- Juan Mata -
Rewind a
couple of decades or so and it wouldn't even be an issue up for debate. Even 10
years ago, Juan
Mata would be
staying at Chelsea. Regardless.
In 2013, it's
somewhat of a different scenario altogether.
If reports in The Mirror—and plenty of
other media outlets, we might add—are to be believed, Chelsea's Spanish maestro
could very well be departing Stamford Bridge this month, swapping London for Madrid.
How we've got
to this stage after Mata picked up the club's Player of the Year gong two years
running is a major talking point. Nevertheless, here we are and talk of a
transfer to Atletico Madrid is
dividing Chelsea fans right now. Should he stay
or should he go? Joe Strummer asked that very question
himself with The Clash. If he stayed there it would trouble and he left it
would be double, or so the song goes.
It's the same
where Mata is concerned and his manager Jose Mourinho is
playing a risky game in flirting with the notion.
Such is
Chelsea's embarrassment of riches in attacking midfield, even without Mata
consistently among their number this term, the Blues find themselves sitting in
third place and two points behind Arsenal—the Gunners
widely seen as playing their best football in some time.
Yet, for all
the success Chelsea may have enjoyed, there is a considerable void without Mata
around. Something doesn't quite seem right.
Mourinho is
fortunate as he experienced something very similar at Real Madrid last
season. At Chelsea his ground swell of support means things are working in his
favor.
Much like Mata
in West London, Iker Casillas is a crowd favorite at the Bernabeu. Sure, his
reputation and adoration goes a little deeper than Mata's at Stamford Bridge,
but what they resemble to both sets of supporters is something very similar.
They're leaders, players who the team is built around and most
importantly are symbols of success the club has enjoyed.
When Mourinho decided Casillas needed to be replaced in his line-up last
year, it not only turned some sections of the crowd against him, but also
turned Madrid supporters on each other.
Mourinho drew the battle lines with his selection policy and Madriestas
were either with him or against him.
It's very similar at Chelsea, only Mourinho knows he has the backing of
the crowd as credit—he hears his name sung aloud enough at Stamford Bridge to
remind him of that much.
Yet Chelsea have not endured a major crisis just yet. The club's strikers
and their struggles in front of goal has been a regular stick with which to
beat the Blues, but outside of that, it's been a quiet campaign on the dramatic
front.
Come the business end, it's the likes of Mata who have served Chelsea
best in the past couple of seasons and if he isn't around for a repeat, it will
only amplify the predicament the Spaniard and those who appreciate his
contribution have found themselves this term.
The problem is, Mata is simply too good a player for Mourinho to turn his
back on. For every game Chelsea struggle without him, a fine Mata performance
elsewhere, be it at Atletico or another of his many admirers, will remind
Chelsea of what they're missing.
And does Mourinho really have that much faith in his other attacking
midfielders to allow Mata to depart? If so, the Portuguese is a little more
head strong than we may have thought.
The issue with Mata isn't what he gives this Chelsea team going forward.
Mourinho has stated on more than one occasion he expects more defensively and
as a coach he must work to bring that very quality out of the player.
That's Mourinho's job. He must make do with what he has at his disposal
and build a team around it, otherwise why is he coaching at all?
Time will make Mata the player Mourinho wants and now isn't the moment to
be turning his back on that. Should he choose to, it may very well come back to
haunt him.
Source bleacherreport.com
By Garry Hayes
Garry Hayes is Bleacher Report's lead Chelsea correspondent and will be
following the club from a London base throughout the 2013-14 season. Follow him
on Twitter @garryhayes.
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