Juan Mata

[Thor 2,689]

It's truly amazing how much a players value/ability/skill goes down hill, when they aren't your player anymore. ;p

You can find my posts on Mata in here throughout mid season, and even just as recently as this season. I've always maintained what I said above. He simply isn't as good as Hazard.

I even prefer Willian and Oscar over Mata, although, if anyone were to go, I would have kept Mata and got rid of Schurlle.

[mediator 2,026]

Has an average first touch

I don't agree with that, he has a great first touch and nice ball control

The only problem with him, is the work rate to recover the ball while pressing (according to José standards).

He was drop because Oscar is better defender than him, but for the attacking part, there is no comparaison between them, Mata > Oscar any day (he shouldn't be compare to Hazard, Mata is a #10)

May be we should try a line up with 10 CB next time

[JayC 171]

You can find my posts on Mata in here throughout mid season, and even just as recently as this season. I've always maintained what I said above. He simply isn't as good as Hazard.

I even prefer Willian and Oscar over Mata, although, if anyone were to go, I would have kept Mata and got rid of Schurlle.

Fair play to you then, if it's your genuine opinion.

[1chelsea 864]

Seem fan when for hike to clear their head off this mata transfer completion. All thread look quiet

[The only place to be 11,313]

Really? There is more to it than a system change. Much more, in my opinion. You don't simply throw away a player of Mata's quality. You find a space for them. The last game I saw Mata play for Chelsea he was dragged off after doing nothing wrong for the entire game. It's all very strange.

The Southampton game? Unfortunately that game pretty much summed up Mata's place in our system. He did nothing wrong but we just weren't firing like we have been in other games. The introduction of Willian and Oscar brought pace and directness to the game both in attack and defence. It's not an isolated incident either.

Mata simply doesn't fit in our team anymore and making space for him completely changes the way the team plays. Benitez got away with playing him because he built the entire system around him and accepted that he will bring certain weaknesses to the team. That's fine when he's playing well but on off-days (and he did have them) then the whole team looks poor.

You've got yourself a great player but he has to be used in a very specific way. Fortunately you've got a tactical genius in charge

[Jase 43,479]

If we take the bones out of all this we are left with one common denominator and that is why the fook are we selling to Scum U? Cundy said last night on talksport that he had genuine info back in the summer that Jose didn't fancy Mata, so my question is why did we not sell him to PSG when they offered us 40m back then?

I'm not one to believe Guillem Balague considering of his Spanish bias and dislike of Mourinho etc but he might just have a point here in relation to what Cundy said..

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/10593633/Chelsea-manager-Jose-Mourinho-did-not-speak-to-Juan-Mata-he-had-no-choice-but-to-leave.html

[Superblue 6,372]

In terms of overall ability they can be compared - Mata currently has more; out-performing Hazard every season he's had equal opportunity in. He is more naturally gifted in my opinion too. I see where you are coming from to a point though. Hazard can get better, but so can Mata.

See one of my posts a few pages back. In a way I can agree in that I think Mata is a better playmaker than Hazard, but Hazard is a much better fit in the Premier League with his pace, running power and dynamism. I'm not sure it's a coincidence that we are much better this season and challenging at the top without the team built to play to Mata's strengths. I also believe that Hazard had a better first season than Mata's first stats wise.

If United had the choice to buy either Hazard or Mata for £37m they would buy Hazard every single time because he is the better fit both for their side and the Premier League. Mata is a superb player but the team must be built around him to play to his strengths and the team must be solid behind him (which at the moment you're not). When all fit you're best three players are RVP, Rooney and Mata and to accommodate all of them in the starting line up someone will be played out of position or Moyes will have to change formation meaning playing more of a poor crop of midfielders you have at the club.

Also take into account that Mata even when he's had opportunities this season (and Jose had given him them) has been largely poor and not contributed much. I'm not saying he's suddenly a bad player but you are buying him for top money at a time when his stock is probably at it's lowest. I think over time he will do very well for United if the team plays to his strengths but that won't necessarily mean the team will be successful.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Mata deserves better anyway. He made the right choice. We won't bench him.

By the way, you just sold us your best player. Thanks. I'd try and care about your feelings on this, but after reading the thread and comments made about my club I don't seem to be able to give a damn.

By the way, you just broke your transfer record for a player who couldn't make our starting XI

[didierforever 7,349]

Lol You? My favourite player is JT. Imagine how I felt when I found out

he mihht not be my favourite-est player but he ranks somehwere right at the top. He truly is our CLL and to find this out is just heart wrenching to say the least.

[TrippingStep 336]

In terms of overall ability they can be compared - Mata currently has more; out-performing Hazard every season he's had equal opportunity in. He is more naturally gifted in my opinion too. I see where you are coming from to a point though. Hazard can get better, but so can Mata.

That's why Swansea in the first match of the cup after 25 minutes changed their right midfield for a more defensive one to help their right back.

Last year Hazard and Oscar had to do a lot of work defensively under Benitez but still Hazard was contributing in stats in the end of the year.

And Hazard on the left was often isolated, Lampard is not Ramires that can offert a lot of support for right back in right midfield. Azpi was also more prominent in the build-up than Cole and Mata himself was often drifting to the right.

In the Europa league, Mata was not playing that much. It was Hazard Oscar Moses than often played, against Basle, Hazard was destroying the shape of their team. Against Tottenham when he was substituted by Moses, in the last 15-20 minutes, we were not keeping the ball while Hazard before that would receive the ball in our 30 meters and by carrying the ball and keeping it, would push up our block and relieve pressure on the defense.

Hazard Oscar Ramires Torres by their movement were giving extra space to Mata.

Before Hazard and Oscar came, Mata was not that impressive, I remember watching some matches in the end of the year and while Mata would keep the ball and pass it, it was often sterile as he was incapable of beating his man, drive with the ball to draw defenders out of position (it's what create space).

Mata can be marked out of a game with a player, with Hazard you must do a double cover.

Looked at the super cup match against Bayern, Bayer was pressing high but when Hazard was beating his man and driving with the ball, it was very dangerous for Bayern.

Against Schalke it was the same.

Pardew said one thing that you must understand, By his ability to carry a ball, hold a ball, Hazard can give time to other players to time their run.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Mata deserves better anyway. He made the right choice. We won't bench him.

By the way, you just sold us your best player. Thanks. I'd try and care about your feelings on this, but after reading the thread and comments made about my club I don't seem to be able to give a damn.

Damn, you signed Hazard as well?

[Cosmin 2,484]

Funny how everyone was saying that we were shit when we won the UCL and the Europa League, but now most of the United fans are proud to have a "UCL and Europa League winner" transferred

I thought this transfer through and I think that, at the end of the day, the only bad thing that happened is that we gave him to Manchester United. Because selling Mata was, without any doubt, the right decision. He was unhappy because he was not playing, we were unhappy because he was not playing, there was a lot of pressure coming from the media regarding Mourinho's decisions, so there was nothing good about him staying on the bench at Chelsea.

I hope that the controversial bullshit will stop now, but I know that this is not going to happen, because they need and they want to talk crap about Mourinho and Chelsea. They will probably start speculating everytime Luiz doesn't get to start.