Don, because it was a system that was shortlived and not something Mourinho usually does with his teams.

It seems odd, to me, that he would change this and sacrifice Mata for Oscar when it's not really how his teams have played and not really how you played all season.

Of course, as I mentioned, it doesn't help that your central midfield was weak and so the more defensive Oscar offered more protection, but to me it looks like Mata was a dispensable player because of his pricetag and allows you to rebuild and Mourinho to build his own team.

That's why I don't really buy it. I may be wrong, and I'm not saying the system didn't have an influence on the decision, just that it was more to do with selling Mata than it was about Mata not being able to play in Mourinho's team - he didn't really get much of a chance in that role.

And if the rumours about the swap for Rooney are to be believed, which in hindsight don't look that unlikely, he'd made his mind up on Mata (or the club had) before he'd even kicked a ball.

Mata did start a fair bit for us last season, they were just all at RW though bar Arsenal in the league cup

And if the rumours about the swap for Rooney are to be believed, which in hindsight don't look that unlikely, he'd made his mind up on Mata (or the club had) before he'd even kicked a ball.

Guys I said on form. Hazard wudnt get in the top 5 teams in the country on form

Did Mata ever have a run of starts? In his preferred position? How many matches did he actually play when Hazard was rested? He wasnt as successful for many reasons.

Yep I'm interested to see how LVG uses him.

I'd hope he plays centrally, but it depends on Rooney.

I think he can still perform from a wider position, similarly to Silva, in the right system.

Evidently it wasn't Mourinho's one. But he did with Valencia. And that was the reason Chelsea bought him in the first place.

So he's proven he can excel when not playing as a number 10.

Darren - Jose did say the only reason the system was changed around christmans was because we were missing too many chances while being quite open defensively. Now that we've got a striker who is reliable at putting away chances (touch wood) I think we'll revert back to that style. Do agree though that pricetag came into it as a quality CM was desperately needed. Probably quite a big factor tbh

And if the rumours about the swap for Rooney are to be believed, which in hindsight don't look that unlikely, he'd made his mind up on Mata (or the club had) before he'd even kicked a ball.

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I can buy that but I won't villify Jose for it.

Jose probably decided that Mata wasn't for him and that was that.

Let's be honest Mata did little while Jose was Chelsea manager to prove him wrong apart from a good performance against Arsenal in the league Cup.

Just trying to be objective here although there are still Chelsea fans hurting over Mata so I'll no doubt come across as siding with Jose.

A team should be built around mata he's that good. He is better than silva IMO and has always played in worse teams then city's. He scores and assists in big games, has great set piece deliverys.
Hate all this attacking players having to press and defend...here's an idea, if your a good football team you should have the ball most the time and should be scoring goals. Not worrying about when the other team have the ball and running yourself into the ground.

Theirs an old saying in football. Let the ball do the work.

Everyone wants to play like barca a few years back, but barca only pressed for a few minutes total a half coz they had the ball all the other time!!!

Think with Mata playing in wide positions, it's always been the case that he doesn't offer the full back enough protection and so they just get doubled up on all game. If LvG can sort that out then he'll be effective

It'll be interesting to see.

That style is Mourinho's bread and butter and it came as no surprise to me at all that he reverted to type.

Having Costa and Cesc would just make it even more effective because you'll have a striker that will finish chances but more importantly a player that is so much quicker at releasing the ball, and accurately, than anyone you have in the team.

Don't see it as much as Barca due to their style of play but you only have to look at a video of Cesc at Arsenal to see how devastating he can be on the counter.

This is why I think you'll win the league.

Superb your being a bit silly tonight, mata wasn't fit, played out of position and was used sporadically and hardly done a 90 minutes. I choose to judge him on 2 years of about 100 games then around 10 starts for mourinho

Look this is it. Is Mata a better footballer than Oscar? yes
Does Oscar playing instead of Mata make us a better team? yes
Do I wish Mata stayed? yes
Do i think we wouldve done better with Mata? difficult to say. Probably not.
Why keep Mata then? He loved us and we loved him. Class player amoung a group of hooligans with the left foot of a god. I miss him

Don, yeah that's true. Probably why we bought Shaw. He's defensively very good from what I've seen.

We need to improve the centre of midfield to provide more cover down that side as well, if it's indeed on the left side he plays.

I think if we played mata rather than Oscar and Willian and hazard on the wings we would of won the league. Especially with us struggling to put the ball in the net. How many times did mata score our first goal in a tight game? Lots.
Oscar does not make us a better a team. It's a myth and even if u think he did it cannot be proved.
After Xmas Oscar was a passenger anyway

Do i think we wouldve done better with Mata? difficult to say. Probably not.
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A lot of people think differently to this though

You've got Cesc now anyway so you needn't worry.

Though I'm sure you'll never have the same love for Cesc that you did for Mata.

Next season is gonna be brilliant when we play you and you play Arsenal.

Chelsea fans will give Mata a great welcome whereas the Arsenal fans will be booing their beloved Cesc.

Really hoping you don't get Vidal. Would make the title race very interesting.

Don mata that's because playing with Oscar after Xmas was like having 10 men mate

Yeah I agree. Vidal is the best midfielder in the world for me.

If we got him I'd back us to be in the hunt. Though I'd still have City and Chelsea as favourites.

Gonna be an interesting season, nonetheless. So much up in the air at the moment.

True. But still don't think Mata would have made much difference. A good striker would have though

Darren I still don't think utd fans understand how good mata is. He basically kept Chelsea in Europe single handedly for 2 years. In a midfield with an aging lampard, drogba who only turned up when he wanted, Ramires who can't play football and people like Kalou.

Cesc may be a better player but if he puts in half the performances that mata did then he will be a bargain.
Mata done it nearly every week in games where we needed teams to be unlocked. Chelsea havnt played good football since 2010, without mata we wudnt of unlocked anyone at home. Some Chelsea fans forget that

Depending on there replacement, City look a lot worse without Yaya though. Like you say, up in the air right now

What's happening with toure? Is he still throwing the toys out

Nick, I think United fans do know how good he is.

Well the ones that don't have their heads stuck up Rooney's aris anyway. And those numbers are getting bigger.

I don't agree he wouldn't have made a difference. He got six goals and five assists for us last season while not playing in his favoured position with Moyes as his manager.

If he was given a run in attacking midfield against those teams you struggled to break down I think he could have made the difference.

He must have known his days were numbered at Chelsea and that also can't have helped his performance. Were he kept and given a bit more trust it would likely have been a different scenario.

Though, would you have got Matic without selling him? Swings and roundabouts.