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How important has Juan Mata become to Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United side?
Manchester United remain in 6th place, but they are slowly creeping up on the top four and they will be confident of finishing in the Champions League places. They are creating a lot of chances and starting to look like the side that ruled England under Sir Alex Ferguson. It was always going to be a tough job for Jose Mourinho, but he is making progress and a top four finish will provide him with a platform to build from next season. Juan Mata was expected to be sold in the summer, as he was at Chelsea by Mourinho, but he has played a big part and delivered one of his best performances of the season on Saturday.
The Spaniard was excellent against Watford and was involved in much of what was good about United in the final third. His movement is the best part of his game and that was evident at the weekend. Mata’s team-mates trust him and know that he won’t lose possession, even if he is in a tight position. The former Chelsea player has a great first touch and can pick a pass, which provides the side with an extra element of creativity. In truth, he has played well every time he has been given an opportunity.
His goal-scoring has been a consistent part of his game since arriving in England and he has scored six times in the league this season. On Saturday, he ghosted into the box and finished well to open the scoring. Mata is an excellent finisher and there are few better in the United squad. He has come back into the side as the Red Devils had been struggling to finish their chances and he has repaid his manager with a goal in each of his last two matches. Although he is unlikely to be a starter for the long term under Mourinho, at the moment he is needed in the first team and he is delivering on the pitch.
Mata has had a good season to date and he is proving that Mourinho was correct to keep him at the club. He is averaging 2.57 shots, 2.2 key passes and 2.35 chances created per ninety minutes. These show that he is consistently impacting matches and his shooting accuracy of 72% underlines his ability in front of goal. Although he lacks the dynamism of Anthony Martial and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, the Spaniard is more experienced in the Premier League and can deliver a level of consistency that they are yet to achieve.
The main problem Mourinho had with Mata at Chelsea was his lack of defensive contribution. His average of 0.81 interceptions and 1.03 tackles won per ninety minutes suggest that the former hasn’t improved massively. However, the Portuguese manager has become more pragmatic since being sacked at Chelsea and he has experimented with his style of play at times. His decision to keep Mata is proving to be a great one and his last couple of performances have further emphasised that.
Manchester United are 6th in the table, due to their inability to convert chances. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been excellent since joining, but they have been reliant on him scoring goals. Jose Mourinho has recognised that and brought in Juan Mata to help lighten the load. It has slightly changed the style of play, but it has resulted in more goals, with the Spaniard contributing with two in his last two matches. It will be interesting to see whether Mata retains his place in the side over the coming months, but it is clear that he has a huge role to play as United search for a top four finish.
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