His impact of physicality certainly helped in the box during our play when we were on top but he's positionally always all over the place.
It's so easy to go oh he's "box to box" but that actually means you have to still defend with the team as well being in the right place, far too often he's out of position in defensive phase wandering round like a headless chicken.
Got nothing against him, but he has these issues and despite the goal, it doesn't magically go away.
Yeah, he is doing what his manager tells him to do, what the ****?
Agree with all this, I thought Jones and Rojo were solid tonight for the 1st time. Was Rafa and Shaw that were the problem at the back tonight, but that will get better after more games. Still very confident we will finish in top 4.Also many are forgetting that this team barely played 4-5 games together and with 2 International breaks in between. Our backline was almost new. Rojo and Jones played with each other for the first time.
We are very good at attacking, other aspects like defending as a team will come with time. Players barely know each other.
I for one am confident that we are moving in right direction. 6 new players and it takes time to integrate them all to first team.
We were on the front foot and attacking all game since Fellaini came on, what do you expect from his going to the defensive position when Blind was playing as DM, Jones pushed up so higher so was Rojo. I really believe you just watch few clips of Fellaini and come to conclusion with no context whatsoever.
TBF he did win a lot of tackles and broke up there play, hence why they struggled to get out there half 2nd half.What does being on the front foot or anything else about our play have to do with Fellaini's positional sense when THEY have the ball?
We're not talking about his strengths and what he offers a team, that is obvious.
Well it's Mata's job to find space.You can't really blame Mata too much, I mean WBA are known for being 2 banks of four solid with little space between the lines.
What does being on the front foot or anything else about our play have to do with Fellaini's positional sense when THEY have the ball?
We're not talking about his strengths and what he offers a team, that is obvious.
You can't really blame Mata too much, I mean WBA are known for being 2 banks of four solid with little space between the lines.
Unreal post. Player who the worst player in the pitch cannot be blamed but who did well was awful. Double standards. If Rooney played anywhere near as badly as Mata you would be having a massive meltdowns on his wages and how he is **** and all that.
Could be a big two points lost for United, that. Especially considering they play City, Chelsea and Arsenal in three of the next four matches
Err ok... so he is playing a free-role in the team? Or is he just out of position purposely looking lost during when they have the ball when we aere in defensive shape?
It's not just this one game anyway, it's every game.
Well it's Mata's job to find space.
I love Mata and most times when I've watched him in a utd shirt which hasn't been that often in all honestly he has usually been involved in a goal but it just seems to me he is half the player he was in his first two seasons at Chelsea. Again as I've said I don't watch utd that often so I may be wrong but what might it be that's stopping him performing at his best? Does utds style of play not suit him or is he not being played in his best role or what?
I would agree. Also anemic RVP isn't helping. Mata needs to be more direct, there are plenty of runners from midfield now, now United needs forwards to make runs. Welbeck is good at that, but RVP and Falcao are much better. Shame one is unfit and the other is in bad form.Yup. I don't get the lack of space excuse at all. Mata is supposed to be good at exactly that, breaking down the sides that just sit deep and compact. That's what he did at Chelsea and he was ******* brilliant at it.
Anyway, I'm also having a hard time figuring out what's going on with him. I think the team maybe just has too much showrunners on the pitch for him to really shine. Di Maria and Blind and Herrera are all constantly on a lookout for a forward pass, in which case it would probably help if #10 would play a little more direct instead of doing the tippy-tappy football.