[Ekeke]

Feels like you're whole argument is always whoscored stats. He's played 13 matches mostly as a #10. That's more than half of his minutes. Conveniently whoscored doesn't label those matches correctly for your sake or his average would be lower (13th in the squad, 11th counting regulars).

As someone that does quote stats a lot you should also know that Mata's playtime this season is statistically irrelevant as a comparison. No one calls for Mata usually but he's just had two very good games so it's natural that people want to see him start when he does manage to find some form. Pereira hasn't had a patch that borders on the rogue colors this season. At best you see a 7/10 performance out of him where he's trying but not really doing much besides putting in a shift which apparently is our standard for being good enough these days.

It doesnt label them as playing in the hole because he wasnt playing in the hole.

Very few of our players have been on average better than 7/10

Andreas was average on the right, and has had 1 single good performance in CM and a couple of poor ones. But as an AM he's done a very good job of taking the ball in and finding our attackers in areas where they can get a shot away.

Mata and Lingard have been terrible at it. Barely involved, barely got the ball to our attackers. Over the course of the season a comparison is not even close. But Mata has had 2 matches recently in a row where he finally did something. The problem is it was the first time all season. People with the memory of a goldfish probably come here making the argument he's done it all season

 

[VanHaal'sRedArmy]

Our new Ashley Young. Too old to be a 1st team regular but a bit of a crutch for Ole with no better options to go for.

 

[Livvie]

It doesnt label them as playing in the hole because he wasnt playing in the hole.

Very few of our players have been on average better than 7/10

Andreas was average on the right, and has had 1 single good performance in CM and a couple of poor ones. But as an AM he's done a very good job of taking the ball in and finding our attackers in areas where they can get a shot away.

Mata and Lingard have been terrible at it. Barely involved, barely got the ball to our attackers. Over the course of the season a comparison is not even close. But Mata has had 2 matches recently in a row where he finally did something. The problem is it was the first time all season. People with the memory of a goldfish probably come here making the argument he's done it all season

There's been several games where he looked like he was the only one with a clue, but was still subbed off. He hasn't been given a chance to get into any kind of rhythm, any momentum, any confidence. He isn't always the best option, and we obviously need to reinforce the midfield, but Mata hasn't played that much this season, so I don't get why he gets so much criticism when there are players who have been given constant chances and have failed to deliver.

People talk about Mata as though he's nearing 40 - he's not 32 until August. He doesn't have blistering pace, but isn't the slowest and he's got the guile. He's nowhere near as slow as Static, but pace means nothing if you haven't got the nous to do anything with the ball. We've struggled in a lot of games when he hasn't played but past two games he was MoM - should have started yesterday, even if he didn't finish.

 

[Amar__]

I wish at least few players in our team had at least half of his brain. When Matic made that pass for Martial in the first half anyone who ever played any football expected Mata to let that ball through for Martial behind him, and he really did, but Martial was surprised by it for some reason and fluffed the chance. And it's not just Martial, he is probably one of the smarter guys in this team, there were many situations in which you can notice that he is smarter than anyone on the pitch in the red shirt, even if he lacks the physicality and shouldn't be anywhere near the starting XI he still copes very well by simply understanding the football which our players aren't trained/capable to do.

 

[Stadjer]

Annoying that he decided to miss that huge chance during a game in which Martial also decided to miss a huge chance. Normally both of them would score those chances and make it atleast 1-0. Would have been an easy game after that i think.

However since both players missed easy chances it turned into a shit game.

 

[Based Adnan]

Not good enough on the ball to warrant all the downsides of his game

 

[acnumber9]

He was comfortably one of our best players. Unfortunately that still equates to not quite being good enough.

 

[Cathy Ferguson]

Let everyone down tonight by that early miss. We cannot afford that with all these injuries.

 

[MikeKing]

Annoying that he decided to miss that huge chance during a game in which Martial also decided to miss a huge chance. Normally both of them would score those chances and make it atleast 1-0. Would have been an easy game after that i think.

However since both players missed easy chances it turned into a shit game.

He hasn't done that consistently since his Chelsea days though. Back then he would score from similar chances. For us, he has only been good once in a while, but even that small contribution he used to have for us have decreased further by another 50% last couple of years. We wouldn't be in this situation if Mata scored those goals.

 

[always_hoping]

6 years ago.

 

[Mr. Christian]

Yeah and Lingard got 20 goals and assists the season he played at number 10. Hurr durr dab assistant hurr durr.

Both Lingard and Mata shouldn’t even be in contention. I reckon Lingard might make the bench at say West Ham, Mata might squeeze in.

 

[jem]

He hasn't done that consistently since his Chelsea days though. Back then he would score from similar chances. For us, he has only been good once in a while, but even that small contribution he used to have for us have decreased further by another 50% last couple of years. We wouldn't be in this situation if Mata scored those goals.

Not sure I'm reading your post correctly, but are you saying that Mata's inability to score goals is the reason why we are in such a dire position?

 

[MikeKing]

Not sure I'm reading your post correctly, but are you saying that Mata's inability to score goals is the reason why we are in such a dire position?

Hehe, yeah no you didn't read that correctly. I'm saying we are where we are because of players like Mata. If Mata was good we wouldn't be in this position, it is completely normal that he missed it. If he scored that one chance that just slipped away every game we would be the shit now wouldn't we.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

He's too fecking nice... He should have been a prick and grabbed the ball and told Fred to do one.

Even if he didn't score, it would have been funny.

 

[anant]

He's too fecking nice... He should have been a prick and grabbed the ball and told Fred to do one.

Even if he didn't score, it would have been funny.

Yeah, had he taken it I'm quite sure the ball would have ended in the back of the net. He manages to clear the wall comfortably and considering the distance was decent he could have got it down as well with relative ease

 

[Jim Beam]

Senior player, best at free-kicks, just tell Fred to take a hike ffs.

Bruno will probably do it in his 1st game.

 

[Based Adnan]

Prime Mata territory and fecking Fred takes it

 

[Sylar]

It kinda reminds me of the opposite of Beckham and Sheringham vs Greece. Becks kept missing freekicks, but he told Teddy hes still going to take them (And scored).
Fred might have been better in training, but Mata in games is clearly better overall as has been shown.

 

[Robaldo]

For such an 'intelligent' player he spent an awful lot of time occupying Fernandes and Pereira's positions.

Don't want to criticise too far because he's only playing due to a lack of alternatives, added to the fact that he's playing in a position that obviously doesn't suit him, but he doesn't offer much.

 

[Berbasbullet]

At least he makes runs and moves, everyone else is completely static.

 

[anant]

Thought he was decent, especially as Martial, AP, James were just invisible/poor. Think he'll link up well with Bruno as Mata seems to be the only guy who can play smart 1-2s/ moves well (unlike Lingard and AP who move like headless chickens)

 

[Amar__]

He didn't do much, but the only good things we did was something that he was involved in. He might as well be our manager because he still plays smarter football than whatever our manager is making us play.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

At least he makes runs and moves, everyone else is completely static.

‘True but then he gets the ball and just passes it back. Had a few occasions today where Martial had created the space and he wasn’t going to fill it when he should but he is a hard one to criticise.

 

[TheReligion]

Struggled tonight until Fred and Bruno came on then looked a different player. Think that's the thing with Mata these days, he's a luxury. He won't drag a performance up on his own and it very much depends on the personnel around him. Think he's still a good option to have but if you put him in with Lingard and Andreas then you're asking for trouble.

 

[ReddBalls]

Struggled tonight until Fred and Bruno came on then looked a different player. Think that's the thing with Mata these days, he's a luxury. He won't drag a performance up on his own and it very much depends on the personnel around him. Think he's still a good option to have but if you put him in with Lingard and Andreas then you're asking for trouble.

That's pretty much it. Too bad he was offside when he did his signature run into the box.

 

[11101]

He's the perfect example of a player that would be long gone if Ferguson was still here. Once great and still has occasional flashes of brilliance but overall he's just so slow and off the pace.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Thought he was poor in the first half, but quite decent in the second. He was basically our only player trying to look forward and do something until Bruno came on.

When Bruno\ Fred were on he improved again... Its as if playing with actual footballers make you better, go figure.

Should possibly have got an assist too.

 

[Shark]

Has he gotten even slower?

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

Struggled tonight until Fred and Bruno came on then looked a different player. Think that's the thing with Mata these days, he's a luxury. He won't drag a performance up on his own and it very much depends on the personnel around him. Think he's still a good option to have but if you put him in with Lingard and Andreas then you're asking for trouble.

This sums it up.

Although to be fair I think only the truly elite players would be able to play alongside Lingard and Pereira and not look shit and even then I'm not sure. I bet even the likes of De Bruyne would struggle next to theose two.

 

[TheReligion]

Has he gotten even slower?

It was a boggy pitch to be fair to the little Spaniard

 

[kundalini]

Came to life in the 2nd half. Poor free-kick into the wall towards the end.

 

[ReddBalls]

Obviously dependent of the players he have around him. Playing with Lingard and Pereira, he drops to their level, but looked good playing with Fernandes and Fred.

 

[RedDevilRoshi]

He looked much better when Bruno came on. Overall, he’s a backup/squad player at best, not a starter.

 

[a_devil_inside]

The latter parts of the 2nd half he was like a man possessed, sprinting for everything and looked to be our best chance of scoring

 

[TheLittleOne]

Glad he starts today I think he will work well with Bruno. Seems like one of the few players who have same game intelligence as Bruno. He should be subbed tough in like 60-70th minute. Ole should sub earlier in general imo it's very unlikely players will make an impact when there is only 10minutes left.

 

[AltiUn]

Found a new lease of life, this is the best spell of form since we signed him.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Played like a man freed from prison and thrust into the arms of his long lost lover.

 

[DickDastardly]

Played like a man freed from prison and thrust into the arms of his long lost lover.

Movie stuff this is

 

[mewnew11]

Played like a man freed from prison and thrust into the arms of his long lost lover.

Absolutely. The Bruno effect

 

[yumtum]

"Random drug test" incoming.