Juan Mata

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

Indeed. Was watching the matches' highlights from the 2009/10 season earlier and there was a huge difference in that really. We looked really threatening from both flanks(wingers + full backs) and the middle. Also, there really was a stark contrast in the quality crosses back then and now. The number of great crosses we put back then in one game is equivalent to us doing that now over a couple of matches!

It's true but it's not only Ramires that is to blame for that. We are essentially playing with no wingers at the moment because Mata and Hazard are both playing in the middle of the pitch and the other attacking midfielder has either been Bertrand or Ramires neither of whom belong there. Our shape needs some ironing out, We need Mata or Hazard to play more to one side for starters.

[Sheva. 5,373]

It's true but it's not only Ramires that is to blame for that. We are essentially playing with no wingers at the moment because Mata and Hazard are both playing in the middle of the pitch and the other attacking midfielder has either been Bertrand or Ramires neither of whom belong there. Our shape needs some ironing out, We need Mata or Hazard to play more to one side for starters.

Both of them are not wingers, but they're our 2 best players and have to play. So we need someone more direct on the right and that person is not Ramires because he can't take on defenders, cross, pass or do anything a normal winger is supposed to do.

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

Both of them are not wingers, but they're our 2 best players and have to play. So we need someone more direct on the right and that person is not Ramires because he can't take on defenders, cross, pass or do anything a normal winger is supposed to do.

Mata and Hazard have pretty much only played as wingers in their career so I see no reason why one of them (I prefer Mata) should be moved to the left. I don't love Ramires on the right by any stretch of the imagination but he was at his best there last season and he provides defensive cover that our other attacking midfielders don't. I'd love to see Moses or Marin take the job long-term but for different reasons (Marin hurt, Moses late signing) none of them have featured at this point.

[Sheva. 5,373]

Mata and Hazard have pretty much only played as wingers in their career so I see no reason why one of them (I prefer Mata) should be moved to the left. I don't love Ramires on the right by any stretch of the imagination but he was at his best there last season and he provides defensive cover that our other attacking midfielders don't. I'd love to see Moses or Marin take the job long-term but for different reasons (Marin hurt, Moses late signing) none of them have featured at this point.

Ramires was good last season yes, but we played mostly on the counter. Now it's different, in games where we have a lot of the ball, Ramires is quite frankly useless out wide.

He looks very clueless when the ball is passed to him and almost always doesn't do anything positive with it. But it's not entirely his fault really, he's not a winger and RDM should stop using him there.

As for Mata, when he played on the left for us last season, he always drifted to the middle to affect play more.

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

Ramires was good last season yes, but we played mostly on the counter. Now it's different, in games where we have a lot of the ball, Ramires is quite frankly useless out wide.

He looks very clueless when the ball is passed to him and almost always doesn't do anything positive with it. But it's not entirely his fault really, he's not a winger and RDM should stop using him there.

As for Mata, when he played on the left for us last season, he always drifted to the middle to affect play more.

He did often drift to the centre last year, but he also played LW with Valencia and he is perfectly capable of playing that position. I'm not attacking him because he's one of our best players and his instructions probably come from RDM anyway, but he really needs to move wide for us to have prolonged success. Right now, his positioning is overlapping areas that Hazard and Lampard are supposed to be in and not being on the left side leaves a massive hole. It imbalances the entire side both in attack and defending.

About Ramires. I agree that he is more suited for the counter-attack style, but the position in this system is not as a true winger. It's an attacking midfielder on the right side. Again, he's not really suited for that position either, but there's really nowhere else to play him in the 4-2-3-1 if RDM wants him in the lineup.

[Sheva. 5,373]

He did often drift to the centre last year, but he also played LW with Valencia and he is perfectly capable of playing that position. I'm not attacking him because he's one of our best players and his instructions probably come from RDM anyway, but he really needs to move wide for us to have prolonged success. Right now, his positioning is overlapping areas that Hazard and Lampard are supposed to be in and not being on the left side leaves a massive hole. It imbalances the entire side both in attack and defending.

About Ramires. I agree that he is more suited for the counter-attack style, but the position in this system is not as a true winger. It's an attacking midfielder on the right side. Again, he's not really suited for that position either, but there's really nowhere else to play him in the 4-2-3-1 if RDM wants him in the lineup.

Ramires should be given a couple games in the double pivot. Not in big games though!, but just to assess his ability to play there.

He's only played in that position once for Chelsea and that was the hammering we got at Napoli.

[Blue Armour 4,278]

Ramires should be given a couple games in the double pivot. Not in big games though!, but just to assess his ability to play there.

He's only played in that position once for Chelsea and that was the hammering we got at Napoli.

He can't do much wrong by playing alongside a midfield destroyer like Mikel or Essien. But then again, he won't be able to do much good either. His passing range is decent but not great. And we won't be able to use his pace on the counter.

[TorontoChelsea 4,064]

Ramires should be given a couple games in the double pivot. Not in big games though!, but just to assess his ability to play there.

He's only played in that position once for Chelsea and that was the hammering we got at Napoli.

If he can't pass well enough to play as an attacking midfielder, there's no way he can pass well enough to play as the deep-lying midfielder. That's a position that require the skills that Ramires doesn't have and doesn't use the skills that he does. Really, he just doesn't fit into this system which is a shame.

[KonohasOrangeFlash 2,607]

Mata will be back at training today/tomorrow. He'll sit out the QPR game I assume which is great.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Mata will be back at training today/tomorrow. He'll sit out the QPR game I assume which is great.

Great decision by Robbie. The man obviously needs a break.

[Steve 10,227]

[Madmax 9,219]

^ That photo ... mancrush.

[Waterfall 893]

He's an important player, isn't he? lol

[KonohasOrangeFlash 2,607]

Great that he has had a nice break. Should be fresher now and we need him back at his best. So important to us.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

Glad that he's had his break, so now di Matteo can play him for 40 matches straight again.

[Term-X 7,891]

Thought he could have come on a little sooner. Possibly even for Torres, if RDM had the balls to just do a del bosque, the understanding between him & Eden has developed faster than expected.

[OneMoSalah 8,776]

Should have buried that chance but yet again I suppose he did look sharp. Unlucky Juanny Cash!

[mtowle182 79]

i think if that wasnt one of his early touches he would have found the back of the net. but his link up play with hazard is going to be lethal, with there sheer talent and creativity, they could devolep into the best creative midfield combo in the pl, and maybe one of the best in europe.