OhForAGreavsie

I've posted my thoughts on Oscar earlier in the thread. The answers you've asked for might be in those although you and I both suspect that you won't agree with them. Meanwhile something with which I disagree is the claim that Oscar has had a good season. In my opinion, he has not. I know the statistics of course but they do not persuade me to disregard what I see with my own eyes. I am persuaded however that if we upgrade Oscar, his replacement will also complete a few passes, put in some tackles, set up chances and score the odd goal. I know I keep repeating The Matic/Mikel comparison but I truly believe it's appropriate... The argument used to rage about Mikel and various stats were paraded in his defence. Those of us who were dissatisfied with him were patronised mercilessly and told that we didn't know enough about football to understand what it was that made Mikel the right solution for Chelsea. Eventually Mikel was replaced of course and that argument died almost immediately. Sooner or later Oscar will be replaced too and this argument will die just as quickly. I have never said, and I'm not saying now, that Oscar is a poor player. What I am saying is that Chelsea's ambitions require exceptional footballers. Oscar is not one.

I think a rational fan would have been calling for them both to be replaced, and would have been doing it for a long time.

Yes there definitely were although a bloke who had been sitting less than 15 yards away from me swore he never heard any.

This has been clear for two years now. Beyond Oscar's initial honeymoon period the situation has become harder and harder to avoid. He's a terrific lad but he isn't good enough to be Chelsea's number ten. I've said before though that this fact is not the problem we have. Our problem is that, despite his not being of the required level, Oscar remains the best number ten we have. This simply must be fixed as soon as possible. We can dance around this issue, say optimistic things in defence of Oscar, reel out comforting statistics and bury our heads in the sand, but none of this is going to hide the truth. Not even from those who prefer to stay hopeful about the lad's future. We will eventually find a good ten and he will blaze a light on Oscar's shortcomings in the same way that Matic has done to Mikel.

Interesting but there is the, what else would he say factor.

I know as little about Douglas Costa & Juan Cuadrado as most people, less probably. Based on their highlight videos however (yes, I know) I'd say Costa looks the more interesting player. If the club pulled a surprise and also announced him during this window, then I'd be at least as pleased about that as I am about the Cuadrado deal. That said, my main enthusiasm for the JC deal comes from the fact that he seems to be Jose's choice and that he isn't Salah, Schurrle or Willian. Least I hope not.

You're right to say it would be crazy of course. You are also right to say that the players you've named are ahead of Charlie in terms of experience and perhaps also in the unspecified things you have in mind. Where I'd offer a different opinion to yours is that, when it comes to ability in the 'Fabregas' role, I put Charlie ahead of all of those. If push came to shove I wouldn't throw Charlie into this game any more than you would. My post above was really just a long winded way of saying that I think he's a terrific player. I'm certain he'll prove it somewhere. I hope very much that it will be here.

Very unlikely that Jose will allow any genuine fitness news about Cesc to escape from the camp.

Costa didn't stamp on anybody.

The rest of the world can lie to themselves if they want to but we shouldn't. Neither incident was a stamp.

It's often easy to shoot your mouth off from the sidelines when you have not the slightest level of responsibility for what is actually going to happen, so here goes... If Cesc can't play I'd replace him with Charlie Colkett!! Charlie is the second best passer we have in the club, after Cesc. In time perhaps he'll be the best and he's already better defensively than the ex-barca man. Now, if I were really picking the side, I don't suppose I'd be any more likely to Pick Charlie than Jose is but, sitting at the keyboard, it sounds like an idea worth considering. :)

I've got a feeling that Jose might actually prefer Douglas Costa. I only say this because TSO has spoken about his preference for inverted wingers. Costa would be exactly that.

Lol!

I do not agree with the action being described as a stamp. Calling it a stamp makes a juicier headline and is more likely to create a stir than would be the case if a more accurate description was used. Costa stepped on Can. Other than that, I agree with everything you say. Costa should be punished and there are few who doubt it. Our unhappiness is with the lack of consistency.

His infraction was intentional, it just wasn't a stamp. He trod on Can. It was a foul and, in my opinion, a bookable offence but it was not a stamp.

OK. When I get the chance, I'll watch the CTV rerun and see if my first impression was wrong. I am often unhappy with Oscar but I wasn't last night.

Yes, for each one and there have been a lot of them. By the time the FA came to deal with the last one, the national outcry for a lifetime ban would have been deafening.

As long as Jose selects Remy, not The Drog, we can ride out any suspension.

Indeed, Costa is guilty of something but there is a mountain of precedent to suggest that an equally guilty Liverpool player would probably not be charged. Luis Suarez has done much, much worse and I don't mean the biting. We've all seen the videos where he goes over the ball to put in a disgusting, career threatening challenge then rolls around pretending that it's him who has been fouled. There can be no doubt that Suarez has committed these fouls intentionally and with premeditation but does he get done retrospectively for them?

Interesting. Aguero jumps, with undeniable intent, on David Luiz and, what's more, does so with a clear stamping motion. Officials admit that they did not see the incident but the FA fail to charge Aguero because, they say, the officials were in position to see the assault. Charlie Adam attacks a Chelsea player twice having first looked around to zero in on Dave's face. No charge. Roony, and others, stamp on opponents and are not charged, but Costa does not stamp on anybody and is charged. On a scale of zero to zero, how surprised are we? Costa is not innocent. His action was deliberate and he deserved a sanction for it. Whether his transgression amounts to violent conduct is something I'd doubt but my real gripe is that yet again Chelsea players are singled out.

Not the spangly new ones they installed over the summer. They're mega, mega spangly. People were complaining that the lights were too bright and distracting but that's died down so I suppose everyone is used to them now. P.S. Dimmed for effect or just because they can. You choose.

No, they've been doing it for a while. In fact when the new lights were being installed the club made a song and dance about the 'lighting effects' which would be possible.

Thanks WHS, I haven't seen it on telly yet but, given my overall view of Oscar, I always try to be aware of how he's doing. I thought he contributed some good things even before half time. I can't quote any examples but I remember feeling, early on, that he had started well. Yes, I agree that he disappeared for a time but my main impression was that his output was decent.

He was good but the funny thing is, I don't think he was at the top of his game last night. Being below his absolute maximum level but still able to produce a performance is exactly how you'd want it to be. No player is going to be right on it all the time. In fact, more often than not they won't be. What you need are players who still do well for the side even on their average days. Not everyone is going to be a Hazard, we all understand that, but too many members of our squad are only really good enough when at their best. On their average days they are short of something.

A very fair analysis I think. Morning Yuvala, I'm quite surprised that you say this. I may be among Oscar's biggest critics but I felt he had a decent game last night. Yes some of the weaknesses we know about, like the one Thor talked about last week, were again on show but not as noticeably as they often are. What's more, I thought that the things he is good at were on display. For example, there were some nice, first time, 'round the corner' passes which created good situations and, pleasingly, an acceptable number of his more considered passes also found their targets. My overall opinion remains the same; we would benefit from finding an Oscar upgrade but, credit where's it's due, he did well last night.