Mata’s a natural for us says Jose
JUAN MATA has found a “natural habitat” at Manchester United, with Jose Mourinho claiming he is better suited to the attacking outlook at Old Trafford than Chelsea’s more rigid approach.
In a rousing endorsement of the Spaniard – and what could be construed as a dig at his former employers – Mourinho said he now needs to adhere to a brand of football that is different to the type he peddled at Stamford Bridge.
Mata’s future at United has been the subject of fevered debate since Mourinho’s appointment because he left Chelsea in January 2014 while the Portuguese was in charge.
Yet Mourinho insisted he was not responsible for Mata’s £37.1 million sale – claiming the player had wanted to leave – and instead spoke in glowing terms about the 28-year-old midfielder.
Mourinho referenced the “defensive block” that helped his Chelsea side win the title in 2015 but, ahead of tonight’s Europa League clash with Zorya Luhansk, said he needs to set up United differently – and that brings the Spaniard’s qualities to the fore.
“First of all I didn’t sell him because my job is not to buy and sell,” said Mourinho. “My job is to advise my board about the transfer policy.
“Secondly, he was the one who asked to leave and when a player asks to leave, you always have to think twice.
“The third point is that my idea of football, with the
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squad I had at Chelsea, with the objectives we had at Chelsea, is one thing. The football I want to play at Man United, the profile of my squad and what I want to try and do in this club is a completely different situation.
“In my project at Chelsea, Mata was a good player. And, in my project here, he is a very good player. It is a big difference. At Man United, I have more players to play transitional football as the main objective.
“We are not so physically strong and compact, playing in a defensive block like we did when Chelsea won the title in 2014-15.
“It is one thing to have players for that football...but the football we want to play here is different. It is adapted to his qualities. We need players with these qualities.
“So I think he has found a very good natural habitat for his football to play with us.” Mourinho plans to select a strong line-up against the Ukrainian visitors tonight as United try to make up for their defeat by Feyenoord in their opening Group A game in Holland.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic will start and Mourinho will check on the fitness of Wayne Rooney, who was dropped for the 4-1 rout of champions Leicester on Saturday and who missed part of training this week because he has been suffering with a back problem.
Rooney could start but Mourinho wants to “protect” his captain and he will not be thrown back in the spotlight if he cannot do himself justice.
“I am not sure if I will play him from the start because of the situation the media created for him,” said Mourinho, who will be without attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan and full-back Luke Shaw, who has had a fever.
“He can’t afford to have a performance that is not really good. Because I am here to protect him, and not put him in difficult situations, I have to analyse whether the best thing for him is to start the game if he is not totally ready for it. “So I am going to discuss that with him and the medical staff and decide whether he starts or is on the bench.”
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