Mata of Time

Article by Paul Glanfield

If Manchester United complete the signing of Juan Mata from Chelsea then the car crash that has been their season to date (by their own high standards) may at least not end in the disaster that failure to qualify for the Champions League would represent. Only 6 points adrift of the top four at present and with experience of Champions League qualification throughout their squad, the signing of the Spaniard could well spark enough life into United to see them overhaul Liverpool, Everton and Spurs above them.

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United may be in disarray right now but in signing Mata they are arguably getting the man whom can perfectly compliment the likes of Rooney and Van Persie to lift them back up the league. A kind of mythical perception has been slowly dispersed into the footballing air of a lazy, slow paced and inconsistent Mata not being worthy of a place in the Chelsea team and hence expendable to their cause. There has almost been a notion that he is some kind of luxury player whom despite the odd moment of brilliance is not a man one can build a side around. But the bare truth is that for the past two seasons Mata has been head and shoulders above any other Chelsea player, and the lack of involvement he has been afforded this season is quite simply staggering. Mata at his best will completely control a game, be that centrally or from a supporting role across a front three. Make no mistake about this - this is an absolutely wonderful signing for Manchester United.

Whether it will come back to haunt Chelsea is another thing altogether. The gap between themselves and United is large enough that this season they certainly shouldn’t be concerned. Add into the mix a huge profit on the player and the fact that a revived United could take points off their title rivals in the run in and in some ways it makes perfect sense. It will be interesting to know if Wayne Rooney was mentioned during the Mata negotiations because whilst the Mata deal could be seen as a sweetener for when Chelsea next come calling for the striker, it could also be seen as a marker by which United could persuade Rooney his future lies at Old Trafford.

So whilst Chelsea have little to lose in the short term over this deal, it is the three teams directly above United at present whom should be fearful. This is a proven Premier League superstar, the kind that, ready-made at least, Liverpool, Everton and Spurs could only wish to sign. 6 points is not a large gap between United and a Champions League spot, and galvanised by Mata they could still comfortably find themselves on the top of this particular foursome come the end of the season. Even if they continue to stutter, which is still likely given this United side seems a lot more than just one man short, the gap is small enough that United may well still haul themselves over the line, especially when the pressure kicks in late on in the season.

Mata to Manchester United is a fascinating signing and one that may have a large impact on both the title race and top four shake up come the end of the season.

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