Devil77
Full Member
Ok I love this for all the reasons. In my company I spend a considerable amount of energy on recruiting not just people with skillsets, but people who mesh with and lift everyone around them. There's more to workplace, or team performance than just output. A football squad composition entails a lot of the same principles. The gaffer has spoken several times to this point: It's not about just recruiting good players, but players with the right personality.
1) 'El Mago' is by far the most well liked and respected human being in the Manchester United squad. Including the future Sir. Remember that the squad is full of players at the start of their careers. They need more than big egos in the team, they need leaders and rolemodels that lead by example, both on the pitch, but just as importantly during training and in their personal lives. These men and boys spend more time together most of the season than they do with their own family. The people they interact wth have a huge impact on the type of personality the kids will end up immitating. Juan Mata is a perfect professional and rolemodel to a up and coming footballer.
2) He's still a good player. He was voted Manchester United's player of the month during last season. He spent a considerable amount of time away from the squad due to his mothers illness and eventual passing. His free kick and penalty kick technique is better than anyone on the team. Bruno spends a lot of time with Mata during practice practicing free kicks.
3) His squad role will be limited to cup games and the occasional PL match entry during the occasional stalemate, injury crisis or match is over scenario. Not unlike: Every other team in the Premier League. We are likely to go deep in every contest this season, we need a broad squad that doesn't only rely on the U23's who have little to no experience with first team football yet. In this regard Mata is not a hindrance, he's there to help those who do play, along with every other first team squad player.
4) He's only 33. People are talking as if he's 39 and on crutches. He's not too old to even have a considerable resurgence.
5) The new contract was rumored to include a significant paycut in the region of 50% when these talks begun. The club chose not to utilize the option of a 1 year extension, so they have negotiated a smaller contract, and Mata still signed.
If Mata retires following this season he's rumoured to be included in a future staff role at the club, which would be an incredible scoop. Mata already has a great deal of professional exprience with the Common Goal Project - And can use his network, to promote Manchester United and get the club involved in meaningful charitable work as a sports director. Among other things more naturally fitting under a Sports Director role such as day to day operation.
https://juanmata8.com/en/common-goal/
Excellent post! Good to see some common sense among the usual nonsense about us being a retirement home, wasting money and hindering our youth from progressing.