Juan Mata

Originally Posted by PeakyBlinder

So why did you quote me you crank?

Couldn't be bothered going back even one page to quote the original post

Originally Posted by Zorg

That first reply

Originally Posted by atticusgrinch

Pesto is a great little player tbf.

Isn't that the BBC Economics Editor? Well, almost

Close to being a very late arrival to the Mata camp, tbf. Just want to see him do it across this next run of games

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

Close to being a very late arrival to the Mata camp, tbf. Just want to see him do it across this next run of games

Think he will with the new look forward line. Last season especially he was just another attacker with no pace playing in a position were used to having pace in. Martial coming has been so important.

Originally Posted by Crumps

Think he will with the new look forward line. Last season especially he was just another attacker with no pace playing in a position were used to having pace in. Martial coming has been so important.

Yep. The forward line was the big issue last season, that's been addressed now.

Don't want to risk goading the remaining Rooney loyalists, but getting Herrera into the no10 with Mata in this form is tempting.

Sunday feels like a huge game for Wazza. He'll start, nqat. Needs an old school big boy performance against them lot.

I love Mata and on his day he's brilliant, world class even. He hasn't done it regular enough since he came, but he just might be showing a bit more towards being great. Hope so, we need him firing on all cylinders, like he showed most of last night, he's a game changer and a game winner, on his day.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

Yep. The forward line was the big issue last season, that's been addressed now.

Don't want to risk goading the remaining Rooney loyalists, but getting Herrera into the no10 with Mata in this form is tempting.

Sunday feels like a huge game for Wazza. He'll start, nqat. Needs an old school big boy performance against them lot.

Herrera as a midfielder as opposed to a ten and I'm sold. No one has played that ten role well for my money. Would make us harder to break down too.

Originally Posted by Crumps

Herrera as a midfielder as opposed to a ten and I'm sold. No one has played that ten role well for my money. Would make us harder to break down too.

Going Team Siders on this. I prefer Herrera as a ten, he's a bit profligate in the centre.

Schwein-Schneid (though has to pull his socks up from yesterday)
Mata-Herrera-Memphis
Martial

Get a load of that, £#%&!ers.

Still not sold on him as a go to guy in a team that wants to be the best & steam roller the opposition.

He doesn't seem to dominate games whether played centrally or from the initial wide right position.

Much like we'd be much more potent with Rooney replaced, I think we would be better off with a quick & incisive player starting on the right instead of Mata.

Lingaard's runs showed that to a degree when he came on.

I feel a bit sorry for Mata tbh. Every player has his strengths and weaknesses, and it's up to the management to find the best way to play to those strengths, yet here we have a player whose main attributes are his vision, passing ability and nose for goal, and we do nothing to accomodate that, and when that's the case all you are left with are his weaknesses.

Look, let's be honest; Mata is never going to be able to blast past a left back and hit the byline, so if you are not going to give him an overlapping right back or at least an advanced right sided central midfielder to play off of, as he did so well with Herrera last year, what's the point? Even in 2015 with all the modern game's advanced tactics and set ups, a well executed overlap is still the move hardest to defend against, yet we just won't do it.

We all saw Valencia finally make one of those runs against Moscow, Herrera hits him with a beautiful through ball and we equalize. That's all there is to it. Here's a good idea though, that worked so well let's never do it again. It can't be the coaching, because Shaw does it -although he prefers an underlap- and Blind did a bit when he filled in at left back, so it must be the players.

Playing Mata wide right with no proper support is like putting a clamp on a ferrari.

Valencia was up and down the right side all day yesterday, until he went off, overlapping the Spanish traffic cone time and time again, it was his delivery that let him down, big time. Rojo was doing some serious overlapping other side as well. Tbf to City they covered it well in the main, but on the one occasion Rojo got there and delivered Rooney was 10 yards behind play daydreaming about his birthday piss up after the match, the fuking shit fat bastard.

I think I even shouted something along the lines of 'why the £#%&! aren't you in the box you £#%&!ing shit fat bastard' as he looked around, confused, from Kompany's pocket after the ball had fizzed through the space he should've been occupying.

Originally Posted by dunk

Valencia was up and down the right side all day yesterday, until he went off, overlapping the Spanish traffic cone time and time again, it was his delivery that let him down, big time. Rojo was doing some serious overlapping other side as well. Tbf to City they covered it well in the main, but on the one occasion Rojo got there and delivered Rooney was 10 yards behind play daydreaming about his birthday piss up after the match, the fuking shit fat bastard.

I think I even shouted something along the lines of 'why the £#%&! aren't you in the box you £#%&!ing shit fat bastard' as he looked around, confused, from Kompany's pocket after the ball had fizzed through the space he should've been occupying.

There's no point Valencia getting up and down though. If he's in the final 3rd he may as well just kick it out for a goal kick (which he does more often than not to be fair to the lad) - i've seen Halley's comet as many times as accurate final balls from big Tony.

Originally Posted by atticusgrinch

There's no point Valencia getting up and down though. If he's in the final 3rd he may as well just kick it out for a goal kick (which he does more often than not to be fair to the lad) - i've seen Halley's comet as many times as accurate final balls from big Tony.

I know, £#%&!ing 3 times straight out for a GK first half :shakehead:

I was answering the point about poor Mata getting no support or overlaps though. Clearly %@#$&!s. Was £#%&!ing funny first half, Herrera and Valencia playing around City to get Valencia in behind early doors, Mata stood still, just spinning around watching them pass and move, before the pair jetted off leaving him on the halfway line

Originally Posted by dunk

I know, £#%&!ing 3 times straight out for a GK first half :shakehead:

I was answering the point about poor Mata getting no support or overlaps though. Clearly balls. Was £#%&!ing funny first half, Herrera and Valencia playing around City to get Valencia in behind early doors, Mata stood still, just spinning around watching them pass and move, before the pair jetted off leaving him on the halfway line

your are talking shit pal. mata played well yesterday. There is £#%&! all movement around him. If you are expecting him to take on the fullback in a one on one and whip in a cross, you are going to be disappointed. If we had a striker who remotely resembled a decent footballer, mata would be great.

Valencia is a frustrating tit. Had the beating of kolorov (I think), yet horrible when it came to the final ball. may as well have not ventured into their half.

Rojo was MOTM for me. As you say, if it was martial in the middle it would have been a goal from his fantastic cross.

Originally Posted by angrydimaria

your are talking shit pal. mata played well yesterday. There is £#%&! all movement around him. If you are expecting him to take on the fullback in a one on one and whip in a cross, you are going to be disappointed. If we had a striker who remotely resembled a decent footballer, mata would be great.

Valencia is a frustrating tit. Had the beating of kolorov (I think), yet horrible when it came to the final ball. may as well have not ventured into their half.

Rojo was MOTM for me. As you say, if it was martial in the middle it would have been a goal from his fantastic cross.

Mata played well? Yesterday? Deary £#%&!ing me. Your standards for what constitutes 'played well' must be on the £#%&!ing floor. He was barely involved.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIDBdV7i5Fw