Oscar

[Cosmin 2,484]

Why is he more responsible now than he was when he got the number of the guy who won us the UCL trophy?

[The Skipper 20,593]

F*cking stupid decision. Drogba was good with the 15th number and Oscar didn't deserve even the 11th number. I just can't stand seeing the 8th number being worn by someone else. Another stupid act from our board or from who is doing the squad numbers. Lampard's number deserved not to be worn by someone else for one season at least...

Sack everyone!!!

[zolayes 14,489]

the whole idea of numbers having meaning is ridiculous .. Go back to numbers 2 to 11 ,, Keepers didnt have numbers

[King11Didier 916]

Sack everyone!!!

If I could... If I only could do that...

[Daniel1980 1,425]

The only way to honor shirts' numbers is retiring them, and I'm happy we don't do that often at the Bridge, it makes no sense in my head to retire numbers. Players are temporary, the club is permanent.

While I do agree, in some cases, some players deserve to have their numbers retired. Players like Baresi and Maldini, who played twenty-something years, their entire careers, just for one club, do deserve such an honour, imo. That said, while Frank is a club legend, he's not in the same league as them--very few players in the world are--so I didn't expect his number to be retired.

[Barbara 15,149]

While I do agree, in some cases, some players deserve to have their numbers retired. Players like Baresi and Maldini, who played twenty-something years, their entire careers, just for one club, do deserve such an honour, imo. That said, while Frank is a club legend, he's not in the same league as them--very few players in the world are--so I didn't expect his number to be retired.

I don't because then someday down the road they could have another amazing player in the #5 position (and Italians are more loyal to the 1-11 numeration than England is) and he won't be able to use his position rightful number because of a guy who was there nearly 100 years ago (supposing it happens way down the road).

That's the main point, a club's history is never-ending. If we start retiring shirts we're in serious risk of 100 years from now having had 10 retired numbers which is nonsense. Also if you have the prerogative to someone, it means you should give to everyone else that marked the club's history in the same way. The moment you don't, you're diminishing players that were as loyal or successful here as those others. If we retire #8 now it means we should have retired a few others in the past and that we should retire #26 when Terry stops playing. Then let's suppose Aké or whoever in the next decade has a similar history, then we retire #6 as well. Then in two decades from now the biggest player who's ever played for this club retires #10, etc, etc, etc.

Football clubs are quite new historically, that's why it seems like the right thing to do, but it isn't. Unless the world ends soon or football stops existing, those clubs will have hundreds years of history and we'll diminish a lot of legends that didn't have their numbers retired. And what does it take to retire a number? To stay a long time? To be brought from the academy and play the whole life here? To win a lot of silverware here? To score a bunch of special or important goals? Can you see how many players we already had in our history that fit those categories and their numbers are there for the take? And how many more we'll (hopefully) produce? Silly stuff imo.

Build statues or plaques, but don't retire numbers. There are many ways to homage and honor a legend.

[Term-X 7,891]

It's down to Drogba this one, the number 11 is now part of his branding, whereas Oscar is still young and isn't synonymous with a number.

[Daniel1980 1,425]

I don't because then someday down the road they could have another amazing player in the #5 position (and Italians are more loyal to the 1-11 numeration than England is) and he won't be able to use his position rightful number because of a guy who was there nearly 100 years ago (supposing it happens way down the road).

That's the main point, a club's history is never-ending. If we start retiring shirts we're in serious risk of 100 years from now having had 10 retired numbers which is nonsense. Also if you have the prerogative to someone, it means you should give to everyone else that marked the club's history in the same way. The moment you don't, you're diminishing players that were as loyal or successful here as those others. If we retire #8 now it means we should have retired a few others in the past and that we should retire #26 when Terry stops playing. Then let's suppose Aké or whoever in the next decade has a similar history, then we retire #6 as well. Then in two decades from now the biggest player who's ever played for this club retires #10, etc, etc, etc.

Football clubs are quite new historically, that's why it seems like the right thing to do, but it isn't. Unless the world ends soon or football stops existing, those clubs will have hundreds years of history and we'll diminish a lot of legends that didn't have their numbers retired. And what does it take to retire a number? To stay a long time? To be brought from the academy and play the whole life here? To win a lot of silverware here? To score a bunch of special or important goals? Can you see how many players we already had in our history that fit those categories and their numbers are there for the take? And how many more we'll (hopefully) produce? Silly stuff imo.

Build statues or plaques, but don't retire numbers. There are many ways to homage and honor a legend.

I would agree, except nowadays club loyalty is practically non-existent. There are very few top players out there who play their entire careers just for one club (20-25 years), captained the club for 10-15 years, won absolutely everything with the club, retired at the club, and were regarded by pundits as one of the greatest players of all time on their position. Such loyal top players like Baresi and Maldini practically don't exist anymore. Nowadays, if a Baresi or Maldini emerged at some club, he would be eventually bought by Real/Barcelona/PSG/etc. That's a harsh reality, so I doubt we're in any danger of running out of numbers.

[iseah100 5,612]

I have absolutely no problem with this. Oscar has been here and knew Frank, so he knows the pressure the number comes with. I think this could inspire him to perform better. Also, he doesn't deserve it? Wtf? He's a class act giving Didier his number back, good lad. Relax everyone, no need to bash little Oscar.

[The only place to be 11,313]

Is it in honour of how many good matches he had last season?

[bethos1 802]

Am I the only who doesn't care what number our players have?

[robsblubot 3,205]

Is it in honour of how many good matches he had last season?

yeah he's had just as many good matches as Frank did, hence the same number; 8 (good matches) sounds about right too.

seriously though... Oscar needs to resume his development. Also, regardless whether he is developing or not, his passing completion in the final third has been innaceptible and we as a team suffer because of it. That, his passing, needs to be sorted out ASAP.

[edetarod 2,155]

Am I the only who doesn't care what number our players have?

no, no you're not

[Amblève. 4,995]

Usually your best players get to wear famous numbers. Yet Oscar gets the #11 and now the even more famous #8. People talk about Mikel stealing a leaving but Oscar has been given everything by the board and manager despite doing fuck all to even claim these privileges.

[xPetrCechx 13,546]

Usually your best players get to wear famous numbers. Yet Oscar gets the #11 and now the even more famous #8. People talk about Mikel stealing a leaving but Oscar has been given everything by the board and manager despite doing fuck all to even claim these privileges.

Really.

[Barbara 15,149]

So here's a deal: let's temporarily retire the #8 shirt - but not in respect to Lamps, but because last season none of those players did shit to deserve this privilege - except Terry or Cahill, but as we didn't win anything, I think their claim would be empty too.

Seriously... I thought player had to do shit to earn their wages, not the number they wear... Also by the way people speak about Oscar in this thread it seems like he has never done anything for the team, has never won us matches - some of them important. I don't have high expectations anyway, so who cares?

[xPetrCechx 13,546]

So here's a deal: let's temporarily retire the #8 shirt - but not in respect to Lamps, but because last season none of those players did shit to deserve this privilege - except Terry or Cahill, but as we didn't win anything, I think their claim would be empty too.

Seriously... I thought player had to do shit to earn their wages, not the number they wear... Also by the way people speak about Oscar in this thread it seems like he has never done anything for the team, has never won us matches - some of them important. I don't have high expectations anyway, so who cares?

He won us matches?

[Barbara 15,149]

He won us matches?

No, he has never. He's worse than Torres to this club. He's done absolutely fuck nothing in two years here.