Nah, we're not that stupid. He's a waste of money, we don't need him in the squad. There are young players available to replace any senior fringe players.
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Ralf doesn't sign players this old, no chance he renews.
Almost forgot he's still a player.
What’s so beloved about him? That he did blogs? That he came on a helicopter? He cost £40m about 7 years ago and the only memorable thing he did was a good game against Liverpool
It's not hate. We don't need him anymore. He should be sold or he can retire. We need players who can improve the squad. Not just because they are nice people.
Man United is a football club not charity
Every player that we have needs to be ready and considered to play when he's needed.
Paying for someone in his age just to come to training and play with the rest of the players is a waste of money(and a lot of money)
Every player that we have needs to be ready and considered to play when he's needed.
Paying for someone in his age just to come to training and play with the rest of the players is a waste of money(and a lot of money)
Mata is a waste in the squad, even for his own sake (money aside). He’s still a decent player that could be a number 10 for a mid-table Spanish team.
I like the guy, I really do. He never complained, played out of his position for years, for his best years may I add. The imagine that is stuck in my head is when we were getting knocked out in the CL by Sevilla (1:2 Yedder), and he was the only player tracking down (playing as a RB btw).
But I think he made a mistake, he should have been gone when Mourinho came in. He could easily get good money from one of the Spanish or Italian clubs, and played in his homeland, with good weather and pace which suits him. Hope he plays somewhere else and comes back as an ambassador.
The Common Goal is already enough to adore him but he’s been nothing but outstandingly brilliant and surprisingly genuine as a person. He’s pretty much the ideal off-the-pitch role model for a footballer. Sadly, we haven’t seen anything of note from him on the pitch for so long that I can’t even remember his last great game.
He has been nothing but professional and has always tried his best whenever he has been on the pitch. He is at the end of his career so why hate him? he was offered a contract and he accepted it? Even if he cost 100 million why would you hate him?
Age its just a number, he's been playing like he's 60 since 2018.
I thought it would be better to bring discussion about Mata to his own thread.
We have to be the only club that gives out big contracts to players that offer nothing on the pitch. Mata has been stealing a wage for a good few years now. Being a nice guy shouldn't get you a new contract at any club. Never mind one that is supposed to be challenging for trophies. His spot on the bench should be going to younger players that might have a future at the club.
Completely agree, but I'd say a good half of our fanbase still wants to renew him forever because "he's a nice guy". He used to be our "feel-good Instagram" guy, but is that even still the case? I guess the club can advertise itself as the best retirement home in the world?
Wouldn't it just be easier to start a "who is the biggest flop" thread and discuss Pogba and mata in there?
He's definitely been a terrible signing. He's very lucky that we spunked so much money away after him which has made people forget he was our most expensive signing ever at one point.
I was against the signing in the first place as I knew we were getting another Kagawa instead of a David Silva. 7 years here and he's only had one game where you felt the money was worth it for him.
I was against the signing in the first place as I knew we were getting another Kagawa instead of a David Silva. 7 years here and he's only had one game where you felt the money was worth it for him.
Is that even a question?
a player who cost 45M back in 2014, which is like 90M in todays transfer money, who was just an indisputed starter for 2 and a half seasons out of the 9 seasons he's been at the club while collecting top wages.
I dont think theres even a debate here to be honest, I mean how can anyone claim Mata has been anything else but a complete failure and waste of wages? Specially the last 3 years he's been here where he has been relegated to a second tier squad member that barelely plays at all.
Have to be honest, it was 99% a wind up.
Fair play
I don't get that way of thinking. This club isn't a charity. He's being paid millions. Offers nothing on the pitch, and hasn't for a long time. I remember he used to write a blog and the fans used to like that. Haven't heard about him doing that in years.
It's hard to imagine that anybody would. I just find it strange how he's been here for 9 years, and has almost been forgotten. Jones has gotten a lot of hate from the fans for stealing a wage, but nobody says anything about Mata.
Mata was a poor buy because our squad balance at the time, and the fact that we tied down Rooney on to a massive new contract weeks after we signed Mata, meant there was never any chance of him playing consistently in the position/set-up he was truly exceptional in (a #10/SS behind a traditional striker), and he very clearly didn't have the attributes to play anything like his best football outside of that role/system.
As we'd cemented Rooney as our key player for the foreseeable future and he'd made it very clear he didn't want to play as a pure #9, the only way Mata was ever going to consistently start was on the wing, or in a bastardisation of his best role with Rooney constantly dropping deep and occupying his space instead of making runs in behind. On that basis it was bizarre to spend what we did on him, especially given we'd had similar issues getting Kagawa (who, whilst a very different player to Mata or Rooney, operated in the same areas) into the team over previous year and a half. In my opinion Mata also had some bad luck with managers as neither Van Gaal's or Mourinho-s' styles really suited him. We didn't make the most of him when he was at the peak of his powers and as he got older his physical decline exacerbated his weaknesses and he became less and less effective.
You can't really fault his attitude or dedication to the club, he always tried his best and never moaned regardless of where we put him and, yes, generally seems a great guy to have in the dressing room. Whilst I obviously don't think that justifies the money he's on, I don't subscribe to this idea that players have a responsibility to the fans/club to turn down or terminate great contracts. There are people in the club whose specific responsibility it is to spend the club's money wisely - they're the ones to blame for the contracts some of our fringe players are on.
As we'd cemented Rooney as our key player for the foreseeable future and he'd made it very clear he didn't want to play as a pure #9, the only way Mata was ever going to consistently start was on the wing, or in a bastardisation of his best role with Rooney constantly dropping deep and occupying his space instead of making runs in behind. On that basis it was bizarre to spend what we did on him, especially given we'd had similar issues getting Kagawa (who, whilst a very different player to Mata or Rooney, operated in the same areas) into the team over previous year and a half. In my opinion Mata also had some bad luck with managers as neither Van Gaal's or Mourinho-s' styles really suited him. We didn't make the most of him when he was at the peak of his powers and as he got older his physical decline exacerbated his weaknesses and he became less and less effective.
You can't really fault his attitude or dedication to the club, he always tried his best and never moaned regardless of where we put him and, yes, generally seems a great guy to have in the dressing room. Whilst I obviously don't think that justifies the money he's on, I don't subscribe to this idea that players have a responsibility to the fans/club to turn down or terminate great contracts. There are people in the club whose specific responsibility it is to spend the club's money wisely - they're the ones to blame for the contracts some of our fringe players are on.
If this is true then I hope it means its okay to sign declan rice.
Like everyone else, I love Juan Mata the man. But I felt at the time that bringing in Mata was another panic buy by Moyes, who was desperate to prove to the world he was up to the job Ferguson gave him. The first panic buy, Marouane Fellaini, still goes as the greatest panic buy in modern football history. But that’s ancient history. But it’s hard to imagine what Ole was thinking when he gave Mata that extra year. We had more than enough depth at every position Mata could conceivably every play in.
I felt at the time that Mata was much more Woodward’s panic buy than Moyes’. He never seemed remotely a Moyes-type player, but he was available at the time that the club was getting a lot of flak, and signing him at least gave the impression that Woodward was “doing something”.
Fellaini was a weird one. Not so much the manager bringing a favourite player from his previous club; that happens all the time. What was bizarre was that Moyes seemed to have completely forgotten what it was that Fellaini was good at, and insisted on playing him in a defensive role that he was utterly unsuited to.
Wasted his best years playing him on the right because we wouldn't drop an underperforming Rooney.
Last few years he's been a very lucky chap indeed.
Last few years he's been a very lucky chap indeed.
I honestly didn't mind the 1 year contract. I thought it meant Lingard and Martial (and James) would be sold, Elanga and Amad would go on loan. Didn't happen. That's just incompetent squad management. Can't really fault Mata for it.
You must be right about Woodward being the architect of the Mata acquisition. Moyes had us playing a Neanderthal form of football -- there has to be a youtube video of the 81 crosses match against Fulham -- and Mata is the antithesis of Neanderthal. Fellaini being repurposed -- reimagined, one might say -- as a defensive midfielder was beyond belief. What he did well was crash the box and find the end of a cross, either for the knockdown ball or a direct shot on goal.
Rather remarkable that Juan Mata, an outstanding footballer at his peak with Chelsea, spent most of his career playing for woeful United sides.
He's been a non-factor to this squad since the start of the 2017/18 season, he wasn't particularly impressive before that but he had his moments and could at least be said to be contributing.
He's offered sweet FA since then and has been rewarded with new contracts and fan love. I've always found it bizarre and even worse are the section of fans who now want him on the coaching staff.
He should've been binned off years ago.
He's offered sweet FA since then and has been rewarded with new contracts and fan love. I've always found it bizarre and even worse are the section of fans who now want him on the coaching staff.
He should've been binned off years ago.
Don't know the source but I'll keep my hopes up
Man Utd 1:1 Middlesbrough
Truly pointless substitution, to think City over the past few years have jettisoned David Silva, Fernandinho and Aguero while United keep this relic around really speaks volumes about the lack of standards and professionalism at the club.
He moved twice as much as most of the rest of the team, showed some great control, a few good passes, and made it look like something could happen.
Most of the team look like they hadn't played for months. Mata hasnt played for months but looked more interested than they did.
Had a great touch as per usual.
Nice to give the lad on £160k a week a token run out. Can you really question why the club has nothing going for it when a guy clearly past it and never plays gets to stick around to the tune of £160k a week. Clear message to the other players, as long as you're not totally rubbish you'll be on big money.
New contract incoming.
He's not on 160K a week and he was fine when he came on - got involved in play and had some decent touches. Absolutely mental thing to moan about.
What's he on then? Glad he came on and got some touches as though it's a friendly match.
This sums it up:
Except he is not 'clearly past it'. Lacks a bit of pace but never looks lethargic. Don't tell me that he couldn't do better than some of the dross that we've been served up lately. 33 years old and not speedy - but still has the brain to spot an opening, can control a ball, and can deliver a pass. If we had a team who did that already, I'd expect to see the older players phased out but for the past few weeks we've been watching players who wouldn't look out of place down the local park. No cohesion, no vision, no clue, week in, week out.
5 year contract with the option of another year
Not if he's got any sense.
He took a wage cut in the summer, so feck knows. He wasn't even on 160K in the first place though.
That post you quoted is also daft. Mata is probably one of the most professional people at the club....and came on as the 4th sub in extra time when we had players missing, and was decent. Literally a back up option being just that.
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