[scoi]

He should be Pogba's understudy or sold IMO. Clever, technical, great passer and has always done the most from a central position.

Given his age and the number of central midfielders in the squad and coming through, I think it's time to cash in on whatever value he has to bolster seeker areas.

 

[Escobar]

I just dont think he's good enough anymore and shouldnt start any games. We seriously need to upgrade our RW

 

[Roboc7]

He’s one of the players who I don’t think there is much more to get out of him. Looks every inch a midtable player now and if we move to a more modern style of playing he will be completely out of place.

He should be moved on in the summer but I imagine he will get a new deal as club will be reluctant to lose him on a free transfer.

I think he has been poor since he joined, he’s never hit the heights he did at Chelsea. He has stuck around because he hasn’t been as bad as other players we have bought.

 

[tomaldinho1]

Not a good game for him, to be honest I'm surprised he started given everyone knows how Newcastle play. Sanchez or Lingard should have started RW because you need a bit of accelration against the defensive teams.

At home vs lower table clubs, can see him doing well as a second striker or in Pogba's role if he's injured. Otherwise, just not really up to playing out wide or any deeper centrally in the PL.

 

[Sylar]

Think he should be played centrally (4231 would suit him more). Think that would get the best out of him, the problem is I dont think it benefits the rest of the players we have. I think 433 benefits more players than him overall.

 

[MadDogg]

Other than a few matches over the last month or so, he's always struggled when we play 433. It just doesn't really suit him and unbalances the entire team. Having Valencia behind him certainly didn't help either.

When we play 4231 he's normally fine, but we've been moving away from that over the last 12 months and it's no coincidence that that was when his form nosedived. To be fair though, he has actually been a fair bit better over the last month or two.

 

[Mcking]

He should never play in a front three again. He is not a forward, but an attacking midfielder. He should only start when we play a 4-2-3-1.

 

[Greck]

Physically limited and mentally passive. Now convinced he’s a luxury player. It seems everyone has to be clicking and the opposition has to be favorable for him to look even serviceable. His habit of getting sucked to the ball doesn’t help teammates either. Not like he’s making defense splitting passes either. With Pogba now occupying a higher position Mata isn't just redundant, he's a hindrance

 

[Adam-Utd]

He needs to be played as a AMC in the middle of the pitch. He can't play RW as it relies on the fullback doing too much work going forward.

He's a great player when everybody links up well, but if the team is compact his lack of speed to break the lines makes us struggle.

 

[Foxbatt]

There is no place for Mata in our starting line up. He is not half as good as Pogba in creating. He is not half as good as Herrera in what is required in midfield and for sure he is not half as good as Matic even when Matic was terrible under Jose.
So there is no place for him in this United line up. He cannot press as he is too slow and he cannot keep possession as he is too weak. He is not slow to dribble past anyone.

 

[Rash Decision]

Wonder why none of our managers play him centrally when that's where he seems to do his best work? I mean we could argue that LVG and Mourinho were just stubborn or clueless, but Ole is still playing him on the right.

 

[Foxbatt]

Wonder why none of our managers play him centrally when that's where he seems to do his best work? I mean we could argue that LVG and Mourinho were just stubborn or clueless, but Ole is still playing him on the right.

Where can Ole play him? He needs to give them a chance to play and if Pogba is playing then where else can any manager play Mata? Not on the left as Martial is there and also Alexis. So the right wing is the only one position they can give to Mata if he has to play.

 

[shamans]

It's unfair playing him on the right. He is quality in the middle. Not to mention being paired with Valencia! That's sabotage.

 

[shamans]

Where can Ole play him? He needs to give them a chance to play and if Pogba is playing then where else can any manager play Mata? Not on the left as Martial is there and also Alexis. So the right wing is the only one position they can give to Mata if he has to play.

Rotate him with Pogba or also a midfield three of Pogba Mata Herrera/Matic might work for lesser teams.

 

[Rash Decision]

Where can Ole play him? He needs to give them a chance to play and if Pogba is playing then where else can any manager play Mata? Not on the left as Martial is there and also Alexis. So the right wing is the only one position they can give to Mata if he has to play.

Good point. Would like to see him tried in a more central position in easier games then, where Pogba can be rested.

 

[GM K]

Rotate him with Pogba or also a midfield three of Pogba Mata Herrera/Matic might work for lesser teams.

If you rotate Pogba with any player, you'll be out of the club sooner than planned. As a certain Portuguese manager recently discovered too late.

 

[roonster09]

If you rotate Pogba with any player, you'll be out of the club sooner than planned. As a certain Portuguese manager recently discovered too late.

Yeah, that's why he was out of the club. Nothing to do with shit results, toxic environment, losing dressing room and moaning about everything and everyone.

 

[Foxbatt]

If you rotate Pogba with any player, you'll be out of the club sooner than planned. As a certain Portuguese manager recently discovered too late.

You cannot rotate Pogba in this set up. Only he can play the way he plays. Mata is not going to tackle and win balls and neither is he going to be able to defend or even attack the way Pogba does. Pogba has the technical ability and the physical ability to tackle and win possession and also sprint pass other player. Mata does not have it and hence the team would come under pressure. He is a luxury player that we can ill afford now.

 

[Greck]

Rotate him with Pogba or also a midfield three of Pogba Mata Herrera/Matic might work for lesser teams.

That's just rotation for the sake of having Mata play. Guaranteed to make us worse. It's Mata's own fault if he can't dislodge anyone at any position. He can't outplay Lingard on the right and he sure as hell won't outplay Pogba in the middle

 

[Greck]

If you rotate Pogba with any player, you'll be out of the club sooner than planned. As a certain Portuguese manager recently discovered too late.

Still fighting the good fight eh?

 

[Mcking]

You cannot rotate Pogba in this set up. Only he can play the way he plays. Mata is not going to tackle and win balls and neither is he going to be able to defend or even attack the way Pogba does. Pogba has the technical ability and the physical ability to tackle and win possession and also sprint pass other player. Mata does not have it and hence the team would come under pressure. He is a luxury player that we can ill afford now.

I think Pereira could be a very good option for Pogba's position and role.

 

[#07]

Unless we are in total control Mata is just a square peg for a round hole. We simply don't play the kind of football that suits him. That was the case under Mourinho & it's even more the case under Ole.

I like Mata but he just doesn't have the pace for the way we want to play. He's not the best at pressing and he can't get away from a marker on the counter.

Nice guy but he should go.

 

[Foxbatt]

He makes Andy Reid look like Usain Bolt.

 

[shamans]

If you rotate Pogba with any player, you'll be out of the club sooner than planned. As a certain Portuguese manager recently discovered too late.

Pogba is human and needs rotation as well.

 

[shamans]

That's just rotation for the sake of having Mata play. Guaranteed to make us worse. It's Mata's own fault if he can't dislodge anyone at any position. He can't outplay Lingard on the right and he sure as hell won't outplay Pogba in the middle

You rotate when your main player is tired or bring him on for the last 30 minutes or so and like I said I thin Pogba Mata and runner can be a decent midfield for certain teams.

 

[red4ever 79]

Can only be played as a number 10, and should play in the home games in that position

 

[GM K]

I like Mata a lot. I think that if used properly as a sub, he can be a real asset. He has a brilliant football brain. He needs to play centrally in midfield and paired with pact, hard working players. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like United can offer him this.

 

[GM K]

Yeah, that's why he was out of the club. Nothing to do with shit results, toxic environment, losing dressing room and moaning about everything and everyone.

So you didn't understand that to mean Pogba's skill set are irreplaceable on the current squad, eh? You must be obsessed with Mourinho.

 

[GM K]

Still fighting the good fight eh?

Which good fight? Is it so hard to see that no other player in that squad can replace Pogba's skill set?

 

[roonster09]

So you didn't understand that to mean Pogba's skill set are irreplaceable on the current squad, eh? You must be obsessed with Mourinho.

Your post didn't sound anything like that but whatever.

 

[GM K]

Your post didn't sound anything like that but whatever.

Really? Strange.

 

[M Bison]

Extremely poor, should play centrally or not at all. Just hasn’t got the legs to play wide.

 

[kidbob]

This could be posted in many player threads but Mata was mentioned so I'll post it here. My mate asked an interesting question during the game today. 'would United have been better off keeping Janujaz compared to how mata is now and especially how he is used on the right?' what say you caf?

Also his point wasn't based on adnan becoming what we thought he would but rather that would Adnan have been a better suited squad player on the right than mata has been.

I love mata but his lack of physical traits has stunted him. I'm inclined to believe that at the very least adnan would have developed to be a better RW option. Maybe even developed to be our best player there now.

Mata has all the ability in the world and used to be incredible but his physical shortcomings hold him back. Maybe he'd still be great abroad.

 

[Devil may care]

He looks a bit donwbeat to me, I think he's off at the end of the season and has probably already let the board know as he wont play bullshit games like most players. Took his penalty well though.

 

[kidbob]

Extremely poor, should play centrally or not at all. Just hasn’t got the legs to play wide.

I think this highlights my post. At the very least we let go of a young player who can play on the right while keeping a number 10 to play there. I like mata but it's central or nothing.

 

[Adisa]

He needs a hug.

 

[yfoFC]

Extremely poor, should play centrally or not at all. Just hasn’t got the legs to play wide.

Most of his poor touches were from when we shifted to a 4-2-3-1 during the second half while playing central

Nice bloke and all but I don't fancy him in this set up at all, two poor games back to back

 

[el3mel]

Pretty poor today which was disappointing considering these are the kind of games he's usually good at.

 

[Leftback99]

Another manager but still looks exactly the same as he has done for the best part of 5 years. Not good enough.

 

[IAmAWinner]

So slow and so weak. There is no place for him at this United side.