Juan Mata

[lionsden 4,689]

The myth that the play has to be build around him is still in tact ?

Or that you cannot challenge for the title with him in the squad ?

Thank you.

I know right. We built everything around him and laid it on a plate for him on a platter of gold starting with a mobile and world class striker like Torres making the runs and feeding of his services, The highly dynamic and creative midfield of Mikel,Ramires and Lampard dominating everything and feeding him expertly in those pocket of space and defensive juggernauts like hazard and Torres tracking back to cover for his defensive deficiency and attacking fullbacks like Cole and Ivanovic/Azpi making overlapping runs at will and feeding off Mata's diagonal balls and delivering those sexy, pin point accurate balls into the box. The team was built around him indeed

[didierforever 7,349]

Would anyone still have oscar over him?

THIS.

i would really like people to own up to their predictions.

i remember people saying that oscar was as good as mata, if not better.

or that we wont miss mata in anyway

or that mata would find himself playing for some mid table spanish team

etc etc...

[kellzfresh 7,229]

we had KDB ...to lose one is careless to lose two is . ***********

Painful

Well, maybe had Mourinho been more flexible in his approach and less dogmatic to players, Mata might have still been here...

At first I wondered why Mata was so poor in the wing. But after more than a year of other failed experiments in the right wing, I've changed my mind.

Any player who doesn't have the physical balance of Hazard and Willian and strength to hold the ball under pressure is useless in our right wing.

I just wish he was given a chance behind the striker, especially Eto'o who was better at linking up than torres. At least if Mata showed no desire to work hard from the middle then fair play, but he was thrown to the wings and inevitably out after being our best player for 2 straight seasons.

I can't blame Mourinho though, he thought Oscar had more potential than he's shown so far, and put a lot of faith in him.

[Oscar 441]

THIS.

i would really like people to own up to their predictions.

i remember people saying that oscar was as good as mata, if not better.

or that we wont miss mata in anyway

or that mata would find himself playing for some mid table spanish team

etc etc...

What exactly has Mata done since last season to this season?

Oscar was a key player to winning the title this season, not Mata. Oscar was a key player for Brazil in the world cup, not Mata. So, what exactly are you reffering to>?

United's revival all is based on Fellaini's aerial dominance and Rooney.

[Tomo 21,733]

remember when people said that he is not good enough or i remember when i was ridiculed when i dared compare him with ozil (how is he these days)!!!

he is one of the classiest people on and off the pitch.

would be heart wrenching to see him play against us.

It's not about him being not good enough but he wouldn't fit in to this season's team. Mata and Cesc in the same midfield would be a disaster off the ball.

Still love him, and he gave us some great moments and dare I say was one of the rays of hope in the last days of AVB, but on the pitch we have both moved on.

[Adnane 1,101]

With the level he was playing with at the time, plus the highly complete profile he has, yeah, I would definitely pick Oscar over Mata.

Now this is the kind of lottery you're dealing with in football, nobody could have predicted the change of fortune for the two even a few months earlier, that's just the proof that when you are a gambler like Mourinho, you can still lose, even with all the technicity you have.

Now excuse me, but where were you when Mata was struggling to get a single minute at Old Trafford and Oscar was bagging goals and delivering game after game at the start of the season ?

Selective memory, as usual.

[didierforever 7,349]

What exactly has Mata done since last season to this season?

Oscar was a key player to winning the title this season, not Mata. Oscar was a key player for Brazil in the world cup, not Mata. So, what exactly are you reffering to>?

United's revival all is based on Fellaini's aerial dominance and Rooney.

Oscar was a key player to winning the title. :lol: hahahhahahahhahahahahahahahahahhagahahahah... nice one mate

[Viper22 2,418]

It's not about him being not good enough but he wouldn't fit in to this season's team. Mata and Cesc in the same midfield would be a disaster off the ball.

Still love him, and he gave us some great moments and dare I say was one of the rays of hope in the last days of AVB, but on the pitch we have both moved on.

Thank christ some can still see sense. Players aren't that easily switchable and our CAM position is one of the hardest to play probably in world football.

They will have to truly be a complete player and Oscar was doing an ok job of it until January. He's failing badly now but I can imagine Juan would be even worse ATM.

Mata was my favourite non-Chelsea player in the world before he joined the club and he's still one of my favourites now, but he only really functions in a team where he has no defensive responsibilities whatsoever and Chelsea as a team require our CAM to defend as well as attack.

[JaKstone 307]

With the level he was playing with at the time, plus the highly complete profile he has, yeah, I would definitely pick Oscar over Mata.

Now this is the kind of lottery you're dealing with in football, nobody could have predicted the change of fortune for the two even a few months earlier, that's just the proof that when you are a gambler like Mourinho, you can still lose, even with all the technicity you have.

Now excuse me, but where were you when Mata was struggling to get a single minute at Old Trafford and Oscar was bagging goals and delivering game after game at the start of the season ?

Selective memory, as usual.

Perfectly said, well done mate :blue scalf: :blue scalf:

[Amblève. 4,995]

It's not about him being not good enough but he wouldn't fit in to this season's team. Mata and Cesc in the same midfield would be a disaster off the ball.

You know, how about signing a real pivot player who doesn't need defensive protection like Cesc...? Just like every other team does it instead of having your #10 fill holes for one of your pivot players.

[Tomo 21,733]

You know, how about signing a real pivot player who doesn't need defensive protection like Cesc...? Just like every other team does it instead of having your #10 fill holes for one of your pivot players.

Then we do that, were would Mata go? on the right and have only 1/3 off our AM with any real pace.

[Amblève. 4,995]

Then we do that, were would Mata go? on the right and have only 1/3 off our AM with any real pace.

I don't follow your logic here. How does having one not so fast player in Mata playing the #10 role generate any problems if all the other players around him are speedy and mobile? As far as I know, Costa, Hazard and Willian are all above average quick for their positions, Matic is impressively mobile and smart and the player next to him would and should IMO be the same.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

I was for the transfer of Mata as I trusted in Mourinho and thought it was for the better of the team, but watching how Oscar panned out you can't help but wonder what if Mourinho put a little more faith into Juan.

But it really wasn't about 'faith' with Juan. He kept getting pretty regular minutes in the team despite not playing well at all. He literally had two good performances last season: Against Arsenal in the Capital One cup and Tottenham when he came on in the second half changed the match and got the assist for Terry's equalizer.

But other than that he was mostly very dire. And not for the lack of trying. But it was clearly not working for him in the new system. But Jose kept showing faith in him and giving him minutes despite all that, even at the expense of other players who arguably deserved more faith and chances like KDB.

And we weren't even the ones who forced him out. He asked to leave and got his wish. So he lost his faith in shining under Jose before Jose and the club lost faith in him.

[Tomo 21,733]

I don't follow your logic here. How does having one not so fast player in Mata playing the #10 role generate any problems if all the other players around him are speedy and mobile? As far as I know, Costa, Hazard and Willian are all above average quick for their positions, Matic is impressively mobile and smart and the player next to him would and should IMO be the same.

Because my initial point was Mata and Cesc in same team wouldn't work.

[Rom2013 446]

I wouldn't have Mata and Oscar. None off them is good enough for Chelsea.

Ozil is not perfect, but is a lot more balanced number 10 than both of them and there are many others.

Mata is far from world class and has a lot of problems with his physical abilities and the minor defensive work he needs to do, and Oscar is horrible for a number 10 in attack.

[Tomo 21,733]

But it really wasn't about 'faith' with Juan. He kept getting pretty regular minutes in the team despite not playing well at all. He literally had two good performances last season: Against Arsenal in the Capital One cup and Tottenham when he came on in the second half changed the match and got the assist for Terry's equalizer.

But other than that he was mostly very dire. And not for the lack of trying. But it was clearly not working for him in the new system. But Jose kept showing faith in him and giving him minutes despite all that, even at the expense of other players who arguably deserved more faith and chances like KDB.

And we weren't even the ones who forced him out. He asked to leave and got his wish. So he lost his faith in shining under Jose before Jose and the club lost faith in him.

I can't prove it but I reckon if Jose didn't have the fans meltdown to put into account Mata might have been the one in KDBs situation while the Belgium got the minutes Juan did.

[Amblève. 4,995]

Because my initial point was Mata and Cesc in same team wouldn't work.

And I responded that buying Cesc himself was unnecessary because having a traditional 10# in Mata wasn't the crux to our problems.

[The Skipper 20,593]

Then we do that, were would Mata go? on the right and have only 1/3 off our AM with any real pace.

How about Hazard - Willian - Mata? Pace problem solved.