Juan Mata has been urged to follow Cristiano Ronaldo’s example and broaden his skill set under Jose Mourinho in order to force his way back into the side, Chelsea assistant coach Steve Holland said on Monday.
The Spain midfielder, voted Player of the Year in the last two seasons, has been used sparingly by Mourinho, but Holland thinks he is capable of altering his game to fit into the manager’s plans.
“Ronaldo is a player I have always really admired, but in his three-year period working with Jose he really evolved as an individual,” Holland told the club’s website.
“He is not just a talented dribbler who can score goals, he has become a top-level match winner who wants to make runs in behind and to threaten the goal,” he added.
“Jose is always pushing the players to the maximum every day, and that is evident not just in the teams but in the individuals he has worked with.”
Holland, who has worked at Chelsea under Carlo Ancelotti, Andre Villas-Boas and Rafa Benitez, noted previous examples of Mourinho altering players’ style to suit his tactics.