Barbara

guys I need a 4.5 player for my midfield that is likely to start many matches for their team. Do you guys have a suggestion?

and then we look at the stats and the actual match Mata did little to contribute to that domination, most of it was because of André and Eto'o but let's also give the credit to Hazard, Lamps and whoever as they were also figuring in those 55 minutes. That's the kind of thing we need to look closely. We lost control of the match because André was subbed, not because Mata was... Mata contributed but little compared to André...

I was being cheeky, mate. It was a joke. what's your name again? anyway, I think Mata isn't big enough to have adapting a whole system around him. I think we need to find the best working system for the players we do have - all teams have areas they need to reinforce (ManUtd midfield, RM defense, Barça striker, Bayern is too dynamic to single out where they can improve, but they've been struggling this season under Pep, etc...). We need to improve our ST force and our DM, but right now we don't have improvements on either. So what does work better for us? Mourinho has to think as a team and players will have to improve - not only Mata because he isn't as flawless and genius-y to have the whole team adapting except him. That was the whole point I was trying to make. I've said many times we need him to recover, his creativity in the team is incomparable and can lead us to better places, but we need to find balance in the whole system, the whole organism like Tom said (although in different contexts). I'm not writing him off at all, mate. I just diminished him so we could try to see the big pic that is: Chelsea need changes because the last two seasons we were weak competitively.

I moved him out from my team this week, so yay for me. Sorry, gingerbeard *hugs*

but would he strengthen our pivot? I think we should always take into consideration the partners we have available for them. Khedira can play in Madrid's pivot because he has Xabi by his side. Busquets - as much as I hate him - is a great guy in the pivot. So is Schweinsteiger and it's easier to place technical players by their sides. Our guys for the pivot are Ramires, Lamps, Mikel, Essien and Marco. Playing Kev there would strengthen the zone or expose our defense more? If he strengthens the whole thing, than we can afford to have Mata in the CAM...

forever and ever. absolutely true! Thanks for bringing that up! Although Ramos sucks on both imo he sucks less in the CB position.

but the question is, for Kev to be there does it require Witsel to be by his side? I think that's the point. As I said in a post just five minutes ago I don't know Kev well enough to see how his holding capabilities are to play in the position and do not compromise. Also let's not forget the abysmal difference between NT and club football. What works in NT's - especially in Europe because you guys only play 5 teams and most times 3 of those teams are beyond pathetic (I personally think Belgium group to be weak as Croatia and Serbia both being way past their better years). Did he play like this for Bremen and it worked? Who was the partner in the pivot?

don't worry, I'm sore, it won't happen because you know the thousands of miles separating us wouldn't be the first issue on that

I already liked this post, but I wanted to repost it and say I agree with everything. And that counts for the first time I'm defending Oscar in the thread And the bold part! I want to hug you for the bold part I kept saying in my first posts the question isn't who's better as a player, but who works better in the system as the CAM. I guess that's Oscar, but as I also said, I'd need to have matches to see that working to say it is. I can say Mazacar the way played last year doesn't work because it isn't practical because I've seen it. On paper they would be great, on reality not. The same thing is about the Oscar DLP bullshit. On paper seems great (although imo not even on paper) in reality would be a disaster waiting to happen and would only weaken even more our already fragile pivot, exposing us and our defense 10x more than currently. Oscar is way too light for the position. I don't know Kevin well enough to say, but I think he's perfect for the wing, our best football this season came with him raping the wing and I think until he proves otherwise, he should play there. @didierforever, as I said I rested my case, I'm addressing only other topics and people I haven't as I'm still pages behind in the thread. We have different opinions and takes, carry on the discussion is pointless. Let's agree to disagree.

trust me Alex, Oscar is a liability in the wing. He just can't produce anything worth in the attack playing there, isn't as efficient in other aspects because he isn't as fast as many opposition wingers and FB's, he can't set up tempo from there, he has an average cross at best, he doesn't dribble enough to get passed opponents. He will be just a number in the field. People say we worked so better with Mazacar last year - I don't think we did to start with, Mazacar isn't practical and doesn't work in the real world - but when Oscar shone playing in the matches was when he was in the middle - as they alternated positions a lot throughout the matches. At the wing we might be able to count in one hand the good moments he had. Now we have Willian, André and Kevin, there's no reason to play Oscar there. If Mata is the best guy for the CAM position, Oscar should be his direct substitute. And to play him in the pivot I think two things 1) it's a waste, he's too creative and smart to simply be our pivot guy 2) we'll have a terrible light pivot, even if his partner is Mikel (the better holding DM player we have) and he'll struggle because while his work-rate and defensive abilities put him ahead of others players in the AM because you don't find players as good as him on those things playing there, compared to good DLP his work-rate and defensive abilities are mediocre. We'd only be exposing our defense more. When we watch the goal Everton scored against us, Oscar would have made worse. He's good defending for an AM, not for a MD standards. Then we'd be wasting his creativity and exposing his limitations as a MD because as a simple MD he has limitations compared to others.

thanks a lot for this post! The 5x times player Silva is exactly what you guys think is true, but stats proved otherwise - only that our players capitalized more and at the end of the day Mata ended up with more goals and assists than him. But Silva created more. He created 104 chances for his team in each of the last two seasons, he kept his numbers from 2011/12 into 2012/13. Mata went from 102 to 95 (or 94) comparing both seasons - and the point isn't even keeping the level, but being inferior to Silva statistically - which he was. Silva is a heck of a player, who has a completely different style compared to Mata and who led ManCity to compete for real against ManUtd - although they also failed miserably in UCL, something we matched last season btw, but let's ignore it and let the heroic and collective effort made to win UCL to mask our reality in the past couple of years. I really wish Mou went away - preferably to Arsenal at this point - and we brought the names you guys suggested that would make this team work around Mata. I would love to sit down and watch us be brilliant again - just like in the last two years - except I'd hate it. But that's the hypothetical I hate so much, so it's not worth elaborate further than that. You guys are allowing the two country flags in my profile mask my point here. I didn't defend Oscar once I just can't for the life of me see the Mata everyone does or see a Mata that really deserves this team to be built around him and make us as competitive as we should because despite our deficiencies I suppose we had a better squad than some of the 5 teams ahead of us in 2012 and way better than Arsenal and Tottenham last season. Let's not forget all teams have their deficiencies... As I said, I rest my case because for as long as the argument remotely involves a Brazilian - my pov is invalid and I'm defending the guy even if I keep stating otherwise. I'll leave my thoughts to myself and to places where I can explain them clearly in Portuguese, although I don't know how my English is failing to show you that I think Mata is better than Oscar. But that's all that is left behind. As I said yesterday, let Oscar go, and then maybe my opinion won't belittled because people think it's about patriotic bias.

mate, at the end of the day, I don't want the last two years' Chelsea - Mata or no Mata - because that's not a competitive team - the numbers tell me that. I think we were much more deserving to win the UCL in 2008 for example than in 2012. Titles won like that happen once in decades. It's so true that we had 2-4 opportunities and either lost the F or SF. I don't know if Mourinho's changes will get us to a better place - as I said, it's risky. All of you can seem to want the maintenance of Rafa's, Robbie's and ABV's systems. I don't. All of you think that Mata is the answer to our problems - I'm not so sure because in two years he failed to be. Finishing sixth in the national league shows how we lacked competing against not only the big dogs, but the second tier as well. Finishing 14 points behind ManU and struggling unnecessary to finish 3rd ahead of Arsenal and Tottenham is too little for the investment we have in my opinion. And in neither instances we played a defensive system, in both instances we failed as a team and blaming everyone and making one player our golden boy makes no sense. The fault is always everyone else except there. Let's all watch together what Özil can make to that Arsenal team. Then maybe people will understand. And just so we are clear because I don't know if things get lost in my posts because they're long (and I'm a babbler) or if my English comes into the way, the point was never Oscar x Mata. How many times do I need to repeat the same bullshit in bold, giant letters, underline and italic? I think Mata is a better player FFS. I just don't think he's half good you guys think, don't think he can carry a team and it makes NO SENSE whatsoever to have Oscar playing in the team as a winger - so we can accommodate Mata in the CAM - when he's pathetic in the wing and we have 3 very capable wingers in the team. Just bench Oscar. I have no problem benching Oscar because I've also said at least a couple of times that although I agree with Mou that he's been our best player this season, he's been far from brilliant and truth is he wouldn't lead us to any better place than Mata did although he would give us more stability comparing the same starting XI replacing Mata for him in the CAM position. Now, before I'm kicked out from Mata's cult for blasphemy, I'll rest my case. I hope he recovers, we need him to recover, but he wasn't, isn't and won't ever be the kind of guy that will carry a team on his own, reason why I think the team shouldn't be built around him, but him along with anyone else should adapt to a system, whatever that is. That was my point through and through and the discussion is pointless in my opinion when the numbers from a club as big as Chelsea tell us what we competed for in the last two years: FA Cup, EL and the lucky UCL. I went to unfair extremes - which is why I said I hate diminishing him - to make people see where I was coming from. Some do, some don't. It's not about agreeing, only understanding the point I was trying to make. Whoever else want the Old Chelsea, keep it, I'll keep the change - until it makes us end 7th. When the change makes end 7th than I'll rather the 2011-2013 Chelsea. A lot of the things you implied I meant, aren't things I meant, but the extension of some of the points I've made to try to make people understand my point. Yours has been clear since the beginning. Keep 2011-2013 Chelsea all you want. We can't get rid soon enough of that Chelsea imo, regardless of Mata, pivot, striker, Oscar, defense, etc. Chelsea didn't win anything worth mentioning, mate, that's the point everyone seems to love to ignore. Unless our competition is now EL. UCL can never showcase our real capability - that much is proved when we were pathetically kicked out from the group stage as the reining champions for the first time in the history of the tournament. If that alone didn't prove how our UCL title was lucky, I don't know what else does. But as I said, I'm resting my case. I'll support this team finishing 6th. I supported this team in less promising moments of its story - although not as much as people who has been supporting it for decades as I've just completed my first decade. I don't need Chelsea to finish first - I'm not implying anyone does - and I won't support a player above the team - and that I'm implying I've been reading here...

I have no idea... I mean, I feel here he's overrated and there he's underrated. I see him somewhere in the middle of both things. He's a really good guy, but I guess he doesn't fit VdB philosophy much because he's objective, practical and lethal, in Spain they prefer the never ending "too-much-sex-for-few-orgasms" style of football known as annoying tikitaka. Mata doesn't beat about the bush... he simply does it. They don't like this directness I guess. They're crazy.

I guess he's quite aware for VdB there are 3-5 players ahead of him in Spain's AM - 3 of which I agree with, the other two, not really.

you do know I'm only 100km away from you. You're asking me to kill you! Beware of what you wish for There are two words that make me cringe every time I see them together Oscar and pivot (also translated as b2b, DLP and whatever else). I'm a bit radical on that (and I guess much else), but either Oscar plays CAM or doesn't play. For me it's simple. If I don't want Mata in the CAM to compromise our whole system and working engine, why will I want Oscar where he'll be mediocre just for the sake of having him play? Sell him to Flamengo if they want to play him in the wing or the '2' in the formation. edit: for the Portuguese part: We are shit, and it's redundant, still have more national league titles and have never been relegated (not sure we'll escape the latter this year)

I actually rate both Hazard and Neymar at the same level and I think at their best they'll be a step down Ronaldo and Messi - which is already out of this world good. But the fact that Neymar does play by Messi's side may help him and give him something Eden doesn't have in our side - which maybe can be a reason for him to move to RM. I don't doubt it at all that Flo Perez would want him in a couple of years if he improves as much as I expect. The more galacticos the best in his head, even if it's overpriced, overdone and sometimes stupid (like letting Ozil go because of Bale. ozil >>> bale. Don't know if it'll always be like that, but I can see it like that this season for sure)

Well, first of all, I didn't mention the FA Cup because someone just as glorious as Mata isn't FA Cup profile, is he? I mean, that's the highlight of his career? Deciding FA Cups against the likes of Spurs? Second of all, of course DDA and Petr weren't the only ones, it was a massive collective effort that this team seems to only make in situations like those (which bothers me btw). They were the main two though, not the only ones. Who won Bayern UCL title? Or took Dormund to the final playing at the same level as Bayern? Or maybe a fairer question, who could Bayern, ManUtd, Barcelona, Dortmund really count on when things got tough? Who's that guy that made a goal happen when the team just couldn't make it happen. Or that guy that made everything easy? Third of all, my argument about Schurrle, Kevin and Willian is that they're better wingers than Oscar (which isn't that difficult to find, really). I never said they were better than Mata or more suited to Mata to the wings. Although someone (maybe even you) made a more than relevant point. If Mata is a liability (in José's head) because of his inability to defend in the middle, how come can he be better in the wing? It makes no sense as normally the fastest players go to the flanks and Mata is really one of our slowest players (the slower by a mile among the AM's) I hate diminishing Mata's importance, but if someone who had been in coma for the last two years come here and read this thread they would think Mourinho is dismissing the best CAM since Maradona and that Chelsea had won at least a treble in 2011/12 or 12/13 and that we outplayed the opposition while doing so because a genius solved us the matches. I mean I'm not too sold in Mourinho's plan (the big pic one, the short term I am) - no one is giving him the benefit of the doubt [which is okay, you give faith and support to whoever you want, for the reasons you want], but the main argument you guys use to say Mourinho is crazy is that Mata has been our best player in the past two seasons when we had weak seasons. We continued to suck against better competition and not once in big, big stage matches I remember Mata doing something that saved us. We were a level or two behind all big teams we played, UCL, EPL, SuperCup and we struggled with a certain kind of opposition (weaker opposition) because we couldn't find a way to go through their tight defences. Is it all Mata's fault? No, of course not, but what exactly are you guys giving him credit for? 12 assists last season in EPL when only 7 or 8 didn't come from set pieces (if I'm not wrong - I remember reading it somewhere). I'd understand all the buzz if the guy had raped the oppositions like some guys in big teams do (van Persie, Robben, Ribery, Iniesta, Xavi, etc), but he hasn't - maybe except the FA Cup if you want him to have some credit. When things got tight we had to rely on Lampard, Cech, Drogba and Ramires to get things done more than we relied on Mata. Mourinho could be wrong - chances are he will as he's betting on a boy (Hazard) and relying on another boy (Oscar) to make the transition to something he envisions as the Chelsea of the future, the Chelsea that can be at the same level as those 4 big teams in the world now. He's objective and Roman's is that. They don't want to only win UCL, they want to it by being the side that deserved winning or that many saw winning it from months prior. A real contender. They want us to be a force to be reckoned with at the EPL, UCL and else. But he's taking a huge risk by making two boys the foundation of that when one of them is only opening the way for the other. They aren't the two guys that will shine, one will pave the way for the other. Again I think Mata is a better player than Oscar (I have been stating this since the beginning)- Oscar might be more useful to us and overall he's more complete - but Mata is still a better player at least when you look at him as a classic #10. He's just not the god Chelsea fans make him out to be. Spaniards don't rate him that high - unless they're Chelsea fans - and I'll tell you what, in terms of worshiping their own, there's only one country that comes ahead of Argentina and that's Spain (they're even annoying at many times thinking they're the best thing on earth) - many spaniard fans favor 2-3 others AM in the squad ahead of Mata (not CAMs). They agree he's a great player, but they don't see him as this guy I read here. In other teams a guy like him - who's unfit now - would fight for the position and it'll be normal. Here is not only an aberration, but also a blasphemy. I don't get it. If he carried his level, I'd understand 100x better, but he's been sucking monkey balls (to his own levels)... Don't be, I'm nice, but sometimes it seems like people only want to see one side of the story and want to use that one side of the story to make everything factual. Let's at least see two sides? Three sides? There are many sides to this story and I think Eden Hazard's is one of the biggest even if it's not directly involved. I might as well just vote for Mata as the best CAM (I didn't vote for either because the question doesn't even make sense in my head, Mata is the obvious choice, hands down) although I don't think we're making the right question to start with. Few Chelsea fans seem to support Mourinho now knowing that 1) he needs time 2) he's entitled to make mistakes just like any other. Also guys, I'm a very outspoken and direct girl and my written messages come much more aggressive than I sound. I just mean I don't think it's fair, that one side of the story is being completely overrated while others sides are being overlooked, but you're all entitled to think as much. Sometimes it feels like I'm trying to take away the right of others think like that because that's how I've expressed my thoughts since I was a kid. I should be softer for my own sake - especially on written communication. We are all entitled to have opinions, and we can think whatever we want and I think a forum is a place to have almost all opinions (some opinions - not seen in this thread I guess - are too much to my stomach, lol).

or maybe Mata will step up and finally show he can win us titles? Something he's yet to do... Or better, that with him in the team - not as the main man if we must, but just a one of the main men - that we can start a competition being really favorite. Like ManUtd, Barça, RM, Bayern, Dortmund all start their national leagues as fave to the titles and the last four also fave to the UCL. I'm happy either way. Mata or no Mata, Oscar or no Oscar. If we really start competitions with that status, I'll be a happier fan.

tell one match he won for us in the UCL campaign. I mean the tough ones, not the easy ones. Tell how because of him we knocked out Barcelona and Bayern and I'll give him the credit. And don't come talk to me about a frigging corner. I want open play. Prove me how he won those matches for us, how he stepped up and solved the problem with his creativity. I promise I'll shut up. And as you're at this, also show me how he made Spain competitive in the CC final.

cara, eu sou Flamenguista entao não vamos falar de porcaria Anyway, I think the main point here is that Mata is having a poor season so far and if all of you that love him so much and want him to much in the team, then the fair thing to do is to leave Mourinho alone (what hasn't happened) when we lose matches like the Basel match because of him, then let's start the "must-recover-Mata:Chelsea's-main-goal-in-the-season" operation. But don't came say shit when we lose and blame Mourinho because Mata is a frigging liability now because not only he doesn't create anything for us - I can remember one key-pass that's worth mentioning in all minutes he played, one! Give me more and we'll keep adding to his count. But I mean really key-passes - he may be - depending on the match - a liability in the whole system because he's slow (and is even slower this season), small and weak which is really not suited for EPL, can't defend, can't tackle, doesn't press, doesn't have the best tempo setting around (nor the worse either) and people keep repeating that work-rate is the only thing Oscar is actually better. Against facts there aren't arguments - that's a saying in Brazil. We finished frigging sixth in EPL with Mata and then 3rd - 14 pts behind United - with Mata. We conceded goals right and left because there's a deficiency. Should we improve our pivot 10x (and that's not with Oscar, sorry) and then we can afford all problems that come with Mata playing, well but we don't have that pivot now, so what do you want? He's amazing, I'm not denying that, still we weren't competitive with him like Bayern is with Robben or Ribery, like Dortmund was with Reus and Gotze, Pirlo bosses Juve's midfield for a decade now. I keep repeating it because nobody comes and proves me with facts I'm wrong, but what have Mata won for us? He has his contribution in our lucky UCL title, but he's not the best player, not the main key player for us winning it. Last season when it really mattered he disappeared - what are the UCL matches he won us so we could advance to the knockout stages? Later then we struggled against EPL sides. If Mata is this out-of-this-world player you guys keep saying then why did we struggle so much to be competitive? Is someone going to say the rest of our players are so bad that we couldn't do better? It's not only about scoring because one or another we scored in many key matches we lost or draw last season, but then we conceded! Those guys I've said above plus Iniesta, Xavi, Ozil and even di Maria and Sneijder [on his better days at Inter] solve matches for their teams, win them tough matches. They get the shit done when it matters the most. I'm not even talking about Ronaldo and Messi because that's not fair with anyone. I said in my very post in the thread that without a doubt Mata is the best #10 - the overrating from Chelsea fans though is colossal. I have tons of Spanish friends, as I'm a Rafael Nadal fan and a Real Madrid. TONS and basically NONE of them rate Mata as half amazing as I see around here. He's the best #10, end of it. The day he plays the football some of you believe him to play we'll win trebles, he'll be Balon d'Or nomination material (he's not even close) and that will be without a frigging defensive contribution because that's not the entire point! Yes, he's deficient on that, but there are two things 1) that's not the only thing Oscar is better; 2) he's not the third best player in the world behind Cris/Messi and he's not even the guy I'd put behind Özil (who's younger than him and out-performed him for 5 years in a row) as the second AM in the world, CAM or not CAM because not all players have their best players playing as CAM. Actually we happen to be the only ones doing it. All other top players in the world have wingers, SS or false 9's being their main star. Which is obviously José's plan. Oscar isn't José's star. That's Eden Hazard - rightfully as I rate Hazard [despite his laziness/lack of motivation or slow building up to start the season on fire or even decent like most players]. If you guys don't realize that Oscar is there only because he's the perfect guy to prop Hazard - and that's Mourinho's plan, you're missing the big picture (which btw isn't to win against Fulham tomorrow or simply qualify to round of 16 in UCL and fight for the EPL for as long as we can. The big picture is building something we honestly don't have since José: an identity. We were fierce under Carlo, but honestly we weren't world wide known because of our style as Barça, RM, Dortmund and Bayern for example have been in the the last few years). He wants Hazard to be the next Robben/Iniesta/Xavi and if the kid is as special as some of us believe him to be, maybe even just a step down from Cristiano Ronaldo's level as the position and role Mourinho has for Eden is exactly the same. Oscar is a prop, the perfect prop and Mata has two ways ahead of him: help that happen and be the 2nd/3rd man in the AM along with the other two amigos, or a better winger will replace him. I don't care about Mata's career, future club, chances in the NT or whatever (same way I don't care about Oscar's) because what comes first here is Chelsea and if any of you think that Mata with everything he showed in two weak seasons with us can bring us to the level of those teams (Barca, Bayern, Borussia, RM) you better wait sitting because otherwise you'll get tired too soon. He won't because he can't and what Mourinho is trying is to do it's to make that happen with the one guy in the team that has ceiling for that. That's not Oscar. That's Eden Hazard. He's making a few mistakes with Eden imo - giving him way too much confidence when he doesn't deserve it promptly - but hopefully he'll find the way to polish Eden. That said Mata is still a better #10, but he comes with a price... edit: don't know if it was obvious but our "Wesley Sneidjer or Cris" won't be Mata or Oscar, but Hazard which in the Mou's perfect working engine will be the guy without any defensive responsibilities. To afford that the other two AM have to do theirs and cover for Eden.

why would he play Ramires and Oscar in the wings in a squad that has such amazing wingers such us Kevin, André and Willian? It makes no sense. Also later on he goes on about not moving Oscar to track down FBs then he also says: "But only when [Mata] adapts to what we want. I'm not ready to ask Oscar to track opposing full-backs. Brazil has more talented players in the No10 position than any other country in the world, and he plays there for the national team, so I want to build with Oscar as my No10. I want the other two players, from the side, to adapt to that reality and learn how to do things they were not ready to do before. It could be the wing he's writing off - as you suggested, but the main point he's making repeatedly is that he's building the team around Oscar as a #10. Winger or DM seem out of his plans and thanks God for both. I completely agree with him on both things. Either Oscar is a CAM or he's in the bench

I think the question is so much deeper than who's the best #10. As if that was any question to start with. The real question is who's the best working #10 for us as a team, as a unit, results wise, competitiveness wise. That's the question I don't have an answer to because obviously Mata is the best #10. But is a pure #10 what works better for us now?

Another clear thing is that Mourinho clearly says he won't play Oscar in the pivot when he compares the situation of both Oscar and Ramires closing down opponents on each side while Mata plays behind the striker with freedom to do his magic vs Oscar playing #10 and it fitting the system he has in mind. Also it's telling when he implies that Mata started a match we couldn't win and came in a match we were winning 1x0 with specific tasks wen the outcome was us losing 2x1. Can he be clearer than that giving Mata some responsibility over both defeats? Look how just a few lines below he praises Oscar to the highest level saying he's been hands down our best player this season. I would say things don't look bright for Mata right now, but I really don't know what benefits us better in the end. I do agree with him that I don't like the football - results wise and even the style [actually the lack of any style] - we've played for the last seasons. I'm not sure if it passes through Mata's completely inexistent work-rate, his slowness, and fragile physical figure or not. Sometimes I feel he is too small for the physicality of EPL and that comes with a price. But then again we would need to have the other situation to compare (at least I would need, I can't have the answers only based on confabulations) where we don't have a player as creative as him - splitting the creation work with three players instead of focusing on only one, but that who also offer us more stability physically and defensively. I honestly don't know which is why I can't vote for the poll. I know I miss Mata's creativity and that it hurts us that he isn't able to be as creative. I also know the six goals we conceded this season were more related to mistakes in the defense rather than giving away possession in the midfield - although the corner to Basel's goal started with us giving away possession there (Everton's too), but still it's only six goals over all and I would need (and love) to have deep stats about all goals we concede last season that came from a light midfield - whether the mistakes are made by Mata or not. It's the lightness that Mata brings that I don't know if we can afford. Oscar is quite light himself (thin), but he makes up for it somehow. Right now we have a heavier AM with Willian, Hazard, de Bruyne and Schürrle being not only bigger, but seemingly stronger physically and also with better work-rate... I don't have the answer, but I have tons of questions

Mata is the better #10 when on top of his game - but who also has a disappointing work rating that may - or may not - have been the reason why our defense and overall results the last couple of years have been less than impressive - saved for the UCL title. Oscar is a more complete player, but creatively he doesn't come close to Mata. Still people should prepare themselves to see the boy blossom, as he's still young and gaining confidence on his own game in Europe and at the club. He is going to be more creative and dynamic than he's right now, although I don't think he'll ever come close to Mata in that department. The problem we have today is that one of them is at the top of his shape, completely fit and committed with the team work while the other is struggling to find his better fitness, has been offering very little both defensively (as expected) and offensively (surprisingly) and while some may debate he needs minutes to regain his best game the truth is we don't know what will take for Mata to find his best game again because if he keeps repeating he's physically fit - and he seems to be - the problem may reside on confidence and that could come with matches or not - depending on how much his emotions are playing a role in this situation. Depending on if he needs Mourinho's confidence to build his own or if he needs to prove to himself he can do better, minutes could have opposite results in his recovery. Also, at the end of the day we need to take into consideration what the team needs most: creativity or a player that fits better the philosophy? This isn't 2011/12 season anymore where Mata was the only creative player in the entire squad. This also isn't the same as last season where Hazard and Oscar were adapting. In addition to that Willian, de Bruyne and André offer quite a lot of options in the wing to make up for Mata's absence and consequently his creativity. Who among them all gives the team the balance Oscar brings by being superb in the work-rate and defensively and also adding in the creativity? At the end of the day do Oscar, Hazard + one make up for Mata creativity or not? Can we afford to have such creative and attack prone players such as Hazard, Mata + one out of de Bruyne, Willian and André, but at the same time compromise the team's work rate balance? It's true André has also a very good work-rate more often than not shutting down the wingers and FB on his side of the pitch and Hazard also made progress in the department. The last two years could prove that we lacked this balance and couldn't be competitive because we weren't balanced enough. Or they prove we could and should have created more with other players instead of overloading Mata, relying not only on Mata to deliver goals, assists and key-passes.

source? edit: never mind, just saw the scan from Guardian in the Mata's thread