Juan Mata

[Barbara 15,149]

Bold is not true. But i see the problem from another point.

The problem is that you have to be messi or ronaldo (scoring 50-70 goals and 15-30 assists) if your not the striker and are still not contributing defensively.

A team cannot afford to have two people(striker + AM) watching lazyly when we are not with the ball, against big teams in europe. Thats why mancity murdered us last season. They just attack through the middle since mata wont be there anyways, so they end up having more numbers than us in midfield,(3 vs 2) making our pivot look worse than its supposed to be.

That wont happen under mourinho. The midfield must be compact to compensate for weaker players.

We must play with a definite system instead of telling the rest of the team to defend deep and give the ball to mata once we intercept the ball. What if mata gets injured? then the whole system fails. Thats why we struggled so much when he didnt play.

Mourinho is looking for a team system so that if someone is out, another can enter without too much difference in our style.

spot on. Except it's not only when Mata is injured that we can compromise titles if we build the team around him. He disappears on matches more often than other star players do. It's not only about the amount of goals and assists Messi and Cris provide, but also how they're protagonists or at least contributing players in basically all matches Barça and RM play. Robben, Ribery, Gotze, Reus, Lewa, van Persie, Ozil also have better consistency stats than Mata does meaning they were decisive in matches or at least contributed importantly more often than Mata does. Mata disappears in some kind of matches (for tactical reasons) and also in the odd match now and then (for no apparent reason, except it not being his day). I'm not saying he's inconsistent, I'm just saying he isn't that much consistent when compared to other players - and even those players don't have their teams built around them. how can we be competitive if we build a system around Mata if he goes missing or contributes too little in a relatively compromising amount of matches?

I think the new way to play will be like a Bayern the last years . Specially the last year and now.

I don't know if like Bayern because I feel we miss the main key for that (amazing pivot), but we could at least be a RM.

[Korea 734]

Let's take 2 great young offensive players - Götze und Reus. They had 48 and 47 tackles respectively last season. More in our team had only Azpi, Oscar and Ramires. (Mata - 14 tackles).

Mario and Marco - great attacking players, but they contribute in defensive game. No one ask for them, or for Juan, to become "defensive specialists", but they must to be involved in trying to take away the ball after losing it.

it's kind of different though....

Mata is not an athletic person, however, he is a fantastic footballer...

Both Gotze and Reus are athletically above average...

[Korea 734]

Kaka today is no one. He is a retired player. Mourinho has nothing to do with the bad moment of Kaka.

Real Madrid paid 70M€ for a player that couldn't play two games in a row, and they paid to him 10M€ per season. Kaka and Milan robbed Real Madrid, that's the reality.

About Mata, if he can't play like Mourinho wants he will go to other team.

You can see that Chelsea has a problem when a player like Mata is considered our best player. Mata is not between the best 40 or 50 players in the world.

I said it last season that Mata was no where near world class and I got killed on this board, but I agree he is nowhere near top 50...

[Barbara 15,149]

I'm not sure I can name 50 players in the world better than Mata... I haven't tried but it seems like too many people at first... although for most Chelsea fans he's only behind Cris and Messi [i had to read a few times around here he's better than Özil ] I think not being a top50 is a bit of a stretch...

[kellzfresh 7,229]

spot on. Except it's not only when Mata is injured that we can compromise titles if we build the team around him. He disappears on matches more often than other star players do. It's not only about the amount of goals and assists Messi and Cris provide, but also how they're protagonists or at least contributing players in basically all matches Barça and RM play. Robben, Ribery, Gotze, Reus, Lewa, van Persie, Ozil also have better consistency stats than Mata does meaning they were decisive in matches or at least contributed importantly more often than Mata does. Mata disappears in some kind of matches (for tactical reasons) and also in the odd match now and then (for no apparent reason, except it not being his day). I'm not saying he's inconsistent, I'm just saying he isn't that much consistent when compared to other players - and even those players don't have their teams built around them. how can we be competitive if we build a system around Mata if he goes missing or contributes too little in a relatively compromising amount of matches?

I don't know if like Bayern because I feel we miss the main key for that (amazing pivot), but we could at least be a RM.

Yes his consistency became a major factor in how we played as we were willing to let him preserve his energy for when we have the ball and place all our hope in his attacking skills to bail us out. Thats the wrong approach. Very wrong. Striker and AM cannot both say they wont defend, thats like us playing 4-4-2(which is so outdated for europe now because big teams would just storm through your center)

Look at the stats of the amount of tackles gotze and reus and muller made last season. That didnt hurt their team at all.

We have always cried out for an identity and mourinho's own is high pressing when we are not with the ball and compact midfield with quick transitional play.

Mata is not a baby, he can adapt to that for the benefit of the whole team.

[happy_juan 64]

I think the new way to play will be like a Bayern the last years . Specially the last year and now.

Bayern have Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez playing in the central midfield while we have Obi Mikel and Ramires. Talk about being realistic.

[didierforever 7,349]

the MOB is so fickle. last year he was our god, our messiah, our go-to man. we could not even fathom starting a match without him. goals against united, arsenal, tottenham, 2 assists in europa league final. 20 odd goals, 30 odd assists and suddently he has become "NOT GOOD ENOUGH"!!!.

and now i read, not in the world best top50 players... what a fucking joke.

and what is going to be even more disgraceful is that, when he actually adapts, settles in and shows his class, these same classless people who are critisizing him, will be seen worshipping this guy.

ps - make mata play in RM, behind the likes of a prolific goal scorer like CR and we ll see how many assists can he have compared to ozil, who by the way ran out of a team like RM to join arsenal just because he felt his place was threatened instead of fighting it. atleast mata has the balls to fight for his place in the team.

[Spike 12,049]

Are there even 50 attacking midfielders in the top class of Europe?

[The Skipper 20,609]

Kaka today is no one. He is a retired player. Mourinho has nothing to do with the bad moment of Kaka.

Real Madrid paid 70M for a player that couldn't play two games in a row, and they paid to him 10M per season. Kaka and Milan robbed Real Madrid, that's the reality.

About Mata, if he can't play like Mourinho wants he will go to other team.

You can see that Chelsea has a problem when a player like Mata is considered our best player. Mata is not between the best 40 or 50 players in the world.

Name them.

[Barbara 15,149]

the MOB is so fickle. last year he was our god, our messiah, our go-to man. we could not even fathom starting a match without him. goals against united, arsenal, tottenham, 2 assists in europa league final. 20 odd goals, 30 odd assists and suddently he has become "NOT GOOD ENOUGH"!!!.

and now i read, not in the world best top50 players... what a fucking joke.

and what is going to be even more disgraceful is that, when he actually adapts, settles in and shows his class, these same classless people who are critisizing him, will be seen worshipping this guy.

ps - make mata play in RM, behind the likes of a prolific goal scorer like CR and we ll see how many assists can he have compared to ozil, who by the way ran out of a team like RM to join arsenal just because he felt his place was threatened instead of fighting it. atleast mata has the balls to fight for his place in the team.

Actually Özil has the best chances created stats, not only the assists stats, meaning even if the players wasted the chances Özil is the most creative player in the world... But still thinking one is better than the other is subjective.

Now the top50 list is a bit wild. I mean I guess I could name 10, maybe 12 players I consider better than him (in all positions), maybe a little bit more (or less) but 50 so many people... I mean there are what 7,8 really top teams in Europe now (and that alone is sort of a stretch, an exaggeration). Those teams have some great players, but rarely one of them have 3 extraordinary players. Even listing them like that, some of those guys while top players aren't better than Mata imo... so I'm certain he'd be in my top 20, maybe probably top 15 or 12. But I won't even bother making such a list. Still the 50 thing is a bit far-fetched, even if it's a subjective thing.

[bushman 2,043]

Whether Mata will play more defensively for Jose, it remains to be seen.

Mata either proves & tries to play to Jose liking or he walks.

[haranr 485]

Oscar and Mata can't play together and if Jose picks Oscar over Juan then Mata should leave cuz he isn't going to play nearly enough. MATA > OSCAR IN THE CENTRE !

[Sidzeret 2,257]

Whether Mata will play more defensively for Jose, it remains to be seen.

Mata either proves & tries to play to Jose liking or he walks.

I don't think Mata is ever gonna walk.

His Oscar-esque performance at Swindon is ample proof in that matter. He just have to work on his work rate and this whole Mata v. Oscar situation could be good for both players.

[bushman 2,043]

I don't think Mata is ever gonna walk.

His Oscar-esque performance at Swindon is ample proof in that matter. He just have to work on his work rate and this whole Mata v. Oscar situation could be good for both players.

Well, one never know. If Mata cannot please Jose & it could happen easily, then he is benched.

Therefore, Mata should walk.

[Jase 43,479]

Juan Mata García ‏@juanmata10

Hi! I've just created my Google+ account to be in better contact with you all. For starters, we'll organize a hangout! http://bit.ly/18rhIz7