Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
EUROPA LEAGUE WE MUST BE UNITED TO BEAT HATERS
Mata: Everyone wants Reds to fail but if we are to challenge for trophies fans must stick with the team in good times and bad
there’s many people on the outside enjoying it when Manchester United don’t win,” said the midfielder.
“It’s key for us to stick together as a whole.”
Mata, 31, has also backed United’s kids to deliver this season, ahead of their Europa League bow tomorrow night.
The Reds host Astana, from Kazakhstan, in their Europa League opener, with boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer expected to rotate his squad and bring in some youngsters.
Angel Gomes, James Garner, Mason Greenwood and Tahith Chong (all right) are among those expected to feature, with Mata confident they can make the step up.
“I very much like them,” he said. “I could speak about every one of them.
“Gomes – very talented. You can see he’s a real football player. He has vision, decisionmaking, and is quick on his feet.
“Chong is a proper winger. Very quick one-against-one, a very nice left foot and a great shot.
“Jimmy Garner I like very much. Composure, personality on the ball, good shot, good decision-making. He touches the ball just the number of times he needs to.
“As a midfielder, that’s important – not just to retain the ball a lot, but to make it move quicker, and he does it so much.
“Mason is a very good finisher, both feet. You can’t really tell if he’s right-footed or left-footed, which is a very good quality for a striker.
“All of them have been training with us for a long time and they developed a lot in pre-season.
“Football is not about age. Even for me. I’m now 31, but I don’t think I’m old for football.
“I feel very young in my mind, in my legs. So football is not about age. It’s about quality and the capacity you have to show it.”