My Madrid friend said this is actually a good sign. He said Jose did the same thing to Ozil and Benzema. And he’s likely going to turn Mata into a Di Maria… But better because Mata is better. Do you remember the quotes from Jose early on when he said he’s hardest on the best players? They have to work harder and prove more to him than the others. I think (hope) that’s what’s happening here. Jose can see what Mata contributes. He’s not daft and I’m sure the club values Mata immensely particularly after last season. This is a work in progress and I suspect Mata knows too… Keep the faith and watch Mata prove his worth. Jose showed Ozil a lot of tough love, basically made him play as a holding mid for a few weeks to better his game for the best interests of the team. That made Ozil a much better, more rounded player and I expect a similar situation with Mata. Seeing the media (and even some of you) make these claims about Jose not rating/liking Mata is getting real old. Trust Jose, he knows how fantastic Mata is and just wants to get the best out of him.