IAN LADYMAN

IT is Juan Mata’s misfortune that his years at Manchester United have coincided with a period of such mediocrity at the club who won their most recent Premier League only six months or so before he joined in January 2014.

The spaniard may lack some of the physicality so commonly found in the league’s best players but remains capable of decorating a game. Here, it was Mata’s cute second- half goal that saw off Wolves at Old Trafford in this third-round replay.

This was not a great game. it was somewhat better than the scoreless draw at Molineux that brought us here but it was no classic. Maybe the many thousands who left seats empty in the stadium had sensed as much.

Mata’s goal was worth watching, though. Released by Anthony

Martial, Mata raced away from a Wolves defence that had shown a propensity for being caught square all night. Previously they had been rescued by their goalkeeper John Ruddy but not on this occasion.

Mata is 31 now and was never the quickest. But here it was composure rather than speed that the former Chelsea player needed and he has rarely been short of that.

His dinked finished over the previously unbeatable Ruddy was terrific and United were through to the next round of a competition that could yet feasibly save their mediocre season.

The only concern for United manager Ole Gunnar solskjaer was the sight of Marcus Rashford leaving the field injured only 16 minutes after coming on as a substitute.

United face Liverpool at Anfield