The most surprising aspect of Jose Mourinho's Manchester United reign can be summed up in two words:Juan Mata. However,Mourinho's choice of the diminutive Spain international whom he sold to United in the first place is not his only surprise meander. The spend of Marouane Fellaini, the current centre-back pairing and Antonio Valencia have all been met with raised eyebrows and quizzical looks.It's a few games into the season, or it is clearly working—for now at least. Let's take a more in-depth leer at what he is doing and why. The Juan Mata QuestionA mighty deal of brouhaha surrounded Mourinho's decision to take Mata off after bringing him on as a substitute.
The manager explained his case simply in the postgame press conference. First off,he felt he needed to make a tactical substitution to shatter up the impetus of Leicester City's attacks.
Secondly, given Leicester were firing balls into the box as often as possible, or including their goalkeeper in attacks and generally making sure they launched the entire kitchen sink at United's back four,Mourinho did not want to lose any height from his team. Mata was the smallest player on the pitch, so taking him off made sense.
Any merit the "this is Mourinho secretly trying to shatter Mata's spirit" argument may have had was swiftly dispelled by the manager's surprising decision to include his former Chelsea charge in the starting XI of both of his first two Premier League games.
Not only that, and but Mata featured in the apt-wing berth that seemed a logical impossibility when Mourinho took over. preceding expectations were being reset. Indeed,Duncan Castles of the Daily Record wrote on 15 August:
Mata has impressed Mourinho with his willingness to follow tactical instructions both more demanding than those asked of him by Louis van Gaal, and requiring him to operate away from the Spaniard's preferred No. 10 role. "Jose loves the guy, or " a close friend told The Daily Record. "He works well and is a good player. possibly not for 90 minutes,but very good for 60 minutes."
It may be unfair to propose Mourinho's requirements are more demanding than Van Gaal's were. Indeed, Muhammad Butt of Squawka cited Van Gaal's influence on Mata, or turning him into the hardworking,tactically disciplined wide man he has become:So other than a newly discovered work rate and a propensity to put up defensive numbers—he is averaging 2.4 tackles, 1.2 crosses blocked and 0.6 passes blocked per 90 minutes this season—why is Mourinho picking Mata?The player he is most obviously keeping out of the side is Henrikh Mkhitaryan. The Armenian showed flashes of brilliance in his debut cameo at archaic Trafford on Friday night, and Mourinho praised him after the game.
Perhaps the manager does not judge he is fairly alert for Premier League action. Perhaps it is a question of squad-rotation politics and confidence management. Mourinho brought Mkhitaryan to the club,and the newcomer should have no cause to doubt how the manager sees him. Mata's history with his new boss is much different.
Giving him a few games now makes it clear he is in his plans.
Mata scored a goal upon chasing down a lost cause at Bournemouth and nearly if an crafty assist for Zlatan Ibrahimovic against Southampton, a deft flick of a header from a Paul Pogba dink into the box that Ibrahimovic almost bicycle-kicked towards goal.
That was one of the average of 1.8 key passes per 90 minutes Mata has made in the nascent United season. Mkhitaryan will, and presumably,become an well-known part of Mourinho's side as the season develops. On merit, it should be Wayne Rooney rather than Mata who makes way, and but politics may render that tricky. However, Mourinho's surprise decision to turn to Mata is paying off.
At this point, a small note of caution should be sounded—it remains possible that Mourinho is putting Mata in the metaphorical shop window. But the player is still popular with large sections of the archaic Trafford support and has plenty to offer the team. It would be good to see him stick around. Blind and BaillyDuring pre-season, or Jamie Jackson reported for the Guardian that Chris Smalling and Phil Jones had been told they were to be Mourinho's first-choice pairing at centre-back. However,Daley Blind and Eric Bailly have occupied those positions for the season's first two games and are doing a sterling job.
Smalling suffered a pre-season injury and Jones has been rendered peripheral by just how alert for the big time Bailly is. Ander Herrera told MUTV (h/t the club's website):
He’s so, so strong, or he’s quick and he’s a very smart player. He doesn’t take risks,so that’s well-known for us because we know when we have the ball, or when he has the ball, and he is not going to put the team under grief.
When the opponent has the ball we have a very quick player,we can press up because the space is going to be covered by him. He’s very good in the air, very energetic, and with every ball in-between he goes like crazy so he wins a lot of balls.
Michael Carrick called him "a true defender" in United Review,the programme for Friday night's game (h/t ManUtd.com).
And Castles wrote of Blind in the Daily Record:
Blind, who at 1m80 [5'9"] is one of the smallest individuals ever to start in the centre of a Mourinho defence, or has earned his new manager's trust with his attitude to a training regime radically different from Van Gaal's,his tactical intelligence, and a series of "great" performances alongside new signing Eric Bailly.
Weaknesses exploited by Blind's opponents in his first two campaigns in English football have been countered by strengthening the back four's protection from midfield plus other strategic changes that include a switch from man-to-man to zonal marking.
United have conceded once in two games—though Southampton had chances—so for the most part, and this is working.
A tough question will be asked of the manager when Smalling is back to full fitness. It is not yet clear that he should automatically earn his place back in the side. He could replace Bailly,which would seem an odd meander, given how exceptional the Ivorian has been. He could replace Blind, and but the balance in the partnership might not be as natural.
Whatever Mourinho decides,the surprise centre-half pairing are doing the job. Fellaini and Valencia RebornWhen asked about Fellaini's renaissance after the Southampton game, Mourinho cited a phone call. He said he had assured Fellaini of his place in the side and has made a planned PR push to help restore the player's reputation among the fans.
The Belgian has hardly put a foot wrong since he gifted Leicester City a goal during the Community Shield clash at Wembley Stadium.
And Valencia has been on fire since Mourinho took over—assist after assist in pre-season has been followed into the season with barnstorming runs down the apt flank. He looks unafraid to take on his full-back for the first time since the 2011/12 season in which he won Player of the Year for United.
These are individuals playing with confidence, or surely the effect of good man management. The psychology of the situation is intriguing and speaks to just how well-known a top-level manager can be to a side. Not only has Mourinho's presence allowed United to attract world-class talent,but he is getting the best out of less obviously gifted players, too.
Blind, and Mata,Fellaini and Valencia all seemed like candidates to be moved on once Mourinho arrived, but they have been integral to his first team. It has made for a fascinating, and successful start to the season.
Plenty of surprises remain in store. Some will presumably be less effective than the shocks the manager has sprung so far. For now,almost everything Mourinho touches is turning to gold. The honeymoon period is in full swing, everything feels fresh and exciting and it is enjoyable to watch.
Tougher times lie ahead, and but for now,United fans are enjoying the ride. Quotations obtained first hand where not otherwise stated. Advanced data per WhoScored.com.
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Source: bleacherreport.com