Red Rants |
| Posted: 03 Sep 2014 12:14 AM PDT
The perfect number ten. However, in the short time that elapsed between him being named Chelsea’s Player of the Year and Jose Mourinho taking the reigns once again at Stamford Bridge, Mata very quickly fell out of favour.
It was clear that Mourinho saw something more in the Willian, Oscar and Eden Hazard partnership than if Mata was part of any combination, and you must say that Chelsea haven’t laboured in his absence. But have United strengthened with his arrival? The signing was not a necessity in terms of what he added to the squad. United have rarely ever been lacking in attacking options, but it was an important signing for Ed Woodward and David Moyes as they just needed to sign a name. To say to the fans, ‘we can do it’. His poor form last term can be easily linked back to the role he was being asked to play. David Moyes couldn’t seem to find a way to incorporate him into a system which appeared to dictate that the Spaniard had to be shackled to the left hand side. However, following RVP’s injury at the back end of last season, Moyes brought Mata infield to play in behind the striker and we saw glimpses of the man who had been the Premier League’s star just twelve months previous. Many United fans were excited by this rise in form and felt that it was the perfect stepping stone for Mata to kick on this season and really make his mark. Pre-season was equally promising, but with United’s struggles in competitive action continuing, Mata has continued to underwhelm. He epitomises a player that has lost all his confidence. The intricate little passes on the edge of the box seems to have completely fallen out of his game. If you watch the first three Premier League games of the season back, the amount of times he cuts onto his left foot and just drifts an aimless ball into the penalty area is untrue. He doesn’t seem to want to try anything out of the ordinary which is bizarre because, on his day, he’s unplayable. He had a glorious chance at Burnley after some stunning link up play between Angel Di Maria and Wayne Rooney, but slipped over at the vital moment. The decisiveness in his game has faded. His Premier League goal record in recent matches is actually very good, but that stems from the upturn in form previously mentioned at the end of last season. This term, like many members of the squad, he’s been wholly unconvincing. I fear for Juan Mata’s place in the team. LvG now has an embarrassment of riches to choose from up at the front end of the team, and you sense there is no way he can incorporate Rooney, van Persie, Falcao, Di Maria and Mata into the same starting lineup. It’s time for the real Juan Mata to stand up. A truly terrific player that can make the difference in this team, but he has to believe that that is the case, otherwise LvG may just try and recoup some of the record transfer outlay he’s just spent. Greg. |
| Posted: 02 Sep 2014 11:16 PM PDT
United spent a combined £150.1m this summer, breaking the British transfer record with the £59.7m they spent for Angel Di Maria, who followed the likes of Ander Herrera, Luke Shaw and Marcos Rojo at Old Trafford, before Daley Blind and Radamel Falcao joined on deadline day.
It was a much needed revolution, but one which, according to the Guardian, might have only been the first step in Van Gaal’s plans. The Dutchman is still keen to secure a world class midfielder and a top centre-back and he’s expected to try and lure AS Roma midfielder Kevin Strootman to Old Trafford in January, providing that he recovers from a serious knee injury he suffered in March, which ruled him out of the World Cup. Van Gaal has coached Strootman for Holland and could offer up to £30m for a player he considered indispensable for his national side, the sort of box-to-box United have been sorely lacking over the past couple of seasons and will continue do without after opting against pursuing Arturo Vidal. "He is of interest to Louis van Gaal but not related to Manchester United at this point," Strootman’s agent Chiel Dekker said of his client in June. The United manager could also consider another move for Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels, though the report suggests the German international might be United’s number one priority next summer, as it’s unlikely he’d agreed to swapping club mid-season, particularly as he was named club captain by Jurgen Klopp. |
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