Juan Mata hails Uniteds resilience Juan Mata was buoyed by Manchester United’s resilience as the Reds held onto all three points amid Stoke City’s late surge at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening. The Spaniard, who regained the lead for the hosts ahead of the Potters’ valiant but fruitless fightback in the latter stages, was pleased with how his side dealt with the pressure as a fourth successive victory closed the gap on the Barclays Premier League’s top three teams. “It was very tough and we were, until the last minute, suffering,” the 26-year-old admitted to MUTV. “They (Stoke) played good in their way. They came here as a very compact team and they play good counter-attacks with Bojan and quick players up front – we knew that. “I think we played better in the second half; we kept more of the possession and created more chances. At the end, it’s a very important win, a fourth win in a row and we are getting closer.” Marouane Fellaini’s recent good form was extended with a headed opener, something that thoroughly pleased Mata as he sees the Belgian’s stock continue to rise with each week. “In the air, he (Fellaini) is one of the best probably in the league, said the Spaniard, and he can score goals like he did today, arriving from the second line (of attack). He is very important and I’m very happy for him because he had difficult moments at the beginning. He was very professional, he’s a very nice guy and I’m very happy for him.” Mata was also impressed by David De Gea, who was called upon once again, this time to produce a stunning save in the final few minutes to deny Mame Biram Diouf. The goalkeepers importance continues to be clear to his compatriot. United’s no.8 said: “Like always, big goalkeepers appear when they have to, when the team needs them. That’s what David is doing every game. The depletion of van Gaal’s options deepened ahead of the game with Angel Di Maria and Wayne Rooney unavailable for selection. Despite the injury issues, Mata has stressed that a pile-up of wins in the absence of star names has served to only boost confidence heading into the rest of a busy winter period. “The spirit is there,” the midfielder enthused. “We have not been lucky with injuries. We’ve had important players that could not play but the spirit is there. Everyone was very happy in the dressing room after the game because it was a difficult game and we showed character. “It was very important to win at Arsenal, and then to get two wins in a row at home. Now we have the chance to have a great December – probably the most important month in the league because we play more (games than in any other month).
Posted on: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 08:56:48 +0000
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