Juan Mata | 2013/14 Performances

[bosnian_red]

I think Rooney's better there. Comfortably so even. If Mata was as amazing there as people like to think, he'd be playing there every week at the moment, for Chelsea.

I do think we need to change our system and go back to Rooney/Mata (or whoever plays there) being deeper though. Even our only half decent run of form this season coincided with Rooney dropping deeper for 5 or 6 games. The only game we've looked half decent in since then was when Kagawa played behind a main striker. It's not exactly a coincidence. Shit midfield, play playmaker ahead of them, midfield becomes less shit.

See this is wherein the point and problem lies though. Even IF Mata is better than Rooney...in fact, lets say for arguments sake that he is, buying him hasn't solved the problem at all. The problem was never that we don't have anyone good enough to play there, it's that we don't play anyone there at all. Signing Mata has actually just made that problem worse.

At the moment, the most tangable effect of playing Mata is that Januzaj doesn't, and that isn't a good thing.

This was my concern when we signed him, but everyone I spoke with was convinced he was being signed to play behind the main striker. I don't get why people presumed we'd do this. Everything about how we've set up this season suggested that was never going to happen...and it hasn't.

I'd say the reason he left is because Oscar is faster, younger, a great player already and is more direct, and better defensively as Mourinho said. Mata won their player of the year for the last 2 years though, which shows how good he is when he's used properly. He's obviously a world class player, and to be honest, has shown more in that position then Rooney has. Rooney's best seasons for me always came when he was up top, and he was only truly world class as a #10 in the second half of 2010/11. I'm one of his biggest fans on here, and I think he's a great player, one of the best strikers in the world in fact, but when playing in the hole, he just lacks the ability on the ball, or the touch to consistently unlock defences.

I agree with the rest though. Its painfully obvious what our problem has been for the last 6-7 years and its shocking that we've continuously ignored it. Even with our shit midfield, its obvious to anyone who knows the slightest bit about football how to make do with it. Put someone like Mata, Kagawa or push Rooney further back in front of the midfielders so they don't play as forwards actually, and help control the game, make us more compact but also more comfortable and fluid going forward. Moyes has gotten it all wrong though when it comes to tactics this season.

Now we're just too top heavy and have loads of world class players we can't drop, although under the current style they can't play well together, and we just have an unbalanced side. In fact nobody can play well in the current style bar Valencia, but that's a different discussion. It was the same problem last season with Shinji, he was clearly a very talented player and one of the smartest players on the ball, but we couldn't put him on the left then have somebody like Valencia on the right. I do think Kagawa, if we used him properly, would have been good enough to become a class player for us, but Moyes clearly didn't like him so signed Mata. Now since we have him, he should start all the time and he's that good IMO that we can build the team around him, have Januzaj on one of the wings, and put one of Rooney/RVP up front, and then somebody else on the other wing. For the good of us overall, we do have to get rid of one of the strikers I think. Whether that is Rooney or Van Persie, up to whatever manager is in charge come the summer, but we shouldn't be starting with both of them every game. Regardless of who we bought in January, I had a bit of a feeling that for the best of the club, as weird as it sounds, that we should have got rid of one of them. Both world class players, but for the money we can sell them for, we can replace them with world class players playing in their proper positions instead of trying to shoehorn them into the team.

I think Fergie realized this too, because of how he dealt with Rooney, and how he was integrating Kagawa into the team but since Moyes has come, Rooney pretty much made the manager his bitch who will do anything he asks, and always play him there regardless of who else is at the club.
Anyway, going forward, we should plan on playing something like:

RVP/Rooney
??? Mata Januzaj
??? ???​

The left sided player can be Kagawa in the right system, unlikely though so probably a new player, and we absolutely need 2 new midfielders, and have overlapping fullbacks as we do now, but I just can't see this, or any type of fluid, successful system that gets the best out of our players unless we get a new manager in.

 

[prarek]

I don't know why people don't seem to remember this. Some of his best performances last season came from the right when he was cutting in.

Its almost as if the last two years never existed, people only seem to remember his time under Mourinho where he played 90 minutes only thrice, most of the time was on the bench and even when he did start he was pulled off early in second half. He hadn't gotten off the bench for a month when he debuted for us. It was a stop start stint for him under Mourinho. Id imagine his confidence level was well below par.

 

[Kag]

Presumably Chelsea is now based somewhere in North America.

What? Rooney would have played as a striker at Chelsea, his best position. He'd be playing in front of Oscar, not in place of him, Mata, Hazard or whoever. Your point is moot.

 

[Trigg]

Oh good, so in lieu of a real argument we've gone back to the Kagawa stuff.

Anyone noticed that Kagawa is a Japanese bloke whilst Mata is a Spanish one with a beard? They're different players.

Whats the nationality got to do with anything?

I've stated my point, its not an argument unless you want to argue you with yourself.

 

[mancan92]

I don't know why people don't seem to remember this. Some of his best performances last season came from the right when he was cutting in.

Theres a difference between playing on the left of a 442 and playing on the left of a 433

 

[bugmat]

Theres a difference between playing on the left of a 442 and playing on the left of a 433

THis - he's too wide generally. It's been a repeat of what we've seen with kagawa..nonexistent unless they get a chacne to coem central then voila chances. I do hope we can keep both.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/foot...-FA-Cup-curse-Manchester-Utd-jet-off-to-Dubai

“Well, now it’s very early so I have not yet got to know my team mates 100 per cent,” Mata said. “But throughout my career, I have played on the left, on the right and just behind the striker.

“I don’t mind playing anywhere the manager tells me. I am happy there, I am very happy. I am enjoying my football, I am getting minutes on the pitch, I am at a very, very big club and I hope we finish the season well.”

 

[kouroux]

Where he plays isn't an issue, it's how the entire team plays that will result in him having great or not so great performances.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Where he plays isn't an issue, it's how the entire team plays that will result in him having great or not so great performances.

Is correct. Although he should get better, personally, regardless. The more he learns about the movement of his team-mates the better he'll get.

 

[Ole'sbodyguard]

THis - he's too wide generally. It's been a repeat of what we've seen with kagawa..nonexistent unless they get a chacne to coem central then voila chances. I do hope we can keep both.

Completely disagree with any parallels with Kagawa.

Mata's already looking more threatening, and more involved than Kagawa in his four appearances than Kagawa has for most of this season and he's still not near his best. That's not surprising to me, as Mata is a proven top class player in the EPL and for me a better player than Kagawa anyway. Plus, he is better suited to play out wide and find space drifting inside. He's been deployed in various roles throughout his career.

I can't see Mata being anything but a success for United and I'm generally less concerned about the possibility of Rooney leaving this summer with his purchase.

Kagawa's had chances this season and not taken them. I still hope he can come good as there is undeniably a good player there.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

That's a little harsh on Kagawa but agree with the gist of it. Mata seems far better able to deal with the intensity of PL football, that's for sure. Kagawa's looked very good in Europe at times though.

 

[Ole'sbodyguard]

That's a little harsh on Kagawa but agree with the gist of it. Mata seems far better able to deal with the intensity of PL football, that's for sure. Kagawa's looked very good in Europe at times though.

I rate Kagawa but with Mata we are dealing with someone who been in the top three of the Player of years awards in the EPL and has proven himself as top class for Chelsea and has won the Champions League with Chelsea and was one, if not their best player, in his time there. Plus I think he's already looked good in his games for United whereas Kagawa has been on the fringes in plenty of United games.

Mata's in a similar class to RVP and Rooney for me. Kagawa is in the same category as someone like Nani and Hernandez for me without the benefit of getting to grips with English football.

 

[crappycraperson]

Mata before Jose came in had the whole Chelsea team built around him and excelled as a result. This year he was treated similar to Kagawa has been at United at times and hence was poor. I read the other day that Kagawa is yet to start two matches in a row under Moyes.

 

[Ole'sbodyguard]

Mata before Jose came in had the whole Chelsea team built around him and excelled as a result. This year he was treated similar to Kagawa has been at United at times and hence was poor. I read the other day that Kagawa is yet to start two matches in a row under Moyes.

Well that's wrong. He has started two matches in a row for United this season. I would not say the entire Chelsea side was built around him either. They had Hazard and Oscar to accomodate as well.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Well that's wrong. He has started two matches in a row for United this season. I would not say the entire Chelsea side was built around him either. They had Hazard and Oscar to accomodate as well.

Not to mention that having a team around you isn't some kind of entitlement that a certain type of player should always expect.

The very few players who players who earn that situation do so by consistently playing much better than every other player in their team over a long period of time.

 

[Ole'sbodyguard]

Not to mention that having a team around you isn't some kind of entitlement that a certain type of player should always expect.

The very few players who players who earn that situation do so by consistently playing much better than every other player in their team over a long period of time.

Agree with that.

Can only really remember Cantona and Ronaldo who ever had that luxury at United and Ronaldo for his last two seasons at the club.

I don't think any of RVP, Rooney or Mata will get that luxury at United. It will geared towards getting the best out all three.

 

[Cina]

Agree with that.

Can only really remember Cantona and Ronaldo who ever had that luxury at United and Ronaldo for his last two seasons at the club.

I don't think any of RVP, Rooney or Mata will get that luxury at United. It will geared towards getting the best out all three.

Rooney has had the team built around him for extended periods before though, it's probably the main reason the git kicked up such a fuss when RvP came and that was no longer the case.

 

[Ole'sbodyguard]

Rooney has had the team built around him for extended periods before though, it's probably the main reason the git kicked up such a fuss when RvP came and that was no longer the case.

I suppose. With the players in that side at those time periods though he was worth it and he had to wait until Ronaldo had left to get it.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

I marvel at this idea people have that Mata can't play wide. The greatest reason he was ever brought to British shores is because he made his name as a creative player on the flank, David Silva style.

 

[finneh]

Rooney has had the team built around him for extended periods before though, it's probably the main reason the git kicked up such a fuss when RvP came and that was no longer the case.

Not sure I agree with that. Rooney hasn't ever been our best player for more than a few isolated seasons and has never had a team built around him ala Suarez/Ronaldo/Shearer. We have made him the focal point for a few seasons (09-12), but have never curtailed our tactics specifically to suit his strengths.

I don't think Rooney has ever consistently performed to a standard that would have allowed us to build a team around him. The season after Ronaldo left he looked like he was finally mature enough to take on the majority of the attacking burden, but this was shifted to Nani/Berbatov due to Rooney's poor form in 10/11. Overall the following season he again had a good year, but if I remember correctly went through a poor spell Oct - Xmas. THis is also backed up by the fact that Rooney has been moved around the pitch, a player that a team is built around does not play in 3-4 different positions over a 3-4 year period.

The likes of Suarez, Ronaldo, Cantona, Shearer, Henry etc have all been so influential in their respective teams that the manager has built the team to get the best out of them. I wouldn't say we've ever done this for Rooney, as he hasn't ever been that influential, or that much better than other attacking players around him.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I suppose. With the players in that side at those time periods though he was worth it and he had to wait until Ronaldo had left to get it.

Yeah, Rooney's actually "suffered" more than most when it comes to playing out of position while the team is set up to get the best out of someone else. He obviously thought his time had come when Ronaldo left, so you can sort of understand why his nose was put out of joint at Van Persie being parachuted in. A lot is made of his complaining about a lack of investment coming back to bit him on the arse but I'm fairly sure he was hoping for world class reinforcements behind him, rather than Fergie signing yet another striker!

I do think Moyes is trying to build the team around him this season, though, and I'm not sure it's working. Rooney seems too eager to get among the goals to play the deeper role that most people thought would suit him best. The CMs get a lot of stick for not getting forward but on the very rare occasions we've looked decent this season it's been because Rooney has been a bit more willing to drop deep. In recent weeks he's not been doing this (possibly because he thinks it's Mata's job to play between the lines?) and the huge gap between midfield and strikers has opened up again.

 

[Jimy_Hills_Chin]

I marvel at this idea people have that Mata can't play wide. The greatest reason he was ever brought to British shores is because he made his name as a creative player on the flank, David Silva style.

He even describes himself as a winger. There was an interview posted on here around the time that he signed from his Chelsea days where he identified Giggs as one of his 'idols' because he grew up watching him playing the same position as him, albeit with differing styles.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

if we really want to build the team around Rooney we should play 4-2-3-1 and give the 3 behind the main striker free roles. That way Rooney can go where he feels, yet still hunt for goals without affecting our creativity in the final third nor our midfield. After all we have center midfielders who are better at just holding fort and letting the magic mean further upfield do the creative work. We need to dispense of the static wide man tactic IMO. It worked with the 2008 side and it should be able to work as well now.

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

He even describes himself as a winger. There was an interview posted on here around the time that he signed from his Chelsea days where he identified Giggs as one of his 'idols' because he grew up watching him playing the same position as him, albeit with differing styles.

IMO he is basically a younger version of the current Giggs. He can operate any where behind the a main striker, be it left, right or down the middle.

 

[kouroux]

Yeah, Rooney's actually "suffered" more than most when it comes to playing out of position while the team is set up to get the best out of someone else. He obviously thought his time had come when Ronaldo left, so you can sort of understand why his nose was put out of joint at Van Persie being parachuted in. A lot is made of his complaining about a lack of investment coming back to bit him on the arse but I'm fairly sure he was hoping for world class reinforcements behind him, rather than Fergie signing yet another striker!

I do think Moyes is trying to build the team around him this season, though, and I'm not sure it's working. Rooney seems too eager to get among the goals to play the deeper role that most people thought would suit him best. The CMs get a lot of stick for not getting forward but on the very rare occasions we've looked decent this season it's been because Rooney has been a bit more willing to drop deep. In recent weeks he's not been doing this (possibly because he thinks it's Mata's job to play between the lines?) and the huge gap between midfield and strikers has opened up again.

It's been annoying indeed, when he spends more time closer to RVP then our play is affected badly, Moyes has to tell him to position himself like he used to before his injury. The good run of results was a consequence of Rooney playing how you described.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

if we really want to build the team around Rooney we should play 4-2-3-1 and give the 3 behind the main striker free roles. That way Rooney can go where he feels, yet still hunt for goals without affecting our creativity in the final third nor our midfield. After all we have center midfielders who are better at just holding fort and letting the magic mean further upfield do the creative work. We need to dispense of the static wide man tactic IMO. It worked with the 2008 side and it should be able to work as well now.

I think that's the way we've been playing.

Obviously, it depends on personnel and when Valencia or young play they tend to stay very wide, which is obviously where they feel most comfortable. Every time we've lined up with Kagawa, Mata or Januzaj in the team they seem to have been given very free roles and pop up on both wings and through the centre. It's why I find it so frustrating that so many people on here seem to think we've lined up with a conventional 442 in every game. That does Moyes an injustice. He's clearly a more nuanced manager than that. Which you could see when he managed Everton.

The problen, for me, is that Rooney seems a bit less willing to take up those sort of positions and a bit more eager to try and get on the end of something in the box.

 

[prarek]

http://www.express.co.uk/sport/foot...-FA-Cup-curse-Manchester-Utd-jet-off-to-Dubai

“Well, now it’s very early so I have not yet got to know my team mates 100 per cent,” Mata said. “But throughout my career, I have played on the left, on the right and just behind the striker.

“I don’t mind playing anywhere the manager tells me. I am happy there, I am very happy. I am enjoying my football, I am getting minutes on the pitch, I am at a very, very big club and I hope we finish the season well.”

The Kagawa comparisons are so retarded. Kagawa is a natural no.10 who plays behind the striker. Mata is not, he's a wide playmaker who played majority of his games with Chelsea and Valencia either on the left or right. And he himself describes himself as a wide playmaker or an inside winger and says he's comfortable anywhere behind the striker. In an ideal scenario we would play Mata on the right, Kagawa in middle and Januzaj on the left and have them interchanging positions throughout the game.

 

[Adam-Utd]

Moyes really should just say YOLO and play Mata, Januzaj and Kagawa behind RVP, or Rooney. With Carrick / Clev/Fellaini holding the midfield it could either be devastatingly good, or pathetically bad

 

[Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber]

I think that's the way we've been playing.

Obviously, it depends on personnel and when Valencia or young play they tend to stay very wide. Every time we've lined up with Kagawa, Mata or Januzaj in the team they seem to have been given very free roles and pop up on both wings and through the centre. It's why I find it so frustrating that so many people on here seem to think we've lined up with a conventional 442 in every game. That does Moyes an injustice. He's clearly a more nuanced manager than that. Which you could see when he managed Everton.

The problen, for me, is that Rooney seems a bit less to take up those sort of positions and a bit more eager to try and get on the end of something in the box.

We've been more 4-4-2 when a Valencia plays because he can hardly go anywhere else, while Rooney plays 10 like a striker. Leaving the team inbalanced both centrally and out wide.

In our two of our better performances this season, Chelsea at home, and Leverkursen away, showed how we can make the best use of Rooney playing number 10 like a striker. In both games he was given a the brief to pop up where he felt like, though he was operating as a striker, while others were allowed to come infield and help out with the two center midfielders and creativity.. I though vs Chelsea were were unlucky to not win, while vs Leverkusen we were damn near orgasmic. IMO Rooney everywhere > Rooney in the middle. Hopefully if Januzaj/Young/Nani can finally snatch the right flank from Valencia we will get to see that consistently.

 

[LR7]

Yeah, Rooney's actually "suffered" more than most when it comes to playing out of position while the team is set up to get the best out of someone else. He obviously thought his time had come when Ronaldo left, so you can sort of understand why his nose was put out of joint at Van Persie being parachuted in. A lot is made of his complaining about a lack of investment coming back to bit him on the arse but I'm fairly sure he was hoping for world class reinforcements behind him, rather than Fergie signing yet another striker!

I do think Moyes is trying to build the team around him this season, though, and I'm not sure it's working. Rooney seems too eager to get among the goals to play the deeper role that most people thought would suit him best. The CMs get a lot of stick for not getting forward but on the very rare occasions we've looked decent this season it's been because Rooney has been a bit more willing to drop deep. In recent weeks he's not been doing this (possibly because he thinks it's Mata's job to play between the lines?) and the huge gap between midfield and strikers has opened up again.

The annoying thing is that he would probably get amongst the goals more if he dropped back into the hole because he rarely beats a big CB to get himself on the end of crosses and would probably pick up a lot more second/half cleared balls if he hung back a bit. Not to mention more assists from playing people in through the centre.

 

[Amar__]

I can't believe this thread is discussed that much when he was our best attacking player against Arsenal, and overall our best (attacking)player since he started playing for us in these 3 games.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

Moyes really should just say YOLO and play Mata, Januzaj and Kagawa behind RVP, or Rooney. With Carrick / Clev/Fellaini holding the midfield it could either be devastatingly good, or pathetically bad

If he's doing that, shove all 5 of them on the pitch at once, with Carrick holding by himself.

 

[Ash_G]

I think that's the way we've been playing.

Obviously, it depends on personnel and when Valencia or young play they tend to stay very wide. Every time we've lined up with Kagawa, Mata or Januzaj in the team they seem to have been given very free roles and pop up on both wings and through the centre. It's why I find it so frustrating that so many people on here seem to think we've lined up with a conventional 442 in every game. That does Moyes an injustice. He's clearly a more nuanced manager than that. Which you could see when he managed Everton.

The problen, for me, is that Rooney seems a bit less to take up those sort of positions and a bit more eager to try and get on the end of something in the box.

I agree that Mata starting from a wide spot isn't an issue, as you say he generally has been given license to wonder, what's more of an issue is the lack of that central player between midfield and the striker to help bring Mata in centrally, as you said with Rooney he seems to want to push up quite a lot. I think Mata/Januzaj are more confident on the ball in isolated areas than Kagawa is which allows them to look better in such a set up, but I think all would benefit if there were was someone dropping off the front.

Whether its Moyes driven or Rooney driven that's a key issue at the moment because defensively when he plays too high we're weaker for it and offensively we struggle because it's harder for players from wide/midifeld to find the passes/movement to push forward but also because he and RVP seem to be pretending that the other guy isn't there half the time and making very similar runs, they're not acting like a partnership often enough.

As you said the problem with Rooney is that a lot of the time when he does play in the hole he plays it imo very much thinking of what will put him in to a goal scoring position, getting the ball, spreading it wide and then making a run in the box and that doesn't suit Mata who wants to come central, knocking it wide either takes him out of the game or if the ball comes to him puts him in a position he doesn't really want to be in, and it doesn't work with Valencia/Young as their service in general has been poor.

Thats where I think Moyes has caused his own problems, he wants to play with wide players but they're not performing their basic function of putting in a good ball but also, particularly with Valencia they're not offerring different sorts of movements that others like Mata could utilise. For example Valencia is not gonna make a run inside from the right, if he did Mata (or kagawa/Januzaj) might be able to try and play him in.

Playing Rooney and RVP both quite high isn't great either as mentioned above and all the more bizarre when pretty much everyone accepts, Moyes seemingly included, that the midfield needs strengthening. I guess the question would be is this how Moyes want to play or is it an issue with RVP/Rooney both wanting to lead the line? Either way it doesn't seem the ideal way to get the most from the players as a whole.

 

[bugmat]

He even describes himself as a winger. There was an interview posted on here around the time that he signed from his Chelsea days where he identified Giggs as one of his 'idols' because he grew up watching him playing the same position as him, albeit with differing styles.

It's a different type of winger though..at Valencia he didn't play in a 4-4-2 and neither did he at Chelsea..he was significantly further in 9think 4-3-3) and had licence to roam much mroe than he's shown he has here. It wasn't a touchline gig.

Not to mention the pace required to be a winger in the PL >> that in Spain.

edit: he does have some licence to roam but with rooney rarely interchanging it's blunted so far.

 

[finneh]

If he's doing that, shove all 5 of them on the pitch at once, with Carrick holding by himself.

____Carrick
Januzaj Mata Kagawa
____Rooney
_____RVP

Wooooooo.

 

[Jonno]

This is a big reason why I think a few United players have been overly criticised this season. The formation is by-passing Mata at the moment, he is left to simply shift the ball infield whether it be a short pass with 8 opponents behind the ball or whether it be a cross. Thats down to the formation. Like Rene said, United like to go wide and cross, so he put 9 of his players in the box. Problem sorted. It leaves Mata attempting crosses or short passes sideways. The formation has to change to get the best out of some of our players. I feel the same has happened with Kagawa in recent months.

 

[pocco]

This is a big reason why I think a few United players have been overly criticised this season. The formation is by-passing Mata at the moment, he is left to simply shift the ball infield whether it be a short pass with 8 opponents behind the ball or whether it be a cross. Thats down to the formation. Like Rene said, United like to go wide and cross, so he put 9 of his players in the box. Problem sorted. It leaves Mata attempting crosses or short passes sideways. The formation has to change to get the best out of some of our players. I feel the same has happened with Kagawa in recent months.

If the opponent is completely camped in their area then it can be difficult to pass through them. The few times an opening has been there, he's found it and we've managed to score from one of those chances. I don't think there's anything tactical preventing Mata from creating. He's a clever player and if he chooses to pass sideways or cross then it's probably because he's decided that's the best option.

Let's just give it time and see how it develops. I don't think Mata is playing as a winger at all and it seems that's what you're implying. He's started wide for Chelsea and drifted infield to great success. It just seems to me that we're just telling him to produce more of the same.

 

[mancan92]

The Kagawa comparisons are so retarded. Kagawa is a natural no.10 who plays behind the striker. Mata is not, he's a wide playmaker who played majority of his games with Chelsea and Valencia either on the left or right. And he himself describes himself as a wide playmaker or an inside winger and says he's comfortable anywhere behind the striker. In an ideal scenario we would play Mata on the right, Kagawa in middle and Januzaj on the left and have them interchanging positions throughout the game.

442 on the wing is different from 433 on the wing.

 

[prarek]

442 on the wing is different from 433 on the wing.

I understand that but its more to do with tactics than the actual formation itself. Silva starts on the left of a 442 as well but is allowed to cut in and do his thing because it is not a rigid 442.

 

[LR7]

I'm not sure the problem is in where Mata plays. I think it's the way we play.

If we continue to rely on crosses as our primary means of attack, Mata will just be another means to spread the ball wide, or whip a cross in. We won't get the best out of him unless we gear ourselves more towards focusing on play through the middle which Mata can't do by himself.

The fact that we play quite spread out without 2-3 players immediately running into space to offer themselves as passing options for the person who has the ball means that play through the middle is always going to be more difficult. We really need to work on not only being more compact but better team shape, movement off the ball and always having players within close proximity to immediately make themselves available create good passing angles. Too often the person with the ball is looking, and looking and looking where to pass to and no one is showing themselves or they're all so far away.

I thought the addition if Juan Mata meant that we were looking to adapt and shift our focus from being mainly down the flanks but I've not seen anything to suggest that we're looking to make any changes in that sense, it seems more likely that like Kagawa, Mata will have to adapt to the invariable way that we play.

Rooney isn't the only problem, but him pushing up so high and making the same runs as RvP removes a central passing option for the CMs and the wide players. In the absence of people like Januzaj who will try to run past people with the ball, it means that there is often very little else to do but go wide and cross.