Juan Mata

[Chelsea Legend 11 4,062]

He was always a panic buy for United, and in completely the wrong position. Rooney had that number 10 position sewn up. He drops into the same positions Mata likes to occupy and is far more direct which suits United's game.

Mata simply shouldn't have played last night. I said it before the match but if Jose was managing that team then you'd have seen three workhorses in midfield and Welbeck and Valencia on the wings looking to counter-attack with pace. Mata is a passenger in games like that, but what was really surprising was how poor his set-pieces were.

£37 million for him is almost as good a bit of business as Matic for £21 million. He needs a system built around him to get the best out of him, but he's not a good enough player to build a system around and compete for titles.

What's worse is they were rumoured to be in for Matic in the summer and ended up with Fellaini. Imagine that team with Matic providing steal and Mata the bullets for Rooney and Van P... They wouldn't be title contenders but certainly looking like top 4 and fewer moves from getting back to their best.

[Yeboii 1,844]

Without blue tinted glasses, now you guys understand why David Silva was always a better player than Juan Mata.

When Mata was here he was better than David Silva...

[dee25 1,044]

Those who are saying comments like "he made the biggest mistake of his life", "I feel sorry for him"......... are looking at it through the eyes of a spectator. What exactly was the alternative for Mata? Continue warming our bench all season and watching the team that you were once the star player in win games without you?

Utd might be in a slump this season but when mata signed for them he surely knew that he wasn't going to be winning trophies any time soon but when you've fallen out of favor and the club you were once the best player at is now moving in different direction you can't afford to be picky. If he had stayed here he would have become irrelevant to the world of football and would have been forgotten about.

At least now he's playing regular football and doing so at one of the biggest clubs in the game. While he won't be playing champions league football next season but he knows that he's at a club that has the resources to bounce back.

[lionsden 4,689]

What's shocking is how uncreative and one dimensional he's become (well he was like that under jose before he left so wasn't a sudden deterioration but it was put down to loss of confidence/form). What has happened to the little magician that could create something out of nothing. looks like a shell of his former self and that's painful to type.

But then again Silva was very poor last season but has regained his mojo and looks like the silva of old again so we will just chuck it down as a bad season for him, I expect him to return to form next season.

[Styles 9,790]

He was never quick, quick in mind but not in body. To me it's his body language already just a few months in, like whenever a team mate misplaces a pass or he himself does it drains him, a bit like playing a video game with a player energy bar, that whenever you get hit it takes a great chunk off.

He's trying too hard, he's like Rooney just trying to do everything because others can't be arsed or are limited.

I know pace has never been one of his strengths but it was as if he was running through mud last night.

[Styles 9,790]

Those who are saying comments like "he made the biggest mistake of his life", "I feel sorry for him"......... are looking at it through the eyes of a spectator. What exactly was the alternative for Mata? Continue warming our bench all season and watching the team that you were once the star player in win games without you?

Utd might be in a slump this season but when mata signed for them he surely knew that he wasn't going to be winning trophies any time soon but when you've fallen out of favor and the club you were once the best player at is now moving in different direction you can't afford to be picky. If he had stayed here he would have become irrelevant to the world of football and would have been forgotten about.

At least now he's playing regular football and doing so at one of the biggest clubs in the game. While he won't be playing champions league football next season but he knows that he's at a club that has the resources to bounce back.

I mostly agree with what you're saying to be honest but you have to wonder if he could have waited until the summer for better offers.

He left Chelsea - a club that went through a transition process and is now ready to compete - and joined a club that is going through what will surely be a long rebuilding process. Man Utd will bounce back but it won't be any time soon. Their squad is an absolute mess and they still have Moyes in charge.

I think he panicked because it’s a World Cup year.

[Sidzeret 2,257]

He is rotting on that right flank at Man United. Sad, really.

[Jase 43,479]

He was never quick, quick in mind but not in body. To me it's his body language already just a few months in, like whenever a team mate misplaces a pass or he himself does it drains him, a bit like playing a video game with a player energy bar, that whenever you get hit it takes a great chunk off.

He's trying too hard, he's like Rooney just trying to do everything because others can't be arsed or are limited.

True but there was 1 United counter attack in the first half yesterday where Mata was leading it and running with the ball and he looked awfully slow, even slower than usual. It's almost as if he doesn't look 100% fit!

[Eligius 121]

Manchester United wasted all that money when they could of let Adnan grow as the playmaker.

Adnan could play on the wings and in the middle..

Adnan was United future and now his growth will be stunted.

[Yeboii 1,844]

Manchester United wasted all that money when they could of let Adnan grow as the playmaker.

Adnan could play on the wings and in the middle..

Adnan was United future and now his growth will be stunted.

Good, to be honest.

[Jase 43,479]

Depends if the player is mentally tough or not.

If the player is mentally tough, he will just brush it off and use it as motivation to prove the manager wrong in the following games...

If the player is mentally weak, he'll get pissed off at the managers comments and lose focus

But managers generally don't do that. They do so with the team as a whole but hardly a player alone. Moreover in Moyes' case, he's not a top class manager that commands instant respect like Mourinho, Fergie and his position right now is far from stable. If he's gonna start criticizing player(s) in the public, he risks losing the team altogether (if he hasn't already).

[Barbara 15,149]

He looks fucking hideous in red. Like a garden gnome on some abandoned mansion's overgrown, overrun with weeds lawn.

lol

[Laylabelle 9,534]

Think the fans are a bit hmmm was it really a need buy or just something to shut them up so they actually brought someone.

[Term-X 7,891]

Everything about the deal was a masterstroke, great bit of business, almost makes up for the Torres acquisition.

Roman could have kept Mata around 'just in case' Mourinho's stint wasn't successful, thus another coach would come in and start playing him again. But no, he had the balls to back Jose, it was a bold move.

[Fulham Broadway 17,311]

He looked fucked against Man City, good business by Man Utd , what with Fellaini as well -oh and Rooneys £300 000 a week, oh and Moyes 6 year contract...the boards next masterstroke could be Andy Caroll