You can’t expect perfection straight away. And Manchester United playmaker Juan Mata has only ever played a handful of games for United in his preferred position at number 10.
But, against PSV, the circumstances were surely perfect for him to send a resounding message to the Manchester United coaches about why he should stay there.
Wayne Rooney was missing but Mata still had more than enough quality ahead of him with the likes of Martial and Memphis.
Indeed, with that sort of pace in attack, this would surely be the perfect night for Mata at number 10.
But the poor man’s David Silva failed to shine and missed an absolute sitter.
PSV are a decent team. But if Mata can’t unlock this door then what chance will he have against elite opponents?
At £37m the Spaniard would be expected to thread at least 2 or 3 superb balls behind the PSV defence for the sublime pace of Memphis and Martial to latch onto.
But Mata was unable to break down the opposition, even though they left gaps at the back with their attacking style of play.
As usual the Manchester United number 8 was neat and tidy.
But he failed to deliver a killer pass and also missed an absolute sitter when he, inexplicably, tried to control Schweinsteiger’s brilliant pass instead of hitting it first time with his weaker right foot.
Time and again he had the ball deep in opposition territory. Time and again United players waited for him to play the clever pass that he was surely signed for.
But, unlike the brilliant David Silva, he continually fails to show the requisite cunning to spot a decisive final ball.
Mata’s stats are good for Manchester United. But we are beginning to wonder whether he will ever be regarded as an elite player.
And perhaps he proved against PSV that he is a footballer who too often slows the game down with a safe pass rather than speeding it up with a killer through ball.
Manchester United fans: thoughts on Mata?
