Oscar

[The only place to be 11,313]

Because Mourinho has never played Mata in his preferred role behind the striker. He's always pigeonholed out wide. Like he's deliberately sabotaging his Chelsea career. The one game he played AM he dominated (Arsenal away).

Hope Oscar gets dropped. He's been complacent in recent weeks.

His preferred role? What about Mourinho's preferred role for him?

Oscar has carried this team for so much of the season and the amount of shit he gets is pathetic, even when we're winning matches and Oscar works his bollocks off. Calling him complacent is absolutely fucking ridiculous.

[Hamon 103]

How is it a shame?, we're winning and the system is working. I could understand the sentiment if you wasn't a Chelsea fan, but otherwise..

No, don't get me wrong: the team is working fine and doing really well.

With "shame" I mean the fact we all know what Mata is capable of: magic player and real class and seeing him "wasted" like that makes me sad, for him and for the team quality; in other words, I strongly believe Chelsea would be a much stronger team with a fully integrated Mata in the playing system.

[Azpinator 2,325]

Oscar has carried this team for so much of the season

I think you misspelled Hazard.

[The only place to be 11,313]

I think you misspelled Hazard.

I think you missed that start of the season. Oscar was the main guy up until October and now Hazard is really hitting form.

[Toli 977]

His preferred role? What about Mourinho's preferred role for him?

Oscar has carried this team for so much of the season and the amount of shit he gets is pathetic, even when we're winning matches and Oscar works his bollocks off. Calling him complacent is absolutely fucking ridiculous.

well, the coach has also to put players in positions, where they can fully express themselves. everybody on this board knows that Mata isnt half as good on the right wing as he is in the center. so putting him in the right wing, you'll never get the best result. you cant change players 100%. especially mata, who aint a 20-year old kid anymore. I mean, Oscar was awful against United, so why not giving Mata the chance? especially after being 3!!-0 up. instead he brings on Mikel and later even Matic and playing with 4 DMs on the pitch. Mou at the moment just destroys Mata, thats it. there were rumours as soon as his era started, that he didnt like Matas style etc and back then we were laughing at this rumours but now looking at the situation- they were right with this reports. We need Mata especially in February, where we have a lot of tight matches, but if Mou treats him how he does at the moment, I dont think we will get the best out of Juan.

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,738]

I think you misspelled Hazard.

Season started for you in October?

[Azpinator 2,325]

I think you missed that start of the season. Oscar was the main guy up until October and now Hazard is really hitting form.

Would love some examples on how he saved our ass in that period.

Season started for you in October?

Haha, like the time he carried the team against Bayern or Everton or Basel or Tottenham?

[The only place to be 11,313]

well, the coach has also to put players in positions, where they can fully express themselves. everybody on this board knows that Mata isnt half as good on the right wing as he is in the center. so putting him in the right wing, you'll never get the best result. you cant change players 100%. especially mata, who aint a 20-year old kid anymore. I mean, Oscar was awful against United, so why not giving Mata the chance? especially after being 3!!-0 up. instead he brings on Mikel and later even Matic and playing with 4 DMs on the pitch. Mou at the moment just destroys Mata, thats it. there were rumours as soon as his era started, that he didnt like Matas style etc and back then we were laughing at this rumours but now looking at the situation- they were right with this reports. We need Mata especially in February, where we have a lot of tight matches, but if Mou treats him how he does at the moment, I dont think we will get the best out of Juan.

I wonder if one day I might get to the stage where I moan about how we beat Manchester United at home.

He put Mikel on to sure things up and replace Oscar. He put Matic on to give him his debut. This idea that he treats Mata disgracefully is just so annoying. I like Juan but the amount of shit that is being spouted because of his current situation is pathetic. If we weren't winning games, I'd understand. If Oscar was under-performing on a consistent basis I might understand. If Mata fit the system without question (like Schurrle does, whose absence is a bit weird) then I'd understand.

But right now I simply don't get it.

Would love some examples on how he saved our ass in that period.

Think you need to go and watch our games from the start of the season. But he racked up more than a few MOTM trophies and scored key goals against Fulham and Hull.

[Azpinator 2,325]

Think you need to go and watch our games from the start of the season. But he racked up more than a few MOTM trophies and scored key goals against Fulham and Hull.

He wasn't consistent during that period and I edited my previous post, the Hull game was a great team display by everyone in the 1st half not just Oscar.

[Fulham Broadway 16,392]

He can be forgiven for today, seeing as hes been brilliant this season.

[Reddish-Blue 2,223]

No, don't get me wrong: the team is working fine and doing really well.

With "shame" I mean the fact we all know what Mata is capable of: magic player and real class and seeing him "wasted" like that makes me sad, for him and for the team quality; in other words, I strongly believe Chelsea would be a much stronger team with a fully integrated Mata in the playing system.

I strongly believe that Hazard, Oscar & Willian have worked well as a unit.

They all know how to track back, unlike Mata

Mata as an individual may be more talented than Oscar...but to win games on a consistent basis, your team has to perform well.

[Sheva. 5,373]

He played as he does most of the time; good defensively with his tackles and fairly anonymous in attack.

It only looks like he played worse today because Hazard and Willian didn't do much in attack also.

[Barbara 15,149]

I think he's struggled today, I feel like he still struggles to find how to balance both of his responsibilities... Mourinho has chosen what gives us more stability. Ever since he came back to the team (especially when he was in form again, as he was clearly not in form in his first two matches back from the injury) we stopped conceding, our midfield started dominating opposition's again and we decreased considerably the time we allow opposition to spend in their attacking third as well as shots on goal. Some of those things aren't as flashy as an assist (although he did have two of them - plus a goal - against Southampton just a couple of weeks ago, and somehow I still have to read he's been bad - or whatever was the word - for the past few weeks) and aren't easy to be noticed.

I have no problem saying he's had a bad match today because I think he did. Doing as much as he's done for us throughout the whole season (except the two matches after his injury) he's more than allowed to have a bad match today. His effect on the team is more tactical than practical, he's been a key player for us, giving us balance and stability. I can't complain about those.

Still he's first in the team with assists this season (5, tied with Eden and Lamps) and third in goals (behind Eden, and now Samuel)... Go figure why he's been so underwhelming for people...

[dee25 1,044]

I think he's struggled today, I feel like he still struggles to find how to balance both of his responsibilities... Mourinho has chosen what gives us more stability. Ever since he came back to the team (especially when he was in form again, as he was clearly not in form in his first two matches back from the injury) we stopped conceding, our midfield started dominating opposition's again and we decreased considerably the time we allow opposition to spend in their attacking third as well as shots on goal. Some of those things aren't as flashy as an assist (although he did have two of them - plus a goal - against Southampton just a couple of weeks ago, and somehow I still have to read he's been bad - or whatever was the word - for the past few weeks) and aren't easy to be noticed.

I have no problem saying he's had a bad match today because I think he did. Doing as much as he's done for us throughout the whole season (except the two matches after his injury) he's more than allowed to have a bad match today. His effect on the team is more tactical than practical, he's been a key player for us, giving us balance and stability. I can't complain about those.

Still he's first in the team with assists this season (5, tied with Eden and Lamps) and third in goals (behind Eden, and now Samuel)... Go figure why he's been so underwhelming for people...

There are a couple of issues I have here and I'm still trying make sense of it, so it might be a bit disjointed. I think there are both pluses & minuses to Oscar's presence in this team. He is extremely vital to our defensive stability and he's a significant factor to why we've been incredibly rock solid recently, but my worry is that Oscar's contributions to our defensive structure might be papering over the cracks. The fact that the team's defensive organization is so dependant on an attacking midfielder is really not something that I think should lauded or celebrated. To me, that doesn't signify a method that's sustainable or something that's a long term solution.

I'm actually very interested to see what the team would look like next season because right now I think Mourinho is just doing whatever he can to get this team competitive in the league again. I suspect we'll see a lot of changes next season and possibly, a change in Oscar's role.

[Vybz Kartel 1,613]

His had 2 poor games in a row, had that been Mata he would have been benched for a month

[kellzfresh 7,226]

He had a poor game, but I think it was because hull and manutd were massively pressing in the first half. They even nullified hazard and willian attacking and for the first time we depended on our striker to bail us out.

When both hull and manutd tired out in the 2nd half, he got better. They obviously couldn't continuously press like that for 90mins.

[TrippingStep 336]

I think he tries too much in attack.

Maybe it has to do with the fact that the club expects that players like him, Hazard to be decisive every game.

I would like to see him in a three man midfield, playing a bit deeper, and do late runs when we have more control of the ball.

Like he did with the olympic team.

[DDA 9,570]

There are a couple of issues I have here and I'm still trying make sense of it, so it might be a bit disjointed. I think there are both pluses & minuses to Oscar's presence in this team. He is extremely vital to our defensive stability and he's a significant factor to why we've been incredibly rock solid recently, but my worry is that Oscar's contributions to our defensive structure might be papering over the cracks. The fact that the team's defensive organization is so dependant on an attacking midfielder is really not something that I think should lauded or celebrated. To me, that doesn't signify a method that's sustainable or something that's a long term solution.

I'm actually very interested to see what the team would look like next season because right now I think Mourinho is just doing whatever he can to get this team competitive in the league again. I suspect we'll see a lot of changes next season and possibly, a change in Oscar's role.

I would have to 100% agree with this. I think Jose will want us attacking and pressing like his Madrid team did when they won La Liga. This will need a cam who is more creative than Oscar, i.e. Ozil. Maybe this wont work in the Prem but surely he doesn't think we can become the best team in the world with a cam who is used purely for his defensive qualities because in this current system Oscar doesn't offer much attacking options. Only against the smaller clubs, I feel.