Standing at 5ft 7ins, weighing in at 134 lbs and pushed out to the right flank, Juan Mata is far from the colossus you would expect to dominate a stage as grand as The Theatre of Dreams. Even his mild-mannered demeanour is not in keeping with the kind of egotistical personalities that have basked in Old Trafford’s spotlight in years gone by. Nevertheless, the Spaniard is the lynchpin within a surprisingly fluid looking Manchester United side of late, although his ascension to such status has been anything but comfortable.
Mata’s career in English football began in style as he was the toast of the town at Stamford Bridge before his stock plummeted virtually overnight through no fault of his own. At United, he has rebuilt his reputation in fine fashion.
Here, Sport360 looks back at his journey from Jose Mourinho discard to Louis van Gaal’s main man.
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Feeling the Blues
Mata burst onto the scene at Chelsea as a player packed with goals and assists. He was the team’s creative hub and his influence was duly recognised as he was named the club’s Player of the Year in his first two seasons. During that time Chelsea won the FA Cup, Champions League and Europa League, Mata scoring 32 goals along the way. Mourinho’s return to Chelsea however spelled the end for Mata.
Despite being a fan favourite and a hugely influential player, the Portuguese immediately axed the Spanish international. In response to the bewilderment of Blues fans and the general public, Mourinho cited the player’s lack of defensive discipline as the reason for his exclusion.
Chelsea accepted a massive £37.1 million bid from United in the 2014 January transfer window for the former Valencia man’s services. Mata was flown into Carrington in style, facilitating the headlines which portrayed him as United’s heaven-sent saviour charged with turning the club’s fortunes around under David Moyes. He hit the ground running in the red half of Manchester, scoring six times and providing four assists in just 14 Premier League appearances.
However, the lack of pace and movement in the side was too much for Mata to work with and the fact that he was made to play as a winger in an archaic 4-4-2 formation didn’t make his job any easier. United limped to seventh place and Moyes lost his job with four games to go. Mata was one of the bright lights in a disastrous season.
No pace, no place
Louis Van Gaal brought with him a new philosophy when he took charge of United and a rather unpopular 3-5-2 formation was apparently central to his plans. Mata fit into the system as the attacking midfielder behind the two strikers. Even though the team struggled to create chances, Mata still managed to chip in with the odd goal and assist during an uncertain and transitional phase for the club.
He was quickly made the odd man out though as the Dutch tactician shifted to a 4-4-2 diamond system which saw Mata largely condemned to the bench. His biggest shortcoming remained his lack of pace, an attribute Van Gaal so desired.
Mata’s path back into the starting eleven was paved by means of an injury to Angel Di Maria. Van Gaal decided to switch to a 4-3-3 formation and with the Argentine sidelined, Mata was chosen to man the right wing. It’s no coincidence that United finally started to grasp Van Gaal’s possession-based philosophy and produce their best form once Mata was drafted back into the side. Along with Michael Carrick and Ander Herrera, Mata facilitated the team’s passing game to great effect and produced a match-winning performance at Anfield which may be the turning point in his United career.
His two goals behind enemy lines, the second of which was a sensational overhead kick, rendered him indispensable for the remainder of the season as United secured a return to the Champions League.
The most creative Juan
United began the current campaign rather slowly, lacking in strikers and general pace up-front, their problems compounded by Wayne Rooney’s dismal form. The arrival of Anthony Martial has seemed to make for a much more fluid looking United and Mata has had an equally prominent part to play in the team’s jolt into life. After a shaky start, United have been ominous since returning from the international break.
Five consecutive wins in all competitions have seen the previously blunt looking Red Devils sharpen their pitchforks and plunder 14 goals. Their current rich vein of form has catapulted them to the summit in the Premier League and is in no small part down to Mata, who has been directly responsible for half of United’s goals in the league this season, scoring three and assisting three of the team’s tally of 12.
Juan Mata’s game by numbers vs. Wolfsburg: 98% pass accuracy 5 chances created 3 shots 1 goal 1 magical assist pic.twitter.com/Mfa4KZVBBQ
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) September 30, 2015
His recent Man of the Match display against Wolfsburg in the Champions League where he scored a penalty and pulled off an audacious flick to set up Chris Smalling for the winner, highlights his growing influence in the team.
There are several things that make Juan Mata the class act that he is; a dream of a first touch, clever and incisive passing, an uncanny knack to find the back of the net and the sheer elegance with which he ushers the ball along the turf. However, most crucial among his attributes remain his relentless attitude, the kind which breeds an incredible level of consistency. Regardless of the circumstances, the team’s form or his relationship with the manager, Mata always guarantees goals and assists. Now that he’s become a vital cog in this United side, he can do what he does best and propel the team toward a very real title challenge.
