Barbara

now onto the part I guess it's up to discussion (and I know there are people that thought the 'free show' he provided was okay, but that also think Mourinho is right on how he's been handling Mata, so this is again a general answer based on some posts I've read and my general opinion in the matter, consider this a reset) Calling what Mourinho did based EXCLUSIVELY on performance and form is marginalizing Mata makes no sense in my head. When was the last time he had a great match for us? I think he had a good match against Arsenal in the League Cup (nothing spectacular, but still a good match). Recently (I always mix matches when they're too close to one another) he had a good match in the EPL - one he's started - but in all honesty those were the only worth mentioning matches he had in the 15 he started (and let's not ignore the 3 he came as a sub because Oscar and Willian proved coming as a sub doesn't take away your chance to destroy a match, no matter how many minutes unless it's the 85-90 mark sub to gain time). So how is that marginalizing a player? I will never understand why people use PAST form to justify a player staying in the team CURRENTLY when there are others doing better. Oscar was dropped, Willian was dropped, Schurrle was dropped. Anyone but Eden Hazard was dropped in that AM and that's because Mourinho chose to give confidence to the guy he thinks will be our Balon d'Or winner in a couple of years. Mourinho is absolutely right in his assessment imo and it seems the people voting for Balon d'Or agree, as they chose Hazard (rightfully) and not Mata as the Chelsea player to be part of the list (now if any of them deserved to be in the list is another discussion, but supposing one of our players deserved, that player is Hazard imo). He's the manager, he has the right to make that choice and we have the right to disagree and argue. I see the dividends of his choice in the pitch. Hazard has yet to play a match or a span of them like he did in the very beginning of EPL and the very ending of the season last year, but I look at him now and I think he's a better player, he's more important to us, he's improving and I just support Mourinho's choice all over again (as I did since the beginning). The problem is people wanted Mourinho to choose Mata to be his guy, but he chose the more talented player in the squad instead. They seem to forget Mata was injured and when he was introduced in the team other players had already pre-season and official matches under their belt, had adapted better to the drills and what Mourinho wanted from them. He had to catch up, that's why he was dropped before he even had a chance. Then ever since he's been giving chances and those chances progressively increased. He had more chances in November-December than in September-October. But the naked truth is he did nothing or very little of the chances he's received and Willian and Schurrle who's received less chances and are still adapting to the league had better matches (not overall, but certain matches). Schurrle even won us matches and it's ridiculous that after scoring two goals against Stoke we made his efforts to be lost (just like Oscar's against Juve last year) by allowing the opposition to draw or win. I won't even mention the many matches Oscar won us either with goals or with the balance he's gave to our midfield because that's unfair with Mata... I'm going to support Mourinho marginalizing any player that currently doesn't show good football and I can't be against him pushing a young kid, who's 22, to his limits while he's alternating good and bad matches (at some point I wanted Eden to be dropped from a game to push him to react faster, I don't remember now if he was dropped from UCL or EPL - I guess he was in UCL, but whatever Mourinho did, worked, because he's been the best player for us in the holiday's period - which is the most demanding period for players in England). I defended Mourinho benching Schurrle at times and I also complained about Mourinho dropping him for no reason whatsoever when he was playing well. I did the same with Willian. Mourinho's made mistakes - like any manager does - but I don't think he's made one mistake on handling Mata (as far as I can remember). Does he play better in the middle? Yes, he does. But he's been playing as a winger his whole career in Spain, so it's not like Mourinho asked him to play a position he's never played before. We have a weak pivot, but our FB are good defenders. They defend very well, I'd place my biggest defensive liability near the guys that defend better rather than guys that need help instead of providing it. Why Mourinho had no problem playing Eden in the middle in the last two matches? Because he knows he can press and tackle. Mourinho looks what's better for the team as a whole... he can't (actually he can, but he won't, and that proves why he's one of the top managers in the world) put Mata in his best position where he may or may not create a lot for us (he hasn't so far, and every single match he's played for us this year he's spent some time in the middle. in some it was where he spent less time, but in others where he's spent more time. Go to Squawka and check heat maps and action maps), but where he'll expose even more one of our deficiencies. It's not rocket science, it's very simple actually to understand why Mourinho plays him more in the wing than in the middle. He's slow, he doesn't naturally tackle, he doesn't press well, he doesn't have the instinct. The system is based in pressing and dispossessing the opposition and the system based on our results and our positions in UCL and EPL proves to be more effective than the ones we had in the last two seasons (actually since Carlo, but we're talking about Mata here). Still those are my arguments to defend Mourinho's approach and I don't mind people refuting them with whatever others arguments, so feel free to answer back about it. As for the pitiful display of rage, frustration or whatever after he was subbed, I'm mum from now on. You may want to answer, and that will be the final word about it. This is how I feel about the episode. @, shall we open a thread thanking Mata for the two amazing years of football he had for us and how we appreciate everything he did and how we hope we'd continue to do it somehow? It could sort of be a statue (or altar) to recognize him. Maybe that way people won't jump to the ridiculous assumption people who criticize Mata for his below par matches this season, disapproving reaction and being rightfully benched based on performance will understand we aren't ignoring, forgetting or not being thankful for what he's done here... I'm not being sarcastic at all. I'll have a lot to say in said thread, A LOT because present time I don't have much positive to say on his football presentations (when there was something good from him, I did), but I could use a place to pay my respect and gratitude.

this was originally on single post, but I'll split it in two because it's two completely different subjects (at least for me) that keep getting mixed together here. cc: @Strike I think that was a pathetic, childish, bratty, unprofessional display. Did my not ideal knowledge of the language got me misunderstood? Or isn't display something like a moment or a reaction opposed to what words such as nature, character, profile - that in my head give an idea of permanent while display only gives the idea of an occurrence? You guys think it's nothing worth mentioning because he's always had exemplar behavior. I agree on his past behavior, just because he's always been great, it doesn't give him a free pass to be called on his ridiculous actions when he was subbed. If you think his actions are worth of claps or just his reliever, after being frustrated, or whatever, good for you. I don't like such behavior in any professional, especially when it wasn't entitled at all. He didn't have a good match, he contributed with nothing except a 1x1 with Hazard my grandma would have made the same pass. Why on hell could he be mad at Mourinho as his gestures seem to clearly show (not only totally skipping his usual handshake, pat in the back, or whatever kind of greeting, but gesturing towards where Mourinho was). I could imagine a lot of ways of Mata showing frustration towards himself and his performance in the pitch, but that wasn't it. I could be wrong, the same way all of you could. You think he ignored Mourinho, and gestured towards him while saying a lot of things only people around heard based in whatever track of thought you could possibly justify it, shows frustration towards himself and not his boss, okay, I got it. If a guy reacts that strongly ABOUT A SUB I suppose he's frustrated at BEING SUBBED. My bad for interpreting what happened in such a non-expected, non-logical way. As for the fanboy term, well some people just are, what do you want me to call them? I'm not saying everyone who loves or likes him are fanboys, otherwise I'd be one... I really like Mata and my twitter account is a testament to how I worshiped the guy last season (as I joined the forum last June). There's only one player in this team I'm a fangirl of and that's not Mata (or Oscar) and I won't get offended if someone calls me that (I even had that as my member title here for a while and I'll change it back again) because that I am (and go see how many times I've criticized Eden even being clearly a fangirl of the kid, just because I love the kid beyond words, think he's the best thing ever since slice bread doesn't mean I won't disapprove his actions when they're bad in my eyes or when he's in bad form). So if people get offended by the label is because they're defensive about their own behavior, otherwise, that's wrong on being called a fanboy/girl? So we have to be serious all the time, rational and not appreciate a player on a personal level? If only it was the reality... I'm too happy it isn't. If it doesn't blind me about a player, it's all good in my book. I was just clarifying I have one opinion about an isolated episode and another opinion about Mata as a professional football player all things considered. I won't overlook his bad behavior just because he has credit. If you and the rest of the world does, good for you guys. Stop calling me on that! Yes, forums are for discussion, but this discussion about what people FEEL and THINK about a player's reaction came too far. You come here, you post your opinion about the incident, I post mine and so does everyone else. Why people feel they have a right - just because this a forum - to call people on their feelings about an incident is beyond me. Discussing if he should leave or not, discussing if he fits the system or not, if Mourinho is right or wrong about benching him, it all makes sense because you give arguments people maybe didn't consider. Those are opinions, you add a lot of things to the discussion. Now you keep coming back on how we feel about an incident makes no sense! I feel Alex has been ganged up by all of you simply because that's how he feels about any football player with such behavior. This is how we feel, we didn't choose to feel like that. Speaking about me, this is my reaction towards any football player whatever his name is Mata, Hazard, Cristiano or Javier Zanetti! Shall we now discuss why I love peaches but can't stand eggplant? Or shall we discuss how much toxins modern agriculture puts in our food everyday even when we decided to eat fresh food? Questioning why I disapprove bratty displays is the same as questioning why I dislike eating eggplants. It shouldn't be up to discussion.

Are you sure? poor André got a chair seat smashed on his arm lol

how did I miss this? I bet his hair gets a lot of jokes, and things like this, lol then he tried to pay back... well, sort of x

He wasn't second choice to Karim. Mourinho simply rotated the two of them as stats show: 2012/13 Karim: 34 starts; 20 subs Pipita: 30 starts; 18 subs 2011/12 Karim: 40/12 Pipita: 28/26 2010/11 (when Pipita had surgery and spent more than 3 months without playing) Karim: 31/17 Pipita: 22/3 I love him and so does José and he likes José a lot as well, but please, he ain't worth 60m not here, not in Mars.

Yeah, I think a bit from Inter, more from Madrid, but not a carbon copy of either. Dortmund exposed some of RM's weaknesses and Mourinho is aware of that (although the first SF leg was a combination of an ineffective system, but also players not turning up at all) and I guess that's why we aren't exclusively a counter-attack system. I mean neither is RM, but I feel we work the ball much more comfortably than they do. They prefer countering than building up, I don't think we do. We're comfortable doing both, maybe even more building (giving the players we have in Hazard, Oscar, Willian, Mata, Schurrle, KDB. The only ones I do feel are counter-attack players are Schurrle and in a lesser extent Hazard). The one thing we don't have that Inter and RM had though is a strong pivot. Khedira/Alonso and Cambiaso/Motta/Chivu (especially the latter) are a much better pivot than any combination we currently have. I'm positive one of the two clinical signings Mourinho said we'd have during the summer include a top CM he'll probably 'steal' from one of the Champions League teams, otherwise he'd sign them now. The same applies to the striker. He worded his sentence in such a way about the two signings he thinks we still need to make me believe those guys are currently playing Champions League and why invest a lot of money in a player that won't be part of the most important tournament we currently play (although I like EPL more and that's very important too). It does resemble Dortmund as you said, but I don't think quite either because 1) they're faster and more urgent 2) they have Lewa, and Mourinho knows having a lethal striker is a vital part of Klopp's system. They attack fast and intensely because they know Lewa will get the ball in. But you're right and maybe the final product is a Dortmund style. To be honest, I haven't watched Dortmund that much as I'm really not a Bundesliga fan yet, but the few matches I've watched it was from them in UCL and BL. As I said I think it's high pressing (high both in quantity as the zone in the pitch where the pressing is done), attack-based (building or counter-attacking) with a solid defense. Such combination of things will allow us to play without dominating possession, although against some sides we will dominate it (just like Madrid did). It's almost like describing Dortmund, but I don't think we are as urgent as they are. They're faster imo, more objective, but then again this is German football we're talking about, so saying that is almost redundancy. Still I think that's the difference, although there's some urgency when we have the ball, it's not as much as Dortmund. Complete football as you put it. We could be wrong about it, but all signs show that direction imo.

I said in my very first post that it was one time thing and that I hoped it would become a once-in-a-lifetime thing. The same with Oscar diving, I hope. So if you want to call me on something, at least read all my posts in the matter. I never implied he's an awful person, a completely unprofessional guy. I just think his bratty behavior IN THIS ONE situation was poor and unprofessional. Am I allowed to think as much without 1) people thinking I don't have a right to do so; 2) people thinking I'm labeling him as unprofessional? Just because he only did it once it doesn't mean it wasn't an awful reaction IN MY OPINION. I never crucified the guy, never said he should leave and that after this episode he won't be able to stay. I don't even want him to leave because it's better for Chelsea if he stays. The fanboys who want to apply for his agent or his father position are the ones saying he should leave where he's appreciated because it's the best for him. I want the best for Chelsea, not for Mata, Oscar, Hazard, etc... The best for Chelsea is having Mata and see if with time he can adapt to the system he currently doesn't fit. Even if he can't, the matches he does take part he could give an assist or score a goal that would win us the match (although he only has one of each in 15 matches for us, plus 3 subs). None of my posts here say he should leave cuz I don't want him to leave. Is it fair for him to stay and be a squad member? I don't care if it is or not, I'm not a player supporter, but a Chelsea supporter. For Chelsea is better to keep a player of his caliber, although if he doesn't accept being a squad player - like he is in Spain - then I suppose it'll become a problem. If it's a problem, then put a request to leave. Mourinho did say his door is open... As for the scenario, MANY members already showed their disapproval of players such as Rooney, who's done the same in the past (much more subtly) or who's put a request to leave. The thing is Mata sold his image quite well and most people bought it. He's the poor little Juan Mata, that is the kindest person ever born into this world and about to be canonized as the first living Saint of all time, a victim of bad, bad, evil-intended, maleficent Mourinho who doesn't value the POTY for two years in a row as he should. Bad, bad Mourinho for punishing little Saint Juan Mata by replacing him for a guy that's been playing better and who basically won us the match poor little Mata did nothing to win.

He is Mourinho's main man and the portuguese has said (or implied it) many times. The thing is like @borriske wisely pointed out is that he isn't consistent enough to fulfill that role completely. But Mourinho doesn't mind it. He knows he's only 23 (or will be in three days ) and he's learning and I guess he's never been managed and coached like he is now. He was used to play what Mourinho called last week street football. So I'd assume he was given freedom to just use his talent to dribble and run by opponents and capitalize on that, but top level football is much more than that, so he's adapting. Mourinho is doing everything he can now for that to become a reality as soon as possible. Now to answer your question about if it should be done or not... It worked wonderfully well with Sneijder (centered) at Inter and even better with Cris at RM (in the wing). Mourinho doesn't make his teams dependable on his biggest start as Barcelona is dependable on Messi. It's a different kind of stardom. It has more to do with freedom than dependance. RM didn't look as bad without Cris as Barça without Messi and there's a reason for that. Mourinho chose a system that benefited Cris' style, but mainly all players we had (and players he lately added to the squad) enjoyed the system too. Guardiola built a system for Messi and around Messi. It's no secret there's no player like Messi (not only his quality, but even his style is hard to find), so the moment you build a system for that player and he's injured, you're screwed. Mourinho will do the same (as he did with Cris) with Eden imo. Our system is clear as light imo, and it fits Eden, but also fits a numerous of other players in our squad and while none of them have the same quality as Eden, we'll cope because Schürrle, Willian, Oscar, while having completely different characteristics can fit the system. We'd miss Eden's quality just like any team in the world would miss if their best player is injured or being rested, but I don't see Chelsea becoming dependable on him, but I can see a system being built where he's the most important guy, the player with more freedom and who'll be more benefited by the style. I can't wait until he's consistent enough (it's no complaint, the kid IS a kid still). We'll be orgasmic

I've said it a few times, I think Eden falls too often (and he's been falling way less lately) because his whole life he's been used to that kind of contact being called a foul by the referee. It's an adaptation issue, he isn't still used to the physicality of the league, especially with someone with his style. He never ever looked like a diver imo, just a guy who expects minor physical contact to be a foul. Reprogramming your brain and body requires time... I don't think we currently have divers in the team and Oscar tried to force a penalty and maybe even a red card when he should have tried to score and done it with fair play. I don't think Eden's ever did that with us. But he did fall many times in the box and outside the box, but he was honestly expecting the amount of contact to be enough to be a foul, as it is in France and I'm positive in Belgium too. I know no other league that allows physical contact as English (one of the reasons why I love it more than the others)

how come if he refused to greet Mourinho and if he pointed towards his direction in the sideline bitching with gestures, body language and probably language too? He was absolutely pissed at Mourinho, my interpretation of that is very clear, but you're right, it's my own interpretation. I think you guys see what you want to see... but I won't discuss it anymore. As I said (and it doesn't apply to you) had it been other guys in our team or players hated around here, they'd be criticized til tomorrow. It's Mata so people find a way to defend it.

well, Mate. I've voted for him only a few times this year, I don't have a default vote like some around here do. I guess the guy that gets two assists and a goal can be voted MOTM and 85 people agree with me. Now that's a surprise, isn't it? People voting to the guy who's directly responsible for all three goals we scored. We are such fanboys!!!!

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.