Juan Mata

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Juan is a victim of Mou defensive tactics,

Alert the police, a crime has been committed!

This is football, and Jose is paid to do what's best for the team. He doesn't have to, actually scratch that, he should not make any decisions just because they suit and certain player unless they happen to be in the best interest in the team. I'm not at all saying that what suits Mata is mutually excplusive with the team's best interest, I'm not even talking about Mata specifically, but the team that the manager picks, and the system that he chooses and the philosophy that he tries to implement is always what matters the most, not individual players.

[meetdoscar 335]

We've looked strong with and without him this season. The squad is far stronger than last year and with a better manager too. He has his quota to contribute just like any other player but with serious competition. Wish him luck.

[Barbara 15,149]

We've looked strong with and without him this season. The squad is far stronger than last year and with a better manager too. He has his quota to contribute just like any other player but with serious competition. Wish him luck.

that's the important thing. Barcelona looked very poor without Messi last season and this season although Neymar helped, they looked nothing special. That's one of the biggest problems of being so dependent on a player, no matter who they are. If they miss matches for whatever reason, you're left much more weakened - and Barcelona even has one advantage. Most those players play together for years now, and they're all very good. Still when Messi doesn't play you can't compare. We also struggled last year without Mata - either the matches he didn't play or the matches he disappeared. It's good not to depend on one single player.

We also played well without Oscar recently, and without Hazard, so I think we're in the right path.

[Pacquiao 1,834]

WOW!!! whoever thinks Lampard isn't creative clearly doesn't watch him very often! Lampard plays some very clever and outstanding passes all the time, he has been doing it for years!!! his passing is very underrated imo! he has played quite a few great passes this season already! most recently his pass to Hazard against Cardiff for Hazards 2nd goal, that was a quality and very clever pass that was weighted perfectly for Hazard to run onto.

I wonder what Drogba would say if someone told him Lampard isn't creative!

[Barbara 15,149]

I think he has his moments, but I don't think he's genuinely creative, but yeah he's has created nice assists throughout his career, but normally they aren't all that much creative per say, and the really creative ones are far and apart imo. I'd say he's got a good reading and play simply and objectively.

Mata is something completely different imo. he makes the play you don't see it coming, he thought about the play even before he ball arrived on his feet. He's something else, so compared to Mata Lamps isn't creative at all. Standing on his own, I think he can be once in a while, but it isn't a trace to his style. He is very objective and reads well the game - hence many assists in his career. That's more about being effective and objective imo rather than being creative. If my teammate is ahead of me, in a good position to score and I give him the obvious pass, it's me capitalizing, not necessarily being creative. I guess it's hard for me to explain what I mean.

[Stats 7,142]

If we are talking about creativity, Lamps is not the sort of player who will dribble through like Silva, Ozil and Mata and do an exquisite through ball but if people think that his vision and creativity in terms of passing is average then they need to look again. His range of passing is excellent. Has been the key in many games. Chelsea 6-0 Man City... the pass he done for Drogba was one of the best you will see and only a few players with technical skills can pull of stuff like that. I can't mention all of them but there are so many games where he has pulled of brilliant passes. So those who think most of his assist are all due to set pieces are completely wrong.

Remember the game in the FA Cup against Arsenal where Drogba scored the winner at Wembley. The vision he had to pull of that long pass for Drogba was magnificent. Oh yeah, Malouda's equalizer as well. Who done that brilliant ball for him? Lamps, was the decisive factor that game. His vision is excellent and as I said he has one of the best passing range I have seen in football.

[The Mak 4,459]

I wonder what Drogba would say if someone told him Lampard isn't creative!

Let's be honest with ourselves here: Lampard's job was to lump it to Drogba.

Now sometimes it would look like an amazing pass, but more often than not it wouldn't come off or it would just land near Drogba and he would do the rest. It's more of a testament to Drogba unbelievable ability at being the lone striker than Lampard's passing..

[jonaaibosk 191]

Let's be honest with ourselves here: Lampard's job was to lump it to Drogba.

Now sometimes it would look like an amazing pass, but more often than not it wouldn't come off or it would just land near Drogba and he would do the rest. It's more of a compliment to Drogba unbelievable ability at being the lone striker than Lampard's passing..

Harsh

[The Mak 4,459]

Harsh

Then why isn't Torres being fed in a similar way??? Because he can't hold it up like Didier and because Lampard is not Alonso, like some here are claiming.

[Shaan 263]

If we are talking about creativity, Lamps is not the sort of player who will dribble through like Silva, Ozil and Mata and do an exquisite through ball but if people think that his vision and creativity in terms of passing is average then they need to look again. His range of passing is excellent. Has been the key in many games. Chelsea 6-0 Man City... the pass he done for Drogba was one of the best you will see and only a few players with technical skills can pull of stuff like that. I can't mention all of them but there are so many games where he has pulled of brilliant passes. So those who think most of his assist are all due to set pieces are completely wrong.

Remember the game in the FA Cup against Arsenal where Drogba scored the winner at Wembley. The vision he had to pull of that long pass for Drogba was magnificent. Oh yeah, Malouda's equalizer as well. Who done that brilliant ball for him? Lamps, was the decisive factor that game. His vision is excellent and as I said he has one of the best passing range I have seen in football.

also we would have never one the champions league if not for lamps passing vision against both leg vs barcelona....

[Jase 43,479]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7WFh22bUik

[Spyker 27]

Then why isn't Torres being fed in a similar way??? Because he can't hold it up like Didier and because Lampard is not Alonso, like some here are claiming.

isnt creating chance and feeding through ball the job of our amc's first ? also lamps is no alonso creatively but saying lampard has lumped ball always to drogba is harsh man......

[Magic Lamps 11,692]

Let's be honest with ourselves here: Lampard's job was to lump it to Drogba.

Now sometimes it would look like an amazing pass, but more often than not it wouldn't come off or it would just land near Drogba and he would do the rest. It's more of a testament to Drogba unbelievable ability at being the lone striker than Lampard's passing..

Lampard has assisted everyone. His long range passing has been absolutely sublime over the years. It may have faded a bit, but from 2003-2011 he has been by far our most creative player and main playmaker. We won 10 titles in that time, you don't do this with a playmaker who can only hoof balls to Drogba. He has played amazing passes to a host of players and everyone having watched Chelsea play regularly should know this.

Torres failings have nothing to do with bad assistance but lack of movement and lack of conversion.

[Jase 43,479]

Right then. Where were we on about Mata........

[Pacquiao 1,834]

Let's be honest with ourselves here: Lampard's job was to lump it to Drogba.

Now sometimes it would look like an amazing pass, but more often than not it wouldn't come off or it would just land near Drogba and he would do the rest. It's more of a testament to Drogba unbelievable ability at being the lone striker than Lampard's passing..

god i hope this isnt serious!

[The Mak 4,459]

isnt creating chance and feeding through ball the job of our amc's first ? also lamps is no alonso creatively but saying lampard has lumped ball always to drogba is harsh man......

Lampard has assisted everyone. His long range passing has been absolutely sublime over the years. It may have faded a bit, but from 2003-2011 he has been by far our most creative player and main playmaker. We won 10 titles in that time, you don't do this with a playmaker who can only hoof balls to Drogba. He has played amazing passes to a host of players and everyone having watched Chelsea play regularly should know this.

Torres failings have nothing to do with bad assistance but lack of movement and lack of conversion.

god i hope this isnt serious!

Listen, all I'm saying is that Lampard wasn't as creative as some people here are remembering; go look at the static, lifeless 10-11 season. The team he was king of was built around the team's collective power and dominance. He was our most creative player in it, yes, but the way some people are harping on here it is as if he was Xavi+Alonso in one. Lampard could never dictate the tempo of a game. If I'm totally off the mark, then I have no idea why we bought every no. 10 under the sun and why Lampard isn't playing there.

If you don't agree with me, that's fine. Now go back to Mata...

[Milan 17,956]

[Special Juan 28,141]

God how fortunate are we to have him and Oscar for that role.....

3k posts.....what a freak I am.

[Magic Lamps 11,692]

Listen, all I'm saying is that Lampard wasn't as creative as some people here are remembering; go look at the static, lifeless 10-11 season. The team he was king of was built around the team's collective power and dominance. He out most creative player in it, yes, but the way some people are harping on here it is as if he was Xavi+Alonso in one. Lampard could never dictate the tempo of a game. If I'm totally off the mark, then I have no idea why we bought every no. 10 under the sun and why Lampard isn't playing there.

If you don't agree with me, that's fine. Now go back to Mata...

2010-11 Lamps was injured most of the time. Only then when Roman wanted his new chelsea with AVB and shit we bough exactly one no.10 who was a winger back then. We did not have an other no.10 than Lamps for 8 years, because we did not need one. You should check the stats. Lamps has the 2nd most assists in the history of the EPL. Only a minority of it have been assists to Drogba.

[The Mak 4,459]

2010-11 Lamps was injured most of the time.

Making 32 appearances doesn't sound like 'most of the time' to me.

Only then when Roman wanted his new chelsea with AVB and shit we bough exactly one no.10 who was a winger back then.

Yes, and I wonder why Mata was such a breath of fresh air when he came? Because we never had someone anywhere near as creative as him in all of those 8 years.

We did not have an other no.10 than Lamps for 8 years, because we did not need one.

Yes, because we had a completely different style. We mostly overpowered oppositions instead of carving our way through them.

You should check the stats. Lamps has the 2nd most assists in the history of the EPL.

Lampard has taken the majority of our corners and set-pieces since he arrived at the club and we've always been good in those situations. The powerful Chelsea was good at them and we even have the highest scoring CBs in the league at the moment. It surely plays a part.

I'm not saying he's not creative, I'm saying he's nowhere near as creative as some people here imagine. Lampard will go down in history for being one of the best midfielders ever because of his ability to consistently put the ball in the net to the level of a striker, not because of his creativity.

Now I'm no longer going to debate the matter with a guy called 'Magic Lamps' as it will go on forever in a thread that is not Lampard's. Thanks.