United talking point: Mata deserved better

Nalin Mastou, Stretford Paddock

Juan Mata was one of the players who bid farewell to the Old Trafford crowd in Manchester United’s last home game with his eight-year stay at the club seemingly set to end.

However, the Spaniard’s sensational performance against Brentford was bittersweet as it left many supporters questioning why a player of his calibre was on the sidelines for so long.

The 34-year-old didn’t look like someone making his first Premier League start of the season as he displayed exceptional technical quality, attacking flair, incisive passing and fluid movement. He linked up well with Cristiano Ronaldo and Bruno Fernandes, setting up goals and dictating play from deep.

United have failed miserably to get the best out of Mata and stopped him from becoming a really top player. In the 2013-14 campaign, United signed a player for a then club-record £37m who had just won the Chelsea Player of the Year Award for the second year running.

Instead of playing him in his favoured number 10 position to get the best from his playmaking abilities, he was forced wide but didn’t have the pace to cut it as a winger. Unfortunately, he also joined at the worst possible time and oversaw one of the club's most tumultuous periods in the modern era, outlasting four permanent managers.

Mata is a seriously talented footballer who deserved more from United. However, while it is upsetting he did not hit the heights we all expected, he was a terrific servant for the club nonetheless.