03 Jul 2016 14:10:22
Mata, very close to joining Everton.

1.) 03 Jul 2016
03 Jul 2016 15:25:56
For a club reason it makes sense yet I think as a person he is one of the nicest guys out there so I wish him the best of luck if it happens. Please please please sell Rojo.

2.) 03 Jul 2016
03 Jul 2016 17:21:53
He isn't a player that should be leaving, its disgusting the way he gets treated by Mourinho. Mata has been a vital player for us since coming here. Fellaini Schweiny Adnan even Schneiderlin should be sold before Mata. None of them havery had any sort of impact since being here.
Maybe Fellaini, but still Mata deserves his chance under Mourinho.

3.) 03 Jul 2016
03 Jul 2016 17:47:43
Vital? To finishing 5th and playing negative football?

4.) 03 Jul 2016
03 Jul 2016 18:35:22
I don't want mata to play for us but i also don't want him playing for another premier league club. Maybe fenerbache could come to the rescue again.

5.) 03 Jul 2016
03 Jul 2016 19:00:43
To scoring goals and winning an FA cup. The season before his goals and assists helped the team cement a top 4 finish. Did you forget he scored in the FA cup. Can you please tell me how many vital goals Rooney has for the club in the last 2 seasons and how many have been as vital as Mata's? Do you remember the double he got against Liverpool, scoring that cracking bicycle kick? Now from our Midfield, who has scored or assisted more? I don't actually know but I'm guessing it's Mata.

{Ed004's Note - I would like him to be kept. Mata, Memphis and Lingard will be brilliant competition for Martial and Mkhitaryan}

6.) 03 Jul 2016
03 Jul 2016 19:23:10
Don't think he is strong or fast enough, he wasn't last year and definitely won't be this year, top bloke and hope he has a great career elsewhere but I won't be shedding any tears if he goes.

7.) 03 Jul 2016
03 Jul 2016 20:37:29
Id only sell for what we paid.

8.) 03 Jul 2016
03 Jul 2016 20:44:03
Because playing Mata on the wings isn't his strong point and it certainly isn't his position. You can play him out if position soo much and then wonder why he isn't playing games to his best. He is to weak and definitely hasn't got enough pace on the wings, but he was one out of less then a handful of players who could actually counter for us. He is our quickest Mid, why not sell Rooney (will never happen) or fella or even Schweiny or Schneidy (let's try it) lol? . And Ed, that's exactly how I see it other than have Mata rotate with Pogba ;) lool.

9.) 03 Jul 2016
03 Jul 2016 20:51:04
I would keep Mata as I think he is a brilliant player. however I have said before if he is not a Mourinho player then both parties are best going there separate ways so long as money re invested.

10.) 03 Jul 2016
03 Jul 2016 20:59:08
I can see the logic from a tactical perspective, but I think he is such a good player it would be a real shame to see him go.

Beckham was no faster than Mata, but we managed to play fast attacking football with him in the team. He couldn't keep up with our counter-attacks, but his diagonal passes flew faster than even Giggsy could run, and he'd catch up if the attack stalled. I think Mata could do the same.

11.) 03 Jul 2016
03 Jul 2016 21:52:21
On secon thoughts, I don't think Bexkham was as slow as Mata, but he wasn't much faster, so I think Mata could do the same job.

12.) 03 Jul 2016
03 Jul 2016 21:57:34
@CR92 - Our quickest midfielder? Rooney is still quicker than Mata, so is Herrera, I think Schneiderlin is (for some reason I just can't seem to remember hom running over any distance) . Even Fellaini is faster once he (eventually) gets up to speed.

13.) 03 Jul 2016
03 Jul 2016 21:56:00
Well it was obvious that Mata was likely for the chop if Mourinho came in. He has, and now Mata is likely to leave.

He hasn't got the pace to be a treat out wide, meaning the team becomes lopsided when he plays wide. When he plays centrally he hasn't got the physicality to be of any real use when the team hasn't got the ball.
So effectively it means more often than not when defending there will only be two defending players centrally which will normally he out numbered.

Mata is a luxury player, the ideal player if your going to dominate the opposition, and have little to worry about defensively.

14.) 03 Jul 2016
03 Jul 2016 23:01:07
But isn't that exactly the position we should be in against 3/ 4 of the teams in our league Shappy? We need someone like him to break down sides that sit back, even if he isn't going to play all the time.

I also don't think the attack being lopsided is neccesarily a problem. He can help launch attacks with diagonal balls from deep in the flank, and if the attack stalls he can catch up and help pick apart the defence.

Like I said before, Beckham often did that, and I think Mata is a better player than Beckham ever was, so he could do the same.

15.) 03 Jul 2016
03 Jul 2016 23:34:55
@Thorne, that maybe but none of them could break on the counter like Mata. And when it comes to technique and ball control Matas the best. His feet and first touch is quicker then the rest of the midfield. Rooney's been sluggish and Hererra hasn't got the ball control.

16.) 04 Jul 2016
03 Jul 2016 23:58:10
Sorry maybe I should be a bit more clearer, Matas the most skillful in the middle. His feet are quicker than the rests and he has a superb turn. The ball sticks to his feet naturally like many of the short gifted Spanish players. He may not have the pace to run in a straight line but he attacks the goal with acceleration. Within seconds he can change a game, something thas been lacking from Rooney's game for a bit nowm.

17.) 04 Jul 2016
04 Jul 2016 00:01:43
Ok my Q to you is this? Do you think it's all about running in a straight line in the middle of the pitch? Mata twist in n out of players, when it comes to him Fellaini or even shcneidy going for a 50/ 50 ball ON the floor, who gets the ball? Mata, because his touch is too quick and deft, they wouldn't see him come or go!

18.) 04 Jul 2016
04 Jul 2016 06:44:13
Did you really just say mata is better than beckham? Beckham could have walked into any team in the world and played week in week out, mata is being looked at by Everton (apparently) lol, no disrespect to Everton but they are hardly RM, PSG or Milan.

19.) 04 Jul 2016
04 Jul 2016 07:09:03
I loved Beckham as a player, but he was never really that good.

He had a great cross, very good free kicks (although there were far better free kick takers around, even 2 or 3 just at Madrid), a good long range shot, a great work ethic and was one of the best I have ever seen at extreme range "Hollywood" passes.

Mata has significantly better touch and control, shooting, dribbling, crossing, short-to-mid range passing, and off the ball movement.

20.) 04 Jul 2016
04 Jul 2016 07:47:31
Beckham put in 8 out of 10 performances twice a week for us, a class act and a United legend for me. Don't talk about 'ability', talk about consistent output, in which Beckham was second to none.

Mata is a class act too but he's no Beckham in my view.

21.) 04 Jul 2016
04 Jul 2016 08:43:25
Why would anyone compare Beckham and Mata, they are two completely different players.
As for us selling Mata, it makes sense as he is a luxury player we never needed.
His best position is playing in the number 10 role, he never really played that for us. He is not a winger what so ever, slowed our play down each time he got the ball.
Good player, nice guy, however not suited to United.

22.) 04 Jul 2016
04 Jul 2016 08:47:39
i like Mata and IMO i think he's a valuable player for us for this transitional season at least.

HOWEVER, he is not and never has been as good as Beckham! Beckham was world class when he left us and continued to be for some time!

23.) 04 Jul 2016
04 Jul 2016 10:22:21
Beckham was a good player who performed at a nearly world class level because he found a way to play as a winger despite lacking the pace or dribbling ability usually required of a winger.

What I am saying is that Mata possesses similar abilities, but adds more technical skill, and he could play the wide role in a similar fashion to how Beckham did.

I remember people criticising Beckhams lack of pace too, and saying he was just too slow to be a winger.

24.) 04 Jul 2016
04 Jul 2016 10:22:21
Beckham was a good player who performed at a nearly world class level because he found a way to play as a winger despite lacking the pace or dribbling ability usually required of a winger.

What I am saying is that Mata possesses similar abilities, but adds more technical skill, and he could play the wide role in a similar fashion to how Beckham did.

I remember people criticising Beckhams lack of pace too, and saying he was just too slow to be a winger.

25.) 04 Jul 2016
04 Jul 2016 10:53:18
Beckham could have played anywhere on the pitch and done the job, the man was pure class and in a different league to mata, best right midfielder to play in the prem in my opinion, Man Utd used to be all about wingers getting up and down and getting balls in to the box and with the players that are coming and rashford, marital with ibrahimovic in the box it could be like the good old days and see the end of all this sideways passing frustrating football.

26.) 04 Jul 2016
04 Jul 2016 13:02:59
Thorney lad, the rumour is you've forgotten how exceptional Becks was for United. Mata has done really well for a couple of years and yes did score a great goal v Liverpool. Becks was incredible for 11 years scoring 62 goals for us and created more goals for the likes of Ruud than Mata would do in 25 years. I also think G Nev's attacking ability would have hugely improved by playing with Becks.
I think Mata should be at a better / higher profile club than Everton. Jose doesn't think he's consistently good enough to play in our number 10 roll and there will be many better right midfielders and wingers out there.

27.) 04 Jul 2016
04 Jul 2016 14:04:12
'Beckham was never really that good'.

Wow, i have no words.

28.) 04 Jul 2016
04 Jul 2016 15:23:53
cr92, as you describe Mata, he must be the bloody best in the world. Then if he is soooo good, why isn't Barcelona craving for him, or Real or Bayern. He isn't even the first choice in the Spanish side. He may be all what you say of him, but he really was an unnecessary buy and as Shappy put it, a "luxury" buy.

And how many times did he break any teams down last year, or the year before that? hardly any. Even when he played his natural position, he was one of the worst players on the pitch.

I am sorry but I just can't see the romance with Juan Mata. He is a very good human being, true, but that's about it.

But one thing is for sure, he would excel in the la liga where there is no physicality at all and its all about technique which the premier league doesn't.