Now in Mourinho’s third season with the club, Man U have struggled and look as though they’ll once again be contending for the top four rather than a Premier League title.
Man U are coming off a horrific 3-1 battering to their city rivals and were completely outplayed against a side that is just so much better than The Red Devils. While Pep’s side are playing brilliant and exciting football, Mourinho’s side look like a team devoid of confidence.
While Anthony Martial has responded well to Mourinho’s criticism of late and is starting to become a much better player, the rest of the team, especially the attackers, have seen their level of play drop.
Marcus Rashford looks half the player he once was, while Lukaku looks like a player lost among a host of stars. Paul Pogba likewise has also had his run-ins with Mourinho and as of yet, hasn’t lived up to his huge price tag.
With a side that is struggling with confidence, it’s essential that experienced and reliable players are used, and in Juan Mata (rated at £27 million), Mourinho has a player that could provide a huge boost for the team but is being wasted.
The Spaniard has never been rated by Mourinho and during his time at Chelsea, the Portuguese boss cast him to the sidelines due to his inability to work in defensive. While at Man U, Mourinho hasn’t necessarily cast off the Spain international, he hasn’t exactly been properly used.
In the two preceding seasons at Man U, Mata has played over 20 games but has mostly been used as a winger. While during his younger days the former Valencia man might’ve been a superb player on the wing, now at 30, he must be used as an attacking midfielder.
The current formation doesn’t have a number 10 but if Mourinho switched to a 4-2-3-1 formation, he could well see his side improve.
Mata needs to be played in a position that is less physically demanding given his style of play.
This season he’s played nine games this season, mostly as right-midfielder and if Mourinho continues to play him there, Mata may well need to move on. With his contract expiring at the end of the season, it might just be the perfect time for the Spaniard to leave the club.
