Juan Mata

[1chelsea 864]

It will haunt them more than Chelsea

How on earth will this haunt United, exacly?

Mata is good player no doubt but the style of play Jose is setting up can hide player like mata intelligent play like what man city use their physical figures to cover player like mata. This game is going beyond fluidity now physicality is out classing fluidity. I just which Jose get it right so it really not haunt us

[milka 3,308]

Spanish TV also saying Juan Mata to Manchester United is a done deal.

[Peppen 934]

I'll miss Mata incredibly much, IF he signs for United. God, he is SUCH a decent bloke, smart and so very kind and humble. An example for all footballers in terms of personality and behavior.

However if he signs for United, he'll be a United player. I'll wish him the very best, but his team to hell. He'll look so weird in red, why, Chelsea, why?!

It is Chelsea first and foremost, and while I disagree with the notion of selling Juan, I understand the arguments for doing so. If Rooney is brought in, or another top class striker + a DECENT (see: not Moses-esque) replacement, I'd be content, not happy, not infuriated, but okay, I guess.

I love Mata as much as the next guy, but as many have stated before me, the club comes first. I wouldn't claim that "we're the new United" in any way. Who'd want to be like them, anyways? (I get the sentiment)

I hope he stays, but if he leaves then... Farewell, Mata. Thanks for everything, the UCL, the FA Cup, your wonderful spirit and personality. Good luck, but not against Chelsea or in terms of silverware.

[Tortilla9 390]

Whilst it makes me sick that our board are willing to do business with those cunts after they refused to do the same when we wanted one of their players, I'm surprisingly cool about this. Mata is just too nice a guy for me to start hating him even if he was playing for one of our rivals. One thing I don't get though, if Mourinho refused to loan Ba to Arsenal because he considered them our rivals then why is he happy to sell Mata to Manchester United? Still hope PSG or some other club does a Willian here but at this point it's not looking likely.

Will have to start looking for a new avatar now, had this one since May 19th 2012.

Maybe Jose feels that Mata is not that big a loss so trading him to a rival is not that big a deal. Or he feels Moyes is clueless so United is not a threat. I honestly don't get trading him to United. Maybe it's a combo of Mata not being his type of player and Moyes not being very good. Can't imagine he'd trade him to United if Fergie was still there.

[NiclasCFC 2,582]

Whilst it makes me sick that our board are willing to do business with those cunts after they refused to do the same when we wanted one of their players, I'm surprisingly cool about this. Mata is just too nice a guy for me to start hating him even if he was playing for one of our rivals. One thing I don't get though, if Mourinho refused to loan Ba to Arsenal because he considered them our rivals then why is he happy to sell Mata to Manchester United? Still hope PSG or some other club does a Willian here but at this point it's not looking likely.

Will have to start looking for a new avatar now, had this one since May 19th 2012.

Dont change your Avatar mate! Its a TC Classic, keep it in Mata's Honor.

[Toli 977]

United making us look like clowns. and Mourinho also. thanks to that. 45 m is a decent price, probably could have squeezed 5 m more out of them. and we still wont get rooney. great . now we have money but cant spend it.

[didierforever 7,349]

you may have a point, I just don't see Mata stepping into ManUtd that easily and being the player that can give as many assists and score as many goals - especially as much as last season's where there was a system built around him. No top5 team in the world currently would build their teams around Mata because he isn't that pivotal or deciding enough and if they don't have enough dividends why invest doing him that guy? The only way imo for Mata to have last season's stats is by having plenty of freedom (as he did) and such freedom means building the team around him.

And you're right, all my posts about him I come from a place where I assume he isn't suited for United, the same way I don't think he's suited for those 5 best teams in the world because I think the latest 'trend' in modern football doesn't particularly highlight his attributes. Meaning he could be THE GUY in second tier teams - such as an emerging Atletico or an Italian 'giant' (if we could even call any team in Italy big these days, in terms of competitiveness), but he can't be the main star in teams such as Chelsea, Bayern, Barça, Real Madrid, Dortmund, ManUtd. Second strengths such as City, Arsenal, PSG and Juve wouldn't build teams around Juan Mata either. Not even Liverpool would. That's for sides like Napoli, Inter, Atletico, Monaco, Milan - if not lesser teams, simply because Mata doesn't give back enough for teams bigger than this to change a whole system and afford the exposure he brings mainly because he's way too slow, likes to play with the ball on his feet instead of receiving it on the run. I think Mata's career would be much easier and he'd have much more success if he was about 5 years older. He would have enjoyed a period in modern football where clubs were building their teams around #10s. Nobody does that these days. Even Messi that's started as a #10 evolved into something else... When was the last time a #10 was a Balon d'Or finalist? The guy that played out of their mind and was undoubtedly one of the best in the world? I remember Wesley Sneijder 4 years ago.

#10 are by definition slower players who are very creative and the rub where most all balls in the attack go through. They distribute balls like no others. Thing is high pressing isn't something Mourinho came up with. It's part of modern football these days. Football is much more based on speed, directness than it was a few years ago and in getting the ball back in the attack in a way to quickly shoot on goal instead of building from behind, slowly and calmly. That's the latest trend that teams like RM, Bayern and Dortmund brought. It was the answer to Barça's tiki taka the same way something else will be the answer to high pressing a couple of years down the road.

first things first, why would not utd form a team around him? what exactly in their campaign is going right that they would not want someone like mata to take charge. united at the moment seem like a beaten team, a bunch of beaten players. these were the very players who simply steam rolled thru the PL last season. all they need is a change in mentality and someone to give them a bit of a hope. look what has happened to arsenal. the same team (literally) which struggled to get top 4 is sitting right at the top of the table with 22 matches having been played. thats what a player like mata/ozil can do.

we will have to agree to disagree here. these "trends" in football are shortlived. in the end you need a team which has its own "system", its own "personality and character". i dont fault mourinho for not using mata. mou wanted to build a team for long term and he is doing exactly that. he wants it to be "his team" and every player to play in a certain way. which is all good. but to say that mata cant be the person who we can build a team around is simply, to put it lightly NOT CORRECT. MATA is a quality player. i think we have forgotten the extent of his genius and what he has done for us. this guy was the same player that was our POTY when we won a CL, an FA cup and an EL. that is massive. no one who does not have "quality" can do that. you can talk about mourinho's system or the latest trend in football of pressing and winning the ball back, but the truth is that, there is no single mantra for success. and in the end, its all about success. how did chelsea win the CL, how did inter milan? you are right about mata being an old-school no.10, but you hugely underestimate his importance. mata is great at breaking down defences and creating chances. for a team like united who have rvp and rooney, that is similar to hitting gold. u can talk about pressing and the "trend" but in a league except for the top 5 teams, most just park the bus and that is where mata comes in.

[Polo7 3,496]

If we don't sign a forward this transfer window then this was a fucking stupid idea. Sell him in the summer not now, right in the last week on the transfer window.

[Special Juan 27,104]

People saying fuck you Jose ha ha ha

[Gilvorak 3,734]

Spend it on who exactly?

Costa who is currently in the title race & CLrace & could be a one season wonder for all we know? Falcao who just suffered a season ending injury? Cavani who PSG have no incentive to sell? Rooney who would be included in the Mata deal if it was possible?

Who exactly is this World Class striker we're going to sign in January? The only logical reason for selling Mata is if it was abroad, there's no logical reasoning in weakening our squad in the middle of the season.

[Special Juan 27,104]

Can people stop mentioning Rooney here please? He's not coming, get over it.

We just handed them a CL spot on a platter. Fucking disgusting.

reading your post wreaks of meltdown imminent from you

[Gilvorak 3,734]

People saying fuck you Jose ha ha ha

What's the difference between that and the wankers calling Mata a Judas on twatter?

[We Hate Scouse 10,261]

People saying fuck you Jose ha ha ha

Don't see what's the Mata with them it's only Juan squad player.

[OnePound 22]

Mou doesn't rate him and everybody know it since September when he said "I want to build with Oscar as my number 10".

He isn't the type of winger that Mourinho wants and Mou doesn't play him, so I'm not sure what people were expecting to happen but Mata's departure from Chelsea was too obvious for me.

Goodbye and Good Luck, Mata!

[Gilvorak 3,734]

I still remember the baffling happiness from some posters on here after we sold Sturridge to those scouse cunts.

Dat profit really helped us didn't it?

Now all of a sudden those same people trying to justify that deal are the first ones to bump the Sturridge thread.

[Jype 6,398]

When Mata goes it leaves us one AM short, can't see us buying a replacement so could recalling one of the loanees be an option? Piazon maybe?

Selling De Bruyne is all of a sudden not looking so good anymore...

[GodZola 630]

There is only way this transfer will happen and that is if Rooney is coming our way, don't listen to the bollocks that it ain't happening - wait til the summer when its announced that he is signing for us, one year left on his contract, won't sign another deal, Utd won't risk letting him go for nothing when he would walk from Manchester to sign for us , Jose won't permit this to happen other than a swap deal of some description, after all he wouldn't even let Ba go to Arsenal which tells you everything about this situation.

For all the would be football managers on here who believe we are better off without Juan, I challenge you all to come on here the end of next season - will see whether that call was a good one or not.......

As Juan, 227 chances created in his first 2 seasons.....simply majestic a pocket genius and one of the few players that are worth going to pay to watch. Can't stand Utd but I wish him well all the same.

God forbid anything happens to the wonderful talent that we have in Hazard because the other attacking midfieders have talent but nowhere near that of him or Mata.

[Pizy 17,860]

All these journo's bringing up FFP for us...

I thought it was widely accepted that the only reason we posted a loss last season was down to crashing out of the CL early? We've already made it to the last 16 and I thought those figures didn't include the £300m sponsorship deal and the new TV money? Hw are we even close to the FFP danger point?