Juan Mata’s future at Old Trafford at risk under Mourinho

MANCHESTER — Ask anybody who has worked with him who their top three nicest footballers are and Juan Mata will feature on just about every list, and that, perhaps, is the Spaniard’s biggest problem in the eyes of Jose Mourinho.

Mata makes Spotify playlists of music recommendations from followers on social media, he agrees footballers are overpaid and, while others tweet pictures of their supercars, the Spaniard posts snaps of classic convertible VW Beetles.

And yet this favourite of teammates, fans, and Old Trafford staff had “no relationship” with Mourinho at Chelsea and appears to be on the brink of another parting of the ways with the Portuguese at Manchester United.

For Mata to need to be restrained by first-team coach Silvino Louro having been substituted just 27 minutes after being sent on during United’s Community Shield victory over Leicester City at Wembley, gave a glimpse of the deep-rooted problems between the 28-year-old and Mourinho.

It was reminiscent of his final appearance in a Chelsea shirt, when he ignored Mourinho after being substituted during a 3-0 win against Southampton and complained to team-mates on the bench about his treatment. Three weeks later, Mata joined United in a £37.1 million (S$64.9 million) deal.

When Mourinho returned to Chelsea in 2013, Mata was the club’s player of the year for two successive seasons and a darling of the fans after providing 25 assists and 18 goals.

But Mourinho did not rate the achievement of being named the best player in a team who had finished sixth and third in the Premier League, despite winning the Champions League, FA Cup and Europa League.

Mourinho’s obsession with winning has often meant he has embraced the nastier side of football and it only took until October 2013 for him to reveal his problem with Mata.

“It is one thing to play with Ramires and Oscar closing down opponents on each side, and Mata as a number 10 behind a striker with his clever assists, clever passes and fantastic actions,” said Mourinho.

“But it is another thing to adapt to the way we want to play. In this moment, Oscar is my number 10 and, if anyone tells me Oscar has not been Chelsea’s best player this season, I’d have to disagree. It’s difficult for (Mata) to accept the situation. He’s a player with status.”

Of his time at Stamford Bridge under Mourinho, Mata told the Spanish press: “For better or for worse, we had no relationship. There was no dialogue. I was not happy.”

According to Mourinho, Mata was taken off because he was the smallest United player as Leicester hit long balls in search of an equaliser. That argument would appear at odds with the philosophy of Mata, who once said: “When you lose, a certain kind of player — the creative players — always get the blame ... It’s easy to say certain players are luxuries, especially when you’ve lost a game.”

The fact United held on for a win without Mata is all that will interest Mourinho.

And so there may soon be no more Mata at Old Trafford.