We can like his game more or less, but Mourinho is allowing him to play in that way. He had the chance to ignore Mata this month 'inviting' him to leave, or trying to influence his game to remain open or anything. But he started every match in the league and he's playing in the same way. Too much generosity to be based on political reasons as I read sometimes, I don't think that's the key.
I think the point of this style of play is to fix the opposition inside, threatening the central areas by adding numbers. The teams get tight and there's more space on the wings. Then Valencia is left with 1x1 situations many times, with 3-4 players waiting in the box. An alternative strategy with pros and cons like any other. Because even if Miki plays there he's not going to run the sideline as a traditional winger. He's a creative player and tends to go inside, maybe not that much but we have to get used to this.
About Mata individually, I remember him during the first months with Van Gaal playing in the diamond. He was not involved at all neither in attack or defense. He disappeared of the team after some months and he came back around March against Tottenham-Liverpool-City being a different player. I think Mata understood that he doesn't have the talent to survive as a starter, just based on his pure quality. Nobody was going to build a team around him, so he had to be more involved in all the collective tasks, covering more ground, pressing and tracking back more, being more involved with the ball if he wanted to be useful, and better or worse he's doing it now.
Mata has become a good team player with some bright moments, not what we expected initially but it's not something bad necessarily. I think he's now the kind of footballer the managers tend to like and the fans tend to depreciate. It happens also with Valencia, Fellaini and some others who are not flashy and have clear limitations in some areas, but they are disciplined and good executors of what they are told to do. Year after year they are expected to leave but they always survive under different managers (and "different" in every sense) so it means something in my opinion.
We all know Mata won't be a starter permanently, but I expect him to accumulate a good sum of minutes at the end of the season. He's a mature player now, he knows the game well and is working his socks off. If he's happy with that role and keeps bringing hard work, active movement and goals+assists, then it's okay for me. I understand the people who doesn't like him as we all have preferences, but let's not create a problem where there isn't any.
