Expect the unexpected
When Jose Mourinho had signed to become the boss at Manchester United, the first rumour was that Juan Mata – the player who he had sold for Manchester United when the duo were at Chelsea – is unhappy and he would be leaving Old Trafford.
The rumours got even bigger when substitute Juan Mata was replaced in the dying minutes of Manchester United's Community Shield win against Leicester City, "because he was the smallest player", according to the Portuguese manager and that he preferred a physically stronger player to defend against Ranieri’s long ball tactics.
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However, the Spaniard started the first three games of the Premier League season and scored a goal against Bournemouth, putting an end to all those rumours and turning a new page with the man who formerly managed him at Stamford Bridge.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan, on the other hand, the player who was bought to resolve Manchester United’s creativity issues highlighted in the previous three seasons under David Moyes and Louis van Gaal, was adapting to English football and life in Manchester but never met the expectations of his new manager and club.
An injury while representing his country, Armenia, had put his Manchester United career in doubt. Mkhitaryan’s first start for the Red Devils was in the Manchester derby on September and the player had the worst 45 minutes of his career. The former Borussia Dortmund player had never featured again until late in November.
Mourinho’s excellent man management made the difference
Despite all that had been said about Mourinho’s man management approach and the way he had treated the Armenian, the Portuguese manager, as stated earlier in a press conference, was protecting the player.
The former Inter Milan manager could simply have hurt Mkhitaryan’s Old Trafford career by playing him more often. Continuous slip ups in his performances would have put his spell in serious doubt.
On the other hand, Mata was unwanted at Stamford Bridge because he simply could not meet Mourinho’s expectations and philosophy at Chelsea.
The Special One’s move to Old Trafford meant that he had to adapt his football philosophy and approach according to the Manchester United history and traditions. Together Mourinho and Mata were able to fulfil these needs and formed a good manager-player relationship again.
The Micki-Mata partnership
What makes this partnership so special? Both players are giving room for each other to flourish and perform at the highest level, thanks to Jose Mourinho’s attacking variations and freedom that he is providing the Armenian and Spanish.
Last season, under Louis van Gaal, Mata was often underperforming and accused of being “slow”, especially when he had to play as a wide right in the 4-3-3 system.
The Spaniard’s strength is represented in the freedom he is provided within the final third of the pitch. So how did Mourinho resolve this issue?
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Both Mkhitaryan and Mata are creative, can play in various positions and can handle different roles on the pitch. The Spaniard is not the fastest of players and this issue is resolved by the Armenian’s pace either on the right or in the number 10 position.
Both players can fill both positions but it seems like Mourinho has found his secret attacking weapon by starting Mata on the right and the Armenian in the number 10 position.
In the last two Premier League matches, against the champions, Leicester City, and Watford, both players were extremely influential.
The former Shakhtar Donetsk playmaker scored one and assisted Mata with another against the Foxes and a total of eight chances (four each) were created by them in the game against Watford. Mkhitaryan was highly involved in both goals scored against The Hornets at Old Trafford as Mata scored one of them.
This freedom and interchange of positions is providing the players with the space to drop deep, get involved in their defensive duties and build up from the back. Something which is giving the Armenian attacker and the Spanish schemer is the space and ability to pass the ball between each other and create attacking one-twos in order to penetrate the opposition defensive walls.
General verdict
Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United has been known for its lack of creativity and goals throughout the season; a total of nine Premier League draws is enough proof.
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With five goals and two clean sheets in the last two games, this partnership could finally solve the goal scoring drought and with Anthony Martial’s impressive showing on the left flank, we could witness a very interesting trio that could direct the team’s destiny to the desired path, come the end of the season. A finish in the top four of the league is the least expected outcome with United’s recent run of results.
