Barbara

Dude, it has nothing to do with Oscar! I even said that had Willian and Oscar had bad matches, it still would make him look bad. It's how he questioned his superior authority like a spoiled child that bothered me. I bet all of you denfending it do the same in your professional environment. As my posts are too long people may not read them til the end, but the last line I said I hope his actions as well as Oscar's shameful dive were a once-in-a-lifetime thing... I just disapprove that kind of reaction and if it was Luiz, Mikel, Suarez, or someone else, I'm positive a lot of people defending Mata here would be saying that's shameful too. I would despise their reaction the same way I despised Oscar's... one standard for all. no I didn't - although I said I think his main man is Hazard, not Oscar. I was also one of the first to say Oscar should be dropped when he played awfully 3-4 weeks ago and also the first to criticize his shameful diving yesterday (by first I don't mean literally). So yeah, you have a point alright

I think conditions just made matters worse for him (as well as for Mata). He has what we call explosion in Portuguese which is using his pacing to move the play forward with the engine and directness you described (maybe they call it engine in English after all). Heavy conditions, he's still not fully adapted to the physicality, not having much of play time lately and not doing much of the little play time he had between November and December, and that's what happens. I still believe he's suited (and has the quality) to play against teams that will attack us and offer the counter. He's very direct, fast and the only AM player in the squad who really provides width for us. He has a spot in our squad, an important one, but he's too young, not used to the physicality and will need time just like Oscar, Hazard and now Willian needed. But I really like the lad and I'll overlook a bad match - or a few bad cameos. But today was never the match for him imo.

We have a very talented, forward, direct player in Hazard who will dribble his way into the box and the goal, gluing the ball on his feet sometimes and getting out of the some ridiculous situations when he's marked by even 3 men. He also has a good vision and can provide a good assist and has been getting more confident with shooting. This kid is a gem. I'll wear my Hazard shirt tomorrow proudly

so should he be given special treatment? Wasn't he treated in a professional way by Mourinho? Wasn't he given chances and dropped according to either circumstances (injury, lack of form, bad matchup for his style, etc) or not being better than the options just like everyone else? What about the strikers and Mikel? I really am tired of all kind of excuses being given to Mata to forgive him from all his faults, but at the end of the day each of us will see his situation in a certain way. He hasn't been missed - which is the naked truth - in the team. We didn't perish in the attack because chances of goals weren't created - Hazard leads that stats according to people who like this stat. We failed because of finishing. Many players missed sitters or score-able goals, so I really don't think we miss Mata. We could always use the player he's used to be and we'd thrive if he did, but he doesn't seem to be able to adapt, to fit and honestly I wonder if he isn't depressed, demotivated or whatever. He just doesn't look like that guy that will turn this around and get riled up or hyper motivated and boom, just explode. He seems like that guy that will get quieter and quieter (not in a positive way) and hopefully without little outbursts of inappropriate rage/frustration.

I think mourinho explained it better than anyone - after he's talked to Oscar himself. Oscar tried to force a penalty (I don't think he was trying to force a red, or maybe he was, who knows?) because the contact was expected to happen and many reminded that Howard was sent off last week for just the same. But Davis is experienced, smelled the Brazilian mischievousness (and lack of fair play) a mile away and was prepared to deny Oscar the bait. I hate that kind of reasoning. If you have a chance to score a goal, you do everything in your power to do it. A penalty doesn't equal to a goal, many have been wasted everywhere and if he planned to force the goalie to get a red card, then it's all worse. He's a good kid, I think he flopped as someone explained, rather than dived, it doesn't change the fact I was disappointed and secondhand embarrassed by such behavior. Now that I've got that out of the way.... he's magnificent, fantastic and whatnot. I think the partnership between Oscar/Willian/Hazard is the future. They compliment each other and they're starting to understand each other as well - as chemistry is very much important between AMs. Am I the only one getting more and more excited by the minute with the prospects here? The balance he brings is really important and I'm happy he's contributing in the attack again

I understand frustration alright - although I'm not a professional player - but what he did yesterday was a spectacle, an pathetic display from someone who didn't have a right to question his superior's choice. Had Oscar and Willian not played well, it still wouldn't give him the right to react the way he did in a public way. He looked like a spoiled child who didn't get his way. Poor, little Juan Mata, right? Gimme a bloody break. I get he's frustrated, but how many professional players you see doing that? Not many, because they're professionals. Do you guys react like that in your work/school when things don't go your way, when someone gets a higher grade, wins the promotion, gets a raise or simply when you're criticized? So why does he have a right to do that publicly and we must be understanding? He has a right to feel whatever he wants, but to show it like that? It may be his right, but I still disapprove of it. And here's the worst thing, he hasn't even been having a great match, he was a reliability defensively in the right AND IN THE MIDDLE simply because the conditions (weather and opposition) didn't favor his style. So what that childish spectacle was about? If you're having a good match and just being unlucky - like Torres was, for example - you have a point (I still don't approve the public reaction). But if you've been not special, created absolutely nothing, what's your claim or right? His only nice play was the 1x1 with Hazard. Many other players did the same in many occasions, some of which even today linking up (Ramires x Torres, Oscar x Willian, Hazard x Torres, Hazard x Oscar). So what? Now the guy barely touches a ball and does the obvious thing which is to give the ball back to the advancing player literally in front of him by a couple of yards and somehow that's a lot of key passes? I'll give his fanboys something, he had a 100% accuracy pass which is insane, but not all that important if he did nothing with those passes. Mikel has nearly 100% (and the eventual 100%) in some matches, but when did he change a Chelsea's match with his passes? I'll never defend that kind of pathetic, childish, inappropriate, unprofessional, bratty, not-entitled reaction from any player. But I was actually surprised by some other stuff I read here today. It seems Mourinho, who's been trusted by the club owner and directors to make us thrive has an agenda to make a player fade, so he can force his way out without getting stick from fans and media? Not only this is outrageous, but it's a very naive. Even when he breathes, Mourinho brings a lot of controversy, attention, hate, judgment and whatever from fans, media, rivals, etc... Hazard had to play most of last game in the right wing and played part-time centered. Oscar has been in both wings and centered, same as Willian. Many other players had adapted in their careers, but special little Mata can't go back to play in the position he's played for years before joining us because that completely detracts from his quality and just reveals Mourinho's maleficent agenda of destroying Mata's career at Chelsea... honestly? I'm too old for this shit. And to add a few stats: Mata has started more matches this season than Mikel, Schurrle, Willian, Eto'o and about the same (exact the same or one less match) than Luiz or Azpilicueta, and two less than Cole, to mention only players that started more regularly. He's played 828 minutes which is about the same as Azpili and Torres (so maybe José is bitter about Spain because he's Portuguese and because of how RM and Spanish media and fans have treated him, so he doesn't favor Spaniards ) and he's played more than Luiz, Schürrle, Mikel, Willian, Eto'o all of which played 700-something or 600-something minutes and none decided to give a show to the cameras when subbed. I'm adding this because when the only place to be and some other people raised a point that many other players were dropped or subbed and didn't react like that, they were 'corrected' by some others saying that wasn't the case with them. Now you have the stats to back that up. Mata had enough time and chances he just didn't do much of them, in the wing or centered. He simply doesn't fit. There's nothing wrong with him, he just doesn't fit the system, many others wouldn't either. He doesn't seem to have a great adaptability and although he's brilliant, his brilliance is limited by a few conditions that must be met otherwise he doesn't work and tend to disappear, at least that's what I've gathered from all of this. Until today I didn't have a problem with his attitude, only his fanboys' when they put him ahead of Chelsea (like many did today) or people thinking they're his agent or his father. Now I'm as disappointed at his reaction as I was at Oscar's dive. I want to believe both players had uncharacteristic slips of behavior, that don't show their character.

sometimes I honestly believe people don't actually know the meaning of the word transition. Just because we've been in many transitions recently it doesn't change the fact we're in another one now. Let's start with the basics then, according dictionary.com transition tran·si·tion [tran-zish-uhn, -sish-] noun 1. movement, passage, or change from one position, state, stage, subject, concept, etc., to another; change: the transition from adolescence to adulthood. We played one style with each of those managers and now we have a new style under Mourinho. Style and concept (Mourinho often uses the words philosophy and identity) are words close in their meaning. So I don't get why people have such a difficult time accepting we're in transition. Not only we're in Mourinho's transition from whatever you want to call Rafa's system (I call it 'Mata as the center of the universe'), di Matteo's defensive approach, AVB's attack oriented mess, others re-using José's old identity and foundation, but we also have a huge change in the profile of players we now sign. We used to sign guys on their prime or very close to that, now we're signing boys with the eventual clinical experienced signing. It doesn't matter if we keep making our transition endless or having endless transitions because we keep changing managers and because we've been changing the profile we sign in the past two years, we're still in transition. A change doesn't nullify the other. None of the managers before Mourinho went for his system which consists firstly of a lot of pressing and then a lot of attacking. It isn't necessarily possession, although it can be because we decide when to give the opposition possession and when not (ofc it doesn't work every single time, but that's still the plan). We're solid defensively (again at least in paper) so we're comfortable playing without the ball, although we aren't counter-attack based like Real Madrid. We have more similarities with Mourinho's Inter than Mourinho's RM in that aspect imo, but at the end of the day, his current Chelsea isn't a carbon copy of any of his previous works. It has a lot of aspects from RM and some from Inter and even the solid defensive setup from his first spell, but it still differs from every team he's built before us. We simply attack, it doesn't matter if it's a counter or if we keep possession and patiently build the attack (although I feel a certain urgency in the team and even when we do have possession we try to make it reach the shooting position faster than others possession-based teams - tiki taka or not). We have attacking players and that's the first place we made sure to load our squad because there's a plan I suppose was made prior to José's arrival (although he certainly made his changes and adjustments, I'm sure of it, but still keeping the main idea). So the system in order of priority imo is: 1) pressing 2) attacking 3) controlling the possession (ours or the opponent's) 4) defending comfortably and solidly, without parking the bus, but also employing as many players as possible (normally 9 outfield players, releasing one). If there's one thing this team does well is pressing and that's why sometimes we don't mind the opposition having the ball. We just haunt them and they don't know if they're more damned with the ball or without it. It's relentless, tiring and it must be annoying and frustrating as hell for our opponents. We just need to sharpen all of those aspects to become the ultimate threat (I see more evolution in the pressing and in the possession controlling right now. Although we attack well, we still have issues finishing and it's not only our strikers, and our defense has had some uncomfortable and unwelcome blips). Now how people expect those changes to happen, the players to adapt to the tactics, but also to the manager's way of working (coaching style, drills, training sessions, personality, etc) and also the fact we've been changing the profile of player we sign without it being a transition? It's one thing for Lamps, Terry and Cech to look around and see guys around 25, with considerable experience and nearly (if not already) in their prime joining the squad, playing the same system as before, just making a couple of replacements and it's another thing for them to look around and see a bunch of young players (younger than 22), with not as much experience, mixed with a few slightly more experienced and closer to prime players, and a completely different system from the one(s) they've been playing. It all requires adaptation and everything that requires adaptation in my opinion is by definition a transition. If we keep Mourinho and the new signing philosophy (don't see why we wouldn't), then next season won't be transitional anymore, it'll be time to polish, make adjustments, improve specific problems and areas, clinical signings etc. That's called continuation, improvement and polishing and differs conceptually from transition, but there's no denial we're once again transitioning.

Fernando's Interview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfEjDb5caXM Mourinho's interview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rClEHRgOk4 Mourinho's press conference (in which he admits is a fair yellow card - which is true- but also raises a point that others who are known divers (we all know who they are) don't even if they dive quite often - which is also true. Mourinho is absolutely spot on. Oscar should have gotten the yellow, the thing is others should too and they don't) Cech,Mourinho and Oscar (minimal) reactions:

Regardless of who people voted for MOTM (I chose Oscar because it's hard to ignore a guy that took part directly in all our goals), it's a sight for the sore eyes to see only AMs and a striker being voted. I'm very thankful for our defenders, but it's progress to see the votes split only between AMs and ST, especially in a match the other team tried to score and we finished with a clean sheet. Hazard and Willian had GREAT matches imo, and I think Ramires and Torres were the ones that created or had our best chances in the first. I'm happy with this prospect. I hope it stays here, clean sheets, good defending, but still eclipsed by our attacking players

I was secondhand embarrassed by that Oscar dive and I guess after Mourinho was so emphatic about Suárez last week he should address it on the press room today. Really, really disappointed on Oscar, but did the boy made it up brilliantly or what? I think the talks about Mata are too extremish. Neither is he useless, neither is he a victim of the biggest injustice in the world of football. We play better football now than in the past imo (the thing is we continue to oscillate too much, having blips and difficulty to score, but the system itself is better). We're better positioned in UCL and EPL, so it's obvious whatever we have under Mourinho works better than what we had since Carlo's left. And then there's Mata in the middle of it all. He doesn't fit this system as well as he did some others. But he can still play and be very useful for us. The thing is playing away, with terrible weather, against a team that wasn't going to defend, but would look for the goal in their turf was NEVER a match for Mata, regardless if he played in the middle or in the wing. I agree with people playing him in the wing is a waste when he's much better in the middle, but today the conditions were against him, as well as they were against Schürrle. I understand Mourinho wanted to give those guys some confidence and play time, but a pace-based player like Schürrle in a heavy pitch is a waste as much as Mata was for reason I said above. He should have started with Willian and Oscar because the situation fit them better (completely ignoring the fact that they along with Hazard form out best AM right now, hands down). So I can't praise Mourinho much when I think there was an assessment mistake on his part. I mean, he was great, but I wouldn't have started the guys he chose. Cole continues to be a libiality, especially defensively. Yeah, he still can deliver great clearances in the box, but that's about it. He's overran often, he's clueless in some of his passes and tackles and he man-watches too much lately. He was decent, but re-watch the match and count how many times those things I've listed happened. You'd be surprised. Good thing there was someone covering him in each of those. That's why I'm saying this now because if in another match he does compromise it won't look like it came from nowhere. He seems to lack motivation imo, but it could be an age thing. I think we had a good first half, Torres played very well imo even if his finishing wasn't that good. He wasn't awful finishing, just unlucky or not clinical, take your pick. Hazard continues playing at high level, as well as Cahill. Ramires had a great match attacking and was good defending. Mikel didn't compromise and Terry had a couple of small mistakes (I think our skipper needs a rest, he's been blood brilliant so far, but the man isn't made of steel). Azpili also had a nonsense mistake, but played well. Mata had that 1x1 play with Hazard in the first, where Eden got the ball longer than he should and Davis anticipated him, but that's all I've got from him and a tackle. I'm sure he did more, but that's all that comes to mind. Schürrle had that one shot and that was about it. Oscar and Willian were brilliant. The estability and the control we've gathered in the match after they came in is incredible. I was once again doing a post-match report for Chelsea Brasil and ever since they were brought Southampton had one chance, with Gastón at 94 mark. Incredible pressing, amazing control of ball (before they were brought we haven't had a streak of dominating possession except in the first 15 minutes of the match) and we just played our game. Ofc the goals could have come in the first (on individual plays by Ramires and Torres, as our AM wasn't particularly that creative or even threatening in the first), but they came when collectively we started dominating and relying less on individual brilliance. That's the difference between us with Jose and others before him. We rely less on individuals such as Mata, Hazard last season or Mata, Drogba in the previous, and more in the system. Great win, I think we're making progress again and I guess Luiz spoiled Mourinho's private talks to the team in the interview after Liverpool. The journo asked Eden what were Chelsea's ambitions in the league and while he was looking for the words, Luiz simply said: fight for the title. That we will.

and still my timeline is filled of Mata fanboys saying shit about Mourinho, although Oscar changed the match for us. How they call themselves Chelsea fans is beyond me. I'm tired of this shit, I'm honestly am. We play much better with Oscar but all they can say is complain about Mourinho taking Mata off in a match he could nothing for us. I want to throw my laptop at the wall. If only I could block people without unfollowing them...

This team must play with Hazard - Oscar - Willian. We're a completely different threat with them on. Southampton can't find the ball anymore and we're keeping the ball in the attack, pressing them much better and well, we scored twice. And Oscar is adding the assists stats he's accused of not providing. So I think it's a win-win situation for us, but those three must play

WILLIAN! Oscar! TalkChelsea knows its shit!!!!!

We can't play counter-attack away from home - especially in such heavy and tough weather - with Mata. That's counter-productive... Mata is made for posssesion, slow build-up games... not this.

same old, same old with our goal convertion. But I'm happy about the way we're approaching the game. Now get lucky in the second and get in, Blues!!!!!! COME ON!

Torres is so unlucky there He's playing very well. He's passing by opponents as if they were nothing.

new year, new Torres?

also arrived at 6am, the difference I had 7 hours to sleep (which I didn't as I went to bed over 7am), so I feel you in other news, David Luiz and his father are in the stands

Just arrived home, but happy new year, lovelies!!!!!!! May 2014 bring some silverware to our beloved Chelsea and each of you to experience a good year, with accomplishments and dreams coming true. The best to all of you, cheers

maybe you're that vain, I'm not. My favorite player in activity, not the one I think is the best, is a guy over 35 and not attractive at all. My man in tennis is Rafael Nadal and for God's sake the kid can't be less attractive if he tries (although he's obviously not ugly). My second fave in tennis is Andy Murray... So don't talk shit just because I'm girl. Yes, Cristiano Ronaldo is hot, but to say there's a player comparable to him is laughable. End of the story. He could be as ugly as Ribery, it wouldn't make him any less good. Your argument not only is sexist, but ridiculous... Messi is more technical, but I prefer Cristiano because of his style and because, obviously, he doesn't play for Barcelona. I don't even bother to discuss football with the likes of you. So if you think PSG is one of the big teams in the world, good for you. It tells me a lot about you. Tit for tat.

And I find it funny that you can compare anyone to Cris with a straight face. It's more than funny, it's literally laughable. I did say they don't have a chance winning UCL as much as we don't right now, but you have to read my post and see the context. I started the paragraph saying 'All that said I doubt Mata will leave in January and I'm not sure he'll leave in the summer' which means I'm talking about his options for the 2014/15 season. We don't have good chances to win UCL this year and I said as much in my post, the same way I don't think PSG will EVER have in the neaby future. And if you think going from a potential English champion to the French champion is a good career move, the okay... Also PSG buys much more than we do, so who knows who else they'll buy and that could eventually compete with him in the position?

There's a difference of how much I think he's worthy and how much I think we'd realistically get for him. I agree with most points @Peace. raised. There's no buzz surrounding Mata because he isn't a player that creates buzz - whether because of his quiet personality or because the media only decided to give him plenty of attention when Mourinho didn't use him as much. The POTY award doesn't really matter, especially when many people think Hazard had a better year than Mata did last season (and which showed in the Balon d'Or final list). So if he doesn't even make that list that has some laughable names, you know that his markeability isn't compatible with his quality. How on earth can Bale be the most expensive player ever? It's not because of his quality alone (which I don't think is that much tbh), but how markeatable he's become. All that said I doubt Mata will leave in January and I'm not sure he'll leave in the summer. The very top teams in the world will also offer him competition in the position (I'm talking about 4-5 teams) and the ascending clubs - like PSG, Napoli or even Atletico - have less chances of winning important titles than we do. All those things must be taken into consideration by him. If he's leaving because he has to fight for his position here, he'll have the same in top teams (all of which I doubt are even interested on him anyway) and if he wants to play in the likes of PSG then he's settling for winning League 1 because they don't stand a chance at all in European competitions (as much as we don't right now, the difference being we have Mourinho, they don't). We'll probably be among the title contenders next season. So what does he want? To be in a winning side that can raise some of the most important trophies around or shine in teams that can only compete in France and Italy? Depending on his personality and career goals he may choose one path or the other.

Mourinho returning. That was the biggest moment. I was seeing my Facebook year review and were there a few posts of me talking about Mourinho. The moment he resigned from Real Madrid I started to ask what Chelsea was waiting to announce him. And the day he was finally announced Nadal (tennis player) was playing whatever and I posted saying even if Rafa lost he wouldn't ruin my day because Mourinho had been appointed for us. Nothing else mattered as much as that. Now thinking about something in the pitch... I'll say us beating Manchester City for the first time in a few years. Among all our fixtures that match is the one I was looking forward the most because they proved to be a bad matchup for us recently, but not only because of the scorlines. It was the way they seemed to dominate us in every match I remembered in the last couple of years. In all honestly I don't think Chelsea had a remarkable year and I don't think we had remarkable matches (either because of their importance or because of the rivals). Our year was quite underwhelming and uneventful and I'm okay with that because football is way too competitive these days. More and more clubs injecting money had increased the amount of teams playing in high level, so it's okay to have a 'bad' year. But Mourinho feels like a breath of fresh air and I have high expectations about the years to come. They're going to be amazing and I'm sure already this time next year it'll be hard to pick the moment I've cherished the most.

I'd go with the same. I don't think this match is that much fitting for Mata as I see him in some lineups. I think if we won't play Willian we can't afford not to play Oscar and I guess Willian is tired after too many minutes lately (in consecutive matches, including 120 against Sunderland). I also think it's fitting for Schürrle to play against them because of his pace. So for me it's either what you suggested or Willian - Mata - Hazard. I'd take your suggestion though, but I guess Jose will repeat Will-Oscar-Eden

@Tomo, Mourinho already is the only reason why we are where we are. Why do I say the only and not the main? Most of our signings this summer aren't playing often. Sometimes it's Schurrle, sometimes it's Willian. Marco and Kevin are off, and Eto'o's goals and contributions aren't that significant which means Mourinho has been working mainly with the players that were already here for a season or two and where were we last season and the one before it at the end of the calendar year? My point exactly. While we didn't have exceptional players at some points and we've been facing the same deficiencies in our squad for a few years now, still Mourinho made the difference basically with the guys that were already here. One could argue - and it's a very valid point - that Oscar and Hazard are fully adapted now whereas they weren't last season. But let's not forget how amazingly Eden played for us until the United match. We won matches early last season because of him and still we were 11 points or something behind the leader at the end of 2012. So we had a killing Hazard early the season that won us matches and still we were out of the title race as soon as December ended. Of course I'm not dismissing the players' role in our current position, they're the ones who win matches and lose them, but we all know what a difference a manager can make and I think in our case Mourinho does it because not only we're tactically miles better than we've been in years, but also he's recovered Terry, he's improved Oscar, Hazard, Cahill andTorres a lot (and it has nothing to do with adaptation in the new guys' case). We have a confident Lampard, a better Ramires and I think Schürrle also benefited from Mourinho even if I can't say much from his Leverkusen days. I can talk about Schürrle based on what I saw in pre-season and early this season and then I compare it to the player he was from October on. It even affected his national team performance imo (have been following Germany closely the past couple of years). So it's not only the tactic system we have - which is very efficient and entertaining imo, but also how he works individually with those players and he just improves them. Hazard had absolutely nothing on his defensive game that was worth mentioning. He's one of our best pressing players nowadays, he tracks back effectively and not only to add a number in the lines in our half. So I credit Mourinho more than anyone in our position 2 points behind an Arsenal side that has the same manager and the same players (sans Ozil, but he only adds to the mix) brewing for years now and who are now florishing. We're one point behind a Manchester City side that has an incredible attack force and by far the best pivot in England (if not in Europe) managed by an experienced, attack minded guy. I'm not saying we're inferior to Arsenal or City squad wise because I think we're superior the former and as good as the latter. The thing is we have deficiencies in critical areas (pivot and attack) that they don't have. Their squads aren't as deep as ours, but we're only deep in defense and attacking midfield. We don't even have first team material strikers and we have literally a half-decent pivot. Our pivot players don't compliment and complement each other, which is why we're so terrible there. Still we've been working around those two critical weaknesses and some defense blips and we've been just there with those guys from the start. I'm thankful Mourinho is here, words can't say how much.