Juan Mata

[kellzfresh 7,229]

He wanted to go simple,

also is it true he gets a medal if we win the league this season?

Is that possible?? I fukin hope so

[Ryan Fong 2,776]

Haha.. its funny how some people seem to think that Mata desired to leave.

Chelsea wanted to sell him and made it clear he wouldnt be allowed to play for us. He was basically forced to leave.

[duo11bluecl 207]

Can't believe his career has been destroyed in the space of 8 months. From potentially going on to become the best CAM in the world to now not even playing well in a shit mid table team. Maybe he lives a bad life in his last life so now he is suffering karma or something :ph34r:

No in all seriousness I really feel for him, I MEAN REALLY REALLY REALLLY FEEL FOR HIM. His top level career has probably ended unless he leaves MU in summer which I doubt it.

[manpe 10,861]

So he goes to Man United without having any insurance that he'll be playing his favourite position? Wierd. I remember Mourinho alluding to the fact that they surely would have promised to play him as a number 10, now he's being stuck out-wide.

Tbf it makes sense if United's strategy is to put in 81 crosses per game. Of course the strategy itself is unbelievably unambitious, but if they're going down that route, the wings are where you want him to be. Also Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher speculated that if United bought Mata, then it's a likely sign that either Rooney or Van Persie is going to leave in summer.

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,920]

Reminded me of Charlie Adam at blackpool today.

Big fish in a small pond. Looks happy.

[Kezza 1,965]

He will always be the best player in an (above) average team.

Like us for the past two previous seasons. And now Utd.

[Cech's helmet 220]

lulz

[Roquila 1,335]

I have some red shirts laying in my closet, i can paint a number 8 and write Mata on the back of them. I bet some people here will buy them for sure.

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,920]

lulz

A great happy face

He gets to play for a club that gives him all the minutes he wants and a manager that does not get on his case about tracking defenders.

[bababoom 4,478]

He looked very average today, he just kept it too simple for my liking. For us he used to always look for a defense splitting pass and we had no striker ffs

United have Rooney and Rvp.. Mata was just so ineffective.

To think if Mata's not out on the wing Moyes gives him a 'free role', which long term wont work... Mata doesn't fit into a traditional 4-4-2 team. When Moyes signed Mata i thought he would finally change his tactics, it seems not.

Another thing is that once Januzaj came on i thought he would do 1-2s with him, like he used to do with Hazard, but no none of that. If he wasn't keeping it simple he just hopelessly crossed it in the box...

We know about Mata's faults, it's been well documented, but you cannot hide the fact that he is a tremendous football player, incredible football brain and technique. I'm not sure if it's United's tactics or whatever, Mata just seems very average for them.

[The Mak 4,459]

He looked very average today, he just kept it too simple for my liking. For us he used to always look for a defense splitting pass and we had no striker ffs

United have Rooney and Rvp.. Mata was just so ineffective.

To think if Mata's not out on the wing Moyes gives him a 'free role', which long term wont work... Mata doesn't fit into a traditional 4-4-2 team. When Moyes signed Mata i thought he would finally change his tactics, it seems not.

Another thing is that once Januzaj came on i thought he would do 1-2s with him, like he used to do with Hazard, but no none of that. If he wasn't keeping it simple he just hopelessly crossed it in the box...

We know about Mata's faults, it's been well documented, but you cannot hide the fact that he is a tremendous football player, incredible football brain and technique. I'm not sure if it's United's tactics or whatever, Mata just seems very average for them.

My thoughts pretty much.

We all know full well what he is capable of. We've watched him in every game for the past two years and I can safely say that the Mata I saw today certainly wasn't our Mata. Nothing to do with form or fitness or anything like that; no, this was Mata who was clearly under the orders of an absolute idiot - David Moyes.

I'm not really sure what their gameplan was other that to lump it into the box at every possible opportunity like Stoke, but Mata looked lost. No real understanding yet with his teammates, but it didn't really matter because they just seemed to bypass him a lot of the time when he moved centrally. I know he's better than Kagawa, but you can kind of understand his plight now as well. United don't know how to use players like Mata because they've been so obsessed with wingers for the past two decades.

He's also restricted due to Shrek taking up his position. My United friend was saying that he has a 'free role' similar to Silva at City where he drifts in from the left and I laughed! A 'free role' is not 'free on the right and don't get in Wayne's way'. As long as he and Moyes are at there I don't see them ever getting the best out of him.

[Alan Partridge 1,124]

Odds on him not seeing out his contract at United?

[Chels 238]

The guy thinks that because he somehow guessed we'd win the CL, that his opinion is gospel. Laughable.

Ha ha ha, you noticed that too.

[manpe 10,861]

Odds on him not seeing out his contract at United?

How long is his contract anyway? At the moment I'd say the odds are pretty damn good. Even though I enjoy united's sufferings I don't take much (only a little) pleasure in seeing Mata in this situation. He might eventually adapt to this position but I don't think his ceiling is as high there as in the middle. And I think either RVP or Rooney will be out in the summer so he might eventually play where he needs to play.

[HD3D 1,038]

HAHAHAHA

Yeah, because everything Mourinho says in a press conference is the ACTUAL truth.

Mourinho is the master when it comes to playing mind games with the media.

First of, a player DOESN'T sign for a club if he doesn't want to. Secondly, Mourinho said Mata WANTED to go to United and not only has Mata not denied this, he actually CONFIRMED it in his goodbye letter to Chelsea fans:

Mata: " I hope you understand that after going through a complicated and, for me, new situation in the last few months, I believe this is the best choice in order to carry on with my football career and to keep enjoying this sport. "

Or did Mourinho also go ninja on Mata's mind and tricked him into writing that?

There's a line that separates being in denial from being stupid, try not to cross it mate.