No.10 Role

[Aliba 1]

I have no idea... I mean, I feel here he's overrated and there he's underrated. I see him somewhere in the middle of both things.

He's a really good guy, but I guess he doesn't fit VdB philosophy much because he's objective, practical and lethal, in Spain they prefer the never ending "too-much-sex-for-few-orgasms" style of football known as annoying tikitaka. Mata doesn't beat about the bush... he simply does it. They don't like this directness I guess. They're crazy.

Absolutely spot on!

[Cech's helmet 220]

You have to be one bloody idiot if you think Mata is going to be a right winger whose going to dribble against fullbacks and somehow score. he can't do that. Mata is not Hazard, Mata has no pace at all. he's all about passing, finishing and creativity. he's not a winger, he doesn't have the stamina to track back. Oscar does because Oscar used to play as a CM with Internacional. I don't like seeing Oscar on the right and so does Mourinho. so.. stick him in midfield along Ramires ffs.

Hazard-Mata-Willian

Ramires-Oscar

If Jose for once stops being so daft and tries this, then maybe we wouldn't be sitting here trying to fix things that didn't need to be fixed.

[kellzfresh 7,229]

Why should our best player for the last 2 seasons be "adjusting" his game? I think we have more problems in this team than "Mata not tracking back" why change what's not broken? he didn't need to touch the Oscar/Hazard/Mata trio. Jose needs to go on that training pitch and tell Mikel how to shoot a football, tell Torres how to control a football, tell Terry to get faster, tell Luiz to be more disciplined and tell Ramires how to pass a ball if he's going to go and tell a player who scored and assisted half of our goals last year to adjust to these "new tactics"

Because he was the best player in a 4-4-1-1 system under benitez. Where he never needed to defend so it suited his attacking play well.

But now, we have a new coach who plays a 4-2-1-3 system. Because of this system, anyone in the middle will be closer to the pivot. Mata is not used to that yet, but he'll soon adapt to it.

Mourinho doesnt need to play benitez style because it suits mata, mata just has to adapt to mourinho's system and he will do it soon.

[Cech's helmet 220]

Because he was the best player in a 4-4-1-1 system under benitez. Where he never needed to defend so it suited his attacking play well.

But now, we have a new coach who plays a 4-2-1-3 system. Because of this system, anyone in the middle will be closer to the pivot. Mata is not used to that yet, but he'll soon adapt to it.

Mourinho doesnt need to play benitez style because it suits mata, mata just has to adapt to mourinho's system and he will do it soon.

I'm trying really hard to figure out what you mean here .. What do you mean we used to play 4-4-1-1 ? this is exactly like the 4-2-1-3........... you're getting something wrong here and I'm not sure how you're projecting this.

We played 4-2-3-1 under Rafa. the one you're saying is exactly the same thing dude. Mourinho played the 4-2-3-1 with Inter and Real. it's the same formation dude. I think you've been playing a lot of Football manager or Fifa to think the wingers are much closer to the goal or something. its the same thing on the pitch.

It's a common formation this, you play with a no10 (mata) with 2 side midfielders/wingers (hazard, oscar) and 2 center midfielders (lamps, ramires)

With Inter.

no10: Sneidjer

Wingers/side midfielders: Etoo/ pandev

CM: Cambiasso/ thiago motta

With Real:

no10: ozil

wingers/side midfielders: ronaldo/ di maria

CM: Khedira/ xabi alonso

Chelsea: under Benitez

no10: Mata

side midfielders/wingers: Hazard/oscar

CM: lampard/ramires

[coolhead23 1,146]

With Jose's saying Oscar is his no 10 and Mata to move as wide player ... I guess there is no debate and assumption left

Is this Jose's way of telling Mata that he needs to put down his transfer request?

[xPetrCechx 13,563]

You have to be one bloody idiot if you think Mata is going to be a right winger whose going to dribble against fullbacks and somehow score. he can't do that. Mata is not Hazard, Mata has no pace at all. he's all about passing, finishing and creativity. he's not a winger, he doesn't have the stamina to track back. Oscar does because Oscar used to play as a CM with Internacional. I don't like seeing Oscar on the right and so does Mourinho. so.. stick him in midfield along Ramires ffs.

Hazard-Mata-Willian

Ramires-Oscar

If Jose for once stops being so daft and tries this, then maybe we wouldn't be sitting here trying to fix things that didn't need to be fixed.

Worth a try...

[kellzfresh 7,229]

I'm trying really hard to figure out what you mean here .. What do you mean we used to play 4-4-1-1 ? this is exactly like the 4-2-1-3........... you're getting something wrong here and I'm not sure how you're projecting this.

We played 4-2-3-1 under Rafa. the one you're saying is exactly the same thing dude. Mourinho played the 4-2-3-1 with Inter and Real. it's the same formation dude. I think you've been playing a lot of Football manager or Fifa to think the wingers are much closer to the goal or something. its the same thing on the pitch.

It's a common formation this, you play with a no10 (mata) with 2 side midfielders/wingers (hazard, oscar) and 2 center midfielders (lamps, ramires)

With Inter.

no10: Sneidjer

Wingers/side midfielders: Etoo/ pandev

CM: Cambiasso/ thiago motta

With Real:

no10: ozil

wingers/side midfielders: ronaldo/ di maria

CM: Khedira/ xabi alonso

Chelsea: under Benitez

no10: Mata

side midfielders/wingers: Hazard/oscar

CM: lampard/ramires

your not understanding me at all.

When you watch our games last season under benitez, 4-2-3-1 becomes 4-4-1-1 when we were defending

mikel - ramires

oscar - mata - hazard

torres

became this when defending

oscar - mikel - ramires - hazard

mata

Torres

Which meant mata didnt defend more since oscar and hazard play deeper, with mata just high up with torres.

Now mourinho wants us to look like this when defending

Mikel - ramires

mata

Schurrle hazard

Torres

Do you see the difference, with benitez tracking the wingers on the flanks is crucial but with mourinho dominating the center is more crucial

So its the same formation but different tactics

[Cech's helmet 220]

your not understanding me at all.

When you watch our games last season under benitez, 4-2-3-1 becomes 4-4-1-1 when we were defending

mikel - ramires

oscar - mata - hazard

torres

became this when defending

oscar - mikel - ramires - hazard

mata

Torres

Which meant mata didnt defend more since oscar and hazard play deeper, with mata just high up with torres.

Now mourinho wants us to look like this when defending

Mikel - ramires

mata

Schurrle hazard

Torres

Do you see the difference, with benitez tracking the wingers on the flanks is crucial but with mourinho dominating the center is more crucial

So its the same formation but different tactics

Lol how do you know how Mourinho wants us to look like when we are defending? there really isn't no difference. its the same formation yeah, the tactics are all the same. the wingers track back to make it look like the 4-4-1-1. you're just putting players in a different position (further up/further down), when on the pitch its always going to transform to the 4-4-1-1

[Mufassir08 2,400]

Against teams that park the bus i would start Oscar in the pivot and Mata as the CAM.That is the only way we can fit both of them in our team and i think its worth a try.Against the best teams though Oscar starts as the CAM for me.

[manpe 10,861]

Mata, I absolutely love the guy and he's done more for the club than Oscar has, snatching up deserved back-to-back player of the year awards. It's the result now of overstacking players on one position. Oscar is better defensively, but Mata is better at everything on the attacking front.

[patrick 1]

4-1-4-1

[edetarod 2,155]

Mata for games like Norwich at home

Oscar for games like Liverpool away

[pgleo 90]

I know Mata is a better CAM and is more creative than Oscar but I don't want a spectacular Mata with incredible goals and assists carrying the whole team to win us "Europa League" and barely making it to top 4. I want a spectacular team challenging the prem league (hopefully winning it) and making it to the semis of Champs league at least every season. We definitely need a new system and it needs time. This new system fits Oscar, immense hard worker for the team, as I see things and he hasn't disappointed. So, my vote goes to Oscar. Mata hopefully adapts and plays well soon.

[BlueLion. 21,491]

When Mata and Silva were both at Valencia, they interchanged between the LM and CAM roles with regularity. I don't see why Oscar and Mata can't learn to do the same now. That sort of movement and dynamism would make us a lot more unpredictable as an attacking unit. At the minute all the defence has to do is swamp Oscar, or any other player operating centrally. We have absolutely no width at all.

[Cech's helmet 220]

Jose created a problem out of nothing by going to the press and saying Oscar is "my" no10. he said it's a good problem, a problem which he likes to have.

Alright Jose, I know you're the manager but you do realize there are thousands of fans out there who don't want this "problem" ? this will only lead us to lose a world class player as early as January. he's being really arrogant here and should stop thinking about what he likes, if we were on the top of the table with 12 points and a super cup trophy, I would shut up and listen to him. but when we're playing like crap and are 6th in the league and losing at home vs Basel then I want to know why our best player in the last 2 years is not playing.

If this was Rafa, people would already be calling for his head. no one is calling for Mou's head. most of us just don't agree with him and we have the right to question him.

[kellzfresh 7,229]

Lol how do you know how Mourinho wants us to look like when we are defending? there really isn't no difference. its the same formation yeah, the tactics are all the same. the wingers track back to make it look like the 4-4-1-1. you're just putting players in a different position (further up/further down), when on the pitch its always going to transform to the 4-4-1-1

First of all let me clear something. MOURINHO AND BENITEZ DONT PLAY THE SAME TACTICS, THEIR STYLE OF PLAY IS MASSIVELY DIFFERENT.

Once you understand that, we can move on.

Benitez defends differently from mourinho,

benitez doesnt like his attacking midfielder defending more than his wingers so thats why it becomes 4-4-1-1(wingers become beside the pivot)

while mourinho likes his attacking midfielder to defend more than the wingers and make it like a 4-3-3.(attacking midfielder becomes close to the pivot)

[kellzfresh 7,229]

Jose created a problem out of nothing by going to the press and saying Oscar is "my" no10. he said it's a good problem, a problem which he likes to have.

Alright Jose, I know you're the manager but you do realize there are thousands of fans out there who don't want this "problem" ? this will only lead us to lose a world class player as early as January. he's being really arrogant here and should stop thinking about what he likes, if we were on the top of the table with 12 points and a super cup trophy, I would shut up and listen to him. but when we're playing like crap and are 6th in the league and losing at home vs Basel then I want to know why our best player in the last 2 years is not playing.

If this was Rafa, people would already be calling for his head. no one is calling for Mou's head. most of us just don't agree with him and we have the right to question him.

Mourinho does this all the time,

he criticized joe cole and he turned out to be a fantastic player for us

He criticized ozil and he became the best 10 in the world

He criticized benzema one period and he started scoring fantastically

Mourinho said he criticizes his best players, im sure you didnt believe him when he said it. He is doing it to psych up mata to perform to even greater levels

[Sidzeret 2,257]

Its similar to the situation he had with Benzema and Higuain at Madrid- 2 world class players battling for a single spot.

It could lead to an healthy rivalry which could push both men to greater heights.