Gracias, Juan Mata
A brief thank you to my favourite Manchester United player for the past eight years
Where to begin?
I knew this day would come, but I just didn’t know how soon and how it would affect me.
Whether this is the hangover from the previous season, where I feel his presence in some games could’ve made the difference, or it is truly from my shattered heart, the sadness that consumes me right now is indescribable.
The Mancunian dressing room did not only lose a gift of a player, but a loyal servant and a whole lot of class… or shall I say, will lose? Because, after all, we have him until the end of the month, but that offers little to no salvation to the price my heart will pay. All signs are pointing to an exit, with no way to return.
Juan Mata donning the reds of Manchester United will be no more.
This is where it hurts. Knowing that his presence will still be felt through the spirit of the club, from his arrival, dressed to the nines, descending from a helicopter, I just knew that we were in for something truly spectacular.
Watching him at Chelsea would tell you that. Everything that went he touched turned into gold. Every sequence that went through him, led to a chance. Every pass was executed to perfection. This was the Juan Mata we were to get in 2014.
His Attitude
And this is the Juan Mata who walks out, on the cusp of being a club legend for some, but for me, an impressionist to the highest standard. The class he carries himself not only is full of professionalism but as a man, an admirable character indeed.
This is the Juan Mata I fell in love with. Not just the football, but the character. Consistently being dubbed the “nicest guy in world football,” although N’Golo Kante is giving him a run for his money at that, his ability to perfect his craft while being humble enough to give back and to bring a spark of positivity wherever he went is something I will never forget.
Not only was this class on constant display from his presentation to his presence, but it was also displayed on the pitch.
Under different coaches, he was tasked with different roles, and as the team player that he is, he did them, without complaints and to the best of his ability.
This attitude is something we should all strive for because god knows that I don’t have that kind of patience and professionalism.
His Ability
They say that individual brilliance is something to behold in the game of football. With the ever-evolving tactical developments, the freedom for one man to shine, while the others facilitated is all but long gone. At least it is at the top of the game.
Now, the ability to work as a unit, from pressing together, to using numerical advantages through the midfield and shifting the defensive bloc, success leans heavily on team play.
However, there comes one in a million, where truly, on his day, that player could single-handedly make the difference. He could be the one-man show similar to the likes of Diego Maradona and Andrea Pirlo of the world.
As we discussed, they would usually play the 10 roles. While later in the article, I say that the complete freedom given to the 10 is all but non-existent, there are some exceptions.
Juan Mata is one of them.
Let me tell you. I saw him play one half of football when the Red Devils came down under for a pre-season tour in 2019, and he was just that. Complete freedom.
While he was tasked to stay central, his ability to carry the ball, more often than not meant that he was out wide, picking the lock in the Perth Glory defence. He was back to his former self, the same man that entranced me with what I like to call Spanish sauce.
The trickery was next level. However, as with most players, it is the nuances in their game that excite me. It is the way he uses his body to block off incoming traffic.
It is the way he shifts the ball from left to right with such effortlessness. It is the way the pass is perfectly weighted for the lagging runner. It is the way he flicks the ball on.
All this is to say that Manchester United have lost a true servant. A gifted ball player. A club legend in my heart. Thank you for everything, Juan Mata. I hope you continue to dazzle us time and time again as you start your next chapter in football.
I’ll be following closely as always…
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