I don't think he will be away anytime soon. The only reason he sold him was 30mil for someone sitting on the bench.

I'd love to see him back here but I can't see it ever happening

Back to Valencia

I will happily swap him + cash for willian

If we could get him for a cheap price. I'd happily take him back, play him in the no 10 role where he belongs.

If we could get him for a cheap price. I'd happily take him back, play him in the no 10 role where he belongs.

He's not busy enough there in the system that we play. We already have Cesc so we can't play Mata too, it would leave far too many gaps.

Mata is a great player but he's the definition of a luxury one. Spain is his best bet.

Wonder if conte will want him at the head of his midfield. Would he consider blind as his lwb?

 

27 of those assists were for us. He's not the same player at United, it's mainly because he hasn't once played in a system that has suited his style.

Still 40 assists gives an idea of his skill.

Moaning about his lack of defensive quality is a bit silly.. he's a playmaker and a pretty good one at it and that should be all.. Just like you expect a striker to score goal, a defender to defend and a playmaker to playmake, everything else is a bonus, everyone has his own role, it's up to the manager to find the formula.. If the manager needs most of his starting xi to be good defensively then what's so special about that manager? 

 

The combination of hazard-mata-cesc and maybe pedro too would be mouth watering.. Having a fit and motivated diego costa as striker on top of that is just like a cherry on top.. 

The combination of hazard-mata-cesc and maybe pedro too would be mouth watering.. ..

This isn't FIFA.

You cant just play a team full of creative players who don't do much covering when we don't have the ball.

AVB tried it and we got spanked. It's just not realistic

?

The combination of hazard-mata-cesc and maybe pedro too would be mouth watering..

Yeah for the opposition. We would get torn apart.

Loved him but he's gone and I don't want him back.

I want to see Conte build a team he wants.

Loved him but he's gone and I don't want him back.

I want to see Conte build a team he wants.

Maybe he wants Mata. You never know lol.

Don't think he will fit in this team, a team with Cesc/Hazard/Mata would leave spaces for a monster truck to drive in, unless we are aiming for possession football of 75%+, which is extremely difficult to achieve.

This isn't FIFA.

You cant just play a team full of creative players who don't do much covering when we don't have the ball.

AVB tried it and we got spanked. It's just not realistic

 

3 creative players are hardly full of creative players, if we can get a defence who can excel in 1 on 1 (we got 2 already) and high quality DM, it's doable.. we also got willian who can cover from the front..

 

If those 3 clicked, their positives would cover their negatives and AVB failed because he's no top manager, however to be fair to him, he didn't have a quality DM and a defence who could stand on their own, not too mention the players didn't want to play for him..

Let's also remember that Robbie played Mata, Oscar and Hazard together with success. Those games against Arsenal and Spurs were brilliant.

Seems ridiculous given this season that he was sacked with us coming third having been robbed against United and unlucky in the CL playing essentially without a decent striker.

Let's also remember that Robbie played Mata, Oscar and Hazard together with success. Those games against Arsenal and Spurs were brilliant.

Seems ridiculous given this season that he was sacked with us coming third having been robbed against United and unlucky in the CL playing essentially without a decent striker.

Success that didn't last though.

Success that didn't last though.

Yeah.

There was a reason for that and it was because we were getting picked off with ease.

We had one bad month including a ludicrous match in which we were robbed against United and Robbie got sacked.

Not like we were porous like under AVB. We then preceded to lose to Corinthians under Benitez.

We had one bad month including a ludicrous match in which we were robbed against United and Robbie got sacked.

Not like we were porous like under AVB. We then preceded to lose to Corinthians under Benitez.

There's no telling if that wouldn't have continued though.

I loved RDM but I don't think he was ever the man to take over here, I don't think he's a great manager. It was never gonna work for him long term here IMO.

I'm nit saying things get much better when he kept either but I just think his success in 2012 was as good as it was going to get for him.

I don't believe Mata is the answer, if we don't have Costa playing our team is filled with a bunch of lightweights especially in the attacking half and just get bullied off the ball. I would love to get someone like Cavani to bring in that power element to our attack, he may not be clinical enough as a sole striker but he provides a lot in a 2 man strike force or in the no. 10 role.

We need midfielders with pace, height and strength. Mata (Loved him in his stint) has none of those and with our midfield the way it is, He is not what we need now.