quality in attack is shit.
play him as 10 or bench him and give him some reason to fight for his palce again, he looks too comfortable on the pitch. That little run from the wing was so good but apart that he just played balls backwards and couldn't play his game but he was perhaps suffering from Carrick and Basti playing too deep, being cut off from all the players but Young..
Needs herrera and some pace on the overlap to make any use out of his tidy play it seems
I missed most of the game, and only watched from the 60th minute mark onwards. But from what I saw, he should have had an assist for that Rooney chance, and he was subbed soon after.
Tbf he's not really playing any different to how he was earlier in the season or in his Utd career. He's a passenger in our team who can pop up with moments of top quality. The difference now is that he's not in a purple patch of being clinical. As I said he's Berbatov 10/11 - looks good on stats but the team is more fluid without him.
Yep.
Am disappointed with his contributions so far this season. Been very average for quite a few games.
Has escaped major criticism because of the obsession with Rooney.
Needs to sort his form out as much more is required from an established experienced pro like him. He should be setting an example, not riding on the coat tails of others.
Has escaped major criticism because of the obsession with Rooney.
Needs to sort his form out as much more is required from an established experienced pro like him. He should be setting an example, not riding on the coat tails of others.
Didn't play great tonight, but he's a clever player and probably our most creative this season. I just wish he'd find that knack of scoring some goals again.
Fastest player in the world (from Reddit).
Yep. He's nothing special at all. He'd make a decent squad option in the long run. My preference is to sell him though.
Yep total passenger in this position regardless his stats.
Makes our right wing redundant at times, we desperately need a right winger who can go past people and that clearly isn't mata.
Seeing Bayern tonight, playing under Guardiola, it made me realise how much difference it can make to have wide players who will run at the opponent and take on defenders. Whether LVG would allow this or not I dont know, and I am not trying to make out that the difference between us and Bayern is having Mata out wide. However I have very rarely felt that we carry a true attacking threat down the right hand side when Mata plays there, for me he doesnt create enough. We needed him to be our Silva, and that is the level I think he needs to be at in order to justify being played out wide.
I was disappointed when we sent Adnan on loan and sold Nani, because it left us with a shortage of "proper" wide players. I think that with those two and/or Memphis as our wing options, it would have added a lot to our attacking play.
I was disappointed when we sent Adnan on loan and sold Nani, because it left us with a shortage of "proper" wide players. I think that with those two and/or Memphis as our wing options, it would have added a lot to our attacking play.
It's a no brainer for me.
When he is in form he is very effective and can often be the difference between victory and defeat.
When he is not, he is pretty useless and should be dropped.
I wouldn't mind seeing Lingard starting next game.
When he is in form he is very effective and can often be the difference between victory and defeat.
When he is not, he is pretty useless and should be dropped.
I wouldn't mind seeing Lingard starting next game.
Ugh, Lingaard starting over Mata.
I get that Mata can be frustrating but the thought of making our starting eleven even less talented than it currently is makes me wince. As is Martial and Mata are the only players we have who look like they can provide any real quality. Reducing that to just Martial by dropping one of (if not the) best outfield players we have certainly isn't a recipe for scoring more.
We have such a uninspiring, workman-like team atm. Please don't remove one of our few remaining hopes for any sort of magic.
I get that Mata can be frustrating but the thought of making our starting eleven even less talented than it currently is makes me wince. As is Martial and Mata are the only players we have who look like they can provide any real quality. Reducing that to just Martial by dropping one of (if not the) best outfield players we have certainly isn't a recipe for scoring more.
We have such a uninspiring, workman-like team atm. Please don't remove one of our few remaining hopes for any sort of magic.
I do wonder if this would be the case if he was our 10 instead of Rooney, though. I don't think Rooney currently does much physical work that Mata couldn't, and Mata's link play might make him a better partner for Martial.
He's been poor lately, but this is ridiculous. His talent is unquestionable. He was the heart of Chelsea's attack prior to Mourinho's return. He had 33 goals and 55 assists in 135 games for them, you don't just fluke your way into stats like that. It just seems like he's not suited to our current system, at least not as a winger.
His time at Chelsea is pretty irrelevant. Chelsea weren't a great side, so he'll never have so much freedom again, unless he joins a lesser team. They played a certain way for much of his time there. And his assists record includes taking set pieces for a team with Drogba, Terry, Cahill, amongst others. He didn't prove at Chelsea that he can be a key player for a top side. He's yet to prove it.
He's not suited to this system, I agree. And it has nothing to do with him being on the wing. He's just not capable of making his mark on 90 minutes of football consistently in a possession team, wherever he plays.
And that's why he's not good enough for where this team is looking to go. Many want the team built around him going forward, but the very best players could/can all play in possession teams. Players who can play in a high-possession team, where space is limited, and dribbling turning and shielding are required - they're the best players. Mata can't do these things well enough.
Thus I'd trade Mata's famous statistics for someone like Isco any day.
Someone like Isco, who may not score as much, but will help his team create much better angles and threatening positions on the pitch; who can't be forced sideways with a bit of pressing; who can actually go past a man.
Mata pretty much has to be right in front of goal, or given the ball against a stretched defence, or played in behind the defence in order to do something progressive. How is that the makings of a top #10?
Here we go with the Mata fan opinion roller-coaster. One day, he's amazing, the next a passenger. I missed the first half, but read that he set up Lingard for a glorious chance; in the second, he put it on a plate for Rooney. Seems like pretty decisive contributions to me.
Well he surely isn't suited for the number 10 position either. What is his long term role then? I can see him being a very good second choice player, but once we finally get a proper right winger, he should make way in starting 11.
Best dressed at the Xmas party
Hands down has the best style in the club.
It's weird how people change their opinions over Mata so easily. He can play 10 good games in a row and no one will complain, but as soon as he plays two or three bad games people will say he's been like that all the time, and few will come up with usual bullshit that we should sell him.
He was one of our better players this season until last few games, but for some reason some people ignore that.
Saying he is the only one depending of the team is stupid considering we weren't anymore creative at start of the season yet he was scoring and assisting quite often, and most of time out of nothing. Reading some of the comments you would think everything was put on the plate for him and we were scoring for fun. But at the same time our other attacking players had the excuse that we weren't creating many chamces for them.
Even in his last game which was poor he created two or three our best chances of the game.
His form is bad at the moment, no doubt at that, but I think he was still our easily most consistent attacking player since start of the season.
As someone pointed out earlier, it's not a coincidence that we aren't scoring any goals at time when Mata is out of form. We are clearly very dependable of his end product, he has become very important player for us.
He was one of our better players this season until last few games, but for some reason some people ignore that.
Saying he is the only one depending of the team is stupid considering we weren't anymore creative at start of the season yet he was scoring and assisting quite often, and most of time out of nothing. Reading some of the comments you would think everything was put on the plate for him and we were scoring for fun. But at the same time our other attacking players had the excuse that we weren't creating many chamces for them.
Even in his last game which was poor he created two or three our best chances of the game.
His form is bad at the moment, no doubt at that, but I think he was still our easily most consistent attacking player since start of the season.
As someone pointed out earlier, it's not a coincidence that we aren't scoring any goals at time when Mata is out of form. We are clearly very dependable of his end product, he has become very important player for us.
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The people who don't think Mata's good enough (for where the team should be aiming for) haven't changed their minds due to a few games.
I certainly haven't. He's useful when he's scoring or assisting and he's pretty good at doing that, but his overall game is lacking. Personally, I think that regardless of whether he's just had two or three good games or not.
It's probably just different people saying different things. Not people changing their opinions easily.
Best dressed at the Xmas party
To be fair I don't actually think he was as well dressed as everyone is making out.
Brown shoes with white chinos and a brown belt, a dark grey/navy jacket with a green sweater, white shirt and a black tie?!
He's just so incredibly good looking he can pull it off and still look classy.
Been our most consistent attacker since he arrived at the club, let alone since the start of the season. Not saying much given the level of competition but still...
Best dressed at the Xmas party
I guess the style of his team mates makes it look even better
That's true, some horrendous outfits all around
People who want him to be more like Silva would complain that he's lacking end product, same as they do with Silva. City's fans would probably want Silva to be more like Mata in terms of end product.
Basically, people want both of them to turn into Messi, which is not possible because they aren't that good.
His overall game can be more creative, I agree, but he's simply that kind of player and if we had good dribbler on the left who is creative, who doesn't even have to be that special and score too much, plus decent right fullback who could cross the fecking ball and had good engine we would have pretty great and balanced side which could create and score goals for fun. But even like this Mata is the least of our problems. Rooney is shite this season, our fullbacks are far from great attacking wise when Shaw's missing, and we still don't have left winger I mentioned. But yeah, Mata is the problem.
Maybe some would, but I wouldn't. I'd trade him for Silva or Isco's lower end product any day. They'd make the team function better, and probably create more chances, and score more goals.
A few people have mentioned that the stats show that when Mata plays, the team scores fewer goals. Obviously it's just a stat. but it's interesting.
And Silva's stats. aren't miles off Mata, so I'm sure City fans don't want that, to be honest. He's improved his scoring anyway, plus they see what he does for their team - especially the fullbacks.
No they don't. Most people who don't think Mata's a top #10 believe Silva is a top #10.
Nobody said 'Mata is the problem', but this is the Mata thread. And it's just countering all the people who believe he's rarely THAT good because of a host of reasons other than himself. Some people believe Mata is a great number 10, proved it at Chelsea, needs pace on either side to become incredible, and is much worse on the wing.
And some people believe all of that to be false. That doesn't mean Mata's the (only) problem.
Mata's probably the best of a very lacklustre attack, which has players completely unsuited to the system they play. But if the attack improves to the level it should be, he's not good enough. His overall game isn't good enough as a winger or a #10.
If Silva played for United he'd split opinion just the same. Opposition players are viewed more favourably because their qualities are highlighted but deficiencies go unnoticed.
Well, I think Silva is better player than Mata too but I still complain about his end product(more about the goals actually than assists) because that's what's stopping him from becoming top top player, IMO, and I think sooner or later someone would complain about that if he played for us. Same as when people don't complain about Mata's creativity when we are scoring goals, but as soon as we stop scoring people say he is not creative enough.
But I think Mata would be better player for some teams even if Silva is better player. As I said, in team like I described(good left winger who doesn't score too much, attacking right fullback), I would take Mata ahead of Silva and Isco. For example, if Real Madrid didn't have Ronaldo, then Mata would be easily better player for them than Isco, IMO.
As for their stats, roughly - Mata has scored 20 goals in ~5000 minutes for us, and Silva has scored 40 in ~17800 minutes for City. There's a clear difference who is the better goalscorer, same as who is more creative.
I keep hearing this all the time, but when will that finally happen? When we have players equally good as Mata and better in our other positions, then we can talk about not starting him at all, or selling him. For now we are nowhere near that. And I believe that will never happen anyway because it's not easy to find better players than Mata, but that's just my opinion.
That's a decent beard Mata has.
That nonsense about Silva lacking end product and being a polarising player. 
He has 12 goals and 7 assists in the league last season. He has 1 goal and 6 assists so far (in 5(!) matches). He has the beating of Mata for the past two seasons, yet only one is lauded for being insanely clinical with his stats.
He's constantly seen by City fans to be their best player - ahead of Agüero - yet if he was here, he'd be polarising, like.
Hugs Mata isn't consistent at all. If anything, he is the most inconsistent because he can be fantastic for three games, then shite for the next three (which is exactly what just happened now) he's also the easiest to mark out of matches and as a result he drifts out too often. Once a pacey, goal scoring RW is found, I really do think he'll drop down to the role of a good squad option. Lingard is already providing him with strong completion.
He has 12 goals and 7 assists in the league last season. He has 1 goal and 6 assists so far (in 5(!) matches). He has the beating of Mata for the past two seasons, yet only one is lauded for being insanely clinical with his stats.
He's constantly seen by City fans to be their best player - ahead of Agüero - yet if he was here, he'd be polarising, like.
Hugs Mata isn't consistent at all. If anything, he is the most inconsistent because he can be fantastic for three games, then shite for the next three (which is exactly what just happened now) he's also the easiest to mark out of matches and as a result he drifts out too often. Once a pacey, goal scoring RW is found, I really do think he'll drop down to the role of a good squad option. Lingard is already providing him with strong completion.
I just don't get this. If a player doesn't have a great game, why do people label it as shit? So frustrating how fans rate performances either 10/10 or a 2/10. Just because he hasn't produced what we want from him, doesn't mean he has been playing shit.
He was absolute tosh against Arsenal, he was easily kept out of the City game. He wasn't bad against Everton, but that was our best game in a while and he was probably the worst midfielder on the day. He did very little against CSKA too. People are very quick to rate him as our most talented/best player, but when his statistical output is nullified, he offers very little.
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