Juan Mata

[Term-X 7,891]

R.I.P coaches

[Term-X 7,891]

R.I.P Player power

[Strike 7,274]

United's model was very good. Fergie makes the final call and for the past 20+ years at United, more often than not when their team ran it's course, another set of players were integrated. If Mata to United does actually happen, I imagine that's what's happened here. Jose with the final call

[The only place to be 11,313]

You know 'what I mean' by that though, you've quoted the wrong post if that's not the case.

In a carousel climate you don't sell assets, not when doors keep revolving. Roman has full faith in Mourinho, this is what we've been waiting for all these years, a manager.

I get what you're saying but we don't have to be the new United. With our ownership structure we're very different anyway.

What this might signal is the ultimate commitment to a new way of football though. Mata is a great player but he doesn't suit the system. AVB wasn't allowed to change the personnel to suit his system (thank god in the end cause he's shit), but Jose seems to be allowed to sell one of our most popular players so that he can build the team HE wants.

We can talk about statements from United, but at the end of the day they're buying an out-of-favour player who may or may not fit their system.

We're giving a huge vote of confidence in Jose Mourinho. This is a massive moment for this club and I'm willing to back them.

[didierforever 7,349]

Unless we play a 433 or use Ramires on the wing. OH NO, Rami on the wing....is Mata much more useful to us in this system?

No mate I don't think that. I simply think that selling players we don't use or letting 3rd choice left-backs who have played about an hour of league football leave on loan isn't the end of the world.

Also Cahill, Luiz, Terry, Cole, Azpi, Ivanovic, Ake and Kalas is 8 players, not 6.

Mata wasn't used against Derby and we won both league matches either side of it. He may well be used against Stoke though and that's a great use of a £40 million asset.

so we are going to drop a perfectly fit and fine system and change our game from 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3 cos we dont have what? thats right depth in the region. which makes perfect sense to me cos why do u need consistency when u can simply toy and change the system every game. right? and rambo on the wings seems delicious to me. we should definitely play him there against palace and stoke cos who needs flair players to break down defences when u can have makeshift AMs.

8 defenders. so that would mean kalas and ake have played a role in our season so far which would be???? oh wait!!!!

or we can simply sell an asset who by the way might be just the thing to revive the dying embers of the most successful team in the PL history rather than using him for us, cos as far as i see it, the business end of the season is still pretty much left. add to that the fact that he would go for the same amount in the summer or probably 5mil less which could actually be used to buy a striker who would be available rather than

a.simply depleting our own squad

b. giving united a lifeline

c.what can we do with this money right now? buy players we dont need!!!

seems like a very good deal to me.

[Melanicus 5,208]

R.I.P Player power

I know you think you are smart and all, but I'm sure there is a little voice in your head saying to shut the fuck up.

And if this voice isn't in your head, it's right here - shut the fuck up, because you look really stupid.

[petre.ispirescu 4,928]

But apparently, when the camera showed the set of players that didn't start against United, Mata was nowhere to be seen.

Or it's just Jose and his mind games, allowing Mata a day off the training pitch, letting the story flourish a bit more knowing he's playing United for fools and eventually he'll call the deal off in the last minute?

[gr123 167]

We're giving a huge vote of confidence in Jose Mourinho. This is a massive moment for this club and I'm willing to back them.

Are we though? Or has Abramovich spotted an opportunity to cash in on a player that the manager clearly doesn't favour? Lets face it, Roman makes the final call when it comes to ££ and you don't earn billions without being smart with money.

[bushman 2,043]

R.I.P Player power

R.I.P terminator X.

[Eidur the Spider 4,515]

Browsing redcafe during this whole charade and apparently sky sports news are starting to backtrack:

Sky's back tracking was hilarious 'eh, we can confirm that Mata WAS at the training ground, but, eh, whether he trained or not isn't confirmed'... she actually said 'we wouldn't like to mislead anyone' - perish the thought.

[bushman 2,043]

Are we though? Or has Abramovich spotted an opportunity to cash in on a player that the manager clearly doesn't favour? Lets face it, Roman makes the final call when it comes to ££ and you don't earn billions without being smart with money.

Well, in Russia you do not need to be smart with money. All you need is to become the satrap of Kamchatka as he had. Money keeps flowing into your accounts freely, then.

[The only place to be 11,313]

so we are going to drop a perfectly fit and fine system and change our game from 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3 cos we dont have what? thats right depth in the region. which makes perfect sense to me cos why do u need consistency when u can simply toy and change the system every game. right? and rambo on the wings seems delicious to me. we should definitely play him there against palace and stoke cos who needs flair players to break down defences when u can have makeshift AMs.

Using Mata changes the system as well though. Haven't you noticed that?

And we've already used 433 with Rami in the middle interchanging with Oscar on the right and the pressing and counter system STILL worked. With Mata is simply doesn't.

so we are going to drop a perfectly fit and fine system and change our game from 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3 cos we dont have what? thats right depth in the region. which makes perfect sense to me cos why do u need consistency when u can simply toy and change the system every game. right? and rambo on the wings seems delicious to me. we should definitely play him there against palace and stoke cos who needs flair players to break down defences when u can have makeshift AMs.

8 defenders. so that would mean kalas and ake have played a role in our season so far which would be???? oh wait!!!!

or we can simply sell an asset who by the way might be just the thing to revive the dying embers of the most successful team in the PL history rather than using him for us, cos as far as i see it, the business end of the season is still pretty much left. add to that the fact that he would go for the same amount in the summer or probably 5mil less which could actually be used to buy a striker who would be available rather than

a.simply depleting our own squad

b. giving united a lifeline

c.what can we do with this money right now? buy players we dont need!!!

seems like a very good deal to me.

8 defenders. so that would mean kalas and ake have played a role in our season so far which would be???? oh wait!!!!

64 minutes in the league less than Bertrand. Fabulous point there dear.

or we can simply sell an asset who by the way might be just the thing to revive the dying embers of the most successful team in the PL history rather than using him for us, cos as far as i see it, the business end of the season is still pretty much left. add to that the fact that he would go for the same amount in the summer or probably 5mil less which could actually be used to buy a striker who would be available rather than

a.simply depleting our own squad

b. giving united a lifeline

c.what can we do with this money right now? buy players we dont need!!!

seems like a very good deal to me.

Can't say I'm happy about selling him to United, but you (specifically you) have no way of knowing that his value will remain the same in the summer. United are panic buying at the moment and normally panic buys are more pricey.

Ultimately this comes down to the reality of using Mata this season.

[Jase 43,479]

Browsing redcafe during this whole charade and apparently sky sports news are starting to backtrack:

Sky's back tracking was hilarious 'eh, we can confirm that Mata WAS at the training ground, but, eh, whether he trained or not isn't confirmed'... she actually said 'we wouldn't like to mislead anyone' - perish the thought.

Training ground as in Cobham, I would imagine?

[Kieran. 6,317]

I hope we sell him to Utd, they still fail to qualify for CL and they have to sell him at a cut-price deal somewhere abroad this summer.

[Melanicus 5,208]

I hope we sell him to Utd, they still fail to qualify for CL and they have to sell him at a cut-price deal somewhere abroad this summer back to us.

[bushman 2,043]

Wouldn´t it be hilarious if all this humbug was just a UK media science fiction again ? LOL.

[Gilvorak 3,734]

How many debuts has Jose handed to youth players this season? Which players have developed/improved under him? Have we improved stylistically under Mourinho after he claimed we played defensive and negative football under Rafa/RDM?

This new dawn, RIP player power nonsense is utterly delusional.

[Bir_CFC 3,455]

I won't believe this until it happens and if we do sell him to United, I don't know how I'm going to handle it.

Surely, we can't be this stupid. Surely, there must be someone else in Europe that would want Mata as well. Accept a little less if needed, just don't sell him within the PL.

If we do sell him, we need an AM to replace him. Just 4 for 3 positions isn't good enough. Maybe recall someone from loan.