Juan Mata | 2013/14 Performances

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With RVP likely out of West Ham, Moyes has the chance to play Mata behind Rooney although he might prefer Rooney behind Welbeck.

I would like to see how Mata performs as a number 10 so hopefully he goes for it.
 
Surely we'll play
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Januzaj Mata Welbeck
Rooney
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...which I think looks class.
 
So does anyone think Mata could do the job Giggs did last night. It's pretty much the role I thought we purchased him for. Not to be Kagawa MK2
 
He's so good. That touch in the first half. It needs a good GIF'ing.

The more we play with him through the centre, in behind the forward, the better a team we will be.
 
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Easily our best game for us and the best thing is he was producing that kind of performance every week for Chelsea.
 
DevilRed said:
Someone needs to gif the touch where he takes the ball out of the air and deads it.
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that was amazing. Pity he was fouled. Would have been even better if a chance at goal had come after it.
 
50 out of 53 passes completed. His ball manipulation is like watching hardcore porn.
 
Pure joy to watch. Great, great player.
 
DevilRed said:
Someone needs to gif the touch where he takes the ball out of the air and deads it.
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Minutes 2' 5' 11' 12' 14' 17' 21' 22' 25' 27' 31' 32' 34' 37' 38' 41' 45' 49' 51' 52' 54' 58' 59' 62' 64' 65' 68' 73' 74' 77' 79' 83' 86' 88' 90' 91' for any cappers out there.
 
The guy oozes class. I hope he's shut up Carra.
 
He's nowhere near his top form yet still looks a top player. He's going to be fantastic next season, he normally would of scored that chance, he sometimes seems a bit scared to shoot but his link-up play and retention of the ball is fantastic. I would hate to see him shunted back out to the right or left now.

He doesn't just keep the ball for the sake of it or pass it sideways all the time which Cleverley thinks is the right way to play. He needs to watch Mata and how he takes the ball under pressure and manages to keep it and release at the right time.
 
Looks twice the player when playing with others on the same wavelength.
 
I think he should be more aggressive in the final third but it's quite evident he's catalysing our attack when he's on the ball in a way that only Rooney can manage.
 
There you go, play him in his best position and he's our best player and makes the whole team work. Hopefully this has opened Moyes's eyes and we play Mata as a number 10 for the rest of the league season.
 
Thought he was great in the first half, finds it so easy to play his way out of trouble and it helped launch a lot of counters. Will have to see how it goes in the next few weeks but him playing off the striker worked really well today. He just takes up positions and plays it in a way that Rooney or Welbeck when he's had to play deeper just wouldn't.
 
his linkup partnership with kagawa was beautiful. very good understanding between the pair. also supplied Rooney with some great passes.
 
good game but i m sure he s still nowhere near his best. In a way rvp s injury was a blessing in disguise - Mata and Rooney together will be a joy to watch
 
The good thing is he has a gear or two more. His best match in a United shirt and there will be more and better performances to come from him.
 
Playing in this position, he can help us bring the ball forward and play some lovely football, 2 things we struggled with this season
 
Giggsforever said:
Welbeck should not be there ffs. Not in front of Januzaj. They are all several levels above his talent.
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Why do some of our fans feel the need to criticise Welbeck at every opportunity? He offers more goals than Kagawa, Mata, or Januzaj, he has more pace to stretch teams, offers very good ball retention, can actually provide service for others pretty well, and is better defensively than any of the other three.

9 goals in 12 league starts is a good return for any striker. I'd wager that had he started as many games as Sturridge he'd have almost the same number of goals this season. He should start up top against City for me, his pace could seriously expose a Kompany/Demichelis partnership.
 
Giggsforever said:
Welbeck should not be there ffs. Not in front of Januzaj. They are all several levels above his talent.
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The fact you can't see the talent Welbeck has and what he offers says a hell of a lot...
 
He's so good under pressure especially in his own half he rarely loses it. Guaranteed ball retention in those moments.
 
Care_de_Bobo said:
Why do some of our fans feel the need to criticise Welbeck at every opportunity? He offers more goals than Kagawa, Mata, or Januzaj, he has more pace to stretch teams, offers very good ball retention, can actually provide service for others pretty well, and is better defensively than any of the other three.

9 goals in 12 league starts is a good return for any striker. I'd wager that had he started as many games as Sturridge he'd have almost the same number of goals this season. He should start up top against City for me, his pace could seriously expose a Kompany/Demichelis partnership.
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Won't Welbeck be out wide? His effectiveness and scoring ratio is completely different from them positions. He didn't get 9 in 12 playing from the left.
 
Interesting little video about Mourinho and his view on Mata and Oscar (also puts Redknapp in his place)



How much of what he says regarding comparing the two and running do you think applies to us now and how we should use him when we have everyone fit?
 
TheReligion said:
Interesting little video about Mourinho and his view on Mata and Oscar (also puts Redknapp in his place)



How much of what he says regarding comparing the two and running do you think applies to us now and how we should use him when we have everyone fit?
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He's absolutely right that within the context of how Mourinho teams play football, that Oscar is the better number 10 than Juan Mata. We don't play Mourinho football though and Mata can be fantastic is other systems that aren't quite as safety first minded.

Mata yesterday linked the play and did the number 10 role better than Rooney ever does. In my opinion he should be the first name on the team sheet in the number 10 role every game.
 
New post on his blog.

Hi everyone,

As you can imagine, today I’m very pleased about the two games we have played this week… We won both and that is really important; a boost of morale ahead of the next games! This is football and, whether you like it or not, you don’t get much time to enjoy the victories or mourn for defeats, so I think it is vital to remain mentally strong and focused on our goals. That is how we are going to approach to the last stage of the Premiership. As if every game was a final.

On my previous post I appealed to the winning spirit that has, historically, made United a big club, and I could experience that in situ on Wednesday night. It was a thrilling game, with the fans chanting and the team scoring goals to produce a great comeback and get into the quarter-finals. And I realised that a Champions night in Old Trafford is different, as I had been told. With two goals in the first half -one of them just before the break- and one more after half-time we managed to get through and get confidence back. Obviously Robin played the leading role with his hat-trick but also, unfortunately, because he got injured. He is a key player for us and I hope he has a speedy recovery so he can help us in the last few games.

We have been drawn against Bayern Munich, which brings great memories here of the Champions won in Barcelona in 1999. We will have to ask Ryan Giggs about that game and what we can do to beat them!
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It’s going to be very tough, they are having an amazing streak in the Bundesliga and play very good football. They are a fantastic team and the favourites to win the title, but we will try to beat them and reach the semi-finals.

The week ended the same way after winning at West Ham, a game to be remembered for Rooney stunning goal from the halfway line. I was asking him for the ball, but I think he chose the right option… Spectacular Wayne! The team has got confidence and now there is an exciting challenge ahead: our derby against City on Tuesday. It will be the first one for me and I’m looking forward to it. You can already feel in the streets that special atmosphere. Moreover, the next weekend we will play in Old Trafford again, this time Aston Villa. We must get better results at home; in the away games we are the best team so far.

In Spain, where the Champions League draw put Barça and Atlético together, everybody was waiting for the Clásico, even more after Atlético’s victory at the Villamarín. And it lived up to the expectations. What a superb match: great goals, frantic pace, intensity and, as it happens in this kind of games, controversy. The fight for the title is absolutely exciting now after Barça’s win… From Real Madrid, Di María had a great performance, same as Benzema. From Barça, Iniesta (he is such a pleasure to watch) and Messi made all the difference with their goals.

Lastly, on another subject, I would like to recommend to you a documentary that I watched recently in a hotel on one of those nights before a match: “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”. Very good! If you like sushi as much as I do you will love it. And you will get hungry
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Hugs to all of you, I wish you another great week!

Juan
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He's mentioning the away table too.
 
Lastly, on another subject, I would like to recommend to you a documentary that I watched recently in a hotel on one of those nights before a match:.
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I wondered where this bit was going...
 
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