The Skipper

How about we do this then: Costa Hazard - Willian - Cuadrado Matic - Fabregas Your argument is dead with this team tbh.

I used to argue the same but he doesn't even press excellently anymore and his link up play has gone dire. He's struggling to make basic passes. He's more of a liability now than actually balancing out the team. As I've argued already, Ramires or Willian can provide what he does in the team more effectively on current form. And the "as he matures" excuse is so tiresome, he's played a lot of football over the last 3 seasons but he's barely improved.

Oscar plays in the middle of the park, Willian is out wide, of course it's going to be easier for Oscar to get more assists. Willian is more creative because he can see the more difficult pass better, whereas Oscar won't even see it and fails a lot when trying to do a basic through ball.

Are you not reading my argument when I'm saying that we should play Ramires or Willian in the team over Oscar? Besides, being world class and hard working aren't mutually exclusive. I hope you know that. Oscar is a passenger at the moment. He isn't even doing the things he does well (work rate, tactical discipline) greatly.

Not hard... With Cesc, Ramires and Matic it would be more of a midfield three with Fabregas dropping a bit deeper to receive the ball and influence the game.

Oscar and creative? I don't think so, sorry. Willian beats him on almost everything bar finishing and maybe movement in the final third.

Apart from switching off for their goal, Bane was excellent defensively.

I personally think that Willian and Ramires (in the pivot with Fabregas at 10) would be better than having Oscar in the team on current form.

This is rubbish tbh. I'm not liking how people are trying to slate Eden, who is far more talented and a lot more consistent, to justify Oscar's performances. Awful. Hazard hardly gives away the ball with sloppy passes. Oscar does it regularly.

I don't mind him sticking around. He'd make an excellent squad player. Just don't think he's good enough as our starting #10.

Can you not apply this same sentence to Mikel a few years back?

That's stupid because I don't measure players performances by stats, I actually watch them play. Hazard is one of our key players. Oscar is not. Hazard is pretty much irreplaceable, Oscar isn't. Me not rating Oscar as much as I used to anymore has nothing to do with KDB, the KDB example was brought up by someone and I simply elaborated on it.

To be fair Barb, maybe I didn't make it particularly clear but I have always thought Cuadrado will need an adaptation period regardless of today's cameo.

My point exactly. I can see the exact same happening to Oscar.

Mikel, when he was younger and around Oscar's age, played loads. He was an integral part to Ancelotti's title winning CFC. That was my point.

One famous example for you to prove that appearances don't really matter - on a player you really don't like as well - John Obi Mikel.

Haha. I apologise. Pretty bad evening.

Don't believe Oscar would be doing as well as KDB at Wolfsburg at all. How are you even trying to assert that as fact?! Nonsense. If KDB had as much game time as Oscar did here in the #10 role he would've definitely done better than Oscar IMO. At least KDB is improving immensely as a player, Oscar isn't even doing that despite having so much more game time at a better club surrounded by better players.

Being praised for playing alright against the worst attack in the league... Who didn't score in 11 hours of football before this... Okay then.

Thank you. Bunch of cry babies on here, it's incredible.

Shut up. KDB wasn't given anywhere near the same game time at CFC as Oscar has. Such a bad comparison.

I fully get where you're coming from but Villa away has always been a difficult ground for us. I'm pretty confident we've got it already bar a massive cockup. Of course, anything can happen in football as you say but I'm confident.

Fantastic today, hope he keeps this up (defensively).

The title is really in our hands now IMO, if we win 12 our next 14 games (assuming City win the the rest of theirs which is unlikely considering they have a much harder schedule than us), the title is in our hands. It's very easily doable, especially if Fabregas and Costa remain fit and available.

He doesn't even balance the team or link up play well anymore. We can really do so much better.