Sir Mikel OBE

Solid match from our backup no.10

Watching Mata tonight try to play Oscar's style just proves to me how awesome of a Player Oscar is. He makes the defensive work look so effortless, when it clearly takes a lot to get into such positions. Oscar is the Number 10 this year. You build squads around players like him.

If Ramires cant go then a pivot of Essien-Mikel is my choice. Save Lampard for Tuesday.

Yeah....Mikel and Oscar shouldnt be worried watching this

Ramires looked to be carrying a knock leaving the pitch.

I dont think we should play Mazacar vs Spuds midfield. We need a proper winger out there.

Torres has to score those...

Swindon looking dangerous.

Swindon has come out with the right mindset.

What is the medical staff doing? No way he should have tried to continue after that.

OH GOD THAT LOOKS PAINFUL!

Do all of them have fathers pushing them to play for another country though? Its kind of widely reported his dad wants him to play for Albania, and that pressure is kind of hard to walk away from.

Cold trophy fan? Save that mate, I support Chelsea FC. CHELSEA FC. Mata isnt the first good player we've had who has seen the bench, and he wont be the last. If I would have caught feelings about a player I like getting shown the pines then we all would have been gone long long ago. Mata has to buy in the system. It is a simple as that. A team where Mata can do whatever he fucking wants may be good enough for Rafa, but isnt where we are going. Mata also would do fuck all at Manchester united. They cant get in the creative players they have now, and Kagawa works much harder on both sides of the ball than I have ever seen Mata do. Also you have not been paying attention if you dont think Eto'o has a defensive workrate. He, even out of shape, has been everywhere on the pitch to where he isnt even in the box many times. You cant go on about Loyalty, yet try to throw the players on the pitch giving their all for us under the bus. Loyalty should come first to your club. If Mata is good enough he will get on the pitch. If he is not, then he will be sold. You'll get over it.

He deserves what he shows on the pitch. NOBODY should get preferential treatment based on what they did in the past. That is not how a club should run.

Top of the league

I don't think we've been that bad really. This fulham side was always going to be tough to break down. Bring on Willian to stretch them out.

Mata fc fan?

Remember when folks thought mikel was going to be out by our superior manager? Ha! You guys hate him now. Great selection by mourinho.

People are stressing it because people seem to be acting like it isnt a big deal. Under Rafa Mata pretty much had free reign, but that time has ended. You have to play AS A TEAM. Mata has to adapt to that, and I have no doubt he can do that. We spent the end of last season begging for change, and now that we are getting it people arent happy lol.

We knew there would be some big changes when Mou got here. We'll be good though. Watch Oscar beast against Fulham today.

We want talent and work ethic.

It makes sense when the manager flat out says he does not like the way we played the past 2 years

As a team we dont have a main man. We are very much a squad in transition. Plenty new players, and a new manager to boot. We are weeks, maybe even months, removed from actually having a main man. a) Fair point. We'll see how Eto'o settles. b ) He has not adapted yet. c) Perhaps, but he has played well enough so far. Still attracts 3 players at any given moment. d) This is true, and this needs to be fixed. We dont need him doing that. e) Nothing guarantees a clean sheet, it makes it a lot more probable though. It also keeps circulation flowing from the back to the attack as he is always available.

I have no doubt in my mind that Mata and Mourinho worked on that during the international break. What happened during the game should never happen, and hopefully it wont happen again. Creating and scoring goals is nice and all, but what does it matter if you leave the team wide open? What does it matter if you do not defend as a team? It may be good enough for Rafa but it isnt good enough for the style he is trying to make. We might as well be down a man when he doesnt have the ball.

They are better because they are faster and have a higher work rate. That is why they were bought. This is also why Oscar is getting chosen above Mata. The comment by Mourinho was clear in terms of "Specific tasks" Mata will get plenty of minutes this season though. We are in a ton of competitions, and he should be the first name on the teamsheet for the capital one cup, and maybe even the FA cup when the schedule gets packed.