Debate: Oscar vs Mata, who’s the number 10?

Because it does Mata

The real reason?

Of course we can’t infer for certain what is Mourinho’s reasoning behind leaving Mata on the bench game after game, but given his history (and me not being one of Mourinho’s great admirers), the very fact that the entire World is screaming for Mata to be played is reason enough for Mourinho to not play him.

Jose has this in-born need to ‘defy’, it goes in tandem with his natural character of being in control. It’s a valuable asset to have in your leader, but one that can often overstate one’s level of control. There’s a fine line between “the manager knows best” and “I’m the manager, I see the players on the training ground”.

Mourinho’s previous stint as manager at Chelsea was at a time when the Portuguese man was still establishing himself, his cockiness was raw. Now he has returned with the fans calling him “the messiah”; could the fans be guilty of putting him above the club? No doubt he is the greatest ever manager of Chelsea, but surely it’s not warranted even for him. It’s this factor that marks my dislike for Jose.

This obviously is pure speculation and an attempt to offer an alternative view of things. Mourinho does see the players on the field week in and week out, but does it stop there?

Debunking the Natural Position myth

Now while I will agree, ‘naturally’ Mata has been accustomed to being deployed in a wide capacity, he is more than capable of taking up that coveted central role. Below are graphical illustrations of some of Mata’s best performances, as one can see, he was placed in a central role. Even if he were to start out wide, the Spaniard was constantly seen drifting narrower and into the traditional No.10 slot.

Graphical Illustration from Squawka

One can’t deny, Mata has proved his worth over the last two campaigns, with the fans voting for him as their Player of the Season as well. He was the creative head of the side and everything went through him. He created, scored and made a total nuisance of himself from the perspective of the opposition. Though young, he is experienced enough to occupy the central role and dominate as well. Mata had/can still have/has the same effect on the Chelsea side that Ozil has developed at Arsenal and Coutinho has showcased at Liverpool.

Attacking variety and set-piece threat

Chelsea boast of a plethora of attacking options but intriguingly they have only one genuinely left-footed attacking option. Yes, Hazard and even Oscar are as two-footed as they come but barring the overlapping Ashley Cole, Mata is the sole player who is more comfortable on his left peg. This difference is one that a defender has to take account of. For a retreating defender, the instinct is to show the player on to his weaker foot. Thus, if Mata is deployed on the right then he’ll more often than not be shown the outside which means he’ll either have to go around the full back or dribble past him. However, in a more central part of the pitch, the Spaniard will have more options to play with. With his technical ability and commendable vision, he has the ingredients to unlock any defence. An additional advantage of playing Mata is that he provides a left-footed option for set-pieces. His ability from dead ball situations especially free kicks adds yet another weapon to Chelsea’s attacking armoury. And with Terry, Ivanovic, and Cahill all seemingly part of Mourinho’s first choice defence Mata’s in-swinging corners and free kicks from the right can serve Chelsea well, as seen only a few days ago with Terry heading home Mata’s free kick to grab a share of the points against Spurs.