Juan Mata

[ChelseasMessiah 304]

It was Mata. he got caught trying to turn. But we as a top side should be able to defend a corner.

It was Lampard who misplaced a pass on the left which led to their first goal though, which was more damaging than Mata's mistake as that meant he was yet again caught out of position leaving a massive gap for Basel to counter. I think that's why Mourinho took him off because you don't see Frank being subbed under Jose.

[Jase 43,479]

By working hard and playing HIS game when he gets a chance. Super subs are able to force themselves into sides all the time, and Mata has tons more quality than plenty of them. He should be able to force himself into a side without just getting minutes on his name alone.

Players are not robots. They don't suddenly just come in and perform at their very best like turning on and off tap water. You need a run of games to get your game and rhythm going. Oscar has had that luxury since pre-season and that's why he's in the form he is right now while Mata hasn't. If Mata has been in the same situation as Oscar, then even you wouldn't put it past him that he will be in form right now. And no, it's not about Mata getting minutes based on his name alone. It's the fact that he was our best player in the last 2 seasons and it's the fact that he performed greatly in the No.10 role for the past 2 seasons and gave us that attacking impetus as well as cutting edge in the final third that we haven't seen much of this season. It is that why he should be given more chances, more regular game time to let him get back to form and make a difference for us.

[The_Flash 1,144]

Players are not robots. They don't suddenly just come in and perform at their very best like turning on and off tap water. You need a run of games to get your game and rhythm going. Oscar has had that luxury since pre-season and that's why he's in the form he is right now while Mata hasn't. If Mata has been in the same situation as Oscar, then even you wouldn't put it past him that he will be in form right now. And no, it's not about Mata getting minutes based on his name alone. It's the fact that he was our best player in the last 2 seasons and it's the fact that he performed greatly in the No.10 role for the past 2 seasons and gave us that attacking impetus as well as cutting edge in the final third that we haven't seen much of this season. It is that why he should be given more chances, more regular game time to let him get back to form.

Agree, the amount of people who expect people who sit on the bench for ages, then come on and be at their absolute best. It cannot happen, you need a run, you need to ready yourself and pretty quickly few games players will find their form. This in and out of the side, helps noone, Torres, Mata, Cesar, and many others.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Players are not robots. They don't suddenly just come in and perform at their very best like turning on and off tap water. You need a run of games to get your game and rhythm going. Oscar has had that luxury since pre-season and that's why he's in the form he is right now while Mata hasn't. If Mata has been in the same situation as Oscar, then even you wouldn't put it past him that he will be in form right now. And no, it's not about Mata getting minutes based on his name alone. It's the fact that he was our best player in the last 2 seasons and it's the fact that he performed greatly in the No.10 role for the past 2 seasons and gave us that attacking impetus as well as cutting edge in the final third that we haven't seen much of this season. It is that why he should be given more chances, more regular game time to let him get back to form.

He'll get those chances and no-one is saying he shouldn't, but it's hard for a manager to stick with a player when other players are in good form and he's not doing much in the chances he's given.

He's a great player but we've got other promising/great players in that same position. He's being kept out of the team by Brazil's number 10 - people seem to be overlooking Oscar's fine form.

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,920]

Players are not robots. They don't suddenly just come in and perform at their very best like turning on and off tap water. You need a run of games to get your game and rhythm going. Oscar has had that luxury since pre-season and that's why he's in the form he is right now while Mata hasn't. If Mata has been in the same situation as Oscar, then even you wouldn't put it past him that he will be in form right now. And no, it's not about Mata getting minutes based on his name alone. It's the fact that he was our best player in the last 2 seasons and it's the fact that he performed greatly in the No.10 role for the past 2 seasons and gave us that attacking impetus as well as cutting edge in the final third that we haven't seen much of this season. It is that why he should be given more chances, more regular game time to let him get back to form and make a difference for us.

If Oscar was in the same position as Mata people wouldnt be advocating benching Mata in place of him either.

When you are in a poor patch, and we are, you have to play the players on form to get out of it. By playing Mata we will more than likely have to bench our only in form attacking player. Its a gamble.

[Jase 43,479]

He'll get those chances and no-one is saying he shouldn't, but it's hard for a manager to stick with a player when other players are in good form and he's not doing much in the chances he's given.

He's a great player but we've got other promising/great players in that same position. He's being kept out of the team by Brazil's number 10 - people seem to be overlooking Oscar's fine form.

If Oscar was in the same position as Mata people wouldnt be advocating benching Mata in place of him either.

When you are in a poor patch, and we are, you have to play the players on form to get out of it. By playing Mata we will more than likely have to bench our only in form attacking player. Its a gamble.

I don't disagree that Oscar is doing fine right now but is he really in fine form or are we overplaying it because the others aren't? His workrate is no doubt better than Mata at the moment but for someone playing in the No.10/CAM role, he doesn't seem to provide that same creative spark, guile in the attacking third like Mata does though it probably doesn't help when nobody makes an attacking run off the ball..

[-Kaplan- 410]

As difficult as it will be to take, a solution will not come next match or the match after or the match after that or the match after that one. Great things take time, and we are barely building this; we are at the absolute bottom.

The team, during this phase, will always need for its supporters to, well, support. So many new faces and such, it's only logical that this is how things should be.

Expect a struggle.

[Stingray 9,441]

Mata will have to fight for his place or be sold. Oscar shouldn't be scarified

I don't think people think otherwise really. It is normal he should fight for his place, yes. Getting ready to sell him already is as premature as calling "Mou out". Furthermore, who in their right mind would want Oscar out? He has been playing great! Good thing people were not as impatient with Oscar as they are now with Mata. We would have missed on all the action he displys today!

My point: stop the hyperbole and be patient. Mata (and Hazard) will come good and get their form back. eventually Oscar WILL have a drop in form as well. It is a looooooooooooong season, so we can by any means use both.

[Barbara 15,149]

I guess we all agree he's a good player - some of us think he's brilliant, others he's just good or great.

I don't think it should be our main concern to recover his form - although I also think if he was fit we would be struggling much less. Mourinho's main concern has to be with the team, not a player. He wasn't brought here to manage Mata's career, he was brought here to manage Chelsea FC. Mata shouldn't be a priority at all. He may be the answer to our problems, or he may not. I just don't think we should risk results because of him because we don't know if it will recover him. Please, that's my point. We need Mata to play in high level so we struggle less and start flourish, but we don't know what will make him get there or how long it'll take, so is it worth risking matches because of something that's not completely clear? Both Mourinho and Mata were unlucky with the timing of his injury. It means he lost the most critical part of the season in terms of fitness and it'll take him months to be in the same place (fitness speaking) as the others and we don't know how long (or what) it'll take for him to be the Mata he's been the last two years.

I can take the losses, I can take Oscar in the bench. I can't take Oscar in the wing and much less in the pivot just so we can accommodate Mata in the team. If José wants to play Mata, Oscar should be benched, end of it. While Oscar has been very good, he's been far from brilliant. As I said in one of the threads after the loss to Basel, Oscar is playing his best with a Chelsea shirt, still his best is very far from what Hazard and Mata showed wearing the same shirt.

We don't know if minutes will actually recover Mata - it isn't as simple as that because if it was the case then Hazard would be killing matches for us as he played 90 minutes at all matches and still he continues to be the biggest disappointment so far (for me). Eden's been mediocre despite playing all matches for 90 minutes. And then all sort of excuses were given: the opponents marking, Mourinho, Ashley Cole, Oscar, the strikers, the lack of Mata when truly the main reason is himself. It seems like he lacks motivation and he's playing sub par to his own level. But I cut him some slack because he's 22. I have to cut a 22-yo some slack when he's so inconsistent. I just hope he won't become another guy with great potential that never really became a great talent. There are way too many examples in football throughout the history to back that up, and I hope Eden doesn't take the same route so many before him took.

But Mata is older and more experienced, and maybe he'll make good use of his minutes in the pitch. But what if he gets them and continues to struggle? Then we'll blame Mourinho or Mikel (!!!) as some people did in those two losses? So will everyone here sign in for eventual losses and draws if Mata starts knowing that his lack of fitness will make us lose control of some matches and will support Mourinho for making one player's recover our main goal now? Someone (I honestly don't remember who) mentioned that once Mata was subbed in the match against Everton we lost control of the match. We lost control of the match because André, not Mata, was subbed, because it was André along with Eto'o that created most of our chances and produced most in our attack. Mata stats for that match are as poor as his appearances, so let's at least be fair (according to squawka.com he completed 30 out of 36 passes, and out of those 30, 10 were made in the final third and 0 key-passes, comparing André who had 32/36 and 13 in the final third and 2 key-passes).

The same way we lost control of the match against Basel because Oscar was moved to the wing - it doesn't matter who came in, it was Oscar going to a position he's sub par that made our attacking production decrease and gave the chance for Basel to control the actions. Willian being subbed contributed as well because Oscar was laughable compared to Willian in the RW. As it was Mata who came in and he did nothing special, his presence compromised...

At the end of the day if Mata and/or Hazard were playing at their highest level we would be doing better. They aren't. Mata has an excuse, Hazard doesn't. Oscar is playing his best, but honestly his best falls short compared to what Mata and Hazard could do, still it doesn't change the fact he's better than Mata now.

So the decision to be made is: are we willing to risk matches in order to recover Mata fitness. If the answer is yes, then don't complain when we lose or draw, if the answer is no, so Mata will have to regain form from the bench - if he regains it any time soon.

Sometimes confidence can be really important in football (although not as important as in sports like tennis and basketball) and we don't know if he'll be able to regain confidence (if that's one of the problems) if he plays. That's the bottom line, we don't know what will take for him to play well again. We don't know if it's minutes, if it's confidence, if it's a different philosophy... and still people want to take the risk of losing effective production in the attack to have him recovered. I'd take that if the same people didn't go to Mourinho's thread to suggest his should leave, he can't work with this squad, that A, B or C is a better manager than he is or that he sucks.

Chelsea is a in a position where there's no win-win unless Hazard and Mata start producing in high level again. Mourinho has his share of responsibility in both things, still his share is very small compared to the players themselves. Mata seems to be doing his best, but he isn't reaching the results he expected. It's not essentially his fault, because he seems to be trying, but we can't deny his attempt hasn't been enough.

[bushman 2,043]

Whatever is written here about Mata is just an opinion & most of it curtain lectures.

My stand is the same, was & will be. Mata should never be sold.

[Stingray 9,441]

I don't know if that was an attempt at an answer or just your opinion. In any case what you write here has no referral to my comment whatsoever. I simply did not state what you imply I did:

I don't think it should be our main concern to recover his form - although I also think if he was fit we would be struggling much less. Mourinho's main concern has to be with the team, not a player. He wasn't brought here to manage Mata's career, he was brought here to manage Chelsea FC. Mata shouldn't be a priority at all.

What I did say:

It is normal he should fight for his place, yes. Getting ready to sell him already is as premature as calling "Mou out". Furthermore, who in their right mind would want Oscar out? He has been playing great! Good thing people were not as impatient with Oscar as they are now with Mata. We would have missed on all the action he displys today! My point: stop the hyperbole and be patient. Mata (and Hazard) will come good and get their form back.

Of course my apologies to your jimmies if your comment was aimed at something more ethereal and it rustled them.

[Sidzeret 2,257]

The best option right now is to play Mata on the right and get the whole inverted winger going.

It is pretty clear Oscar is a born #10, so it's best not to try him in he pivot. DeBruyne is the man suited for he pivot IMO.

MaZaCar has always been our best attacking trio and Mour should give it a shot atleast 2 games running and see what happens.

[Barbara 15,149]

I don't know if that was an attempt at an answer or just your opinion. In any case what you write here has no referral to my comment whatsoever. I simply did not state what you imply I did:

What I did say:

Of course my apologies to your jimmies if your comment was aimed at something more ethereal and it rustled them.

honestly Tom, I didn't read your previous post, so in all honesty I had no idea you had said that. Of course I only have my word to back me up on that. also it took me 35 minutes to write that post and when I started you haven't post yet.

I'm also removing you from that list. I'm more than willing to let our past disagreements go. Let's try not to get into each other's throats. So I'm all for making up (but not kissing ) and letting all of the the past (absolutely all, 100%, everything of it, nothing left) go. Clean slate if you're up to.

If I disagree with you, it'll be just because it's a disagreement, it's not because it's you. And if you say something I agree, I'll be more than happy to say so.

and it's kind of poetic that only now that I'm finishing this post that I realize that our fight started in this thread and I'm willing to make it end in this thread as well. If you're not up to, I understand, as I may have caused more damaged than you're willing to let go.

[ZOS 580]

according to some, no one in our squad is brilliant, there never was one and never will be ... dumb ass idiots ... may be that's why we will never have a balon d'or winning player. When a player is worth it, like Mata is, you need to stand behind him no matter what, make the system work for him ... you don't moan with every bad game he'll have.

This is time for action, Jose... stop thinking and act, pull Oscar to the pivot bring in Mata and make the defenders press the opposition like David is doing... OR bring back Mikel to the starting 11, use Willian and Eden to flank who ever you choose as a striker and sell Mata 'cause he is too good for this shit.

[Mouri_Matic 560]

I don't think people think otherwise really. It is normal he should fight for his place, yes. Getting ready to sell him already is as premature as calling "Mou out". Furthermore, who in their right mind would want Oscar out? He has been playing great! Good thing people were not as impatient with Oscar as they are now with Mata. We would have missed on all the action he displys today!

My point: stop the hyperbole and be patient. Mata (and Hazard) will come good and get their form back. eventually Oscar WILL have a drop in form as well. It is a looooooooooooong season, so we can by any means use both.

This is the world cup year, Mata wants/needs to be playing all the time to even get included in their squad as a sub player. We are not gonna force him out but I think if he continues to be benched, HE WILL WANT OUT in Jan. At any other season patience is the key but this one is the world cup, where every player is trying to get into the national team.

[Stats 7,060]

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/18932/8931331/jamie-redknapp-jose-mourinho-needs-to-start-juan-mata-for-chelsea

Interesting read.

[Stingray 9,441]

honestly Tom, I didn't read your previous post, so in all honesty I had no idea you had said that. Of course I only have my word to back me up on that. also it took me 35 minutes to write that post and when I started you haven't post yet.

I'm also removing you from that list. I'm more than willing to let our past disagreements go. Let's try not to get into each other's throats. So I'm all for making up (but not kissing ) and letting all of the the past (absolutely all, 100%, everything of it, nothing left) go. Clean slate if you're up to.

If I disagree with you, it'll be just because it's a disagreement, it's not because it's you. And if you say something I agree, I'll be more than happy to say so.

and it's kind of poetic that only now that I'm finishing this post that I realize that our fight started in this thread and I'm willing to make it end in this thread as well. If you're not up to, I understand, as I may have caused more damaged than you're willing to let go.

Well ok, fair enough. Let us bury the hatchet then Clean slate - tabula rasa!

[ChelseasMessiah 304]

I really wanna see this boy on the pitch, he's one of the best in the league. The problem is that he has not been effective whenever he played this season - yet.