The only place to be

Bollocks apparently (according to Twitter, so that could be bollocks too).

Watch the build up and movement before that deflected pass.

Sorry, I was limiting it to PL appearances. It seems unfair to preclude players like Essien and Ake from our list and include Boyata and Rodwell on their's.

How many outfield players have Man City played more than 3 times this season? I'll give you a clue. It rhymes with 17.

I like this move because it says one thing - At Chelsea, Mourinho is lord god almighty and the rest of ya'll can go fuck yourselves. This is Mourinho showing just how big his balls are. Fair play to him. We've wanted a manager who actually led this club for years, rather than just some temporary custodian waiting for a pay-off (and I would even include King Carlo in that - except for the pay off bit - who, despite him being a fucking great manager never really changed the identity of the club that much from what Jose established). This season Jose has set about creating a new identity for this club on the pitch and reinvigorated the club. The bad feeling that was here just 12 months ago has evaporated and we have someone in the dugout that we love. We'll miss Mata but this could be the moment that we look back on in decades to come as the moment we finally found a leader to take us to that next level.

Don't fancy your job today. People wishing death on people for transfers, Mourinho is going to get dogs abuse despite our league position and supporters crying for stability for years and a few new trolls signing up to rub this transfer in our faces. Think it'll be worse than the Benitez signing. Me personally, I'm just going to get the popcorn and see who can come up with the most extreme reaction.

To be fair I'm not the one who has resorted to name-calling, but congrats on achieving your aim.

Really? You don't think Oscar, Willian and Hazard link up well? Our first goal against Liverpool involved all three and was a thing of beauty. Give them time.

You don't though. You just post negative shit constantly under some pretence of being realistic. Throughout this whole debate you've posted sarcastic shit that isn't related to what this club is actually trying to achieve. I don't have my head stuck up Jose's butt, but I do respect the man and what he is trying to do. I also think he is getting results that suggest that his system does have merit. It's sad to see Mata go but we've got fine players like Oscar, Willian and Hazard as well as great young talent who might actually come through with some stability in the coaching position. Plus I doubt there's anything you could actually say that was worthwhile or interesting. Sorry, but having seen your efforts that's just how I feel. Players like Rui Costa, Laudrup etc. were great players but that means the square root of fuck all when we're discussing players' suitability to our coach's system. Maybe join your friend Gilvorak at the cafe. Neither of you would have to change your posting styles.

Give it a rest and cheer the fuck up. Real Madrid have Isco. Bayern have Gotze. We have Oscar. You stick with your Youtube videos of players who were in their prime at least half a decade ago. The game moves on, different systems emerge. If you don't like the system we're using then why not leave? You don't seem to have that great an affinity for this club anyway.

Shame that he's going to United and he's a classy guy who has been a fantastic ambassador for this club but at the end of the day it's purely and simply footballing reasons that have led to him leaving. Mourinho's style of football really didn't suit him so we had to make a choice between the coach and the player, and thankfully we've gone with the coach. Some of the stick, abuse, vitriol and downright pathetic comments from some members on this site towards the club, the board and even Jose are pretty embarrassing. The club will survive this and I think we have the coach, the system and the players to prosper. United have got themselves a great bloke but they're still in dire need of at least one midfielder....and a coach.

How is it stupid? Mata doesn't play because he doesn't fit the profile that Mourinho wants, this guy does. As for replacing Mata...WE ALREADY FUCKING REPLACED HIM WITH WILLIAN. Salah fits the profile down to a tee. He's a left-footed right winger, he seems to have a good amount of athleticism about him, he's got CL experience and he's relatively young and decent value so you wouldn't expect to lose much (if any) money on him in the next 2-3 years. Moses could return, but he's right-footed when Mourinho has said he likes inverted wingers.

A pathetic statement from someone who is supporting United the next time Man United visit the Bridge apparently. Willian was Mata's replacement because Mourinho saw Mata as a winger. Oscar has been one of our two best players this season and has no reason to worry if he keeps improving as he has done. The guy is Brazil's number 10 - he can handle the pressure.

What the fuck is wrong with you?

I agree he's a classy guy, but why the fuck would I want the club to be destroyed by him? He's not bigger than the club and this club is bigger than my pathetic whims. This club means everything to millions of supporters around the world and because my favourite player might be sold (because he doesn't fit the system for fucks sake) then I'm going to throw my toys out of the pram? You criticise people who support Mourinho in this but fuck supporting the manager....you can't even support the fucking team properly.

Part of the deal is that they have to keep Moyes.

And you're one of those supporters who wants Mata to come back with United and "destroy" Chelsea. Is there a name for supporters like this?

Here's a question....will number 10s like Ozil and Mata become a thing of the past? Look at Real Madrid, Bayern and us. We use Isco, Kroos/Gotze and Oscar respectively, none of whom is in the same mould as Mata/Ozil/Kaka but who are harder working players. They each has similar numbers of goals/assists too. Maybe the game is moving towards this more all-round AM? Just a thought.

One is that you could use Rami on the wing. The second is to use the 433. We're talking about suffering TWO injuries to Willian, Hazard, Oscar and Schurrle. Realistically if that happens then we're in trouble whether we have Mata or not. I'd still be inclined not to use Mata if that happened though and maintain the fast-paced pressing game by using Ramires who has the athleticism required. Good post by the way. It's a shitty transfer all round because we are looking to sell a fantastically talented player, but if a fantastically talented player doesn't fit the style of football you're playing then what real use is he? That's if these players get injured. It's the nightmare scenario and if it happened, then it would be tough all round. By that logic we shouldn't loan out any players just in case, but you make these decisions based on what is likely to happen. As for who we should buy, I don't know. One option might be Salah who is a value purchase who fits our transfer structure but might not have the talent required. Again though we could reduce the AM positions from 3 to 2 as we have done already this season. Decent source.

No, I think we need 5 players for those 3 positions or use the 433 we've used sporadically this season to good effect. Ideally we'd sign a 5th AM who wold be a right-sided, left-footed player who fits the system. At the moment we have Hazard, Oscar, Willian, Schurrle and Ramires (who can play on the right if needed) if Mata leaves.

There's generally a big drop in the quality of our play when Mata is used. He doesn't press as well, he doesn't counter as fast and he just looks slower. Agreed that if you want to change the system we play to one that suits him then we should absolutely keep him. Doesn't really matter if we still have Mata if Hazard is injured. Schurrle would almost certainly play. We'd lack depth but we could go to 433 which we've played this season more than once If Oscar got injured then Hazard or Willian would take his position. It's what happened at Southampton. Again, we need to talk about what Jose has done and is likely to do, not what people on here want him to do. Good point...except Mata was playing on the RIGHT-WING in that game and Hazard was in the centre. Oscar and Willian changed that game for us completely and Oscar put the team on his back (not for the first time). And Lewandowski is now going to Bayern for free. I love Mata, but there's a point at which reality needs to take precedence over sentimentality. He's been a great servant for us for a few years now, but he's simply being wasted on the bench. If we needed him then I'd be against selling him, but we don't. There are 5 players I'd use instead of him at the moment. I don't like the idea of us selling to United and I'm praying PSG come in with some dirty Euros, but I also think United aren't the same United without Ferguson. Mata isn't in the top 12 players I'd be terrified of them getting (mostly CMs). I'm saying we've played 433 with Oscar operating as a right-winger who actually plays centrally quite a bit with Ramires working his bollocks off in the right channels. I brought it up in response to people suggesting we'd suffer injuries in certain positions. I made a light-hearted comment at the end of a more serious (or as serious as football discussions get) post. Back on the ignore list with you. Enjoy your pint.

He might be our best player, but if he doesn't fit the system then what use is he? Then go and support United. You've already expressed a desire to see Mata come back and destroy us so you're halfway there. If you think watching players like Eden Hazard is boring then I'm sorry, I don't know what to tell you. Yes we need to develop youth and there are cases where we could've done so but I hope this is something we commit to in the future. Jose is saying all the right things and the inclusion of Ake, Kalas and Baker in first-team plans is a nice step but we need to do more. But he deserves time to do so. By my reckoning, Mourinho has given as many under-18s their debuts as Wenger has this year.

Under Moyes? I'd rather we sold Mata to PSG but if there's no offer on the table then you're left with hoping Mata retains value in the summer.

Are you fucking kidding me? Did you watch the game? Perfectly fine? Compared to what? Did you not see the tempo of the game increase in every aspect with the introduction of Oscar and Willian??? Bertrand wasn't used in the FA Cup or the league cup tie at Sunderland (might have been injured but who knows?). As for delusion I think you wrote the book on it Mr Fan since 2007. I'm not sure you have that authority though. What about the results? He was used in all 3 PL losses. We were drawing away to Southampton and Norwich until he was removed (in the 81st minute at Norwich), and went on to win. It was 1-1 at home to Cardiff until he was replaced with Oscar - 4-1. It's harsh because he's a great player but he seems to undermine the system when he's playing and it's not his fault. The system is fucking hard to play. He was injured so much in his final season and was becoming a shadow of his former self which was a massive shame. Why you still haven't forgiven Jose says more about you, although you've already said you're looking forward to Mata destroying us in a United shirt. Fuck knows what you think supporting a club is.

I'll agree that we haven't seen enough progress with the young players but we at least seem to be trying to develop a cohesive system that every age group team will play, thus easing their transition. Oscar has developed, as has Hazard arguably. I'd say we play very exciting football now which seems to be getting results. But people like you seem to just moan all the fucking time so who really gives a fuck. The mood around this club is 180 degrees from where it was last season. People like you seem so far removed from what the crowds actually think that it's almost laughable, but this club was at the lowest ebb I've ever experienced just a year ago. Now we're challenging for the title and still in the CL with a manager that the fans on the terraces love. But because we're selling a substitute to a rival then everything is shit. Grow Up!