The Missing Piece

After a frustrating trip to the Bridge last night, I wanted to get my thoughts across on - what I feel - is the missing piece. 

39 shots. Thirty nine shots. One crashing against the bar, thirty eight others hardly even troubling Adrian in the West Ham goal. What is it that makes us so devastating on paper, but so timid on the pitch? I sat there last night, uninspired by what should have been a kick about in the park. The same West Ham team that lost 9-0 on aggregate to City just a week or two ago, defending so easily against a team hoping to finish above the Manchester club this season.

Feel free to disagree, but I was not - and in fact have not been all season - convinced by Eto'o; Hat-trick hero and all the other accolades that arise from a monumental career. A great professional, sure, but when he gets the ball I just don't ever sense that he's going to produce anything special. Perhaps the same applies to Fernando; capable of producing an edge-of-your-seat moment now and again, but never really developing the threat of your Aguero's and Van Persie's. I think, for me, the fundamental difference is the touch. That touch that Torres so famously had at Anfield, or Eto'o in his days at Barcelona. I just feel our strikers lack that world class instinct. That killer touch. Something that perhaps has not been seen since the peak of Didier's career. Even when that touch wasn't always there, he certainly made up for it in his physical approach; his desire to beat his opponent, be it in the air or on the floor. To put it simply, my belief is that our forwards are too similar to our trio of attacking midfielders. You could put Eto'o or Torres in any of those roles and they'd have the same impact on the game. A performance such as last night is the perfect example of a game that was crying out for a target man. I looked to the bench and I was astonished, to consider a team that had so much talent at the beginning of the season - almost too much at one point - now with no attacking player to come off of that bench and make a difference. Our loan list is endless. Players that I feel could offer us something different; Piazon, Lukaku, Traore and so on. Of course I'm not suggesting that they should never have gone out on loan, because undoubtedly they've developed as players; Piazon is just one example of a loanee having a remarkable season away from the club. 

So, with Deadline Day an hour away as a I write, what can Chelsea fans hope for? I personally have felt over the last few days that there is still another to arrive, however it may not necessarily be an attacker. Jose knows we need a striker, and boy do we. It's just a question of who's available and at what cost. Who would you like to see - realistically - arrive before tomorrow's deadline?

Juan Mata's Love Affair

There's no escaping the fact that Juan Mata and Chelsea are two names that just fit. The Spanish playmaker joined the Blues from Valencia in the Summer of 2011, costing the club £23.5 million - but what an investment it was.

Scoring on his debut against Norwich, I, along with Chelsea fans across the world, was overwhelmed by the promise that surrounded our number 10. In his first season at the Bridge, Mata played a fundamental role in the club's success in both the FA Cup and of course the Champions League which culminated in that night in Munich. The Spaniard scored 12 in his first season, alongside a handful of assists that deservedly won him Chelsea's Player of the Year for that season.

In his second season with the club, Chelsea became dependant on Mata to deliver success. The Spaniard was a high in what had been a season on ups and downs, provoking comparisons with the great Gianfranco Zola. The 25 year-old was Chelsea's joint top scorer, providing many memorable moments and pieces of absolute genius proving his worth as our number 10. It was not only his individual play, but the way Juan brought others into the game, perhaps changing the philosophy of the football played at the Bridge last season. As the season ended, the Blues collected another European trophy, beating Benfica in the final to lift the Europa League trophy for the first time in the club's history; yet again Juan Mata was named Chelsea's Player of the Year. After two incredible and - at times - breathtaking seasons at the Bridge, it seemed things would only get better.

With the appointment of Jose came a new style of play. A new era. A new mentality that unfortunately saw our Spanish Maestro lose his position in the starting 11. It took me some time to figure out what had changed; I'm not one to doubt Jose's tactics - especially considering the position we find ourselves in now - however  I was constantly frustrated to see his name not appear on the team sheet. Jose's new philosophy requires players like your Oscars, Hazards, Willians etc, however hard it may be to accept. For all his technical abilities and moments of magic, Mata's defensive qualities do lack the standard's of a title challenging team. It would be plausible to suggest that he's an attacking midfielder... he doesn't need to defend? But when you've got players like Oscar, who are willing to track back, willing to make that tackle, then it adds to the team's credentials. I believe the turning point to be Mata's appearance on New Year's Day away to Southampton. The Spaniard started the game and was taken off early in the second half; from the body language to the facial expressions on the bench, it wasn't unthinkable to envisage a situation like this.

I write this supposedly the day before Juan Mata's medical at Manchester United; a thought that haunts me. In a way I'm happy for the guy - despite having to move from West London to Manchester! The man is still young, and he still has time to improve and excel as a player before the World Cup this summer. I would have much preferred us to sell him abroad, to the likes of Atletico or Napoli, however there is something questionable in United's bid. A bid that perhaps typifies their season so far. £37 million is a lot of money; £37 million for a player that cannot make your rival's first team seems farcical. In an attempt to see the positives from this situation, it doesn't seem like a move United need to make. They still lack that physical predominance and pace in their midfield that so many of the teams above them have. Who comes off better from the transfer? Chelsea? Or United? On one hand it's one less thing to worry about, and.. well it's £37 million pounds. However it's that thought of perhaps one of my favourite club players over the past few years at Chelsea, in the red shirt of Manchester United that makes me want to knock on Jose's door and ask him if he's lost his mind.

Whatever happens over the next few days, it's undoubtedly going to be tough. The thing that perhaps separates him from other players is his modesty, his sportsmanship and just his sheer genius. I can only hope United appreciate the talent they will have... and that he never scores against us. Thank you, Juan.