I know this topic is pretty much redundant and there is nothing any of us can do about it now.  But do you think that if Jose gave Juan a legit shot at proving himself (week in and week out), that he would still be at this club and we would be in a different situation in the EPL?  

Hindsight is always 20/20, but with the way Mata has played since going to Manure (2 great goals today), I feel like we've been missing the way he controlled the flow of the game.  He was always a pass first, shoot second type of midfielder, and all of our AMs now are the exact opposite.  Let me know what you think (in a non-biased Mata loving way).    

Jose wants the team to play a certain way. Mata has the defensive and pressing capabilities of a Cod.

 

If even one player slacks off in the pressing then the entire team is sprinting around for no reason as there will always be 1 open man.

Jose wants the team to play a certain way. Mata has the defensive and pressing capabilities of a Cod.

 

A bit harsh there Jonty but I can't see the point of this topic either. Mata has gone, we got a very good price for him. Move on TrueBlue

At the start of the season i would say that we didn't miss Mata much at all, he was out of form and Oscar was in form. Now though i think we could have really done with having him around. With the dip in form that Oscar is now going through and the lack of creativity from the midfield it would have been very hard for Mourinho to keep Mata on the bench.

 

I get why some fans are annoyed about Mata going, i still find it hard watching him play for United myself. But here is how i deal with it. I just remember that HE wanted to leave us. Mourinho was more than happy to keep him, but instead of fighting for his place, Mata decided to go. Mata himself said he wanted to be like Terry and Lampard and be a Chelsea legend, well they worked hard to be Chelsea legends, it didn't just come easy for them. He decided that he didn't want to work at it, and the first time that things got tough, he jumped ship. If he truly wanted to be a Chelsea legend he wouldn't have just quit like he did.

 

Selling him to United is what annoys me most though. Yes, i know we got a nice amount of money for him, but i would still rather see him playing somewhere else. We all know what he is capable of doing, and after what happened with Sturridge i would have prefered to have not taken the risk. You never know what the future holds. I am sure when we sold Sturridge last January people never would have thought that he would be picking up a winners medal for Liverpool only a season later. I worry that we will face the same kind of situation with Mata and that would be really hard to take.

I am sure when we sold Sturridge last January people never would have thought that he would be picking up a winners medal for Liverpool only a season later. I worry that we will face the same kind of situation with Mata and that would be really hard to take.

No, but I thought that (and so did others)  he would score a hatful, and that Liverpool would finish higher than seventh. The true measure will be next season if we dont get a creative outlet who can carry his weight defensively.

A bit harsh there Jonty but I can't see the point of this topic either. Mata has gone, we got a very good price for him. Move on TrueBlue

I make jonty right I'm afraid. Seeing him just stick his leg out when a player went past him, or give up when he was barged off the ball used to S**t me no end.

Mata was a square peg in a round hole under Jose. You can't expect a coach to change his whole football philosophy for one player.

It's Mata we are talking about, not Messi or Ronaldo.

He is a united player now, can't we just leave it like that?

Let's just say this thread didn't pop up after everton, city, liverpool, arsenal, fulham, stoke. And hardly when united even managed to win. People have very selective memories when it comes to him. Dunno how many times we had the same problems the past couple years even when mata was in the side. If he was what you are saying he was... he would still be here.

 

Also what Scott Harris said. Not the third paragraph though. Will take a while for united to win the prem again.

Edited April 27, 201410 yr by Stim

I think mourinho backed the wrong horse in Oscar. At 26 we could have built a team around mata for 5 years.

Aboce all else the biggest thing we miss is his match winning contributions.

Personally, I did not really think it was a fair go, no. I thought the whole saga was a little bizarre and that, even when he played and played well, it seemed like Mata was being put in the shop window. He impressed in patches, but the fact that the preferred XI bought in so quickly, and started playing the way Jose wanted meant he was vindicated and that was that. Personally, I never looked at Juan the last few years and thought "god, he is really lazy when it comes to tracking back and putting in a shift" but he clearly isnt as good as someone like Willian.

 

When he was sold I was livid. I was livid because it was United, and because I had grown to love and adore Mata (and had been dazzled by his success) so the idea of giving him up after 4 months under Jose was just flabbergasting to me. The fact that he went from the main man to out with the trash that quickly absolutely broke my heart. I know it sounds dramatic but I was sick about it. The United thing was the real knife in the back. If he was sent to PSG or Milan or wherever, even for less money, I would've been much much better off with it.

 

But he's gone now, and life and Chelsea have gone on. Losing him is something I deeply regret, but I've said that about alot of players from this club. It makes me sick to my stomach seeing him in that shirt, and probably always will.

 

I get why some fans are annoyed about Mata going, i still find it hard watching him play for United myself. But here is how i deal with it. I just remember that HE wanted to leave us. Mourinho was more than happy to keep him, but instead of fighting for his place, Mata decided to go. Mata himself said he wanted to be like Terry and Lampard and be a Chelsea legend, well they worked hard to be Chelsea legends, it didn't just come easy for them. He decided that he didn't want to work at it, and the first time that things got tough, he jumped ship. If he truly wanted to be a Chelsea legend he wouldn't have just quit like he did.

 

Selling him to United is what annoys me most though. Yes, i know we got a nice amount of money for him, but i would still rather see him playing somewhere else. We all know what he is capable of doing, and after what happened with Sturridge i would have prefered to have not taken the risk. You never know what the future holds. I am sure when we sold Sturridge last January people never would have thought that he would be picking up a winners medal for Liverpool only a season later. I worry that we will face the same kind of situation with Mata and that would be really hard to take.

 

Pretty harsh in the first paragraph, mate. I think its pretty clear he loved this club, loved his life in London, and was probably not fibbing when he talked about his commitment. If he was offered the choice between Man Utd and another 6 months of waiting on the bench for an injury by a coach who clearly saw him as a reserve option,  he cant be faulted for taking off. Especially in a world cup year. My point is that I never once doubted his workrate while at this club, and I think Jose told it to him straight. Despite the goals and creativity, you're going to have to outwork three outstanding attacking midfielders, all of whom defend better than you. I think the willingness to work was there, but knowing Jose, his mind was probably made up.

 

That's not to excuse Mata going to Man Utd. That's to say his options were probably stay and wait (potentially for nothing) or go now and slot into a team where he was guaranteed to start.

 

But you're spot on with the second paragraph IMO. What pissed me off most was that United refused to deal Rooney to Chelsea in the summer, and then 4 months later we did them a favor. Price aside, he is a brilliant little player, and was a loveable fella to boot. Club ambassador type material. The kind of player thats impossible to dislike. It felt like giftwrapping him for those scumbags was like a consolation prize for their lousy season. "Oh hey, I know you've had a string of brilliant players for years now, and trophies coming out your assholes, but here is one more AM for you we just had lying around, hopefully he becomes another legend."

 

He's going to face us in the future and probably play his nuts off. And its going to drive me up the wall. My only hope at this point is that he does incredibly well at MUFC, while the club continues to go down in flames. And then Real or Barca swoop in to take him back home. Could actually happen, given the latter's piss poor season this year.

 

 

Anyway, sorry for the longwinded reply. I havent posted in a long long time, and this was the major issue eating away at me this season.

I think mourinho backed the wrong horse in Oscar. At 26 we could have built a team around mata for 5 years.

Aboce all else the biggest thing we miss is his match winning contributions.

 

Forgot to add this. Where once Oscar looked like his protoge in training, he now looks like a shadow of the old, creative self.

 

Mata was no slouch. But in the games where tight pressing was absolutely a must, he could have been used sparingly. Against the likes of Palace, Sunderland, or Villa where the attack looked stale and lethargic, I was wishing for 5 minutes of the old Mata to come back and carve them up like a turkey. Without Hazard, that little bit of invention just isnt there.

Scored 2 great goals? tap ins more like. He didn't get a fair chance in terms of playing in his best position but he did get plenty of time on the pitch just unfortunately for him they weren't in the big games and Mata big game productivity especially for us last season was fantastic. He is for me the best player in the world in his position and i said many times i didn't want to see him go however he doesn't have the physical attributes Mourinho wants in his attacking players. If Mata had the speed workrate and strength of Willian Mata would of played every game. Willian epitomises wants Mourinho wants in those 3 attacking players, high energy,speed,stamina,work rate and ability on the ball.

As long as United aren't challenging for the title, I will continue to wish him all the best.

Must admit, I'd completely forgotten about him.

I wonder how he feels about his move to United now.

Must admit, I'd completely forgotten about him.

I wonder how he feels about his move to United now.

 

 

Wow!  You have a short memory!!

It's his birthday today.  Still really like him - both as a player and a person.  

It's his birthday today.  Still really like him - both as a player and a person.  

 

Totally agree, BQ.  Happy Birthday Juanito!

People forget if we hadn't sold mata, then matic and salah might not have been signed....Mata would have useful in those tight games where we couldn't break negative sides down, but matic has added so much to our team

There is no way that the buys of Matic and Salah depended on selling Mata or anybody else. Matic would have happened either way.

The selling of Mata was the most idiotic thing this team has done in a while. No doubt that we win the league if he stays and is played in the 10 role. He produces, and that's the end of it.

Selling our best and most productive player over a two year span and going with a young player who has shown small glimpses of great play was a huge mistake. Especially because the deciding factor was because Oscar presses like Jose wants? Cmon!

Is this groundhog day…??

No doubt we win the league if he stays? Like we won them the last 2 seasons when he was here?

No doubt we win the league if he stays? Like we won them the last 2 seasons when he was here?

You realize that this year's team is different than the last two. It is much stronger. The players that would have surrounded Mata are better.The D is much more solid, but we do lack a creativity from the #10 role. Something Oscar has not provided at all. We have lost to Sunderland, Palace and had multiple draws against teams that sat back and parked the bus. Mata would have been a difference maker in games like that.

The fact is that Mata produces and has a history doing it. Not using his skills was a mistake.

Jose does make mistakes. I know that is hard for some people to hear. He has done a lot of good for this team this year, a lot. But the Mata situation was a mistake.

He's a good player, of course he would score goals at United, the sooner we are over it the better. He wouldn't get into the team if he was still here. We couldn't afford to have 30M player sitting on the bench, so we cashed in and got an attacker that offers something direct. Unless Mata fails miserable (which he won't), many would consider a mistake to let him go.

Can I just reflect on how f**king awful it is to see this thread in 'Other Teams'.

 

Like TWW (good to see you;posting again btw mate) I was livid when he was sold. I still believe it was a mistake. I understand the reasons why but I honestly think I would have sold just about everyone at the club before him. 

 

We may well still win a league and European Cup double, but in my mind when you think on us not being able to break down Crystal Palace or West Ham or Villa I can't help but feel a little bit on Juan Mata magic, the killer pass or the neat run and finish, may have been the thing we were missing in those games. Right now those games are the difference between us and being top of the Premier League with two matches to go.