Juan Mata

[Tomo 21,751]

Just now, Jason said:

Really? If we look at the stats - from January till May 2013 - Mata contributed 6 goals and 19 assists (5 goals and 14 assists in PL + Europa League) while Hazard contributed 7 goals and 9 assists (6 goals and 7 assists in PL + Europa League). I know you aren't exactly fond of Mata but you're over-exaggerating when you said Hazard delivered the goods to get us top four and Europa League. He did contribute to some important goals, notably the equalizer against Sparta Prague and two assists at Aston Villa but in no way he was as influential as you made him out to be that season.

I am fond of Mata, i just think his overall influence with us during his time here was greatly exaggerated. 

[MrExcalibur100 7,124]

2 hours ago, Tomo said:

 

I'd say it's more revisionist claiming he was brilliant right up until the moment he was sold when in reality was he was under par for the best part of a year before we let him go to Man U, and he has got even worse since then.

He was very good in 11/12 (although just how good was being exaggerated due to how bad Kaloudanelka and Torres were) and was brilliant for the first half of 12/13 but after that season hit the new year his form fell off a cliff and it was Hazard, not him, delivering the goods to get us Europa and top four. Judging by the comments on his thread in Redcafe then he hasn't got any better atall, in fact (ironically) most of them are talking about him in the same vein we did Oscar at the very end.

He was a decent player for us and his arrival (and creativity) came at a time it was so desperately needed but to get £37m out of him when we did was incredible business, the big mistake that window was the other AM that slipped through the net!!!

I'll say from March onwards not from the 2nd half i.e January. Hazard started playing at a different level and surpassed him at that point. 

[DDA 9,924]

3 hours ago, Tomo said:

I am fond of Mata, i just think his overall influence with us during his time here was greatly exaggerated. 

Hardly exageratted. He was a very good player for us Tomo. You have a better memory than myself, so you are able to pluck stats from out of the blue but everytime I went to The Bridge which was a lot during Matas time here... I would often leave thinking Mata was excellent.

[Tomo 21,751]

9 minutes ago, DDA said:

Hardly exageratted. He was a very good player for us Tomo. You have a better memory than myself, so you are able to pluck stats from out of the blue but everytime I went to The Bridge which was a lot during Matas time here... I would often leave thinking Mata was excellent.

He was very good in his prime, but he seemed to nosedive around about early 2013 and hasn't gone back to his best to this day. Watching him for United these days i can't believe he's actually the same player.

[DDA 9,924]

1 hour ago, Tomo said:

He was very good in his prime, but he seemed to nosedive around about early 2013 and hasn't gone back to his best to this day. Watching him for United these days i can't believe he's actually the same player.

I know man. He was always slow but made up for it with his technical ability on the ball. Now he looks even more lack lusture, weak and even deprived of any serious ability on the ball. It's quite astonishing how much enviornment and lack self belief can negitively affect a player.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

https://juanmata8.com/en/blog/not-the-time-for-posts/

....must be something serious happened there 

[Special Juan 28,091]

Probably JM being a cunt again.

[OneMoSalah 8,883]

For a player who seems to split opinions now he was crucial for us when he played here. Always came up with something in big games too, although he won't get the credit for that as perhaps others would. Think we are sometimes blinded by the fact we have Eden but reckon the team wouod of been better if both Eden and Juan played with each other for more seasons. Also imagine Mata playing with Costa, Pedro and Fabregas? What could have been. Espeically Pedro and Costa, his ability to find players in behind teams was brilliant. Selling him worked out okay though after initial outrage, same with KDB, both weren't exactly improving or showing why they should have stayed, especially KDB who was demoted tontrain with u21s after playing absolutely pish against a league 1 side. Maybe now he's flourished but.

[Sideshow Luiz 2,310]

Just now, OneMoSalah said:

For a player who seems to split opinions now he was crucial for us when he played here. Always came up with something in big games too, although he won't get the credit for that as perhaps others would. Think we are sometimes blinded by the fact we have Eden but reckon the team wouod of been better if both Eden and Juan played with each other for more seasons. Also imagine Mata playing with Costa and Fabregas? What could have been.

I never realized that he split opinion.  I assumed that everyone knew he was class, on and off the pitch.

[OneMoSalah 8,883]

Just now, Sideshow Luiz said:

I never realized that he split opinion.  I assumed that everyone knew he was class, on and off the pitch.

Well based on some United fans and the looks of this forum it would seem he is being looked back upon as good as opposed to being our best player at the time when he was here. He always delivered something in matches. Even after Eden and Oscar arrived, always did. Mourinho was the beginning of the end for him though.

[Jase 43,479]

7 hours ago, OneMoSalah said:

Well based on some United fans and the looks of this forum it would seem he is being looked back upon as good as opposed to being our best player at the time when he was here. He always delivered something in matches. Even after Eden and Oscar arrived, always did. Mourinho was the beginning of the end for him though.

This Mata-Mourinho relationship is something I'll never understand. Mourinho couldn't wait to bin him when he returned in 2013 and Mata himself left at the earliest opportunity. Now at United, Mourinho has used him more often - though not consistently - while Mata seems content with not starting games and happy to just come off the bench and make an impact. And speaking of Mata, it feels like he's lost the desire to win things and playing and making impact week in week out. Compare to what he did here, he now just feels content to let his career drift into nothingness. He's 30 years old this year, should have been at his peak over the last 2-3 years but as things stand, his career is just gonna drift away like any other average player. *sigh*

[El P. 1,354]

48 minutes ago, Jason said:

This Mata-Mourinho relationship is something I'll never understand. Mourinho couldn't wait to bin him when he returned in 2013 and Mata himself left at the earliest opportunity. Now at United, Mourinho has used him more often - though not consistently - while Mata seems content with not starting games and happy to just come off the bench and make an impact. And speaking of Mata, it feels like he's lost the desire to win things and playing and making impact week in week out. Compare to what he did here, he now just feels content to let his career drift into nothingness. He's 30 years old this year, should have been at his peak over the last 2-3 years but as things stand, his career is just gonna drift away like any other average player. *sigh*

Should have returned to Spain after Mou came to United...