You will upset RVP or Rooney by doing that.
Using Mata effectively
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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.
This.
I think that the fact that Kagawa has struggled so badly has made people a bit nervous, but what they must realise is, Mata is an another planet to him. He'll not shy away either.
Honestly if we had someone like Vidal in there as well, we'd have far more options and it'd be far more likely to work out playing Mata and Adnan from wide. But we need to find a Vidal who is a more realistic target than the real one.
That is exactly what Villas Boas did at Chelsea, with a Mikel/Ramires/Lampard midfield and it didn't work at all - in terms of getting the most out of Mata.
It might the way to go generally, not sure, but in the spirit of the thread and getting the most out of Mata I doubt that is the way to go.
I thought no one is bigger then the club.
Anyway if Robin wants to leave, weeeeelll, he's welcome to find a big club at nearly 31 years old
He moved around the pitch throughout games really, him and Oscar interchanged a lot, same with hazard. Its not like Oscar played exclusively on the wing. Obviously I don't want Mata stuck to a wing but I think he'd be great in a trio of Januzaj, Rooney and him. We just need a proper midfield now with a good defensive midfielder behind them so we aren't caught out defensively but I'm sure we'll go after one soon.
To use Mata effectively we have to allow him the freedom he had a Chelsea.
Its good to have forward players who defend, track back and put some miles in...but at the expense of their quality going forward? Why bother?
With these defensive wingers and deep midfielders we are conceding goals for fun as it is.
A flexible attacking trio involving Rooney Mata and one of Januzaj Kagawa and Nani will be everyone's preference. Applying that will be difficult but its got to be worth it.
Last seasons you score 2, we'll score 3 attitude all day long. Mata adds quality delivery and someone who will take chances. He might not hug a touchline or track back like his life depends on it but considering we've scored 14(amarite?) Goals at home in the league...we need to think attack.
Its good to have forward players who defend, track back and put some miles in...but at the expense of their quality going forward? Why bother?
With these defensive wingers and deep midfielders we are conceding goals for fun as it is.
A flexible attacking trio involving Rooney Mata and one of Januzaj Kagawa and Nani will be everyone's preference. Applying that will be difficult but its got to be worth it.
Last seasons you score 2, we'll score 3 attitude all day long. Mata adds quality delivery and someone who will take chances. He might not hug a touchline or track back like his life depends on it but considering we've scored 14(amarite?) Goals at home in the league...we need to think attack.
Genuinely have no idea. Glorious but strange signing. Will undoubtedly improve us, but unless one of the 'big 2' is leaving in the summer, I don't get it.
The logical conclusion is a 4231, with Mata, Rooney and Janujaz/Nani in the 3.
Big worry is if we field Janujaz, Rooney, RVP and Mata up front there's a serious lack of pace there.
The logical conclusion is a 4231, with Mata, Rooney and Janujaz/Nani in the 3.
Big worry is if we field Janujaz, Rooney, RVP and Mata up front there's a serious lack of pace there.
I think keeping Rooney happy will be the bigger task.
Mata--Rooney--Januzaj
van Persie
Must be this. Not every game but this on paper looks like our strongest attacking lineup.
van Persie
Must be this. Not every game but this on paper looks like our strongest attacking lineup.
I dont care about getting the most out of Mata or any other player but only in getting the most out of our team. With a 3 men CM we'll be able to support a stellar forward line made up of Januzaj, Mata and one between Rooney/RVP. It also goes in line with Moyes narrow 4-5-1 system.
After what I saw of Januzaj against Sunderland playing from the right I say
Mata---Rooney---Januzaj
-----------RVP-----------
Not ideal playing Mata from the right but all 3 could interchange tbh
Mata---Rooney---Januzaj
-----------RVP-----------
Not ideal playing Mata from the right but all 3 could interchange tbh
I agree with that in a way. None of them are slow but none of them are really quick.
Honestly Rooney will fit in that system more then Robin. Imagine the energy and quality of a 3 attacking minded players like Januzaj, Mata and Rooney who are also perfectly comfortable in swap roles during the game. Defenders wouldn't know whom to mark.
You build the team around him, he does not like staying in one place.
Drop one of Rooney or RVP to fit in an average midfielder? No thanks.
He didn't last season when he won his position, he was the teams main number 10 and though Hazard for example will drift he always has that nominal wide role - much like Januzaj could do for us.
But yeah, if he's roaming around and stuff then it could work well - of course, you could play him anywhere and it'll improve the team - but Moyes will still take the ultimate decision to play one of Rooney or Mata centrally, much like he did with Kagawa/Rooney.
I think we will play him behind the striker in first few games(before Rooney's return), and then we will shift him wide right, and he will probably stay there till the end of season, depending of injuries. Unfortunately, I can see Rooney leaving at the end of season, but that would mean Mata taking over his position for good, but maybe Rooney will stay, who knows. But at least we already have excellent backup for him.
Whatever happens, I hope this finally means that Valencia won't be part of our standard first XI this season, it is really ridiculous that he is our most featured outfield player this season in all competitions alongside Evra.
Whatever happens, I hope this finally means that Valencia won't be part of our standard first XI this season, it is really ridiculous that he is our most featured outfield player this season in all competitions alongside Evra.
The time it's taking VP and Rooney to recover, it might not be a problem to fit everyone in for ages!
Actually its more the case of making sure that we have the steel and workrate needed to actually support this quality forward line of ours. Its pointless having quality forwards if the pass much of the time winning the ball in CM.
We will play Mata-Januzaj-Rooney-RVP in the easier games.
With Moyes also speaking about us using Januzaj more than we've wanted, I think Januzaj will be coming out of the lineup sometimes. With Valencia or Young/Welbeck coming in.
Please let him play in the AM position. I'll die a little inside if I ever see Rooney or Welbeck in that position while we have Juan fecking Mata.
This. By keeping so many players deep this season, we have compromised out potency on the counter attack. We used to be one of the best counter attacking sides in the world by relinquishing some attacking players of defensive duties and allow them to be purely attacking players. We don't see that any more. When we clear the ball these days, we have nobody forward to retrieve it, and just invite more attacks.
It's a vicious circle really. Having forwards tracking back invites full backs to overlap, as there's little danger behind them. If our forwards stay in advanced positions, it's a massive risk for a full back to venture to the byline, so there's less chance of Evra and Rafa getting doubled up on.
Keep our attackers high up the pitch. Always be a threat. Defending is stupid.
2 of the 3 you mentioned would be enough for the majority of our games specially if they're given instructions to focus on the defensive side considering the front 4.
I beg to differ. Fellaini and Carrick are painfully slow, Jones is hardly Roy Keane.
The player most likely to benefit from Mata's signing could be Cleverely. Mata is exactly the type of player who can get Cleverley back to being productive.
Rooney is better than Mata.
Welbeck could also flourish with his movement.
That midfield pairing doesnt look like its gonna work, not yet atleast so one of them will have to partner Jones.
But is he still better behind the striker than Mata is? His passing is a lot more predictable than it used to be. You can usually work out where Rooney is going based soley on asking yourself the question "Is somebody on the right?"
Wouldn't worry about the lack of pace. Our pacy players haven't exactly played well the last 2 seasons now, have they? No use having pace if you aren't talented. We'll have Rafael and Evra providing overlapping runs and width anyways as they always do.
Not as an offensive playmaker.
Paying nearly 40 million to play someone out of position is just mental. I'd rather we spent 60 million on Fabregas or something then. Crazy price, but at least we get what we want and need.
Pretty much this. With the likes of Kagawa and Welbeck coming in at times.
If we continue with Valencia on the right I might actually cry.
Still stuck with your rigid only play in exactly one position thing huh. its not like Center backs are asked to play as strikers or wingers as center backs. the footballer today needs to be able to operate effectively all over the pitch but players like Mata can handle differing roles during differing periods of a game. Mata isnt going to be asked to play as a left back.
Yeah but then again you think anyone is better than Rooney behind the striker. He has been the best number 10 in the league (and our best player) by a mile this season and he's not exactly had the best platform to work off either. I get the feeling that he won't ever be appreciated here by some people unless he turns into a 5'0 midget. I mean what on earth does he have to do? He has been outstanding in that role this season.
Mata is a brilliant player but he's not as good as Rooney. He is our third best player IMO. Play him on the flank with license to roam inside and play a workhorse on the opposite flank. When one of our main two are injured, play him behind the striker.
feck this idea that we can't play Januzaj and Mata on the wings at the same time. Januzaj is hard working, and with Rooney plus two defensively capable CMs then it's more than enough. We need to keep the ball better and put the opposition on the back foot more.
Just because Mata can play as winger, it doesn't mean that he should. He's much better as a proper AM, with wingers on each side of him. The same story as Kagawa, basically, but at least the latter was cheap. Mata is not.
My definition of a no.10 seems to differ from yours. In my opinion, Rooney is a world class striker, but only a decent no.10. Just because he drops deeper than the average striker, it doesn't make him an offensive playmaker. Compare Rooney to Iniesta, Özil, Mata, Silva, Isco and Kagawa in his Dortmund days. You see a clear difference. None of the players I mentioned are as much of a goal threat as Rooney, nor can they ever hope to be, but they also have certain skills that Rooney could only dream of. These are the typical offensive playmaker skills.
We play like crap, ergo we need a change. And the most obvious solution would be to become more narrow and creative up front. This is not Rooney's strength. Therefore, he should play as a striker. This way, we'll keep his goal threat and play good attacking football. Win-win.
The only sensible way to go:
Januzaj - Mata - Kagawa
-------- Rooney -------
Tell me who has been better than him in the number 10 role in the PL this season?
If he is not an 'offensive playmaker' then how has he assisted the most goals in the premier league and champions league, competitions which also have all these 'offensive playmakers' who have skills that apparently Rooney can never dream of that you list.
I genuinely think we can't go wrong with Mata unless we play him on the left with the expectation he should play like a winger. It's time we sack wingers off. They have a place in the game and there are times we will need them, but the crux of our set up should be a versatile attacking 4 with fluidity and getting in the hole not just in central areas but in wide areas. We now have the players to do it.
I also think if we play Mata on the right we could really start getting the best out of Kagawa in a central area. I read a comment on here a week or so back I very much agree with in that Kagawa won't be the player who drives creativity and lead the attacking midfield but if you play him with someone who will eg Mata he can turn a good unit into a very very good unit. In mata we have someone who can now make use of kagawa's fluidity and quick passing, something players like Valencia or Young wouldn't be able to do.
I also think if we play Mata on the right we could really start getting the best out of Kagawa in a central area. I read a comment on here a week or so back I very much agree with in that Kagawa won't be the player who drives creativity and lead the attacking midfield but if you play him with someone who will eg Mata he can turn a good unit into a very very good unit. In mata we have someone who can now make use of kagawa's fluidity and quick passing, something players like Valencia or Young wouldn't be able to do.