Looked a bit weak at times but still did well. So much better as a #10.
8
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 54
- Goals
- 11
- Assists
- 11
- Yellow cards
- 7
- Red cards
- 1
- Status
Had a good first half but in the second he was no better than the rest.
Good first half, second half, hardly got the ball. I wouldnt blame that entirely on him as the passing towards him was shocking. He looks better as a number 10 with runners around him (eg Martial and memphis). I do think we would see more of him if we had a proper 9 that had discipline and would stop dropping deep.
He didn't lose possession enough to look bad but was likelier to pass to the fullbacks than thread one quickly to the forwards. In my opinion that's not doing his job well.
I think one of the differences in the second half was Rooney started dropping deeper and it made Mata less effective, but he faded in the last 20 minutes or so.
In Absolute agreement.
It was weird how people assumed someone like Guardiola would love Mata.
Guardiola (and any serious manager building a serious side) requires players who make their possession count. 'Keeping it ticking' isn't of any great use to these managers, no matter how beautifully the passes are being made.
So, Mata doesn't give it away very often. Big whoop!
How often does he make the ball stick? take people out of the game with a dribble? Turn his man, and turn a pass to his feet into an attacking advantage? 9/10 he surrenders possession as soon as he's closed down.
Guardiola I believe demands a lot more than Mata is capable of in the final third, especially in that 10 role. Struggling find similiarity to the type of forwards he is used in the past/presently.
For a small and slow player like him releasing the ball quickly might make a lot of difference against physical opponents. It works for him with the shots, why not extend it to the passing.
I thought he was good today.
Want's an age on the ball.
My main issue with him, he does everything slowly and he is slow himself. But he has technical quality, vision and is a goal threat. While not the very best surrounded by the right players he can be really productive and influential.
Brilliant in the first half but went a bit quiet in the second half.
Why does he keep hitting his shots straight at the defenders?
He's still performing better than most of them imo.
Apart from De Gea...which is fantastic for an attacking football team. Like we were once.
Apart from De Gea...which is fantastic for an attacking football team. Like we were once.
Really wanted to see him being given chance in the middle as a AM, but now I really don't know why since he's done nothing playing there.
First half - Mata of Chelsea. Sharp on the turn, running the game and opening space
Second half - Mata of United. Slow, tumescent and easy to mark.
Second half - Mata of United. Slow, tumescent and easy to mark.
MOM last week.
And it's an eleven man game - the players around him aren't delivering either.
Rooney was pants again today - his season, on the whole, has been worse than JMs.
So is it the players - or the tactics and the effects of LVG's leadership, especially mentally.
In the second half Rooney dropped so deep, he was virtually a CM. Mata was our furthest player up the pitch and was easily crowded out. I don't know who to blame for that situation.
He was our best player against Chelsea? Don't think so, De Gea was our best player, saved our asses don't know how many times, Mata was good, but so was Martial as well.
Don't care about excuses about other players, it's not other players fault he's being easily bullied of the ball or that he always slows down play with too many extra touches. As for Rooney having poor season, don't see what it has to do with Mata, is it some kind of accomplishment that he's been slightly better than Rooney or am I missing something?
LVG played his part with negative tactics, that's for sure, but still he should've done more. Unlike Depay who has zero confidence, Mata looks like he's confident enough to try something, just it takes ages to pull it of or he's just robbed of the ball by defender. Shame really because I like him as a player, silky touch, good vision and can strike the ball, perhaps that's something that frustrates me about him, has enough tools in the box but rarely uses them.
Best outfield player today, comfortably. Did go off the boil in the second half a bit though.
He is better at writing a blog than actually playing football.
He faded a little, and he does seem to do that quite often, but he was in our top two I thought.
If you take out DDG, our top two isn't exactly saying much. We got bossed by relegation fodder.
I don't disagree. Just stating what happened - Mata was Man of the Match. And I have a kind of built in denial when it comes to saying a United GK is our best player!
Can't do it all by himself for 90 minutes
Midtjylland 2:1 Man Utd
Get this fanny away from our club.
Another 'waste of space' performance. But he was neat and tidy with his uselessness, so I guess it's all good?
Oh dear. 
I knowOh dear.
he's useless.£37m. What a ridiculous panic signing.
I know
I actually was laughing at Mata that time.
Still one of our best players mind.
Not sure what he was doing for that goal.
The rest of the team are so much better....
Will he write his next blog update in Danish ?
I appreciated that, it just adds to the hilarity of the game
Love and Carrick were equally pathetic of course... but that attempted nick away from Mata... brilliant.
Love and Carrick were equally pathetic of course... but that attempted nick away from Mata... brilliant.
Tbf it's only right that we expect more from Mata given he's supposed to be one of our best players. I do think he's better than nearly everyone else in the team but that isn't exactly high praise atm...
If Jose gets rid then I wouldn't care.
He has hardly proved him wrong for getting rid of him at Chelsea.
He has hardly proved him wrong for getting rid of him at Chelsea.
Not normally one to jump in a thread to criticise individual players but my word that was pure cowardice.
Stupidity I can accept, gutlessness I can't.
Stupidity I can accept, gutlessness I can't.
Oh Mata what have ye done? It was an embarrassment watching him during that second goal... it's like something my mate Gregg would do in the park, he just doesn't get paid thousands of pounds to do it...
I don't think it was gutless particularly. He was trying to be clever and launch a counter. It was just epically shite.
- Status