Juan Mata

[J.F. 1,484]

Apparently mata was in tears after the night in turin.

i want more player like him in chelsea

[5354 204]

Its a shame.

Loved Mata for his reactions. His love for the club.

Hopefully Juventus will lose...!!!

[DoubleO 192]

He's exactly the kind of player I personally respect. His attitude is world class, he doesn't dive, whine or do dirty tricks, he's skillful and creative. His technique is fantastic and he knows how to read the game. There was no problem for him to adopt to the Premier League and he is getting better and better. He may be our next Leader after JT. I just love him. Juan :heart:

[Yeboii 1,844]

i want more player like him in chelsea

He probably knew that this was gonna lead to sacking RDM

[KonohasOrangeFlash 2,607]

Mata is future captain material. There is no doubt about that.

[Joe Ay 66]

Is it just me, or has Mata been a bit off these past few games? Have noticed that he's been a bit sloppy in possession lately.

[kellzfresh 7,229]

Is it just me, or has Mata been a bit off these past few games? Have noticed that he's been a bit sloppy in possession lately.

they rarely give him space now. And he has no balance so he easily loses possesion under pressure. He needs silva's strength on the ball

[Only1Didier 5]

Mata's Blog:

The week I (we) have been through has not been an easy one. As you know, Roberto Di Matteo is no longer our manager after our defeat in Turin against Juventus. It was a tough defeat that leaves us in a difficult situation before the last game of the group stage in the Champions League, since we don’t depend on ourselves to get through. Shaktar must win in Ukraine and we must win at Stamford Bridge. But I still believe we can do it, and I’m confident that we will get to the next stage!

I would like to thank Roberto for all this time with us. We spent very good moments together, some others not so good, but he will always be remembered as the manager with whom we conquered our first Champions League. Because of that, and because as a player he is a ‘blue’ legend to our fans, his name will always be part of Chelsea’s history. From a personal point of view he gave me confidence and support. Best of luck to you, Robbie.

We want the best for Chelsea and, as we did when Villas-Boas was sacked and Robbie came, we will work hard with Rafa Benítez, our new manager. I hope we can be successful again with him and his staff. With hard work and effort we can win trophies again. This last Sunday vs Mancester City was a tough test on his debut with us. It was a difficult match between two very even teams. Perhaps not the most spectacular one to watch, but I stay positive and think that we had a clean-sheet against a team with a big offensive power. After this draw we’re already looking forward to win our next match, hopefully this Wednesday against Fulham, again at the Bridge. The next few months will be crucial in every competition…

I couldn’t watch Spanish football on Sunday, neither Athletic-Deportivo nor Atlético-Sevilla. By the time I got home Atlético was already 4-0. Since Simeone’s arrival they are having a very strong performance, fighting for every single title in an impressive 2012. To remain so close to this Barcelona is just amazing, something that seemed impossible to some people before the season started.

I did manage to watch the Levante-Barcelona. In an spectacular second half, the visitors grabbed the three points thanks to the goals from Messi (incredible his record in 2012), Cesc and Iniesta, who scored a great one and had a sensational performance full of great passing, dribbling and ball control. They open the gap between them and Real Madrid. I also watched Real’s game at Betis: they had chances to score in the first half, but Betis played with intensity, and it was a great match by Beñat and their young goalkeeper Adrián. The season is still too long, although there is already a considerable gap between Barcelona and Real.

Also important and impressive was Málaga’s victory against Valencia. Málaga are in a very good shape, and I also think that maybe Valencia suffered the consequences of a great effort against Bayern Munich a few days before, where they had to play with ten men for a long time… I take this opportunity to highlight Leo Baptistao’s performance: a young, key player for Rayo this season, who is having a big impact in Spanish football with his goals and assists.

Back to London, and to London’s parks, they are a very important part of the city. From Hyde Park, the most famous one, to Battersea Park, the closest to my place, and also Regent’s Park, St James’s Park and Kensington Gardens. All of them offer plenty of activities: football, rowing and pedal boats, cycle lanes, zoo (Regent’s Park), and now Wonderland, a nice Christmas fair in Hyde Park that you shouldn’t miss if you happen to be around…

Best wishes and see you next week!

PS: I can’t forget about Fernando Alonso. He may win or lose, but he’s always an exciting driver and last Sunday he fought for the title until the last lap. He is an example: never gives up, and he works even harder when he is under pressure. Fernando, you’re great! Congratulations to Vettel also, he’s had a fantastic year.

Lastly, RIP Dave Sexton, Chelsea manager in the 60′s & 70′s.

[Jase 43,479]

Found this on Tumblr. Think it was his photoshoot for the Spanish GQ magazine. And what's with that face?!

[termninja 5,290]

I really like the fact that whenever I see him, speaking, walking, or reading his tweets/blogs - he seems so...well like one of us. A Chelsea fan who really loves the club. It's not something I feel often with players, but in this case with Mata, it's really strong. Really love the guy

[manpe 10,861]

He has a blog? Address please.

[Jase 43,479]

He has a blog? Address please.

Here.

http://blogs.grada360.com/juanmata/en

[Milan 17,853]

70% - this season in the league: Chelsea's win percentage with Mata starting is 70%, compared to 0% without Mata starting.

54% - Chelsea's PL win percentage when Juan Mata has started, compared to 31% when he hasn't (Aug 2011-present). Instrumental.

Mata didn't appear at all away to QPR(0-0) and Swansea(1-1). Introduced for last 30 mins at West Brom(1-2) and home to Fulham(0-0).

[DH1988 1,273]

I don't think he's played well the last few games but I feel like the above statistics justify his presence on the field which allow other players movement to shine i.e. opposition are worried a lot about Mata it gives space to other players if you get what I mean??

[Jase 43,479]

OptaJoe ‏@OptaJoe

54% - Chelsea's PL win percentage when Juan Mata has started, compared to 31% when he hasn't (Aug 2011-present). Instrumental.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

His weekly blog update:

It’s not easy to write after a defeat, even more after the one we had at West Ham. We were leading 0-1 and we had chances to score again during the first half, but after the break they managed to come back… In the last few minutes, when we were desperately trying to score, they finished us off with their third goal. It’s tough to write about that after losing the three points… The only way to end this bad streak is being positive and focusing on the next match in the Champions League. We have to believe that we will get through. And I do believe so.

In order to do that we must beat Nordjaelland and hope that Shaktar will beat Juventus in Ukraine. Shaktar are a great team, a tough one at home, and I’m sure it won’t be easy for Juventus to get points there. I hope we can get through and then face with optimism our game at Sunderland and the trip to Japan to play the Club’s World Cup. I’m looking forward to it, Japan is a country I’ve always felt attracted to. This will be the first time our club plays this tournament and it would be very nice to get a new title for Chelsea FC. Our supporters deserve it and it would be the perfect end to the year that gave us the first Champions League trophy in the history of the ‘Blues’.

After the match at West Ham I rested at home watching TV and I followed the matches of la Liga… But I got more bad news: Valencia lost against Real Sociedad and soon afterwards Pellegrino was sacked. It’s a shame ‘El Flaco’s plan for this season didn’t work, but the team is still alive in the Champions League and in the Copa del Rey, and has still time to get to their target in la Liga. I do know that my former team mates are having a bad time and here I send all my support to them to overcome this situation.

Then I watched the top three teams. Barcelona keeps breaking records and they beat Athletic with a great collective work. What a goal from Adriano after a sensational play… And then came Madrid’s derby. The start was full of passion and intensity, as usual. Real went ahead thanks to a superb free kick by Cristiano, and later on it came Ozil’s goal following a pass also from Cristiano. It was a very physical game with some tension on the pitch, and it went box to box especially in the second half. A big show to finish the day!

The highlight from Sunday, apart from Aspas’s brilliance, was a great match at Riazor that keeps Betis in the top four. Superb goal from Campbell! Betis, together with Getafe, is the team that amazes me more in this new season. My friend Moyá from Getafe played really well by the way. I haven’t seen many goalkeepers with such a great touch…

Aside from football, many of you have asked me about the Rolling Stones concert in the O2 Arena last Thursday. Simply amazing I’d say. Having the chance to be there, in front of one of the best rock bands in history, is one of those thing that London has to offer… And now I can always say I’ve seen the Rolling Stones play live! They have such an enviable energy and vitality, and their songs, after so many years, still sound powerful as always!

With the Stone’s ‘I Can’t Get No (Satisfaction)’ still in my head I say good bye to you until next week. I read all your messages of support, thank you for them!

PS: I would like to send a big hug from here to ‘Sisi’ after being seriously injured… He is a great player and friend. Come on, genius!

http://blogs.grada360.com/juanmata/en/2012/12/03/un-sabado-muy-amargo/

[The only place to be 11,313]

I love Mata. I love that he's an intelligent, well-rounded man who just happens to be a great footballer.

The club, not just the team, should be built around men like this. Such a great role model for the young players too.

[Milan 17,853]