Johnnymhl

I said that adding a quality striker can completely change the way a team plays. He just helps every single player out, not just with his goals but at one point he put a world-class slide tackle in at left-back.
4 goals in 3 games, our most important player.

Costa yelling at Coleman after the og.
Costa's celebration after his 2nd.
He's my favorite Chelsea player. Is that bad?

What a game by Costa

4 goals in 3 matches



Costa and Mikel link up will be the foundation of our attack

One of the best striker performances I've seen from a Chelsea striker in the last 5 years. And it's not just the goals too. His all round game from his hustle to his pressing was beyond immense. Talk about leading a forward line! Wow.

No matter how people slice it. this leaves a bad taste in the mouth. He knew something like things was a distinct possibility when he joined a club affiliated with Man City.

Cesc Fabregas : "It's always difficult playing Chelsea. When I was at Arsenal, we attack, attack, attack.. and then Drogba scores"

"And then the black man got on his knees and did a prayer celebration"

No he has not.
Games since Mata left:
1-0 Stoke: Came on in the 81st minute, so doesn't really count.
0-0 West Ham: Was very good, one of the better players on the pitch.
1-0 City: Had a good game, could've done better in the final third but defensively he was fantastic.
3-0 Newcastle: Was again decent, linked up well with Oscar, Eto'o and Hazard.
1-1 WBA: Was probably our man of the match in that game.
0-2 City: Was his first real bad game in a while, but the whole team were rubbish in that game anyway.
He has not been terrible.

From now on every away game against 10th (28 pts) - 20th (20 pts) place will be very difficult because they're all fighting to avoid relegation. So away draw is not a bad result, all the other top clubs will slip sooner or later.

It's clear some on here haven't played 11 a side football at even the lowest level. If you have you would understand how frustrated Mata is - from star player, marginalised to a mere bench player - despite obvious efforts to improve, he still didn't get enough playing time. If you played football at any sort of decent level you'd understand that he's leaving because he isn't playing enough at all and United are the only club offering an exit for him now.

No need for this. Mata has been a fantastic personality for our club and has every right to want to go and play more and get a place in Spain's world cup team this year. And its a difficult country to break into at that.

Not just games he has scored in, but there are games he doesn't even play well and still plays a vital part in the creating of chances with his dribbling and vision.
For me, selling Hazard is not even worthy of a discussion. Top clubs for the most part do not sell their best player, especially not when this said player has not expressed any desire to leave, and is still just at the tender age of 23.

Based on how important he is to us, how good he is now and how good he can be.
What's hard to get about Hazard being more important to us than PSG would offer in a transfer fee? Bale wasn't worth 85m but he was to Tottenham, they held out and got the fee that they were willing to accept. You think Madrid valued him at 85m? Of course not. Tottenham set the price, the same way Utd set Ronaldo's price.
You're talking about selling him now because there's no guarantee he'll fulfil his potential. Why not, err, you know, actually give him a chance to fulfil said potential?
Honestly, it seems like you're fishing for an argument for some strange reason. There's no need to always be contrary, friend.

Unless they are offering us 5 PL titles and a couple of CLs, then I'm pretty sure we can "resist".

Personally I don't think he was trying to undermine Mourinho. He's probably just frustrated (as much with himself as Mourinho) and just did what he did in the heat of the moment. The overreaction here is a bit silly in my opinion. It isn't like he is constantly moaning, or dropping hints of his annoyance on social media. Up until now he has just got on with it and accepted his place on the bench which must be difficult considering how good he has been the last 2 seasons. It was a simple isolated incident.
I feel a bit sorry for him really. He is a player who always gives everything for the team and loves the club and the fans. It isn't that he's playing badly more just that he doesn't fit Mourinho's system. That happens in football sometimes. If he hands in a transfer request because he wants to leave in search of first team football in a World Cup year then the club should treat him and the request with the same respect he has shown the club throughout his time here and give him the best deal and opportunity to find a good club.
He shouldn't leave with any hard feelings and we shouldn't treat him in a negative way either. It is just part of football, unfortunately. He's a nice guy who in my opinion would always be welcome back and a great professional who would be a credit to any club in the world.

@theonlyplacetobe wrote Why has he received crappy treatment? Jose just rates Oscar higher than him in the middle and Willian better than him on the right-wing. How on Earth is that crappy treatment?
And that's why I want him to join a club that would treat him with the level of respect he deserves. he's too good a playmaker to play second fiddle to anyone not named Iniesta,Ozil and Silva (possibly). Most teams in Europe realise this as he's very highly rated and he won't be having much regret if he moves in Jan or summer. so fair fucks

Shut up, he didnt challenge anyone's authority!
Childish is the complete overreaction you are having towards a simple gesture Mata had. You are making it bigger than the game itself...
He was only very upset due to all the things he is going through this season. We are in January and this is the very first sign of disappointment Mata showed. Mata won the last two POTY awards and now he is not even on the first team. How do you expect him to react? Giving kisses to Jose in the press conferences? Of corse not! Juan even waited A LOT to show it (at least in public). He was a gentlemen compared to other players in his situation (does Rooney ring a bell?). If this was another player, agents and family members would have already made a media mess by now!
He is human just like everybody else, which means emotions can take over control sometimes. He didnt storm into the dressing room, he didnt questioned or yelled at Mourinho, he didnt refused to get subbed, he didnt sat on the bench breaking things, etc. He was only very upset and didnt do anything to hide it.
And we dont even know if all those faces and signs were complainments towards Jose or himself. Maybe he was just absolutely pissed that all he was doing wasnt working. We dont know!
Juan was not playing well and he deserved to be benched. I am not defending he had to be on the team (because he didnt). But we cant be arrogant to a point where we expect him to act like a robot and feel nothing. He is a human being with expectations and goals just like everybody else and he is realising they will hardly be fulfilled with Jose Mourinho (not that Jose is wrong, but still). So it is pretty normal that Juan acts like he did yeaterday.
Again, I am not defending his place on the team nor any bigger reactions that might come in the future in case things continue like that. However, it is perfectly understandable why he is dissappointed and acted a little rusty yesterday...

Agreed. Complete overreactions.
I agree that it may actually be of benefit to the club to move him on if things don't improve. But to belittle the man like people have done here is insulting to the 2 fantastic years of service he has provided. People are all too quick to forget how much we depended on him to win games and quick jump to José's side when things look good (for now). It seems like some people have been waiting for this moment for a while.
Honestly, some of the reactions on here have shocked me and I expected more on an educated forum. Saying that Mata might have to move on is fine, but people should also show a level of respect for what he has done for the club up until that moment. It was the first semi-negative thing he's done here and it was because he's a footballer who wants to play football. For fuck sake. Look at all the insanely stupid shit JT has done but 95% of people here still call him 'legend'. Hypocrites.

That may be a decent point but let's be fair here for a second, do people expect somebody - even someone as cool as Mata - to always stay calm and normal in the heat of the moment and arguably facing an increase in frustration? As I said in the previous post, it's always easy for we all sitting here and just criticize when someone react like that and perhaps not understand enough of the situation or the player's POV.

I'm surprised he's taken him this long to kick off. one things for sure though, he won't be short of suitors and offers if/when he becomes available on the market so our loss really. from mata's perspective, he knows plenty of top to emerging clubs will be after him and make him a starter in their respective teams so why should he settle for the crappy treatment he's been getting from jose. . . .he doesn't have the problem some players have of worrying that Chelsea could be their last and only chance of ever playing for a top club and at the highest level.
good luck to him wherever he goes as he's one of my favourite Chelsea players, classy guy too.

Tired of people trashing Mata on here. You don't have to bash him simply to prop up the manager. Stop revising history people.

I'm happy with Mata. He showed that he cares about the result. A lot of other players would have loved to get out of that rain, into the showers and some warm clothes. Mata will get his chance again. He won't be leaving, he doesn't strike me as a player who would quit and move on just like that.

Well this is the first time in his career that he has been in this situation. Can't really blame him for not knowing how to react. It's obvious he just wants to play football, this isn't an issue of money or anything else that can be seen as petulant. I can't be angry at him for just wanting to play football and be a part of the grand scheme of things.

Ah come on, we all know Mata hasn't been treated like those guys. Players like Luiz still get a lot of match time and are actually part of Mou's squad. Mata's just being played because he's there and he's usually now always the first to be taken off. It's different.