DLew On Roids said:
I heard a convincing argument a few weeks ago, and unfortunately I can't recall where, that Mourinho isn't a fan of the Spanish national team players. Mourinho, the argument goes, like to cultivate his guys and rally them against the world, and creating a self-policing squad. He's not the only coach or manager who's done this; Bill Parcells did it wherever he went, most notably with the Giants. Guys like Harry Carson and Pepper Johnson ran that team the way Terry and Lampard did during Mourinho's first Chelsea stint. Apparently the Spanish national team is a really tight group, though, and Mourinho had trouble building that culture at Real because players like Sergio Ramos, as much as they played for keeps on the pitch, wouldn't buy into hating Iniesta, Xavi, and the rest of their pals from the national team. Mourinho thought he could never get the full loyalty of a Spanish national team player, so Mata was paying the price of being associated with those guys.
Obviously, the issue of dealing with the Spanish national team are a lot different at Chelsea, where he really only has to worry about building up enough hate if he's matched up against Real or Barca. But Mourinho, as smart as he is, is also a pretty odd guy, and I wouldn't put it past him to dismiss a player for something like this. He's also confident enough in his ability to manage a team that he wouldn't laugh off the idea of selling his squad's best player.
I know fuck-all about how the Portuguese (in general) feel about their neighbors but I would assume that there is some jealousy and/or ill will from the small nation toward the larger nation. The Spanish national team has been a special case (no pun intended) for the past decade or so - the most successful of all time loaded with players from opposite sides of a fierce club rivalry. Which is all a long way of saying I could buy the idea that Mourinho has a bit of a complex about the Spanish national team.
As far as Chelsea goes, I think the plethora of talented attacking mids has more to do with Mata's lack of run (that and injuries?) than an anti-national team bias from The Portuguese. Oscar, Hazard, and Schurrle are all wonderfully talented players and while Mata has been the best of the group the last few seasons doesn't mean Mata "bought in" to Mourniho's system or will be the best "fit" when all the players are...fit.
I also counter-sign the idea that Mourinho would have a big enough ego/estimation of his own capabilities to move on from Mata if he thought he could. That said, he didn't or hasn't yet. So I would expect Mata to be part of the rotation until three other guys are clearly out performing him and forcing him out.
In the end, I would expect Mourinho to do what he wants and for the results to justify his actions in the end. Chelsea is fucking LOADED and would need to suffer a plane crash or bus accident to not finish top 2 this season. If Mata plays well he will play a lot; if he does not play well, there's more than enough talented, world-class guys straining at the leash to take his spot.