How did Mata do?
PL L FA Premier League
Arsenal 2:0 Manchester United
Post-match discussion
Sun, 07 May 2017
Exactly. Some people need to see the big picture. It sucks to lose, and it sucks for our brilliant away support who made it down there, but hopefully we'll be lifting the trophy in Sweden.
Pretty average I thought. Didn't really see him do anything noticeable, but probably gave the ball away less than our other attackers.
That said the game was pretty dull and I was struggling to concentrate for a lot of it.
I hope the Europa at all costs attitude works out because despite Liverpool throwing us yet another life line yesterday it was obvious no-one was giving a toss out there. OK Arsenal got the rub of the green with the first goal but really we flattered to deceive on many counts. There were positives - Tuanzebe looked really comfortable and assured at a difficult place against a decent player in Sanchez.
Prior to the game, Mourinho dampened any significance of the match. Players were flat, Mourinho and his staff looked relaxed. It was the least important game in the scheme of our season and players performed accordingly.
Europa final and the Muppet season.
Yeah...he looked pretty relaxed afterwards as well actually. He's obviously has a 'cunning plan'............
Pretty much would've had a goal in the first half if Rooney wasn't such a selfish cock. Other than that he blended in well with the averageness. Wasn't as wasteful with the ball though.
....a simple pass....that was all that was needed...and it was an easy one to, there was space for it and there is no doubt in my mind that Rooney saw him. Just selfish at that moment...... Mata had pretty much an open goal, and he really doesn't usually miss those!
^ Proves my point.
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In a weird way, helping Arsenal finish 4th would be one of the more pleasing consequences of yesterday's game. That secures Wenger his job and fecks over the scousers.
I can understand our reasonings for the way we were set up but I can't help but wonder whether we're placing too much emphasis on the Europa League.
I actually don't care about the result at all. All in with the Europa.
One potential downside unfortunately.
Highly likely it puts us in Pot 3 instead of Pot 2 if we make the CL. (The only way it wouldn't would be if Sevilla lost in the playoff round).
https://www.redcafe.net/threads/uefa-coefficient-points.428734/
Me no understandy. What are these pots you speak of and why would we want Liverpool to get 4th ahead of Arsenal?
Well....I do care about every United result to be honest, it wasn't a nice feeling to lose against that pretty average Arsenal team, but I can see the bigger picture......and so yes, the pain is less....
IMO it was so obvious how this game was treated.
2 CBs who just returned from injury, last time they started the game was on March 19th (7 weeks ago), a debutant at RB to counter their most dangerous player. That's our defense.
Mata who again just returned from injury, last time he started the game was on March 19th (7 weeks ago).
Rashford, Pogba, Bailly our best striker, best midfielder and CB were all rested. Pogba wasn't even brought on in the second half.
Rooney didn't play even a single min in KO stages of Europa league, that's how we are using him now.
It's very much clear that this wasn't the priority for us and rightly so. It's a big risk of accumulating fatigue for our key players which is already the case, shouldn't make it worse.
2 CBs who just returned from injury, last time they started the game was on March 19th (7 weeks ago), a debutant at RB to counter their most dangerous player. That's our defense.
Mata who again just returned from injury, last time he started the game was on March 19th (7 weeks ago).
Rashford, Pogba, Bailly our best striker, best midfielder and CB were all rested. Pogba wasn't even brought on in the second half.
Rooney didn't play even a single min in KO stages of Europa league, that's how we are using him now.
It's very much clear that this wasn't the priority for us and rightly so. It's a big risk of accumulating fatigue for our key players which is already the case, shouldn't make it worse.
As it stands 15 out of 16 who will make the CL are going to be seeded ahead of us for the CL draw.
If Arsenal make the group stages it becomes 16 and we then go into pot 3.
Perhaps because it's our only realistic way of securing Champions League football - which is pivotal to determining whether the club moves forward, or faces another twelve months in the doldrums.
I had never actually thought about it like that...
As long as we win the Europa I might actually prefer they finish 4th, the Wenger In/Out circus would continue and it would throw a massive spanner into either City's or Pool's plans for next season.
Ok, gotcha. Thanks. I'd still rather them get in than Liverpool. The combination of gooners being gutted about another season of Wenger and Klopp failing to bring CL football to Liverpool is just perfect IMO.
Good, no more pressure to keep the unbeaten run going, and hopefully they will play like in December.
I see your point, but I just feel we would be better off having everyone fit and 100% rested for the Europa league games. Plus there are only 2 more, we can focus totally on these. Training sessions can be fully concentrated on them too. Otherwise we risk having a tired team with the risk of more injures and maybe only 50/60% rested up from the previous game whilst also hoping other teams around us drop points.
I get that but at the same time the teams around us are dropping points and I can see them dropping more and that's why I don't think it should be written off just yet.
Lingard was better than Micky and Martial this season. If he is not good enough for our A team, than Martial and Micky have to play in the reserves.
Yeah, and then he passes it, and Mata misses, and we say "Damn Rooney should've taken the shot! He's lost his nerve!" Point is, they've all been poor at finishing. I like Mata but he's missed a couple sitters as well, so who the hell knows really?
And if that means you fail to win the EL and finish outside the top 4?
I'd given up hope on top 4 long before yesterday. As such, the result is meaningless to me. It's not really that hard to 'understand'. Every time we have the chance to elevate ourselves or go into the CL places if not briefly, we've bottled it. Hull, Swansea, WBA, Everton, etc.
Clearly, the manager has the same mindset as me or else he wouldn't have picked the team he did. We don't deserve top four regardless, not that City or Liverpool deserve it either.
Again, yesterday is not where we lost top 4. If we don't win the EL, it'd be a disaster of a season. But I'm not exactly going to turn around and say, oh damn, I wish we won against Arsenal that one time. It's been a collection of mishaps and poor finishing over the course of the season that has let us down.
That's not true though. Lingard performed closer to his maximum potential than either Mkhitaryan or Martial but they were still better than him overall. It's just we expect more from them than from Lingard who is simply not very good.
I am not talking about potential. He's been consistent, at his level. Micky had been very incosistent, hopefully will change next year. Martial had been below par the whole season. I expect more from them as well. But, if we stick with this selection of wingers next year, than getting rid of Lingard won't be wise move.
This was the first match all season that I intentionally didn't watch, and I'm glad I didn't. Moreover, the result frees me up to do better things with my time during the final 3 EPL matches.
At least there's still a chance in EL
At least there's still a chance in EL
Okay, so who does deserve it then? I want us to win every game we play, that's the only way you 'deserve' anything. Not rolling over and giving up just a few points behind and 3 games to play. I don't agree with the way Jose handled the whole situation, coming out publicly and saying what he did. And what happens then if we fail to win EL? Throwing all our eggs into that basket and still dropping it. The way we have been playing recently other than the Chelsea game, I got a bad feeling Ajax might just smash us, if we even get past Celta Vigo.
That's the point though mate. We haven't one any of the games where he's adopted the sit-back-and-counter strategy. You're actually backing up what I said.
So why did we lose this game?
Possession was 50% to 50%. We actually out shot them 10 (4) to 9 (4), and had 9 corners to their 5. It wasn't as though we parked the bus.
We lacked fight and spirit.. Plus we played Rooney.
My guess..
The stats:
http://www.espnfc.us/match?gameId=450650
I was wondering what the pundits were on about as well. Jose was right on in his post game, they acted as though he was daft.
Alright, would be better if Martial held the ball up so he could link up with him, Martial seemed he'll bent on taking on the whole arsenal team whenever he got the ball.
Should of had a goal if Rooney showed a bit more awareness on winning the ball inside their box, mata had an empty goal
wow that was dull but Arsenal were no better than us and I'm sure the pundits were right in that it would have ended 0-0 if not for that ridiculous first goal. No doubt everyone is blaming Rooney and maybe he should have scored but no one came out of it with much credit except maybe our latest defensive find. We really do need to go out and buy some goal scorers and an attacking midfielder/winger in the summer. Also, no idea why but every time I see him play I become more sure DDG is madrid bound
They scored a flukey goal which ruined our tactics, couldn't see them scoring, Martial needs to time his runs better.
The tactics were alright, we ended up with a midfield 2 of Rooney and Carrick, let's hope for the last time
Man of the Match
Runners-up
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9%
David de Gea
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3%
Michael Carrick
-
3%
Ander Herrera
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3%
Anthony Martial
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2%
Scott McTominay
-
2%
Wayne Rooney
-
1%
Marcus Rashford
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1%
Henrikh Mkhitaryan
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1%
Juan Mata
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1%
Matteo Darmian
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1%
Phil Jones
Player Ratings
Total Average Rating
Highest Rated Player
Lowest Rated Player
Compiled from 417 ratings.
Score Predictions
250,107,166
- Man Utd win
- Arsenal win
- Draw
Detailed Results
- 22% Arsenal 1:1 Man Utd
- 18% Arsenal 1:2 Man Utd
- 14% Arsenal 0:1 Man Utd
- 9% Arsenal 0:2 Man Utd
- 7% Arsenal 0:0 Man Utd
- 7% Arsenal 2:0 Man Utd
- 6% Arsenal 2:1 Man Utd
- 3% Arsenal 1:0 Man Utd
- 2% Arsenal 1:3 Man Utd
- 2% Arsenal 2:2 Man Utd
- 2% Arsenal 3:0 Man Utd
- 2% Arsenal 0:5 Man Utd
- 1% Arsenal 3:1 Man Utd
- 1% Arsenal 2:3 Man Utd
- 1% Arsenal 0:3 Man Utd
- 1% Arsenal 5:0 Man Utd
- 1% Arsenal 0:4 Man Utd
- 0% Arsenal 3:2 Man Utd
- 0% Arsenal 2:4 Man Utd
- 0% Arsenal 4:1 Man Utd
Match Stats
- Arsenal
- Man Utd
- Possession
- 50% 50%
- Shots
- 9 10
- Shots on Target
- 4 4
- Corners
- 5 9
- Fouls
- 14 10
Referee
Andre Marriner
Man Utd Lineup
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replaced by Scott McTominay
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replaced by Marcus Rashford
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replaced by Jesse Lingard
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