You forgot Kagawa. He has a nice linkup with Kagawa as well.
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Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 37
- Goals
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- 7
- Yellow cards
- 1
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
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Mata's best performances have been when he's played with intelligent players. He's always making runs and now we have someone who can find him he suddenly looks better. If he were taller he'd score headers.
True. It's easy to forget kagawa sadly.
That's why I see a lot of benefits from Bruno arrival. Their link-up play and quick, short passes may be a key with low-table teams as we do struggle in positioning attack.
I'm rewatching the match at the moment. Mata was even better than I remember. It was such a good all-round performance. His chemistry with Bruno is the best we've had since Shaw/Martial had that purple patch a couple of seasons ago on the left.
Everton 1:1 Man Utd
I think one of the worst sub cameos I've ever seen. Just so weak, one good moment to let Bruno through.
He's on big money for what he offers. Usually average to poor when he plays
He had less then 20 and in that time created our best chance of the half!?
He should have come on 10 minutes earlier
Gave the ball away about 5 times before that though. Just so slow and in any game that has pace and a press he ends up being way out of place
Can give away the ball 10 times if he's going to create a chance we should score from.
Always difficult to come into a game, usually takes subs a good 15 minutes to get up with the pace... Why I never get why we make subs so late
So slow, so laborious. Lost the ball endless times. Should only play against the shite at home. Why would you think it's a good idea to bring him on in a game which is end to end?
Created our best chance at the end.
My God the hyperbole is strong here. One of the worst ever? Really? That's just ridiculous. In 20 minutes, Mata almost created the winning goal, but it's one of the worst you've ever seen...
Put in one of the worst corners i have ever seen. Bruno then took the next one
Didn't make any impact today when he came on which didn't surprise me tbh. Everton are a decent outfit now under Ancelotti. Mata will shine against lower teams but against good opposition in the PL he stuggles.
Good first time pass for Fernandes' big chance late on, otherwise terrible, making the type of mistakes you really wouldn't associate with him, as well as being muscled off the ball, as expected.
That corner was disgraceful.
His pass to Fernandes was very good but generally these are not the games for him. I've been saying this for such a long time. Play him in home games were we have control. These type of games however are too physical for him.
Derby 0:3 Man Utd
Thought he was good again today, really good chemistry with Bruno and intelligent with his passing.
Very nice.
These types of games are ones he can still be very effective in, just a very good option in games where we have a lot of the ball.
Matafernandes/juanandes with another jizz worthy duet.
Dont be silly...that cant be right, as he didnt turn the game against Everton in 15 minutes on the pitch so must be past it...
When he plays with Bruno, he looks like good player. They link up very well and Mata is always on the move, which makes it easier for Bruno Fernandes too.
I think he deserves to stay here a bit longer, we need intelligent players like him who can link up well with others. He seems happy playing a smaller role.
Laughed out loud when he bodied a Derby player... highlight of the game.
Keep him again next season. We need a squad of good players, not just an 11 and he still has a lot to offer in the cups and lesser games for me.
Yep, no issue with him staying next season. Wouldn't get any money for him anyway, good character, can be useful at times, we need the body.
Let Perreira and Lingard be the ones who get replaced.
Let Perreira and Lingard be the ones who get replaced.
This..
He is has much more use than those two.
Agreed. I'm glad many others in the thread have seen it fit to give Mata the slight cop-out of him needing better players around him to shine. Obvious caveats aside, he's hardly a slave being a very highly-paid to play a bit of football now and again, I'm of the opinion the club has pretty much failed him and I feel sorry that we've been unable to give him the conditions he needs to thrive.
I always feel we wasted Mata's prime year's here, If we signed players like Kroos and Thiago you could have been GOLD for us for last 6 years.
Some can argue that players should find a way to perfrom well in any circumstances but Mata's game has always been build on more intelligence than hit and run.
Some can argue that players should find a way to perfrom well in any circumstances but Mata's game has always been build on more intelligence than hit and run.
Yeah, I was baffled by that.
Bruno has been like oxygen to Mata's United career, the two are really on the same wavelength.
Really it wasn't just the players around him, it was the managers and systems he was working under too. He seemed like a square peg in a round hole for a lot of his United career, with Moyes and Van Gaal in particular seeming unsure how to best use him.
Which isn't to say he was perfect himself or can escape all blame for all the times he underperformed. But when you think that his peak here was actually quite good in terms of productivity even in a relatively poor team, one wonders how much better he could have done in a team more suited to him.
Mata kind of proves that we CAN use Grealish on the right. He plays really well with Bruno. If he had more pace and the agility to act quickly, he would act as a second playmaker for us and we would be tearing teams apart. Grealish fits that bill perfectly for us, and mata can be used as cover for either player, maybe even brought on in games where we are really struggling to break down a deep defence.
You do realise that Mata is left footed, and Grealish is right footed?
Really want to see Mata from start vs City. If we are to have any chance, we need players, not runners (Lingard, Perreria, James)
Now imagine it is Pogba instead of Mata in those situations when Bruno and Mata play together now
Grealish is like Mata? Don't understand the point you're making.
LASK 0:5 Man Utd
His best run of sustained form in ages, he links so well with Bruno and the movement and composure on the finish for his goal was superb.
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