Juan Manuel Mata

[Ode to Django]

Of course they would. He's the English Xavi

Xavi is the Spanish Joey Barton you mean

 

[antonnn]

Dat touch.

 

[DonAndres]

Dat touch.

 

[Karnivore]

Dat touch.

With the exception of Messi and possibly Iniesta, he's the best first touch in Europe. Can ping the ball at him and he'll bring it down flawlessly. I love him, will be regarded as our greatest ever player if he keeps this up, not seen genius like him since Zola.

That said, will be interesting to see how Hazard develops, he terrorised Arsenal yesterday in the first half.

 

[DonAndres]

Mata is seriously one of the best in the world right now imo. Young, elegant, and Chelsea's best player. Didn't he go to college?

 

[Galning]

Mata is seriously one of the best in the world right now imo.

And not selected for the Spain squad. Harsh.

 

[Karnivore]

And not selected for the Spain squad. Harsh.

Sadly Spain have a core team that they simply won't change (and rightly so). Even when Valdes was playing much better than Casillas he still couldn't get in the team, and the same goes for Fabregas who has had (considerably) more productive seasons than Iniesta, Alonso and Xavi when at Arsenal.

He'd be a starter for anyone else. Wish he were English. We rant and rave about the likes of Wilshere as he's the closest to one of these Spanish type players right now, but he's not even in the same league as Mata, Cazorla or Fabregas, and they struggle to be first team regulars for Spain.

This season Mata has been head and shoulders better than Silva, won't get picked ahead of him for Spain though (and Mata was better for Valencia than Silva was too actually).

 

[Gareth Bale]

Mata is not better than Silva.

 

[DonAndres]

Mata is not better than Silva.

no he's MUCH better than Silva. More consistent, better touch, younger, faster, better vision, more flair, better set pieces and free kicks, etc. The only thing Silva is better than Mata at is being a more agile and controlled dribbler. I love Silva but Mata is simply better.

 

[Karnivore]

Mata is not better than Silva.

Yes he is. Silva's got tighter control but Mata's considerably better than him in the final third - and his statistics back that, both for Valencia and Chelsea.

David Silva (27 years old)
Valencia - 155 apps, 29 goals, 40 assists
Man City - 127 apps, 17 goals, 42 assists
Total: 282 apps, 46 goals, 82 assists

Juan Mata (24 years old)
Valencia - 170 apps - 47 goals, 52 assists
Chelsea - 90 apps, 26 goals, 40 assists
Total - 260 apps, 73 goals, 92 assists

Two and a half years younger, less apps, more goals and more assists, near carried Valencia when Villa left and the stand out player in one of our worst sides in the Abramovich era last season, playing even better this one.

I think it's absoloutely disgusting just how many people think just because a player can dribble his way out of tight spaces he's immediately better than everyone else, doesn't work like that. Silva is a superb player, but he's not as good as Mata.

 

[abual3bed1]

no he's MUCH better than Silva. More consistent, better touch, younger, faster, better vision, more flair, better set pieces and free kicks, etc. The only thing Silva is better than Mata at is being a more agile and controlled dribbler. I love Silva but Mata is simply better.

You went so far there mate. Mata is great and everything you said is true, but you made Silva look like he's Nasri with your words.

 

[Karnivore]

Nasri's hardly shit though is he? Don't think he's ever been played in a comfortable position for Man City. They have so much competition for places now it's borderline ridiculous.

 

[Ursegor]

Is that Nasri in your avatar?

 

[Karnivore]

Little worrying if you think it even remotely looks like him!

It's Vikki Blows BTW - proper naughty little treacle.

 

[Cule4life]

no he's MUCH better than Silva. More consistent, better touch, younger, faster, better vision, more flair, better set pieces and free kicks, etc. The only thing Silva is better than Mata at is being a more agile and controlled dribbler. I love Silva but Mata is simply better.

+1