In this moment, Oscar is my No. 10 and, if somebody tells me that Oscar is not Chelsea’s best player since the beginning of the season, I’d have to disagree. These are football issues.

[Mata and Oscar can play together], when [Mata] adapts to it. But I’m not ready to play Oscar following full-backs [ed - i.e. as a winger], because he plays in that position for the country with more talented players than anyone else in the world in that position. I want to build with Oscar as my No. 10. I want the other two players, from the side, to adapt to that reality and learn now to do things that they were not ready to do before.

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What are your thoughts fellow Chelsea fans (and maybe even non-Chelsea fans)?

I'm actually happy Oscar has become our number 10. In terms of potential, Oscar could very well be the world's best number 10 in 4 years. And he can't play on the wings. Mata can adapt to the wings though. I'm happy about this decision by Mourinho. But to be honest, I want De Bruyne on the right. He fits the Robben role from 05-06 and is our best set piece taker and crosser.

I don't see a problem with this as Mata has played well on the wings in the past. However, the types of wingers Mourinho prefers playing with are more speedy and/or powerful and exertive (ie. Robben, Joe Cole, Eto'o, Pandev, Wright-Phillips, Ronaldo, Di Maria, etc.). Mata is more skillful/technical and should focus on his own qualities perhaps playing on the right side of that attack. I am not sure I agree with the premise that De Bruyne is Chelsea's best set-piece taker and crosser. I think Mata and Lampard are a bit more adept.

Being a neutral fan of the EPL, I don't particularly care who is Mourinho's #10, but I DO find it very interesting to see how Oscar develops in the coming years. He should be a nasty good player in 3-4 years.

@Dynastian: That's why I'm very happy Oscar is our number 10. He'll become a monster in 3-4 years. He'll surpass Mata.

@TheGame: Mata and Lampard are good at set pieces but de Bruyne is better. His crossing is definitely the best in our team and he probably is best at corners. Free kicks is not his thing but if he crosses from a free kick then he is okay to take them. The fact that he takes most of the set pieces for Belgium is another sign of how good his set pieces are.

@Vendetta, I'll watch him some more this season and get back to you on that :)

Welcome to one of the Manchester clubs or Liverpool, Mata.

I am disappointed at this. Mata should leave Chelsea and prove Mourinho wrong. He doesn't have the Pace nor the defensive ability to play on the wings for Mourinho.

45 million and we have a deal ;P

You guys shouldn't be shocked really. Oscar is definitely the better choice as number 10 and I'm sure Mata will be used in a different position (which I'm sure Mou will make him adapt to).

All those attacking midfielders we have should adapt to whatever Mourinho wants, they are getting paid a lot of weekly wages and if they love staying here at stamford bridge and love the club enough then they should do whatever it takes. I still prefer Mata in the CAM position though.. and Oscar can play on the right. just like last season. Hazard, Mata, Oscar. But now we have more depth.

Hazard, Mata, Willian.
Hazard, Oscar, Schurrle.
Hazard, Oscar, KDB.
Willian, Oscar, KDB.
Hazard, Willian, Schurrle.
Hazard, Mata, KDB.
Hazard, Oscar, Mata.
Schurrle, KDB, Willian.
etc.

It's a never ending possibilities.

Eh.. Its a world cup year and getting into the Spain NT is notoriously difficult. I imagine a player would want to be playing at their best position to impress the NT coach the most. At Real, Mourinho had Di Maria on the wings. Mata is nothing like him, totally different players, he lacks the pace and crossing ability of Di Maria and full backs are notoriously fast in the premier league; also as you said De Bruyne will easily develop into a better winger than him. Problem of plenty for Chelsea. If the Rooney thing didn't work out, they should have tried to exchange him with some other striker. I think Liverpool might have accepted him with some cash for Suarez.

@Fred: You're definitely right. Now that I think about it, we should have definitely just exchanged Rooney for Mata. Judging by our squad, we badly need a striker like Rooney to be able to finish an attack in the final third. Is Suarez really the type of player Chelsea need? And even though I would love to have him at Chelsea, he doesn't necessarily fit the role we want and his reputation will make the club look even worse than it does already with its bad image.

@Alex: I disagree. Oscar can play on the right but that is like a handicap. Oscar is best at CAM and he even plays that position in the NT. When he played CAM at the start of 2012/13 season he did great. Then he faded away when Benitez put him on the right. Now, Mourinho put him back in the center and he is by far our best player so far in the season. This is how I want our squad to be in 2 years time so we can fit it into Mourinho's style of play:

Mata was undoubtedly the best Chelsea player for the past 2 season and gets treated like this?

@rai: What do you mean? Mourinho isn't turning against Mata. He is simply saying he wants him to adapt as a winger. Which he played most of the time at Valencia anyway. This could work out since Mata has the willpower and the talent to adapt, but this could very well turn into a Joe Cole incident as well. I hope it's not the latter.

It sounds like Mata wouldn't be used at all... Why does Mourinho do this all the time?
Is he trying to prove he's the special one?

Mata not even on the bench today. So who is Oscar's replacement if he gets tired/injured?

Either de Bruyne or Willian. They can also sub in for Schurrle or Hazard. But that is weird to not even have Mata on the bench.

obviously one player is going to shine over another player who sits on the bench.... Mourinho needs to play Mata more, ruining everything..

Sell Mata to us if you don't want him. We'd be happy to take on the best #10 in the world. We have a few quid hanging around the place atm, too...

^the best #10 in the world at this moment in time doesn't play for Chelsea.

OMG, Imagine if Arsenal actually had Mata? We'd have an attacking midfield of Cazorla, Ozil, and Mata... Or if Cesc came back instead... It'd be Santi, Ozil and Cesc. *drools*
DON'T WAKE ME UP!