Ten plays well as a ten. Shock horror.
A good first touch makes a difference there.
A good first touch makes a difference there.
8
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 42
- Goals
- 10
- Assists
- 6
- Yellow cards
- 5
- Status
I think he had a great first half of the game. He was just tremendous, but I kinda forgot that he was playing in the second half. I think he can cause more trouble up top as long as he's more visible like Blind throughout the game today.
He - and Rashford - went wider. Doesn't work as well.
It really does
Good game from Mata, I liked the way him and Lingard were rotating with each other, it kept the movement up top fresh. The goal was superb.
He was brilliant today
My MOTM today, him Herrera and Pogba really if you could pick a tie with Blind closely behind.
Best performance from him in a long time. He was involved in everything.
Like the way he drifted around today, popping up especially on the left to cause Leicester problems. A much more dynamic #10 than Rooney.
Delighted that Mata had a good game. Hopefully he gets an extended run in the team now as the creative midfielder.
His finish for the goal was brilliant, made a tough chance look easy.
His finish for the goal was brilliant, made a tough chance look easy.
Put pace and movement around him and he'll always create for you. That's never been in doubt. He's useless coming in off the right
Hugs
Weve won every game hes started right? The one thing he gives you, at least, is keeping the ball in the opposition half. His touch is good, and he likes the quick pass which doesnt allow defences to settle, or get it back and put us under pressure.
Said it before (even when we had Di Maria) that he's arguably the most talented player in the squad with his vision and creativity.
He scores goals, he gets assists, he has touch, he has movement, he can pass, he works hard. That should be enough to earn him a place in our starting eleven right now.
People would lose their shit had Rooney got that goal Mata scored today. Top quality.
Top class today. Seriously, just play him as 10.
When he plays like he did today, you wonder why he's not considered the best no.10 in the league. With Rooney out of the picture hopefully he can make a claim toward that. He scores goals and he picks out passes galore all when on song. Unplayable.
Simply because he hasn't had many opportunities to replicate this.
He was very good today, hopefully this means we won't see him starting on the wing again in a long time. He is and has always been best when played in the middle with pacey wingers keeping the width played outside of him.
This. Cant wait to see Mykitarian beside him.
Mkh, herrera, rashford, mata, zlaten, could we get another set of players in this squad? where the first touch is top class, when our midfield and frontline all posses this of course we will be a better team. I challenge any team to try and win games while playing good football when its braindead players like fellaini and rooney stinking up the starting 11, we playing with 9 men because we carrying 2 passengers, which are the fundamental problems with the function of the team, when they play no6 and no10
Very good from Mata today. He needs to be putting in performances like this on a consistent basis. Needs to keep this going.
Exactly. Get the stinkers out and we will become a force.
Did anyone else notice he actually ran with the ball today; much more direct than we've seen him.
Excellent. More of this please Mata.
This
Very good performance today, I just hope Mourinho see's that and keeps him in his best position rather than having him stuck out on the right.
Good performance from him today
I don't think he's ''that' good. A very talented player who is one of our best, but is a shade beneath the real elite
Confidence is a wonderful thing.
When team confidence is in the doldrums Mata doesn't suffer to the extent others do. His touch is so tight he's rarely a liability in the way some are. But when he's flying like today, he's so clinical and direct, he can destroy teams in ways more flamboyant 10s cannot.
He was class today but his lack of pace and that bit of dynamism on the ball means I don't think he'll ever be on par with De Bruyne/Silva/Ozil/Mkhitaryan... He can be as effective though, but they just have more to their game because they can move well with the ball. Anyway, we probably should start with both him and Mkhitaryan. One on the right (drifting in as they do under Mourinho), one next to Pogba, in front of Herrera or Carrick. Martial/Rashford on the left. Just having that much attacking quality will basically guarantee good play and goals.
I checked out his numbers a little earlier and it's easy to forget just how productive and reliable this guy is. As long as he's in the side, with the right kind of players around him, he's always going to get on the scoresheet and create goals on a fairly regular basis. Good performance in what was a big opportunity today.
Yeah but that was the case for everybody, its pretty normal in football when you kill the game in the first half to play with the foot off the gas in the second. Pogba in the first half was insane and pretty anonymous second too, its why I went for Herrera MOTM, he was the only one who kept plugging away when the game was dead.
Probably it's a common thing, but I think it's just too frequent with Mata. It's not like you see him roaming around to either eliminate or create open spaces for 90mins. I guess I just hoped for him to at least pop in from time to time in second hanlf since he had a solid first half.
One thing I've been impressed with for the last couple of years is his defensive effort. He makes some good interceptions and at least pressures well. He'll never be a great defensive figure but I feel this effort in his game has kept him in joses plans.
Can't wait to see him and Mikhi in the same team. Could be great to watch, both can be very elusive players for the opposition to pick up. However I still favour a 433 with blind or Carrick sitting behind Pogba and herrera. Nice to have options though.
Can't wait to see him and Mikhi in the same team. Could be great to watch, both can be very elusive players for the opposition to pick up. However I still favour a 433 with blind or Carrick sitting behind Pogba and herrera. Nice to have options though.
Mata is underrated in Britain, stand by what I've said for ages, he would shine more than Silva does at Man City. Silva is extremely overrated, he has numerous games where he's very poor or average that gets ignored. Silva also gets played in his best role, whilst often given a free role, Mata has always been asked to do a lot more defensive work.
He was brilliant today
People always go on about Mata's lack of pace, but I think there are two kinds of pace: pace of movement, and pace of thought, and Mata has the latter in abundance. Put him in a team with physically fast players making intelligent runs, and I believe you'll the best of Mata.
I think what makes Messi so unreal is that he is physically fast (at least with the ball at his feet,) and his brain seems to tick along at the same speed.
I think what makes Messi so unreal is that he is physically fast (at least with the ball at his feet,) and his brain seems to tick along at the same speed.
Him and Mkhitaryan combining should be a thing soon. And when it happens you will see some sexy football from us 
I can't wait to see it!Him and Mkhitaryan combining should be a thing soon. And when it happens you will see some sexy football from us
- Status