Juan Mata | Match Discussion thread 2013/14

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For me, Rooney plays as #9 when Mata is available, otherwise he doesn't play at all.
 
A perfect freekick, a brilliantly taken second and a classy assist for Januzaj. Best game for United by some distance. Starting to find his feet.
 
He was not great. Feel he was better than Rooney though. His game needs good movement, pace and power around him. Imagine him supplying passes for Everton's front players.
 
Cordon726 said:
You can't say that se7en, all the other games where Mata, Rooney & Kagawa have played we've done well, Nani was the problem
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Yep. Performances against Crystal Palace, West Brom, West Ham and Aston Villa are being ignored in favour of one performance against Newcastle.

Rooney and Mata were equally as poor today. Funny that it's always others that are fault when Mata or Kagawa play poorly.
 
Sideshow Bob said:
Rooney and Mata were equally as poor today. Funny that it's always others that are fault when Mata or Kagawa play poorly.
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I was saying Nani has to share a portion the blame because we played him to be a winger, but he drifted inside more than Kagawa. That's why Valencia, Welbeck or Januzaj should have played as they provide width because we have good build up then we usually spray it out wide & cause the damage that way. That's why we should buy Reus because he does stay out wide & only comes in side to shoot.
 
Cordon726 said:
I was saying Nani has to share a portion the blame because we played him to be a winger, but he drifted inside more than Kagawa. That's why Valencia, Welbeck or Januzaj should have played as they provide width because we have good build up then we usually spray it out wide & cause the damage that way. That's why we should buy Reus because he does stay out wide & only comes in side to shoot.
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Fair point. I like the idea of playing one winger and one narrow 'winger'. Yesterday we played with two narrow 'wingers' and it was easier to defend against. Nani should have stayed wider which would have created space in central areas.
 
Narrow flank players seems to be the Moyes system. It partially works with Rafa and Evra as fullbacks but never will with Smalling and Buttner.
 
I think yesterday was the first time Moyes has gone with two narrow flank players? He's gone with Kagawa and one of Young or Valencia. Januzaj generally stayed wide when Mata was selected on right. I agree with full backs comment.
 
Didn't see the game but to throw Nani and Evans in yesterday when they hadn't started a game in a few months was odd in my opinion, playing Evans was perhaps needed with Rafael out though. Nani's first start since December. Only played a few mins against Newcastle recently and that's it.
 
Was a bit surprised how much Nani tucked in, with Rooney on the pitch you have 4 players all wanting to be on the ball in the middle of the park.
 
Norwich City - 26/4/2014

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Class. Where did you get that from mate?

Big call from Giggs to leave him out today. Mata made it hard to not pick him next week though.
 
I wasn't surprised by Mata's omission, especially after Giggs's comments in the press conference on Friday. He was excellent against Newcastle, but bar that performance he's only been okay (solid 6-7/10). We will see him at his best next season once he's settled and had a proper pre-season.

Arguably a man of the match cameo. Sublime pass to create the opportunity for Hernandez at the end.
 
I think he is a great player, but like many of his kind sometimes difficult to fit into the team. In order for him to be at his best he needs to play number 10 for me but that means finding flank players that score goals.
 
Next year he'll be our main player along with Rooney. The team should be built around them.
 
Sunderland - 3/5/2014

The one bright spark in the first half and was surprised to see him replaced.

I do think he can be guilty of slowing down the tempo at times.
 
Probably because he has no one to pass to by the time he gets it Carrick and Fletcher have already slowed it down enough.
 
Kagawa & Mata need to play together. They give themselves and others more passing options.
 
The observation that Mata can slow down tempo is not solely based on today's game.
 
I was amazed he was brought off, thought we may have seen him moved back into midfield with Fletcher departing instead.
 
I wasn't talking about the goal, I was talking about Mata as a free kick taker. Mata looks like he can do it on a more consistent basis than Ronaldo.

That said, Ronaldo could fire them in from anywhere because of the way he took them. Mata can probably only do it from right of the goal.
 
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