25 Apr 2016 00:50:04
If mourinho takes over as is expected according to reports who stays and who leaves? Mata I'm guessing is gone for starters.
25 Apr 2016 07:49:47
Mata does not suit us.
He's a really good player but for us to move forward either him or rooney must leave.
We all know who would leave first and that's mata.
25 Apr 2016 08:23:12
We could easily see Valencia, Jones, Rojo, Carrick, Fellaini, Young, Mata and even Rooney all sold over the next 2 years.
25 Apr 2016 08:31:38
Mourinho will want to work with Rooney -he'll be stopping. The others will be sold 😆😆.
25 Apr 2016 09:23:14
Mata is a great player, but sadly maybe doesn't suit the EPL. Our league still puts a lot of emphasis on pace and power, and the end to end style means Mata is never able to fully impose himself on a game, he drifts in and out of games. Yes he was Chelsea's player of the season twice in a row, but he never totally dominated a game at Chelsea and has never done so with us. He also requires to be the main offensive hub of the team, which is not ideal if he is going to drift in and out of games. It's such a shame as he genuinely comes across like a real nice guy and the kind of player you'd want in the dressing room. But I don't see him having a future here if Mourinho comes in as expected. He gave him until January when he went back to Chelsea and Mourinho decided that he wasn't going to be a key member of his side. He was probably prove right as he won a title with Chelsea which is something Chelsea failed to do with Mata as their key creator.
Mata for me would be gone, Valencia, Carrick, Jones, Fellaini, Rojo, Varela, Young and Januzaj would all be under threat if Mourinho came in. Not all would necessarily leave in the summer window, but all would probably receive less playing time.
Mourinho likes players who are tidy in possession, don't make silly mistakes, and have good physical attributes (pace/ power) .
25 Apr 2016 09:51:51
Chelsea fan here coming in peace. I agree with some of your points on Mata Shappy but disagree on others. There were many games in which he carried us in the prem and was absolutely phenomenal. Probably my best example would be against Spurs at WHL in a 4-2 win, what a game that was! And we may not have won a premier league with Mata but we did win something better, the CL ;) I do think his time is up in the prem though, he drifts in and out of matches too much. And I think he seems like a nice guy as well, in fact there was an interesting article I read this morning with an interview with Mata where he speaks about wages in football and how he hates the business side of things, he comes across very intelligent.
25 Apr 2016 10:29:22
I still think if you play mata as a 10 and have quick wide men and a forward with good movement he can be very effective but he is wasted out wide.
25 Apr 2016 10:41:01
Saim, You have come up with one game, in over four years or EPL football where he took total control of a game. I can't remember that game off the top of my head but I bet there were times even in that game where his influence drifted out of the game. He had a great game for us against Liverpool last year, but he wasn't always in the game.
Yes he helped you to a UCL title, whether a UCL title is better than a EPL title is debatable, but I won't go into that. But his success in the UCL kind of backs up my point, he was most successful with Chelsea when he wasn't playing in English football. When he came up against continental opponents who don't play the game with the same intensity or tempo as we do in the EPL.
That sadly is why his time is probably up, I think Serie A would be the perfect league for him. Could see him taking Totti's place at AS Roma.
25 Apr 2016 11:21:22
It's funny how Mata was largely a non-factor in the latter stages of the CL triumph though, Siam :-)
The problem with Mata is that to get the best out of him, you have to make the whole team revolve around him. He has to be the main man, as he was with us when putting up those ridiculous goals and assist stats. But that doesn't make a great team. We finished 6th and 3rd I think with him as our focal point, and that tells the story. I think he'll play better once he returns to a team where he's the star guy, which he isn't at United.
He's great at what he does, but he's also fairly limited.
25 Apr 2016 11:22:24
red79, He can be effective as long as he isn't closely marked and his team are attacking. If his team are under the cosh what help is Mata? When he is closely marked how does he evade his marker? Can he use a turn of pace and gain himself a couple of yards? Can he lean in with the shoulder and muscle past? No he relies on his movement, and if his marker sticks to him he offers nothing to a game other than taking his marker out of the game.
Its a shame as I really like him, he has an infectious personality and sublime ability. But going forward is he going to be one of the key men in our team? probably not.
25 Apr 2016 06:31:57
Mata should never have been bought in the first place. He is a good professional but just doesn't suit or fit in. He is someone who would be lethal in a Barcelona or Atletico shirt. He was a luxury buy, someone to just please the supporters. Fellaini was a better buy than him in my opinion.
So he definitely leaves. Besides DDG, I guess we may see Jones and Varela leave and then depending on who we buy in the summer, players will be leaving. We may also see a few young ones go out on loans.
One of Carrick and Bastian may also leave.
25 Apr 2016 12:07:34
I could come up with plenty of other examples and he scored and assisted plenty in his first two years! I think technically he has declined since joining you guys as he doesn't seem to have the creative spark anymore. In fact he put in quite a few top performances vs you in his time with us! Admittedly he didn't do too much in our CL run but I'll forever be thankful for that corner for Drogba's goal. Think he would be great in the Italian league, definitely suits his style.
25 Apr 2016 14:26:37
Mata is a luxury player, one of those who excel as a part of a team that is better man for man in every department than the opposition, where their defence is consumed with greater threats like in Chelsea's heyday, Lampard and Drogba etc. He will never carry a team because his success is built on his intelligent use of the work of others. He flatters to deceive. During this transition period at United the quality of those "others" simply hasn't been there. As charming as he is, he was a panic purchase that should never have happened. I tend to think, with the emergence of Rashford, Martial and Lingard, and Rooney's long contract and status that Mata's time is up whoever is the manager. Did we miss him on Saturday?