Adios Juan Mata

Article by Chelsea Correspondent Robert Wake

Thanks for everything and good luck (but please don’t come back to haunt us!)

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When Juan Mata signed for Chelsea two and a half years ago we supporters knew we were getting a good player, but we didn’t know just how good. 135 appearances, 33 goals and 58 assists later we know how good. Mata has been voted Chelsea’s Player of The Year in both his full seasons at the club, and frankly no one else was really in the running, so consistent were his performances. It was not just his performances on the field, which included assists in 2 European finals and an FA Cup final, it was his demeanour off the pitch. Mata embraced the club, the fans, the city and the lifestyle, and seemed set to be a mainstay of the team for years to come. Now, suddenly he has gone. He has gone because the club received an offer they had to accept in these days of Financial Fair Play, and he has gone because he wanted to go. That is the bottom line. Chelsea could not refuse an offer of £37m for a squad player when they need to strengthen in other areas, and Mata could not spend 5 months warming a bench with the spectre of The World Cup looming larger every passing day.

So what changed to bring us to this point? It is easy to point to Mourinho, and there is some truth in that. Like everyone, Mourinho has his opinion on each and every player at his disposal. He is no different to me then. When I play Football Manager, I take over a team, i look at the players, and I immediately think “ I don’t fancy him much”, and sure enough he doesn’t get in my team. The difference of course, is that I don’t get paid millions of pounds a year, but the principles are ostensibly the same – football is about opinion. Jose’s opinion is that Mata did not fit into his team, and Mata’s opinion was that he wanted to play, so, regrettably a parting of the ways was always the inevitable conclusion.

The writing has been on the wall since New Year’s Day. Mata, along with Andre Schurrle, was substituted early in the second half at Southampton with the score at 0-0. Oscar and Willian came on. Mata showed his obvious frustration at being taken off, and that frustration in all likelihood must have turned to despair over the next 30 minutes as Chelsea cruised into a 3-0 lead with Willian and Oscar playing key roles. It proved to be Mata’s last appearance for the club. He has not featured since, the results have vindicated Mourinho’s selections and Mata has cut an increasingly forlorn figure on the bench. Maybe that was Mourinho’s plan, to effectively force him out, while publicly saying he wanted him to stay. The door was left open, and Mata has walked through it at the first opportunity.

Juan Mata has many qualities; he can spot and play the impossible pass, can score with either foot, and has a sublime first touch. However, Mourinho demands much more from his front players. Mourinho’s teams are set up to play a certain way. When not in possession, the front players must close the space on the opposition defenders and attempt to win the ball for a swift counter-attack. Eden Hazard is good at it, and Oscar and Willian simply excel at it. All three are quicker and more mobile than Mata, and that, in a nutshell is why they are preferred to the Spaniard in Mourinho’s system. Chelsea have already moved to replace Mata with the imminent signing of Mohamed Salah from FC Basel. The Egyptian is blessed with searing pace and a strong work ethic, and is an ideal fit for the Mourinho template as he continues to build a formidable team to compete at the highest level for years to come.

So Mata becomes the first high profile casualty of Mourinho’s new Chelsea, he is unlikely to be the last. He goes with the thanks of the supporters for two and a half wonderful years at the club. Thank you Juan and good luck. Adios amigo.

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