Its the wrong question really, given that virtually every player over the past 9 years has underperformed. We can thank the Glazers and Ed Woodward for that.
Rate Mata's United career
- Thread starter Walters_19_MuFc
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Strange comparison to make. Mata played exclusively as an attacker throughout his time here, Pogba did not.
He went four months without scoring or creating a league goal in 2015/16, playing mostly as a number ten. Van Gaal in particular gave him plenty of chances there, he was just not very good in the role - much better suited to drifting around on the right.
Mourinho never preferred Fellaini over Mata as a number ten - he played Rooney, Mkhitaryan and Lingard in that position when we played 4-2-3-1 (occasionally Pogba in a handful of bigger games). And by the time Solskjaer preferred Lingard, it was because JLingz was a better player.
It's why I think it was a poor match for both Mata and United, considering he was just 6 months removed from the absolute peak of his career when he transferred. I think he could have continued to produce at a good level if he'd walked into the the right situation. He was only 26 at time.
4, maybe.
7 feels about right. Was a good servant and had a lot of memorable moments. The problem is he was finished since Mourinho's 2nd season. He overstayed his welcome here and I can't believe he stayed 4 more years after this. He should have been sold quite a long time ago.
But during LVG's period he was probably one of the few bright things about the club.
But during LVG's period he was probably one of the few bright things about the club.
Is he officially off?
Panic buy by Moyes.
Shouldn't forget that we paid £37.1million (a then club record) for a 25 year old who should have been coming into his prime. On which basis the return on that investment has been pretty underwhelming and he should likely have left a few years back.
All round nice guy though and thanks for 'Juanfield'.
Shouldn't forget that we paid £37.1million (a then club record) for a 25 year old who should have been coming into his prime. On which basis the return on that investment has been pretty underwhelming and he should likely have left a few years back.
All round nice guy though and thanks for 'Juanfield'.
4 out 10 (1 point extra for Juanfield).
Another disappointment who should have left 2 or 3 years ago.
Another disappointment who should have left 2 or 3 years ago.
5/6? Certainly showed less than Pogba did. Mata didnt cost as much as Pogba but came a few years earlier as a record signing and hasnt exactly been playing for free either.
Why oh why did our managers kept playing him on the right? At Valencia he was a pretty solid left winger and at chelsea he was pots behind the striker...
This isn't entirely true either. He spent a lot of time on the right for Chelsea in that 2012/13 season (including some of his best performances, away to Spurs and home to us). They had a pretty fluid three behind the striker but it was very often Hazard on the left, Mata on the right and Oscar in the middle. Quick check on Transfermarkt shows me Mata played about a dozen games on the right and the rest in the middle.
This came up all the time while Mata was actually good for us but his problem was never really what position we played him in.
Most of his best performances for us (the Anfield one everyone remembers, the Manchester derby shortly after it, the FA Cup final where he scored the equalizer) came on the right, and he had plenty of shocking games as a number ten (there was a stretch under Van Gaal where we lost to Bournemouth, Norwich and Sunderland in about a month without ever looking like scoring). He was always much more comfortable picking the ball up out wide facing the goal - too one-footed and lightweight to really be a great number ten, if we're being honest.
He’s one of the few players I have enjoyed watching post Fergie and never gave anything less than his all. He was a player let down by incompetence around him.
A little too slow and small, but he was a good player... as far as eating his time playing for us? Not more than a 5.5/10.
4 and that's being generous. Pogba was way better.
Yeah he wasn’t finished at all, his problem was he came into a club in turmoil which made him worse and that’s continued as time has gone on. We shouldn’t have extended his contract really, he’s wasted the past few years where he was probably a level below what we needed.
5 or 6 out of 10 is fair I think, not that it means much now anyway.
On the low end and certainly below Pogba. Was never a really important part of the side besides a spell or two under LvG and for a guy we bought that was fantastic from Chelsea and lasted almost a decade here, that’s not good enough at all.
Absolute nothing player for us. 4/10. He’s just been meh. Likeable maybe but bland as anything on the pitch. How he escapes criticism. He was club record signing. Came in in a helicopter. Anyone giving Pogba less than this guy for on field impact is telling lies to themselves.
Haha, I did think about this.
Tomorrow, we'll wake up to him being given a new 5 year deal.
He's a nice guy. *hugs*
No, I think he's angling for another contract renewal. I think more than likely he'll get it too and people will once again celebrate because 1) Nice Guy 2) Good model in the locker room 3) There's worse players than him
No idea why our locker room was such a mess in the last few years with an exemplary human being paid six figures a week to be around.
"Manchester United are Delighted to Announce that Juan Mata will be Staying with the Club for Another Year"
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Mata playing the game always had a knack of arriving right place right time. he is a super footballer super fella but unfortunately wrong time.
I am not sure how to rate it since he is mostly on the bench or not in the squad. When he did, mostly is forgettable.
Maybe a 5-6 for the whole tenure and 10 for juanfield.
Maybe a 5-6 for the whole tenure and 10 for juanfield.
He was a great ambassador. The most expensive ambassador in world history
I never understood what happened to Mata when he came to United. At Chelsea he was one of the best players in the league. Creative, always a goal threat, great from set pieces. When he came to United he looked nowhere near the player he was over there.
Flop
Waste of money, opportunity cost, wages.
Fail in every department but he's a nice guy with puppy eyes who wrote blogs and at least he's professional.
So there's that
Waste of money, opportunity cost, wages.
Fail in every department but he's a nice guy with puppy eyes who wrote blogs and at least he's professional.
So there's that
3/10
would be 2 if it wasn't for the brace at Anfield
would be 2 if it wasn't for the brace at Anfield
Rubbish.
While he is the most likeable guy ever he was a flop for us and while Pogba was also a flop I feel the ratings in both threads are based on the person and not the football they produced.
3/10 max
While he is the most likeable guy ever he was a flop for us and while Pogba was also a flop I feel the ratings in both threads are based on the person and not the football they produced.
3/10 max
5.5, would be a 6.5 if we sold him 4 years ago. Stayed way too long in the end and pace declined rapidly(club holding on to players ridiculously long as usual). He was technically a class wee player and his control is exceptional. As many posters said, never played as a proper 10 in a system consistently. Constant professional though, not enough in that dressing room currently.
Keeping in mind he's a player we paid 40M+ way back in 2014 when that was a lot of money for a player. He's been a total disappointment, was never able to fully stablish as a starter he was played on several positions and was relegated to a squad roll player and finally in the last 2 years to only scrap a minute here and there.
For the fee paid and wages it's impossible to give him anything above 3/10.
For the fee paid and wages it's impossible to give him anything above 3/10.
If by wrong time you mean wrong decade if fully agree. He would've been marvelous back in the 60s when football was played at a whole other speed.
He's been very disappointing. Another waste of money. But there's very few players who don't fall under that category in the last decade
The best thing about him is he's at least professional and likeable
The best thing about him is he's at least professional and likeable
What he did except Juanfield ?
2/10
2/10
Pretty much how I feel. I think he's similar in some ways to Alexis, in that he lost a yard of pace with age and wasn't the same player because of it. When you're a smaller player you really need that upper body strength, otherwise you're easily bullied off the ball.
Ultimately, apart from being a nice man and a good professional, I struggle to remember any highlights in the 7 or 8 years he's been here, when he's supposed to have been at his peak. Symptomatic of Ed's policy of extending contracts and then not really playing. Should have left years ago and been a key player for another team.
4/10. So much promise, so little delivered for those wages but at least he was a nice guy who never put a foot wrong the entire time.
Another one we held on to for far too long.
Another one we held on to for far too long.
A slow AM we then decided to play in a RW position for 90% of the time approx, where one attribute you need is speed.
Simply the wrong player to sign and was done out of desperation. 4/10
Simply the wrong player to sign and was done out of desperation. 4/10
First 2 years were good, then went downhill.
A 3.
He's been a nothing player since like 2018.
Still though, hilarity ensues when you realize Moyes bought him and literally admitted to not knowing where/how to use him.
He's been a nothing player since like 2018.
Still though, hilarity ensues when you realize Moyes bought him and literally admitted to not knowing where/how to use him.
6/10
We were the problem.
We were the problem.
51 goals and 47 assists in 200 apps. So a goal involvement in one ever two games almost. For a bit part player apparently