Juan Mata - where would he fit in at Manchester United?

Since my last post "Manchester United - who to buy in the January window?", Manchester United has ignored everyone and bid £37 million for the Chelsea play-maker Juan Mata. He has flown to Carrington and is expected to join MUFC following a medical on Friday.

So, the question is where would he fit in? Does Moyes need another creative attacking midfielder who may struggle to adapt to the side when they already have one? Kagawa has already struggled to make a place for himself because when Wayne Rooney and RVP are fit, MUFC don't need a no. 10. Mata though, is a player way better than Kagawa and he had adapted to the rigours of the Premier League immediately on arrival at Chelsea. Mata can excel in a 4-3-3 as he proved under AVB as well as a 4-2-3-1 formation and considering United's current 4-4-2 formation has produced mostly defeats in 2014, a little freshness and variety won't be harmful for the rest of the season. Mata has been Player of the Year for the last two seasons at Chelsea and will be a more than welcome addition to United's depleted XI since the injuries to RVP and Rooney.

So, what are the options?
1. Mata could play on the right with Rooney playing in the no. 10 role and he could be given the license to drift in and link up with both Wazza and RVP. The Spaniard is perfectly two-footed, so he can come in and shoot on his left, or deliver crosses with his right foot.

2. In Rooney's absence or in the case Rooney leaves in the summer, Mata would be the perfect natural replacement for the creative no. 10 role. He can slice open defences with intricate passing, can shoot to score goals and dictate the attacking play of the team.

With Mata's arrival, a United midfield trio of Mata, Rooney and Janujaz with RVP upfront would be devastating and it would be just the spark required to turn around the season.

Have your say in the comments below.

Follow me @nileshsurana for regular updates on Manchester United, sports, technology and marketing.

Manchester United - who to buy in the January window?

Fellow Red Devils, lets be honest to ourselves. We're in dire straits. Out of the FA Cup; 1-2 behind in the Capital One Cup semi-finals with the second leg at home, where we have lost to minnows like WBA and Swansea; languishing at 7th place in the EPL table; injured squad on low morale; with a new manager who at the moment definitely doesn't know how to turn things around. We're in need of new blood and here are some realistic options for the January transfer window:

Left-back
Fabio Coentrao: The Portugese defender has made just 4 appearances this season and wants a way out to get more game time ahead of the World Cup. And with Baines or Luke Shaw most likely not available in January, Coentrao is the best available option.

Centre-back
Thomas Vermaelen: The Arsenal captain has made only 12 appearances across tournaments with an injury early in the season leading to Koscielny and Mertesacker being the preferred pairing for Arsene Wenger. The questions would be: Will he leave and will Arsenal sell again to United?

Dede: Cruzeiro defender Dede is considered one of the best central defenders playing in Brazil today and will cost around 12-15 million euros. We need to make a quick move because Chelsea have an interest too.

Midfield
Koke: The no. 1 target for the January window, he will definitely add the creativity which has been so lacking this season but he is very happy at Atletico and it will be very difficult to convince them to sell.

Everton Ribeiro: Ribeiro has more assists and has created more chances than any player in the Brazilian league this year. The Cruzeiro player believes he can fit in any part of the United midfield but will he be able to make a January move as Cruzeiro’s director of football Alexandre Mattos has made it clear that he won't sell unless a substantial sum is paid for the player. So United should pay whatever it takes to get him.

Herrera: The main target for the summer window will be a target again this window but paying the 31 million release clause is a little too much for a fallback option.
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Have your say in the comments below.

Follow me @nileshsurana for regular updates on Manchester United, sports, technology and marketing.

#ThankYouSachin

Someone someday will break the records but none can match the creator. When I started watching cricket, every one day match started with the first ball you faced and ended with your back to the pavilion. There are so many memories - when I switched off the idiot box when you have got out, shouted when team India has ruined your efforts and slumped to defeats, felt angry when you have been wrongly given out (including the 199th test) and cheered with joy at each four, six, fifty or century and at all the important wickets you took whenever you rolled your arm and bowled leg breaks, off breaks, medium pace, etc. On 18th November, all these memories are the ones which will be left when the God stops playing the game and I might stop watching test matches because cricket for me was never wham-bam; it was always about your exquisite straight drives, cover drives, lofted six and the paddle sweep. Will miss you every time I watch the Men in Blue play the game you made your own. #ThankYouSachin

Follow me @nileshsurana for regular updates on Manchester United, sports, technology and marketing.
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The curious case of Shinji Kagawa

My heart skipped a beat when I read this - "Man United Ready to Use Shinji Kagawa as Bait In Pursuit of Borussia Dortmund Center-Back". A constant attacking menace at Borussia, Kagawa had scored 29 goals in back to back successful Bundesliga campaigns which led to Sir Alex Ferguson parting with £17 million for the attacking midfielder. Since then he has played only 30 matches and scored 6 goals, in the process becoming the first Asian to score a hattrick in the EPL and has been named Asian Football Confederation International Player of the Year in 2012.

So, when I read that David Moyes was ready to offload him to get Mats Hummels, I was perplexed for a number of reasons. First, Kagawa is the only creative attacking midfielder in the United side. Second, he has never been given his favored no.10 role in which he had excelled at Dortmund and even Moyes agrees his best position may be number 10. Third, he has played just one league match till now against West Brom where he was fielded in a wide left position and was strangely substituted at half-time. Fourth, why get a center back instead of Kagawa when you can develop Smalling (who was brilliant in the win against Liverpool), Jones and Evans.

To conclude, he is an immensely talented player who brings a level of creativity and flair that is lacking in the likes of Ashley Young and Antonio Valencia. His attacking prowess was there for all to see when he rattled the crossbar from 20 yards against Liverpool in the 1-0 victory in the Capital One Cup. It might be that Moyes has to change a few things in order to make it work or Kagawa will have to adapt to a less favorable position on the left wing but either ways, United are better off with Shinji on the field than on the bench as was evident in both the wins over Bayer and Liverpool in which he had started because he adds a new dimension to the attack whenever he drifts inside.

An open letter to Wazza (a.k.a. Wayne Rooney)

Hi Wazza,

It was 61'; United were leading Swansea 2-0 but for me the match had just begun. You came on the field as a sub for the evergreen Ryan Giggs. And I was not disappointed because you provided the assists for the last two goals as we eventually would win 4-1. The second one especially was a masterpiece as you provided the perfect ball for Welbeck to chip it over Vorm. Then, I saw you not celebrating the goal and I was hurt because this meant the poster boy of United, the center of my United universe might actually leave.

I know being number two is not your cup of tea and that is where the problem lies. You don't want to leave but you can't bear to be overshadowed by a Ronaldo or a Berbatov or a RVP because you are someone who wants to be the best at whatever you do and you want to be the fans' no. 1 too. But Wazza, you are the best because even from a position which is not yours, you scored 12 premier league goals and provided the assists for even more. You put in all those hard hours in training, score important goals, provide the assists which help RVP become the leading scorer in the league, selflessly run up and down the pitch to help the defence and yet, when you are labelled the bad boy for asking to leave United, I'm hurt because the people don't understand it's tough being Wayne Rooney. Ever since you made your debut, the onus has been on you to carry the legacy forward. The Ronaldos have come, made a mark and have left but you have hung in there showing your loyalty to the club. You have been United's golden boy but all of a sudden when RVP became the no.1 and Moyes said that you are the backup option, I understood that you were bound to get hurt.

Just wanted to say we have always loved you, Wayne. Give us fans a chance, give the club a chance, and give yourself a last chance at United because there is no place better for you. You belong at the Theatre of Dreams and I hope Moyes finds a way to play both RVP and you upfront. If you leave this summer, I would know the reason but I'd wonder all that you could have achieved at United and thank you for all the memories including the stunning overhead kick against the noisy neighbors.

Thank you Wazza.

Sincerely,
A fan