Juan Mata

[Special Juan 27,517]

He'll score against Cardiff

[The_Flash 1,144]

I would love him to start scoring again would really show how good he is again. This silly on off playing him by Jose must be tough but I know he has it in him to stay brilliant.

[polo 18]

He'll score against Cardiff

if he plays

[ChelseasMessiah 304]

I was secretly wishing for Mata to have a blinder today, but I thought he was a tad underwhelming in most aspects of his game, and as a result of that we lacked a little impetus and penetration, especially in the first half.

Mourinho's style so far does not seem to suit him at all.

[Jase 43,479]

I was secretly wishing for Mata to have a blinder today, but I thought he was a tad underwhelming in most aspects of his game, and as a result of that we lacked a little impetus and penetration, especially in the first half.

And yet he created the 5 chances for us today, the highest alongside Hazard.

We practically had little penetration and incisiveness in the attacking third in that first half generally anyway. Only Eto'o was making the offensive runs. The rest was dropping back and driving the attacks forward from deep areas as Cardiff was making it extremely difficult with their parking the bus approach.

[ChelseasMessiah 304]

And yet he created the 5 chances for us today, the highest alongside Hazard.

We practically had little penetration and incisiveness in the attacking third in that first half generally anyway. Only Eto'o was making the offensive runs. The rest was dropping back and driving the attacks forward from deep areas as Cardiff was making it extremely difficult with their parking the bus approa

You can't judge a player's performance solely by his stats though.

And Cardiff, like pretty much most teams we will face this season, out and out parked the bus, there was no space around their box, but we'll just have to deal with it.

[The_Flash 1,144]

He really needs to up his game. I am one of his biggest supporters he has been brilliant, but so far this season very inconsistent, but i think a good run in the team, perhaps getting to play the whole game, he will be back to his scoring best.

[zolayes 14,489]

He really needs to up his game. I am one of his biggest supporters he has been brilliant, but so far this season very inconsistent, but i think a good run in the team, perhaps getting to play the whole game, he will be back to his scoring best.

this year he only needs to contribute not carry the team ..

[The_Flash 1,144]

this year he only needs to contribute not carry the team ..

what?? lol, who said anything about carrying??

[zolayes 14,489]

what?? lol, who said anything about carrying??

he had to last year

[Jase 43,479]

You can't judge a player's performance solely by his stats though.

And Cardiff, like pretty much most teams we will face this season, out and out parked the bus, there was no space around their box, but we'll just have to deal with it.

Yes but I don't think you can discount the lack of movement or rather non-performances in that first half and yet when we did up the tempo at times, he looked better and so did the team.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

this year he only needs to contribute not carry the team ..

People are still expecting him to live up to the performances of last season when his role in the team is different. I thought he was decent today. Juan is still our best passer in the final third, imo. His vision to find someone with a bit of space in tight areas is second to none in our squad.

[zolayes 14,489]

We have so many more options ..to praise Oscar is not to diminish Mata or his value to us

[meetdoscar 335]

Decent game, he put in some dangerous crosses but the mishit was unlike him

[Rmpr 8,977]

He was ok, but came out when the game finally opened up...

Mata needs to get more involved though, he is still a bit apathic imo. He can have a bigger impact for Chelsea than he is having right now.

But I think he will improve (along with the team) as the season goes by. Juan is capable of getting back on track, no doubt!

[Henrique 9,133]

Timid game. Perhaps the best role for him would be as a super sub.

[Blue Armour 4,336]

He was ok, but came out when the game finally opened up...

Mata needs to get more involved though, he is still a bit apathic imo. He can have a bigger impact for Chelsea than he is having right now.

But I think he will improve (along with the team) as the season goes by. Juan is capable of getting back on track, no doubt!

Yeah, I've noticed that too. One would think after his goal with Spain recently, that he would take the chance he got in yesterday's game with more focus.

He's working very hard off the ball though. Maybe he still needs more time to carve a niche for himself in this Mourinho team.

[Barbara 15,149]

And yet he created the 5 chances for us today, the highest alongside Hazard.

We practically had little penetration and incisiveness in the attacking third in that first half generally anyway. Only Eto'o was making the offensive runs. The rest was dropping back and driving the attacks forward from deep areas as Cardiff was making it extremely difficult with their parking the bus approach.

You can't judge a player's performance solely by his stats though.

And Cardiff, like pretty much most teams we will face this season, out and out parked the bus, there was no space around their box, but we'll just have to deal with it.

Yes but I don't think you can discount the lack of movement or rather non-performances in that first half and yet when we did up the tempo at times, he looked better and so did the team.

yes, he did, but still 2 of those chances were set pieces (corners), and the other three were two casual passes to the side (a casual pass received by Luiz who carried the ball a bit and then shot way out of the box, then another casual pass to Hazard in the flank, where Hazard received near the sideline, carried the ball 6-8 meters inside, passing by a couple of opponents and then shot to the goal) and a cross for Ivanovic behind the penalty area . His other stats were 0 take ons, 0 tackles, 0 interceptions, only 41 passes (34 completed). Hazard in comparison had 55 passes (45 completed).

Looking closely to the chances created stats they showed me exactly what Mata did for us: almost nothing. And it really felt like he contributed very little - and I guess anyone who's watched the match can say that. So why bring meaningless stats when we couldn't highlight one single play by him in the 60 or whatever minutes he played? Because all of us watched the same match and all of us would have a hard time remembering anything good play he did during the match because he contributed very little. And enlighten me in those increase of tempo, Jason, because I just scouted the match and I really couldn't find them in the first half very often and when I did they involved mainly Eto'o and Hazard.

I just defended him in the match's thread saying I don't expect him to have such a pivotal role as he had last season because the team isn't built around him anymore and he was overplayed then. But then we see a match where his contributions even in the third final were nothing but shy, but people still talk about his vision and his work when we don't have space when he did nothing about it. We didn't have space today, we needed him to create it for us, still I felt like who did that better was Eto'o and Hazard and somehow we come to Mata's thread and he's highlighted for misleading stats and contributions he didn't have are attributed to him. Talk about living off of reputation...

I agree with whoever said we need him to improve in matches like this. If Mata can't be effective against defenses that park the bus and can't be lethal in counter-attack unless the first pass is his, which kind of matches are we expecting him to solve for us with the splitting passes we know he can create like no one else in the team? We need him in matches like today's much more than we need Oscar exactly because Oscar doesn't have his vision and creativity... Oscar is better for a different kind of match imo and against stronger (and more offensive) opposition. Matches like today are the exact kind of match I expect Mata to shine. He didn't though, not even close and there's nothing wrong admitting that. And just so we're clear, I don't think Oscar shone either, although his contribution was vital for us starting the play for the second goal and scoring (a lucky goal) in a very important moment when I felt like we were closer to conceding than scoring.