Juan Mata

[Spike 12,049]

Silva who?

Anderson Silva, you fool!

[Mustafa 885]

I was expecting an epic sized article about the greatness of Mata - but i was dissapointed

I'm sorry to disappoint.... But i think we all know what Mata is all about

[Thor 2,392]

Hes a great player, but Hazard is clearly better.

Its nice to have an overreaction thread after one game, but the fact is Hazard is creating for himself, for others, getting in the box and constantly drawing fouls from the other team, in the box even. Mata doesn't have the pace or strength of Hazard on the ball. Not to mention Hazard's touch is a lot better.

[Peppen 934]

Absolutely love this guy. I really do! So humble, so unselfish and what a player. He has got that SPECIAL thing we all lust for in a creative and offensive footballer. Ever since he came to Chelsea he hasn't ceased to amaze me, and I am confident that he remains one of the best purchases ever done by our club. Furthermore he seems to love the city and his surroundings, and wants to improve, thus help Chelsea succeed. What a story. Wins the FA cup and UCL in his first season. With Juan, Hazard, Oscar and Moses we've got ourselves a branch of the best offensive players in the world if we use em' right. Let's hope so. Mata, may the future be forever blue! KTBFFH!

[KonohasOrangeFlash 2,607]

Was his flick to Cole deliberate? It looked like a miscontrolled ball to me more than anything.

Of course it was deliberate.

[Beepu 1,714]

I think with all the hype of hazard's signing, most of us forgot how important and truly talented juan mata is.

[meetdoscar 335]

Juan mata is a good player but when we are talking of best player in our team we should look at players that also have an automatic starting role in strong national teams like hazard and oscar(mata doesn't). And for my money I bet hazard will give iniesta/silva/pedro a run for their money in terms of starting role if he played for spain but also oscar would in my opinion reduce xavi's playing time tremendously if he ever played for spain. Notwithstanding and without a doubt oscar will become our best player bcoz he is the most complete of three I mentioned. By complete I mean his ability to shoot from range,defend, control games by bossing the midfield as he has shown for brasil, technically very efficient and has extraordinary confidence and so much more to offer in every area of the pitch. I also believe there are things he can do that we honestly haven't seen yet but will see in time. Hazard and mata we know what they can offer but OSCAR we can't comprehend at the moment.

[Leif 6,006]

His beard/stubble/whatever it was, was epic. Hope it stays.

[Milan 17,853]

Was his flick to Cole deliberate? It looked like a miscontrolled ball to me more than anything.

During the MOTD highlights or on Chelsea TV (not sure now), he was asked about this and he said something like he was expecting some player to be there. So yeah, he meant it.

[robdog 2,084]

Was his flick to Cole deliberate? It looked like a miscontrolled ball to me more than anything.

I thought so too at first, but in the reverse angle it looks very much intentional.

I had the opportunity to watch the post match interview w/ Señor Mata on Chelsea TV. He stated as a fact he did the backheel on purpose cause he knew someone was behind him, but he didn't know it was Cole until he ran past him during the celebration

[Kojo 4,676]

I was really worried about Mata, but he's came back from rest and I'm very pleased with what i saw, looked like the player he did when he first started. His passing was just class, joy to behold. Him and Hazard are very good passers of the ball.

I think a lot of people should be grateful, this is the first time in two seasons we've had a team what knows what there fucking doing and can string more than 10 passes together. Before we where the most uncreative team in the league, for too long now we've had to suffer horrible football. Still need to gel together definitely, but it's nice to see i must say.

[robdog 2,084]

I was really worried about Mata, but he's came back from rest and I'm very pleased with what i saw, looked like the player he did when he first started. His passing was just class, joy to behold. Him and Hazard are very good passers of the ball.

I think a lot of people should be grateful, this is the first time in two seasons we've had a team what knows what there fucking doing and can string more than 10 passes together. Before we where the most uncreative team in the league, for too long now we've had to suffer horrible football. Still need to gel together definitely, but it's nice to see i must say.

spoken like a true gooner...err Chelsea fan xD

[TacticalBlues 2,817]

Mata still the man for Chelsea despite summer splurge

The little Spaniard's brilliantly improvised flick created Ashley Cole's winner five minutes from time on Saturday, capping another masterful display of midfield playmaking

COMMENT

By Liam Twomey

When it comes to Saturday’s hard-fought victory over Stoke at Stamford Bridge, Ashley Cole’s first Chelseagoal in over two years has stolen the headlines. And understandably so, given it was the strike which keeps the Blues at the top of the Premier League for another weekend and, perhaps, saves Di Matteo from another training ground visit from Roman Abramovich.

Yet, moments before Cole calmly dinked the ball over Asmir Begovic, another Chelsea stalwart provided further evidence to support the supposition that his team’s success this season will be inextricably linked to his ability to showcase his genius when it matters most.

For while Chelsea have spent over £80 million this summer – and much of it on some of the world’s most exciting young creative talent – the importance of Juan Mata has not been diminished in the slightest. In fact, it has been enhanced.

On Saturday, as Eden Hazard toiled his way to an early withdrawal and Oscar showed the downside to the rawness inherent in his sensational talent, it was the little Spaniard who executed a superbly improvised flick five minutes from time which sent Branislav Ivanovic’s low centre perfectly into Cole’s path and earned the Premier League leaders a potentially crucial three points.

In truth, the decisive assist was no less than Mata deserved. He had delivered another masterclass in midfield playmaking, constantly moving, passing, probing, undeterred by Stoke’s immoveable ranks of relative giants. Several times a sudden shift of the hips and slide-rule pass had given his team-mates a brief sight of goal, only to be snuffed out both by good defending and their own failings.

Chelsea’s breakthrough should have come with their number 10’s first piece of brilliance just 25 minutes in, when an inch-perfect lob took out the entire Stoke defence before dropping invitingly at the feet of Fernando Torres.

The man who lit up Anfield for two glorious years between 2007 and 2009 would have swept the ball home without a second thought, but there is a growing sombre acceptance among the Stamford Bridge faithful that the man Abramovich paid £50m to bring to west London 18 months ago will never again scale such heights. He kicked air, Begovic smothered, and the chance was gone.

On the whole, however, the hosts rarely got that close, as Stoke dropped deep, pressed their attackers in numbers and defended as one.

Even so, there were enough dazzling combinations between Hazard, Mata and Oscar to suggest they can work – and do so spectacularly – as a trio behind a striker but, as Di Matteo himself afterwards admitted, it will take hours of practice and effort on the training field before they add up to the sum of their incredibly gifted parts.

In the centre of the pitch, Ramires produced the kind of all-action display which lends credence to the view that he can be the man to drive Chelsea’s midfield whenever Frank Lampard finally decides to hang up his boots. Whether that is to be alongside John Obi Mikel, who once again raised the ire of the home crowd with some woefully careless passing, remains to be seen.

At the back, the same vulnerabilities which were laid devastatingly bare against Atletico Madrid and cost Di Matteo’s men victory against Juventus were again in evidence. Stoke were hardly swift or subtle in their approach, yet they will look back on the Jonathan Walters header which crashed off the crossbar and Michael Kightly’s fumbled first-half shot as evidence of a potential three points lost.

Fortunately for Chelsea, issues at both ends of the pitch have been minimised by the exceptional fluidity and creativity of their midfield, and Mata has been central to this success.

His assist statistics may not be as prolific as those of Hazard and he cannot boast a strike the equal of Oscar’s against Juventus but, with both new signings set to endure the ups and downs of adapting to life in the Premier League and far tougher tests of this new-look team to come, it is Mata on whom the burden of responsibility will rest. On Saturday, he proved himself more than up to the task.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/9/england/2012/09/23/3396774/mata-still-the-man-for-chelsea-despite-summer-splurge

[Badboy 1,526]

Why do most women dislike beards ? They are like ''Oh no cut it off'' ''you need to be clean shaven''.

[robdog 2,084]

Why do most women dislike beards ? They are like ''Oh no cut it off'' ''you need to be clean shaven''.

because they like it when you rub your hair face on their bodies

[DYC. 7,542]

Why do most women dislike beards ? They are like ''Oh no cut it off'' ''you need to be clean shaven''.

Same reason we want women to shave their legs, underarms, lady parts (and possible facial hair) I'd say.

[Bosnian Blue 2,471]

I'm probably the only one here who dislikes his beard.

[robdog 2,084]

Same reason we want women to shave their legs, underarms, lady parts (and possible facial hair) I'd say.

I like a lil' bush though