"We have to be together. Now is not the time to blame anyone. Now is not the time to look for guilty people. Now is the time to stick together -- with the manager, with his staff, the players and with the people on the board of the club. We need to carry on, to stay with the manager. We need to believe in him, because as players we know we have to improve. It's not just the manager, it's not just the tactics. It's all of us. It's not the time to blame one person. We are all together in this."
"When I was in my situation at Chelsea, not playing, everyone I spoke with in football said, 'Yeah, maybe Manchester United aren't at their best this season -- but it's still Manchester United!' It's not a team that's just played one season in the Champions League and you're going to a club that's not top level. No, this will always be a top-level club, one of the biggest in the world. So, if you don't play Champions League one season, you'll play in it the next year, or you will still win trophies, because it's what the club is about."
Juan Mata joined Manchester United in January 2014 for €44.73 million after being frozen out at Chelsea by José Mourinho. In April 2014 he called for unity across the club, urging players, the manager, staff and board to stick together and avoid blaming individuals. Mata emphasized shared responsibility for improving performance and defended the club’s long-term stature, arguing missing the Champions League one season did not diminish Manchester United’s status or trophy ambitions. David Moyes was dismissed a few weeks later before the end of his first season in charge.
Read at ESPN.com
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