Juan Mata

[Korea 734]

And I find it funny that you can compare anyone to Cris with a straight face. It's more than funny, it's literally laughable.

I did say they don't have a chance winning UCL as much as we don't right now, but you have to read my post and see the context.

I started the paragraph saying 'All that said I doubt Mata will leave in January and I'm not sure he'll leave in the summer' which means I'm talking about his options for the 2014/15 season.

We don't have good chances to win UCL this year and I said as much in my post, the same way I don't think PSG will EVER have in the neaby future. And if you think going from a potential English champion to the French champion is a good career move, the okay... Also PSG buys much more than we do, so who knows who else they'll buy and that could eventually compete with him in the position?

I know Cristiano is your god, but Bale is a carbon copy to Cristiano...

I bet if Cristiano had Bale face, and vice versa, you would be all over Bale..

He plays exactly like him, except Bale can actually pass the ball while Cristiano is a bigger aerial threat.

In regards to PSG , Leonardo built a solid team all around from GK to CF.. PSG is actually in my top 5 right now in terms of european teams (Bayern, Real, Barca, City, and PSG) BVB/arsenal are a little tricky.. Moving forward, they will have a better chance to win with their huge influx of funds they have and their young talents improving (when they finally get rid of Blanc). Also, in a less competitive league, they could focus more on Champs league..

[kellzfresh 7,229]

Psg play 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 with cavani and ibrahimovic starting.

Who is mata going to overthrow in the center? He will still play on the wings at PSG. And if he doesn't have a spectacular season, PSG will buy a replacement in the next window.

The situation he'll face at PSG seems worse than here to me.

[Barbara 15,149]

I know Cristiano is your god, but Bale is a carbon copy to Cristiano...

I bet if Cristiano had Bale face, and vice versa, you would be all over Bale..

He plays exactly like him, except Bale can actually pass the ball while Cristiano is a bigger aerial threat.

In regards to PSG , Leonardo built a solid team all around from GK to CF.. PSG is actually in my top 5 right now in terms of european teams (Bayern, Real, Barca, City, and PSG) BVB/arsenal are a little tricky.. Moving forward, they will have a better chance to win with their huge influx of funds they have and their young talents improving (when they finally get rid of Blanc). Also, in a less competitive league, they could focus more on Champs league..

maybe you're that vain, I'm not. My favorite player in activity, not the one I think is the best, is a guy over 35 and not attractive at all. My man in tennis is Rafael Nadal and for God's sake the kid can't be less attractive if he tries (although he's obviously not ugly). My second fave in tennis is Andy Murray...

So don't talk shit just because I'm girl. Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo is hot, but to say there's a player comparable to him is laughable. End of the story. He could be as ugly as Ribery, it wouldn't make him any less good. Your argument not only is sexist, but ridiculous...

Messi is more technical, but I prefer Cristiano because of his style and because, obviously, he doesn't play for Barcelona.

I don't even bother to discuss football with the likes of you. So if you think PSG is one of the big teams in the world, good for you. It tells me a lot about you. Tit for tat.

[Korea 734]

maybe you're that vain, I'm not. My favorite player in activity, not the one I think is the best, is a guy over 35 and not attractive at all.

So don't talk shit just because I'm girl. Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo is hot, but to say there's a player comparable to him is laughable. End of the story. He could be as ugly as Ribery, it wouldn't make him any less good. Your argument not only is sexist, but ridiculous...

Messi is more technical, but I prefer Cristiano because of his style and because, obviously, he doesn't play for Barcelona.

I don't even bother to discuss football with the likes of you. So if you think PSG is one of the big teams in the world, good for you. It tells me a lot about you. Tit for tat.

You dont really say why Cristiano is better than Bale or different than Bale...

I did.

Just like how I said Cristiano was nothing compared to Ronaldo.

This style you speak of is what? You mean the same thing Bale does... Running from the wings and cutting in and shooting... Rocket free kicks.... The fact that both cant dribble at players and have to dribble around them.

Their the same exact players, which is why Madrid fans didnt know how it would work with them both on the same team...

[Pizy 18,864]

Bale isn't on the same planet as CR7. Couldn't polish his boots.

[sutro 1,026]

People are blinded by pricetags these days, saying that bale is as good as cr7 is the prove of that

In reality he's nowhere near that level and never will be

[Korea 734]

I bet if Cristiano wasnt on Madrid and Bale had sole responsibility of every FK and had the luxury Cristiano had, he would put up similar stats to Cristiano...

It's not really that far fetched... Look at tottenham this season, they cant even score a goal and the overall team has improved this season with Lloris, sandro back, capoue, paulinho, lamela, chadi, ericksen, etc... Makes you wonder how good Bale was and is..... (Not 100m good, but still).

[Belgiannutt 3,201]

I bet if Cristiano wasnt on Madrid and Bale had sole responsibility of every FK and had the luxury Cristiano had, he would put up similar stats to Cristiano...

It's not really that far fetched... Look at tottenham this season, they cant even score a goal and the overall team has improved this season with Lloris, sandro back, capoue, paulinho, lamela, chadi, ericksen, etc... Makes you wonder how good Bale was and is..... (Not 100m good, but still).

You'd lose that bet...

[Korea 734]

You'd lose that bet...

You think so... He already has 9 as the second fiddle to Cristiano and doesnt even start/injured for most of this season...

In league play,

Cristiano 18 goals 123 shots....

Bale 7 goals 31 shots...

As someone mentioned before, Cristiano shoots a hell of a lot of shots. If Bale was allowed to shoot 123 shots and have pk/fk responsibility, you dont think he would of gotten close to that number?

[sutro 1,026]

You think so... He already has 9 as the second fiddle to Cristiano and doesnt even start/injured for most of this season...

In league play,

Cristiano 18 goals 123 shots....

Bale 7 goals 31 shots...

As someone mentioned before, Cristiano shoots a hell of a lot of shots. If Bale was allowed to shoot 123 shots and have pk/fk responsibility, you dont think he would of gotten close to that number?

Lets take a look at our very own eden hazard then

8 goals 37 shots in a in my opinion tougher league than spain

But that doesnt mean he is as good as cr7

[Korea 734]

Lets take a look at our very own eden hazard then

8 goals 37 shots in a in my opinion a tougher league than spain

But that doesnt mean he is as good as cr7

hazard not a goalscorer like those 2 are...

Hazard isnt in the mold of Bale/Cristiano..

Bale/Cristiano both have incredible rocket shots, are 6'1 and have incredible top speed...

hazard too me is already a better dribbler than Cristiano ever was, however, goalscorer is another thing.....

[sutro 1,026]

hazard not a goalscorer like those 2 are...

Hazard isnt in the mold of Bale/Cristiano..

Bale/Cristiano both have incredible rocket shots, are 6'1 and have incredible top speed...

hazard too me is already a better dribbler than Cristiano ever was, however, goalscorer is another thing.....

This is gonne end up in a endless discussion and since its the Mata topic we better stick to that

[Korea 734]

This is gonne end up in a endless discussion and since its the Mata topic we better stick to that

Agreed...

[The Mak 4,459]

All the players we have decided to part ways with have had the possibility to go quite easely. Kalou, Malouda, Bosingwa, Alex, Anelka, Belletti, Joe Cole, Ballack, Deco, etc... went for free. Carvalho and Zirkhov went for peanuts. The club could have sold Essien for a lot of money when it was already clear that he was past it, yet we were happy enough to keep him and pay him while he could not play. We are not afraid of sending players on loan to potential title contenders ! When we did not wanted Sturridge anymore, we did not cause any trouble to let him go to a club that has robbed us 50 million fucking pounds. As far as I can remember, the only transfer involving big money was Robben...

In other words, If Mourinho and the club deem Mata as surplus to requirement and have their eyes upon some player ; then they most certainly will not wait that someone put £50m on the table.

The bottom line is that, there are a lot of arguments for clubs to avoid paying silly money to get him — and it is quite possible that José and Roman do not even bother to counter these arguments. That is why I can easily fashion Mata being sold as a bargain, kinda like what happened with Robben and Sneijder at Madrid, and Ibrahimovic at Barça ; or even being part of an exachange deal.

I understand your sentiment, but I can still see Mata going for £30-40m purely based on his ability and age.

A lot of the players you've mentioned were bought at around Mata's age, so they went for exorbitant fees and were sold for very little or nothing considering they were either touching 30 or on the wrong side of it by the time they were moved on. The exception is Zhirkov. You said he went for peanuts but he actually went for around £13m which was an exceptional fee considering we bought him for £15-18m and he was largely unimpressive.

The purchase of Mata (and others of 2011 like Lukaku & Courtois) however signaled a significant shift in our purchasing behaviour up until that point as we had started to buy potential in the age range of 17-22 and not just established players or at youth level like the years before. Mata, Lukaku and Courtois have all flourished since their purchase (discounting this year for Mata) and we would not accept selling Lukaku or Courtois for little or nothing. Mata's first two years here should still stand as a testament of what he is capable of; it would be the main reason clubs want him after all.

That, coupled with the example of Robben & Zhirkov - that being, if the right club wants him they will still pay a considerable amount - is why it's not totally unrealistic for people to imagine him going between £30-40m. Again, I emphasise right club because we're not going to transfer list him and expect £30m+, but If a club comes in for him it's the very least we should be looking for. This is all based on a club wanting Mata, not us wanting to get rid of him, which I cannot see. I think we would rather keep him than sell him for a little amount or, at the very least, for him to be used as a significant bargaining chip in an exchange deal.

[AndersonBLUE 819]

It would be stupid to let a player of Mata's quality go so close to a congested fixture list. We need him in these times.

I'm pretty sure we will sign as little as one player in January then more in the summer. Juan is here to stay untill the end of the season