Juan Mata. Not The Man To Ignite Chelsea's Creative Spark

It was a quiet summer for Chelsea before the start of the Premier League season. The appointment of their fifth new manager in four years hasn't sparked the usual pre-season spending as the new boss looks to add his own personal touch to Chelsea's multi-million pound squad.

In fact Mourinho 2.0 (Andre Villas-Boas) has made very few ripples in the transfer market this summer, only the odd rumour of a Javier Pastore or Luka Modric deal distracting the press' watchful eyes away from the summer spenders of Liverpool and both Manchester clubs.

However after a disappointing draw against Stoke on the opening day of the season the old criticisms that surrounded Carlo Ancelotti's squad last year began to rain down on the former Porto manager.

There's no creativity! There's no consistency! What did we get for £50 million last January?

Answering Back

The Portuguese boss has tried to silence some of these critics in the last few days, firstly by signing promising striker Romelu Lukaku on Thursday, before agreeing to a fee for Valencia winger Juan Mata on Monday. But will either of these players do anything to silence the Chelsea critics? Will Mata and Lukaku lead Chelsea to a fourth Premier League.

Lukaku is a smart move on the part of Villas-Boas.

The Young Belgian has been tipped as the new Didier Drogba and is seen by many as the perfect replacement for Chelsea's number eleven once he becomes surplus to requirements at the club.

With Nicholas Anelka saying he wants to leave the Blues last week, Lukaku will be able to learn from Fernando Torres and Drogba while also gaining valuable playing time, allowing him to adapt to the pace and physicality of the English game quickly. Lukaku's purchase was a no brainer for the Chelsea.

The reasons behind Mata's arrival on the other hand, are not quite as clear.

Not An Essential Purchase

In a 4-3-2-1 formation you ideally want to have your three midfielders providing service either down the flanks or through the middle to your forward men.

What you don't want (and this is the problem Chelsea currently suffer from) is your midfield pushing forward, moving into the space your forwards have created for themselves, before becoming stationary in a now clustered final third.

Chelsea have a talented squad. But what they lack is not another attacking player that can get wide, provide crosses, or run at defenders like Mata does.

They need a playmaker in the centre of the park. A player who is willing to sit off the forwards, distribute and control the game and then, when opportunity arises, take the space going forward but use it effectively, either by making room for an effort on goal, or sliding the ball into the path of a striker.

Mata is not this player.

Signing the Spaniard is by no means a waste of money. Mata holds a European Championships and World Cup winners medal and there is no doubting his skill on and off the ball. He will start at Chelsea, flanking Torres with Malouda as a front three and (as long as he remains more consistent then Kalou and Malouda) he should produce goals and assists. What Mata will still need though is service from the middle of the park to give him the opportunity to work his magic. A problem that Chelsea need to solve before August is over.

Problems and Solutions

Lampard's age (33) and determination to try balls over the top makes his play frustrating to watch. A player on the decline Lampard doesn't seem to have the legs to keep moving and keep others moving in the centre of the field. He may be a Chelsea old boy but letting a younger face try to play his role could be what Chelsea need.

If you can't bare to see Lampard on the bench then either Mikel or Ramires need to take a seat. Neither player has the ability right now to be considered in the world’s elite and both lack consistency with the quality of their service to the strikers when pushing forward. Both also (like Lampard) tend to push forward and cramp the forwards as mentioned earlier.

What Chelsea really need to spend their money on is Luka Modric. Or someone like Modric. A Kaká, a Fábregas, a Xavi. A puppet master that pulls the strings, controls the game and gives others the time and space to work in. A fresh bid of £30 million (made on Monday) for Modric could force Tottenham to relinquish their prize possession. However should that fail Chelsea might want to look at Real Madrid's out of favour Brazilian midfielder.

Still only 29 Kaká has failed to make a big impression since landing in Madrid in 2009. With 39 league appearances under his belt in two seasons Kaká has been in and around the Spanish giants first team and is far from lacking match practice, yet he could be a cheaper option to Modric after being resigned to the subs bench for most of last season.

Either of these two would be a wise investment (or as one fan put it “worth a punt”) and could do more for Chelsea then another winger.

Is Juan Mata a great pick up for Chelsea? Yes

Is he worth the £23 million price tag? Yes

Will he solve Chelsea's lack of creativity and space going forward? Probably not. But he will be an exciting play to look out for in the near future at The Bridge.