Fletcher: Mata's A Marvel

Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher praised Juan Mata following the latter's excellent performance in the 2-0 win over West Ham on Saturday.

Against the Hammers, Mata flourished in a fluid attacking role with his seemingly effortless movement and ingenuity causing persistent problems for the home side. Fletcher believes that the link-up play between the Spaniard and Wayne Rooney in particular could be a huge fillip for the Reds between now and the end of the campaign.

"Some of Juan's touches were fantastic," lauded Fletcher on MUTV. "He pulled one out of the sky in the first half that was sublime.

"[Behind the forward] is Juan's natural position, he likes playing in there. And with the likes of Wayne running in behind defenders, he'll [Mata] always look to find him. We had great movement going forward and pace in the wide areas. People have been wanting to see that and it was there today."

Another man who received praise from Fletcher was his fellow midfielder Michael Carrick, who filled in at centre-back after a suspension and injuries decimated the Reds' defence.

"He was fantastic," enthused Darren. "Michael's biggest strength is that he reads the game fantastically. He knew that at times he wasn't going to win challenges, but it's what you do [to compensate]. You pick up the second ball and you read it. I thought he did so well and I wouldn't have expected anything less from the fantastic player that he is."