Unused sub in a 2-0 win away. Not look great for Mata at Shrewsbury. Coach made some unflattering comments about a month ago. He did sign a 3 year deal. But they might let him go on a free if say Auckland FC made an offer.
Unused sub in a 2-0 win away. Not look great for Mata at Shrewsbury. Coach made some unflattering comments about a month ago. He did sign a 3 year deal. But they might let him go on a free if say Auckland FC made an offer.
If it’s just not Mata, but the whole team failing to score then that coach needs a mirror. It’s obvious the problem goes deeper than a striker new to the level.
Unused sub in a 2-0 win away. Not look great for Mata at Shrewsbury. Coach made some unflattering comments about a month ago. He did sign a 3 year deal. But they might let him go on a free if say Auckland FC made an offer.
If it’s just not Mata, but the whole team failing to score then that coach needs a mirror. It’s obvious the problem goes deeper than a striker new to the level.
No doubt, but the one post game report I read, the Shrews coach specifically mentioned Mata at fault for having missed 1 or 2 clear chances in that game. Be interesting to hear if they signed any new forwards in the Jan window.
All 3 AWs in L1 (Mata, Crocombe & Bindon) are in teams in threat of relegation, being 15th, 17th & 21st.
No Mata in match day squad as Shrewsbury lose 1-2.
Missed earlier that the Shrews appointed a new coach a few weeks back. We wait to see what that means for Mata. I think nearly every Kiwi in the English leagues has had a coaching change this season. Excepted maybe Smith & Tzanev.
Loaned back to Sligo for the rest of English season. Will return to Shrewsbury at the start of their pre-season for the 24/25 campaign.
Good move. Clearly wasn't working out at Shrewsbury for the moment. Hopefully this move gets him back in some form and we'll see him take on England next season with a full pre-season under his belt this time round.
He’ll be disappointed but hopefully can find his feet again in the LOI and kick on again from there.
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He must be a target for auckland. But maybe he wants to give it more time in the UK...
Would he necessarily be a target for Auckland? He might get better money in Ireland and be more likely to start. And he’s closer to league one etc. But perhaps he should be trying to get into Holland or Belgium and find a manager who has time to coaching him if he can’t make the grade. Would Corica be able to re-launch his career? Actually, does he have a Swiss passport or was I imagining that?
He and Nando would be squad signings, but couldn’t, surely, be guaranteed playing time at Auckland, though they could develop to be handy A league players. Be interesting to see who’s a more useful player out of Smith and Pijnaker. Nando should be more athletic.
It’s hard to tell who’s more Monty Paterson and who’s more like Finn Surman. But yeh, you’d think if a professional career is happening for the Sligo boys, moves have to be made. Given as well the quality of the A league has dropped a little, but it may improve next season somewhat.
Oh wait, reading fail on my part…It still possible he might be back at Shrewsbury next year, a bit more developed and/or in league two. Maybe not such a setback as a chance to collect himself, get some regular minutes and confidence and go again.
Yeah he's still got two years on his deal with Shrewsbury. So if he's a target for Auckland then a transfer fee will be required. Of course that kind of money is nothing to Foley if Corica says he wants him, so I guess it depends on where Mata sees himself.
Got to get that goalscoring confidence back over these next 3-4 months and then come back ready to go in England. It's not his fault he hasn't been getting the service - They should know how to utilise him by now, it's not rocket science!
By all accounts he works hard and puts in a shift on the pitch, but of course when the season is spiralling and the goals aren't flowing there is bound to be a scapegoat. Unfortunately, among others, he seems to have been caught up in the negativity as the shrews come to sit just above the relegation places in League One.
Hopefully this arrangement works out for him, because there is definitely a player in there. Would love to see him come back and kill it in England with a full preseason under his belt.
He must be a target for auckland. But maybe he wants to give it more time in the UK...
Would he necessarily be a target for Auckland? He might get better money in Ireland and be more likely to start. And he’s closer to league one etc. But perhaps he should be trying to get into Holland or Belgium and find a manager who has time to coaching him if he can’t make the grade. Would Corica be able to re-launch his career? Actually, does he have a Swiss passport or was I imagining that?
He and Nando would be squad signings, but couldn’t, surely, be guaranteed playing time at Auckland, though they could develop to be handy A league players. Be interesting to see who’s a more useful player out of Smith and Pijnaker. Nando should be more athletic.
It’s hard to tell who’s more Monty Paterson and who’s more like Finn Surman. But yeh, you’d think if a professional career is happening for the Sligo boys, moves have to be made. Given as well the quality of the A league has dropped a little, but it may improve next season somewhat.
Oh wait, reading fail on my part…It still possible he might be back at Shrewsbury next year, a bit more developed and/or in league two. Maybe not such a setback as a chance to collect himself, get some regular minutes and confidence and go again.
Yeah you may be right, I think the Irish league is a lower quality that the A-league. BUT he seems to be a big fish in that league and a proven goal scorer... so probably likely to get more cash there at the moment.
He could do a Smeltz though... think he was playing an even lower level and came back and became a legend!
He’s still very much developing as a player I’d say and seems to have a lot of the requirements there… Chucked into a league one relegation scrap must be a tough first gig.
Good point re Smeltz. He was with Halifax Town in the English 5th tier, before finding his mojo at the Nux
Mata has looked okay for the AWs, best option to backing up Wood re hold up play etc. Did reasonably well against Ireland when on for 30 mins, and had some half chances that he probably should have done better with.
Maybe Shrews getting relegated and then him having a proper pre season, before hopefully becoming a goal scorer in L2 would be a good outcome. Can see Auckland FC signing some top marquee strikers, so if he went there he might get splinters. His ex Sligo team mate Aidan Keena has also struggled for goals in League One. Got 6 last season for Cheltenham (22nd/3rd last), but 0 so far this campaign.
Smeltz did come off close to a perfect hat trick and dominant performance against Wales- wasn’t it a brace with left and right? - so had some career momentum!
Good point re Smeltz. He was with Halifax Town in the English 5th tier, before finding his mojo at the Nux
Mata has looked okay for the AWs, best option to backing up Wood re hold up play etc. Did reasonably well against Ireland when on for 30 mins, and had some half chances that he probably should have done better with.
Maybe Shrews getting relegated and then him having a proper pre season, before hopefully becoming a goal scorer in L2 would be a good outcome. Can see Auckland FC signing some top marquee strikers, so if he went there he might get splinters. His ex Sligo team mate Aidan Keena has also struggled for goals in League One. Got 6 last season for Cheltenham (22nd/3rd last), but 0 so far this campaign.
There's a long history of players in the LOI struggling in British lower tier football. Most players from Ireland struggle with the step up in fitness and pace as Ireland is borderline semipro like Wales.
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Meanwhile in L1, Mata's parent club Shrewsbury (18th) had a 1-1 draw with Des Buckingham's Oxford (7th).
Shrews have had some okay form lately to now be 6 pts above the drop zone. So if they recall Mata from LOI at season end, looks like it will be for L1 not L2 football.
Meanwhile Oxford have now slipped out of the promotion playoffs on GD.