He's a lovely player to watch. Another game when not only did he show his class on the ball but had some of the best defensive stats in the team.
Juan Mata | 2013/14 Performances
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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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His face at full time. A penny for his thoughts (prob along the lines of 'WTF have I done')/
In adversity, even more united
Hi everyone,
To tell the truth, it’s not easy to write here this week… I’ve just got home (I’ve already found a house in Manchester) after a really frustrating draw.
Honestly, I think football is being cruel with us. We did everything to get the three points, but in the end this is about goals and Fulham scored in the last minute… It seems impossible if you look at the stats, but we couldn’t win and it would have been a very important victory. It hurts even more because in the second half we managed to come back after Fulham’s early goal, and the game seemed to be under control with Carrick’s goal. But when the score is so tight you may suffer at the very end, as it happened this time.
It was the same a week ago against Stoke City, with two players injured and one goal after a deflection. It seems that luck is not on our side, but you know that I don’t like to give excuses. We have to get better and improve our shooting accuracy, because we got many times to the box and could have scored more than two goals. I’m sure we will make it, but there are less and less games to play so the sooner the better... There is something we can always count on: the team’s passion and sacrifice. We did fight until the end, and that’s what I felt on the pitch, but once again we can’t give excuses. The way to carry on is to stick together, the team and the fans, learn from mistakes and be positive, and we will show the character this team has always had.
Despite this draw, I don’t want to forget the minute’s silence at Old Trafford, which was touching. It’s very impressive to see how the club remembers the victims of that terrible accident in Munich, and it says a lot about the club’s respect for the legends of the past. The way this club has overcome the difficulties since then is an example to all of us.
The week at the training ground was really good. I know my team mates better and I feel a great atmosphere in the dressing room. I hope we can show that next Wednesday against Arsenal. It’s a very tough game, but I have good memories from my last visit to the Emirates a few months ago and I hope I can enjoy a good game as well.
It’s not easy to win regularly. Atlético’s defeat in Almería is a good example. Sometimes things don’t come up the way you expect and winning becomes very difficult. The fight in la Liga is now very tight with three teams with the same points. Barcelona came from one goal down to win 1-4 in Sevilla, always a difficult task, whereas Real Madrid beat a combative Villarreal, 4-2 at Bernabéu.
I keep being amazed for Bayern Munich: 45 games unbeaten in the Bundesliga; that’s the best example of consistency that I can remember. It’s something remarkable. It says that they are working well in the last few years, as they showed by reaching the last two Champions League finals.
Before saying good bye I want to send a big hug to my friend Oriol Romeu. I’m sure you will be fit again in less than a month, my friend. Overcoming the adversity is easier with a good attitude. Even more if you get a lot of support, same as I feel from you guys on the social networks. You are strong and you will be back soon, Ori.
Writing to you today is really complicated as I’m still frustrated after the match, but I want you to know that we will give everything until the end of the season, because that’s what you deserve.
Thank you so much for your messages of support. I feel I’m facing a new challenge in my career and I look forward to keep improving and to learn from every situation. The results may be better or worse but I’m going to give everything I have to help the team in every game, trying to enjoy football as I’ve always done, in the good and the bad moments.
A million thanks. Have a nice week.
Hug,
Juan
PS: I want to send all my support to those affected by the severe storms in Spain, many of them in the North of the country, and in particular to my people in Asturias.
Indeed. I loved fact that he can control he tempo of the game so well. Scholesy like almost. Hopefully he'll the creative hub of our team for years to come.
Lots of people complaining about crosses in his blog. 
Niels M
Please, mister Mata: Tell David Moyes to stop playing football like its 1996. We're playing away from our strengths and into our opposition time and again. 81 bloody crosses against Fulham whose average height in defense makes Peter Crouch look like a smurf. We probably have one of Europes most talented squads in the attacking department, but what good does it do when we tactically kill ourselves!
Geun Il Kim
Mata, Seeing the match with Fulham, I was disapointed about United Play. United showed nearly 80 cross but the accuracy was terrible. Before the game, United could predict Fulham's play. I raise a question why United continued their play? Of course, It was gone away, Must concentrate on Next match, Arsenal.
Lino
United didn't win last two games because that David fecking Moyes let you guys do crosses whole the time. I'd call this revolutionary tactic 'infinite crossing'. 82 crosses can you imagine that? This is dinosaur football!
afiq sinclair
81 crosses ! never stop fighting
Niels M
Please, mister Mata: Tell David Moyes to stop playing football like its 1996. We're playing away from our strengths and into our opposition time and again. 81 bloody crosses against Fulham whose average height in defense makes Peter Crouch look like a smurf. We probably have one of Europes most talented squads in the attacking department, but what good does it do when we tactically kill ourselves!
Geun Il Kim
Mata, Seeing the match with Fulham, I was disapointed about United Play. United showed nearly 80 cross but the accuracy was terrible. Before the game, United could predict Fulham's play. I raise a question why United continued their play? Of course, It was gone away, Must concentrate on Next match, Arsenal.
Lino
United didn't win last two games because that David fecking Moyes let you guys do crosses whole the time. I'd call this revolutionary tactic 'infinite crossing'. 82 crosses can you imagine that? This is dinosaur football!
afiq sinclair
81 crosses ! never stop fighting
Yeah, we need to let him be our primary playmaker.
Mata for Captain. Or President.In adversity, even more united
Hi everyone,
To tell the truth, it’s not easy to write here this week… I’ve just got home (I’ve already found a house in Manchester) after a really frustrating draw.
Honestly, I think football is being cruel with us. We did everything to get the three points, but in the end this is about goals and Fulham scored in the last minute… It seems impossible if you look at the stats, but we couldn’t win and it would have been a very important victory. It hurts even more because in the second half we managed to come back after Fulham’s early goal, and the game seemed to be under control with Carrick’s goal. But when the score is so tight you may suffer at the very end, as it happened this time.
It was the same a week ago against Stoke City, with two players injured and one goal after a deflection. It seems that luck is not on our side, but you know that I don’t like to give excuses. We have to get better and improve our shooting accuracy, because we got many times to the box and could have scored more than two goals. I’m sure we will make it, but there are less and less games to play so the sooner the better... There is something we can always count on: the team’s passion and sacrifice. We did fight until the end, and that’s what I felt on the pitch, but once again we can’t give excuses. The way to carry on is to stick together, the team and the fans, learn from mistakes and be positive, and we will show the character this team has always had.
Despite this draw, I don’t want to forget the minute’s silence at Old Trafford, which was touching. It’s very impressive to see how the club remembers the victims of that terrible accident in Munich, and it says a lot about the club’s respect for the legends of the past. The way this club has overcome the difficulties since then is an example to all of us.
The week at the training ground was really good. I know my team mates better and I feel a great atmosphere in the dressing room. I hope we can show that next Wednesday against Arsenal. It’s a very tough game, but I have good memories from my last visit to the Emirates a few months ago and I hope I can enjoy a good game as well.
It’s not easy to win regularly. Atlético’s defeat in Almería is a good example. Sometimes things don’t come up the way you expect and winning becomes very difficult. The fight in la Liga is now very tight with three teams with the same points. Barcelona came from one goal down to win 1-4 in Sevilla, always a difficult task, whereas Real Madrid beat a combative Villarreal, 4-2 at Bernabéu.
I keep being amazed for Bayern Munich: 45 games unbeaten in the Bundesliga; that’s the best example of consistency that I can remember. It’s something remarkable. It says that they are working well in the last few years, as they showed by reaching the last two Champions League finals.
Before saying good bye I want to send a big hug to my friend Oriol Romeu. I’m sure you will be fit again in less than a month, my friend. Overcoming the adversity is easier with a good attitude. Even more if you get a lot of support, same as I feel from you guys on the social networks. You are strong and you will be back soon, Ori.
Writing to you today is really complicated as I’m still frustrated after the match, but I want you to know that we will give everything until the end of the season, because that’s what you deserve.
Thank you so much for your messages of support. I feel I’m facing a new challenge in my career and I look forward to keep improving and to learn from every situation. The results may be better or worse but I’m going to give everything I have to help the team in every game, trying to enjoy football as I’ve always done, in the good and the bad moments.
A million thanks. Have a nice week.
Hug,
Juan
PS: I want to send all my support to those affected by the severe storms in Spain, many of them in the North of the country, and in particular to my people in Asturias.
He'll be a total waste of money if we continue to stick him out wide on the right. Utterly pointless.
Excellent player already and improving with every game. I don't think playing wide will affect his performances, he is pretty much our best attacking player in our last two games and he just started playing for us.
He's not playing wide right.
And no one in the world would drop Rooney and Van Persie for him to play centrally.
Kagawa can do it too indeed, didn't mean he couldn't. Just that Mata in every single aspect Mata, is just better than him. Kagawa is a bit overrated.
I agree Mata is better but I believe he will suffer the same way Kagawa has. A more imaginative and innovative manager could find a way to get both in the starting 11 and thats truly would be something to get excited about.
The way the rest of the team is set up Mata, Van Persie and Rooney can't play together. The football we were playing yesterday was a joke. For that I blame Moyes and his 'team'.
Mata is such a stand up guy, you could see his disappointment at the end.
Mata is such a stand up guy, you could see his disappointment at the end.
This is why even with the signature of Mata, I was still very cautious. We had the players before his arrival to play a (even slightly) better brand of football but Moyes never has implemented it nor hinted towards it. I believe we could have Gundogan, Pogba and Vidal in midfield that only the individual performance would get better and not the team's as a whole.
hugely agree.
I get the feeling that he might be a bit shocked at how poor we actually are under Moyes.
Quality post from Mata.He knows it's not all rosy, yet!
He's a lovely man.
I agree and it's partly why I don't think Moyes should be entrusted with another penny of the clubs money until he proves he can get these players playing better football between now and the end of the season.
That's a quality post by him.
Viva Juan Mata, Viva Juan Mata
Put him on a giraffe
head him to the caf
Viva Juan Mata
Viva Juan Mata, Viva Juan Mata
Put him on a giraffe
head him to the caf
Viva Juan Mata
Mata should be writing those sexy posts on the Caf, somebody get him on here!
4-3-1-2. Mata playing behind RVP and Rooney. We have our 3 most gifted attackers on the pitch at the same time, playing in a system that suits them. We are never going to get the best out of Mata unless we change our approach.
Nonsense.
There is no reason why a team of something along the lines of:
Fellaini/Fletcher - Carrick
Mata- Rooney- Januzaj
RVP
can not work, what they need is the freedom to go out and play their football. As it is, it doesn't matter what formation we play, if these clearly talented players are being told to go out their and smash crosses at a centre backs head then any way you want to write the formation is just an exercise in dumbfeckery.
With out first choice front four there's no reason why can't just copy what City do when Aguero, Negredo, Nasri and Silva are all fit, and have Rooney, Van Persie, Mata and Januzaj playing almost as part of a quartet. The fact we don't says a lot about Moyes.
Unfortunately we don't have a Yaya Toure right now, which is what enables City to play so seemingly light in the midfield.
None of it matters too much then they're all just used to cross/get the ball out wide.
Its not like our current set up makes our midfield any less easy to play through, we could've lost to Fulham had Kieran Richardson not skied his chance at the end of the first half. We'd look a whole lot more cohesive however if we copied the way City play 4-4-2, which is a little like Brazil's 4-2-2-2, instead of playing two banks of four behind 2 strikes and launching the ball into the box constantly 'Conference' style.
Is it just me who sees a slim, slightly more handsome, Wayne Rooney in this picture?
The metamorphosis has begun already.
Is it just me who sees a slim, slightly more handsome, Wayne Rooney in this picture?
The metamorphosis has begun already.
Internet in Liverpool should be rationed.
Damn you B20, damn you.
I like his blog post, top guy. 
Reading his blog this morning. The man just oozes class.
Is it just me who sees a slim, slightly more handsome, Wayne Rooney in this picture?
The metamorphosis has begun already.
Is it just me who sees a slim, slightly more handsome, Wayne Rooney in this picture?
The metamorphosis has begun already.
If Rooney was stuck on an island left with nothing to eat but fruits for a month he'd come out looking a bit like Mata.
He was on Sunday, apart from when he went wondering looking for some action.
Also. I would drop Rooney or RvP otherwise why buy him if he doesn't fit in.
This could be Kagawa all over again.
The disappointment on that face
Is it just me who sees a slim, slightly more handsome, Wayne Rooney in this picture?
The metamorphosis has begun already.
That is class
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