As debuts go, it quickly became evident this was not going to
stick in the memory in the same way, perhaps, as Wayne Rooney's first
match in Manchester United's
colours, with that hat-trick against Fenerbahce, or the second-half
appearance against Bolton Wanderers with which a teenage Cristiano
Ronaldo, with braces on his teeth, bewitched Old Trafford.
The truth is Juan Mata flickered only sporadically. A player of his refinement will not want to tot up the number of passes he misplaced and, for the most part, he kept back the wonderful gifts that have persuaded United to shatter their transfer record while still giving the impression they have landed a bargain.
That will come in time, once the butterflies have fluttered away and the £37.1m man is fitter, sharper and more used to his surroundings. Yet he has succeeded in one thing already: Old Trafford already feels a happier place. Not totally content, perhaps, when the team are huffing and puffing through matches and the performances are rarely straying above six out of 10. Yet certainly happier than before. The new signing was a little careless at times, and there is no point dressing it up just because it does not quite fit the script but the ovation when he was substituted, after 83 minutes, was of a rare volume.
He was in the No10 role that José Mourinho did not think the Spaniard filled with enough distinction, playing with a licence to roam, but too often in areas of the pitch where he cannot do his best work, and short of those moments when he announces himself as one of the more exquisite passers in the league. Twice inside the opening quarter of an hour he passed the ball straight out of play and Old Trafford politely pretended not to notice. Mata's gloved left hand went up to apologise and then he set about looking for the ball again. He always wants the ball; this was just one of those nights when he did not always do the best thing with it. It can often happen that way. Sometimes in football it is not possible to click one's fingers and expect a new player to find his most productive form straight away.
The flipside is that Robin van Persie's goal could be traced back to one of those passes from the centre-circle. Mata aimed the ball long and out to the left, where Patrice Evra was running behind Ashley Young. It was his best pass of the night. Cardiff were suddenly exposed and Mata could stand back to admire what followed.
For Moyes, the dilemma will be at Stoke City on Saturday, when Rooney will be fit to take his usual place. Antonio Valencia's position on the right looks the most vulnerable and an attacking quartet of Rooney, Mata and Adnan Januzaj, all behind Van Persie, should be able to trouble any defence. Moyes said he "still wanted his team to be more convincing, to be better," and United suddenly have all sorts of attacking variety.
They had plodded through parts of this match and at times the mind went back to what Moyes had said about Mata's acquisition only being part of a wider "rebuilding process". A lot of United's football was flat and prosaic. Van Persie's return from injury brought a reassuring presence and he quickly set about showing everyone what they have missed during his six weeks out of the team. Yet this was not a night when Valencia did a great deal to demonstrate why he should be kept in the team, and it is not a great reflection on a club with United's ambitions that the Stretford End were singing Januzaj's name, campaigning for his introduction, before an hour had been played. A team who won the league by 11 points last season should never have become so reliant on a player of 18.
Shortly afterwards an impatient cry of "attack, attack, attack" went up and the first signal that the audience was becoming exasperated. Mata's getting-to-know-you stages with his team-mates will have maybe made it a little clearer why the championship is all but gone this season.
Young's goal was a peach, though, and settled down the crowd. Mata then had his first shot but rolled it straight into David Marshall's arms. His only other chance came shortly before his number flashed up on the electronic board but his balance was not right and he could not get a clean connection. He had kept back his best but, as Moyes pointed out, the midfielder has not had a great deal of action recently. United's manager was "really pleased" with the debutant but will also know there is much better to come.
The truth is Juan Mata flickered only sporadically. A player of his refinement will not want to tot up the number of passes he misplaced and, for the most part, he kept back the wonderful gifts that have persuaded United to shatter their transfer record while still giving the impression they have landed a bargain.
That will come in time, once the butterflies have fluttered away and the £37.1m man is fitter, sharper and more used to his surroundings. Yet he has succeeded in one thing already: Old Trafford already feels a happier place. Not totally content, perhaps, when the team are huffing and puffing through matches and the performances are rarely straying above six out of 10. Yet certainly happier than before. The new signing was a little careless at times, and there is no point dressing it up just because it does not quite fit the script but the ovation when he was substituted, after 83 minutes, was of a rare volume.
He was in the No10 role that José Mourinho did not think the Spaniard filled with enough distinction, playing with a licence to roam, but too often in areas of the pitch where he cannot do his best work, and short of those moments when he announces himself as one of the more exquisite passers in the league. Twice inside the opening quarter of an hour he passed the ball straight out of play and Old Trafford politely pretended not to notice. Mata's gloved left hand went up to apologise and then he set about looking for the ball again. He always wants the ball; this was just one of those nights when he did not always do the best thing with it. It can often happen that way. Sometimes in football it is not possible to click one's fingers and expect a new player to find his most productive form straight away.
The flipside is that Robin van Persie's goal could be traced back to one of those passes from the centre-circle. Mata aimed the ball long and out to the left, where Patrice Evra was running behind Ashley Young. It was his best pass of the night. Cardiff were suddenly exposed and Mata could stand back to admire what followed.
For Moyes, the dilemma will be at Stoke City on Saturday, when Rooney will be fit to take his usual place. Antonio Valencia's position on the right looks the most vulnerable and an attacking quartet of Rooney, Mata and Adnan Januzaj, all behind Van Persie, should be able to trouble any defence. Moyes said he "still wanted his team to be more convincing, to be better," and United suddenly have all sorts of attacking variety.
They had plodded through parts of this match and at times the mind went back to what Moyes had said about Mata's acquisition only being part of a wider "rebuilding process". A lot of United's football was flat and prosaic. Van Persie's return from injury brought a reassuring presence and he quickly set about showing everyone what they have missed during his six weeks out of the team. Yet this was not a night when Valencia did a great deal to demonstrate why he should be kept in the team, and it is not a great reflection on a club with United's ambitions that the Stretford End were singing Januzaj's name, campaigning for his introduction, before an hour had been played. A team who won the league by 11 points last season should never have become so reliant on a player of 18.
Shortly afterwards an impatient cry of "attack, attack, attack" went up and the first signal that the audience was becoming exasperated. Mata's getting-to-know-you stages with his team-mates will have maybe made it a little clearer why the championship is all but gone this season.
Young's goal was a peach, though, and settled down the crowd. Mata then had his first shot but rolled it straight into David Marshall's arms. His only other chance came shortly before his number flashed up on the electronic board but his balance was not right and he could not get a clean connection. He had kept back his best but, as Moyes pointed out, the midfielder has not had a great deal of action recently. United's manager was "really pleased" with the debutant but will also know there is much better to come.
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