Juan Mata can be Manchester United’s Santi Cazorla

Juan Mata can become a deep-lying playmaker for Manchester United the way Santi Cazorla redefined his game for Arsenal in 2014.

Juan Mata hadn’t started a Premier League game for two months before Jose Mourinho recalled him to Manchester United’s starting XI for Saturday’s 2-2 draw away to Chelsea.

Mata thrived at the home of his former club, proving why he should be a regular feature in the Reds Devils’ first team. Making Mata a regular will require a subtle position change and demand Mourinho take a page from the book of longtime rival Arsene Wenger.

Mata has to play deeper for United. He must reinvent his game the way Wenger let Santi Cazorla do at Arsenal in late-2014. It was Wenger who repackaged his diminutive Spanish No. 10 as a deep-lying playmaker.

The switch gave Cazorla a new lease of life during the winter of his career. It made him the most important player in the Gunners’ squad, the one who made Arsenal’s style click.

Mata is at a similar crossroads to the one Cazorla faced four years ago. Ostensibly an attacking midfielder, he still has a lot to offer in the final third, as he showed at Stamford Bridge:

Yet as good as he was, Mata is not guaranteed further starts in a position brimming with other options. Alexis Sanchez and Jesse Lingard both offer more goals, while Paul Pogba’s drive and flair are better suited to playing further forward in midfield.

Now 30, Mata and his vision, technique and intelligence are obvious assets in deeper areas. His patient and efficient distribution can improve the quality, variety and speed of United’s passing.

Those things have been lacking too often during Mourinho’s time in charge. Part of the reason is because the United boss still favors a pragmatic approach based on dropping deep off the ball, sacrificing possession and striking in a direct way on the counter.

The ploy is good for releasing pace on the flanks with long balls over the top. However, it’s not ideal for neat and rapid transitions through the middle.

Mata is accomplished enough to provide those. He’s also capable of releasing runners with better passes than forwards Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford and Romelu Lukaku have been used to recently.

Better passes from deep is one reason Wenger withdrew Cazorla to the base of midfield, per Arsenal’s official website:

"Cazorla is important at the start of the game when the ball comes from our defenders. He can pass from deep midfield to high midfield better than everybody and get out of pressure."

Having Mata take the ball off defenders will translate to greater fluency and quicker movement in United’s game. Getting moves started the right way is something Pogba has struggled to do during two seasons under Mourinho.

Pogba is not disciplined enough for a role based on patience and efficiency. Instead of engaging in swift pass-and-move exchanges to transition his team from A through B to C, the Frenchman will try an outlandish flick or an ill-timed back-heel in the wrong areas of the pitch.

Pogba’s penchant for going Hollywood in the wrong areas at the wrong times has shown up several times already this season. He was caught out needlessly during the 1-1 home draw with Wolves last month.

While he can’t be the thoughtful conductor United need, Pogba is an asset whenever he gets forward. His willingness to try something special can often unlock stubborn defenses in the final third, while his aerial power and quality as a finisher are wasted off the front.

Pogba is the No. 10 United need, while Mata is the type of patient pass-master Mourinho used to rely on:

Most of the players named here were No. 10-types, but all have the ability to pull the strings from further back the way Mata can.

Any concerns about Mata’s defensive qualities in the bowels of midfield can be eased by the presence of Nemanja Matic, who is more than capable of covering for his teammate.

Cazorla initially thrived deeper because he had a temporarily tenacious Francis Coquelin handling the scrappy stuff next to him.

Dropping Mata deeper can help clearly define the roles in United’s midfield. Matic will be the disruptive influence, Pogba the No. 10 and Mata the hub of passing.

United will make greater use of their counter-attacks with a superior passer to launch them. The Red Devils will also maintain possession for longer if it’s run by a conductor who makes the right decisions in tight spaces.

Moving Mata deep can be the tactical ploy that not only adds years to his career. It can also revive United as a major force in the Premier League.