Chelsea's Deal with the Devil for Juan Mata

Loved by fans

Chelsea player of the year 2011/12. Chelsea player of the year 2012/13. FA Cup winner. Champions League winner. Thursday Night Cup winner. World Cup winner. Euro 2012 winner.

There is no question that in August of 2011, Chelsea inherited an absolutely exceptional talent in Juan Mata. And by inherited spent maybe the best £24M they've ever spent. And I consider myself lucky for having had the privilege of watching him in person every week. Not in an every breath you take, every move you make sort of way -- I mean at the games!

Despite having an unsettled season, Juan Mata remains second only to David Silva in assists and created chances since joining Chelsea. And managed to find the back of the net enough times to safely say no one celebrates an away goal better.

The partnership he formed with Eden Hazard was magical with the two of them skipping across the pitch without a blade of grass even bending. Mata's ability to pick out a pass ... phwoar. In fact I recently took that saucy half volley against Southampton out to dinner and had my way with it.

But beyond that, could Chelsea have asked for a more exceptional and poised representative of the club or its fans? Beyond training hard and having a great attitude, he charmed just about anyone he spoke to from fans, to teammates and the press. There's one obvious exception to this of course ... 

If being a lovely person and remarkable talent weren't enough -- Mata took to his new home like he was born in London. The pleasure he took from truly being in London rather than just existing in it further endeared him to Chelsea's proud Londoners. Juan Mata enjoyed every bit of being in London from his flat that looked over the Thames, to a walk through Richmond Park to looking for vinyl in Hackney. And as if he doesn't have brilliant taste in music just to top everything off.

Loved by legends

Where did it all go wrong for Mata and his special relationship with Chelsea?

Quite simply he didn't fit into Jose Mourinho's vision. Mata's ability to play centrally or wide and pick out a pass on the pin of a head wasn't what Mourinho was looking for. He isn't looking for the beauty in creation but more the speed of an effective counter attack in terms of that position. And what Mata has in creation, he lacks in pace. He works hard and plays with passion, but is never going to be able to track back and tackle -- at least not in the way that Mourinho wants. And despite some bumps along the way - Mourinho's plan has started to come together. And it has to be said, he loves it when a plan comes together. The moment it did -- when it finally began to gel on the pitch, for the first time, the frustration in Mata began to show. At St. Mary's I begun to say some Hail Mary's as the writing was on the wall.

And with this, the fans have become divided, accusations have flown and conspiracy theorists have entered a little Nirvana for a few days this week. It's not been pretty, but breakups never are. And this has felt like a difficult breakup being played out in an overhyped public forum. Feelings are hurt. Words are said.

Those that question the decision to not use Mata and all the abilities that he possesses aren't anti-Mourinho campaigners who think he's lost the plot. Mourinho is unquestionably a footballing genius - but that doesn't mean he can't be a flawed one. Mourinho might have been the making of the legend that is Frank Lampard, but he is the man who bought Steve Sidwell, the man who allowed Tal Ben-Haim within 50 feet of Cech's chin and the man who paid £21M Shaun Wright-Phillips. Gifted yes, perfect no. Mourinho's own stubbornness can be at once both his best and worst asset.

At its best it gives him a vision and drive that has lead to success that others can only dream of. But that vision is often single-minded. And unfortunately, for Mata, he wasn't able to fit into Jose's plans, despite having many hallmarks of a Mourinho player in attitude at least. With the tactical nous that Mourinho possesses it becomes even more difficult to comprehend why he couldn't or wouldn't utilise the raw ability that he had at his disposal. It became harder and harder to watch Juan Mata's little face on the bench week in and week out - briefly come on for a cameo warm-up only to sit back down.

As hard as it is to let Mata go, he's far too talented to be on the bench or to be anyone's second choice. Juan Mata deserves to start -- deserves to be the first name on a teamsheet. He valiantly fought for his place and hoped for a chance, but six months on, it was evident that he was never going to properly get it. So the break-up is upon us. Neither of us want to break up, but it's for his own good that Chelsea find him a new home. And this is where our sentimental tale of unused talent takes an ugly twist ...

Loved London

Why in holy hell would Chelsea ever allow this or any immense talent go to a rival?!?! <-- It required that amount of punctuation. No doubt there is more than that club up north that would be happy to take Mata off of Chelsea's hands and build a team around him. The short term logic is that he can help United beat Chelsea's actual title rivals this season -- Arsenal and Manchester City. But anyone following United this season will know that they'll need a lot more help than Mata's magic. That's all well and good, but then what about next season?

Surely the club nor Mourinho can honestly believe that Manchester United will continue to be that poor season after season. They've got their actual manager already back on the job ringing up Laurent Blanc to take Skeletor impersonator Edinson Cavani off their hands this summer. While Alex Ferguson still has whiskey on his breath he will not allow the club to completely implode -- so why help them? Why help any rival at all let alone our closet one in terms of domestic success for years and years?

And what has happened to the fans outrage (outside of my own personal implosion of course) at one of, if not Chelsea's most gifted player being flogged to a rival? A rival!! It appears that some who support the club have had their brains temporarily frozen by the tidal wave of number crunching from fans of FFP. It's a great deal, profit this, spreadsheet that, £40M for a bench player ... Chelsea are not a selling club where players are groomed and then sold off to the highest bidder. No one at a match is sitting cheering on what fine profit can be had from a player or celebrate the end of the season with some balanced books. Mental. It's about what's on the pitch, not what you can make off of it -- those concerns are not for the fans, they're for the board. And we all know how popular the board are after the Rafastrophe at Stamford Bridge last season.

At the end of the day for those fans of keeping things black and white, Chelsea have strengthened a rival and weakened themselves. All the ifs and buts about how the money can be spent is all well and good, but you can't deny that the talent was already at hand. And now? Now that talent has strengthened a rival on a technical front, and a psychological front. For United to have succeeded in signing such a fantastic player could have a fortifying to David Moyes' side.

Some of those spreadsheet supporters also blame Juan Mata for not fighting harder - just about anyone will attest to his training ethic and willingness to be part of the team in anyway he can. And what of his side life of exploring his surroundings and documenting his urban finds on social media -- one can't help but feel they could get slightly less depressing. And he'll always be more The Clash and Libertines than he ever will be Stone Roses or Happy Mondays.

Jose Mourinho wouldn't sell Demba Ba to Arsenal, but he's willing to sell Juan Mata to Manchester United. Well done United, you're no longer a rival.

And if modern football is all about what excellent business this is and the bottom line for Chelsea, well, modern football can drop me out.

jb x