Juan Mata Deserves Better Than Substitute Appearances Against West Ham
By Rob Edwards
Manchester United crashed out of the Champions League on Wednesday night after suffering a 3-2 defeat away at RB Leipzig.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side failed to pick up the sole point needed to seal qualification to the knockout stages. Once again, it was a lacklustre start which left United with work to do after finding themselves 2-0 down with only 13 minutes played.
Despite threatening to stage their customary second-half comeback, they ultimately left themselves with too much to do.
Solskjaer had received praise from pundits in recent weeks for his second-half substitutions which inspired victories over Southampton and West Ham in their previous two away fixtures. During their clash with the latter, United trailed 1-0 at half time thanks to a Tomas Soucek goal.
However, they rallied after the break to score three quick fire goals within the space of 15 minutes to clinch the points. The introductions of Marcus Rashford and Bruno Fernandes at half time stole the headlines, with both playing a key part in turning around the team's fortunes.
However, it wasn't until fellow substitute Juan Mata assisted Rashford for United's third goal that the game was to put bed.
The Spanish midfielder played a delicious pass through the heart of the West Ham defence, sending Rashford clear to seal the points on 78 minutes.
It was a friendly reminder of the quality the 32-year-old still possesses despite finding himself restricted to sporadic first team appearances over recent seasons.
Despite his impressive cameo performance against West Ham, Mata wasn't summoned on Wednesday night to help his team fightback from another losing position.
Instead, he watched from the bench as his teammates fell short in Germany.
It's clear Solskjaer prefers to utilise other members of his squad as opposed to the ex-Chelsea man. The fact he elected to bring on a player in Paul Pogba against Leipzig, who seems almost certain to leave the club next summer, says everything about where Mata is ranked in terms of midfielders at the club.
Since the start of the 2019/20 season, Mata has started only 12 Premier League matches. This is a startling statistic when you consider that since his arrival in England way back in August 2011, he has won the Champions League, Europa League (x2), FA Cup (x2) and League Cup.
The only trophy missing from his impressive resume is the elusive Premier League crown. Unfortunately, given United's inconsistent start to the season, it seems unlikely that will change anytime soon.
Now in his eighth season with United, it seems almost cruel that he has been reduced to substitute appearances and runouts in the League Cup - a competition which he has netted twice in this season.
Admittedly, he has never hit the heights of his displays during his three years at Chelsea - where he won two Player of the Year awards. However, this is a player who has made over 250 Premier League appearances since his debut in 2011, racking up 51 goals and 54 assists in that time.
United have looked short so often in attack this season, often relying on the performances of Fernandes to get them over the line. In Mata they have a player who possesses the innate ability to pick a pass and unlock a stubborn backline.
While he lacks the pace of players such as Rashford and Mason Greenwood, he will always provide moments of quality that can win a football match.
Solskjaer is under immense pressure following Wednesday's defeat. To ensure he holds onto his position as United manager, he must utilise all the talents at his disposal. One of these talents is Mata.
He showed against West Ham that class truly is permanent, and that he still has so much more to give this United team.