19 minutes into last weekend's game against Sunderland saw the introduction of Oscar into the side in place of the injured Oriol Romeu. Having not started a game under Benitez in the band of three behind Torres, Oscar found himself stationed alongside fellow Brazilian Ramires right in the middle of the park. While many Chelsea fans held hopes that the young midfielder would eventually move to that position in later years, and technical director Michael Emenalo himself confirming the club's vision of doing exactly that, this represented the first occasion where we got to see him in said position for an extended period of time against reasonably good opposition. Here's how he lined up after coming on - Having taken an early lead through Torres, Chelsea found themselves in a comanding position against an opponent in hapless form. Sunderland hadn't made any sort of impression going forwards in this game upto this point and Chelsea dominated possession and chances. It is worth noting that the pivot were evidently instructed to mark zonally and in conjunction; one marking an opponent in possession straying central, the other marking space. Chelsea's double pivot take space and time out of the picture for Danny Rose. Midway through the first half Sunderland decided to go to a more direct style, looking to exploit Connor Wickham's physical attributes and their wide players' skill on the ball. This lead to most of the play shifting to the flanks, the Chelsea central midfield being completely bypassed and their fullbacks pressed back into their respective defensive zones. This is when Chelsea's hurried and inaccurate clearances and passes heaped unnecessary pressure on the defensive play. Illustration 1 (1) Adam Johnson's byline cross isn't cleared effectively and Bardsley picks up the ball outside the Chelsea box with nobody closing him or Gardner down. Bardsley can pass to Gardner or shoot himself. (2) As Chelsea players rush out, Bardsley still posseses the ball. This delay has taken Gardner out of the picture as Ramires is well placed to block a shot. However, Oscar's confusion regarding his next course of action sees him stranded on the edge of the box with Bardsley about to fire away. Fortunately for Chelsea, his shot is a wayward one that poses no threat to Cech's goal. Illustration 2 A long ball towards Wickham bypasses Oscar and Ramires. With Luiz occupying Wickham, Oscar is caught ball watching while Sessegnon is one-vs-one with Gary Cahill if the striker is able to nod it down for the Frenchman. He does, and Sessegnon strides forward a couple of yards before unleashing a shot that Cech scrambles to save. A chance out of nothing. In these situations we see a young guy with excellent theoretical grasp of the responsibilities his role entails, but one who is not entirely aware about the phases of play that can develop in the next instant. He fails to recognise danger from two different situations in the space of a little more than a minute. This is not to say that his entire first half performance was poor in it's defensive moments : Oscar's willingness to put in a tackle hasn't been lost on me even in games before this one, and the above screen provides a heartening example of his good reading of the game. He goes from marking space one instant to taking down a much bulkier and experienced opponent cleanly the other. Old failings resurface (1) Torres' poor cutback sees Rose collect possession. Oscar, on one of his rare forward runs is starting to jog back towards his position. (2) 'Jog' back is the correct term after all. Rose's unchecked run has attracted Wickham deep to collect and lay off the ball. Cahill follows him. But that's okay, Oscar can handle Wickham's lay off, right? (3) Wrong. The Sunderland forward's intelligent play and Oscar's dozing on the job means Craig Gardner can run on to the ball 30 yards from goal. Oscar doesn't even realize what's happened until long after. Gardner has Sessegnon in support but chooses to unleash a ranger; a decision that proves daft as the ball sails into Row Z. 2nd Half Oscar starts the second brightly, more energetic with his pressing and more attacking in his on the ball play. Benitez has clearly had a word with him at half time. With Mata looking for passing options from the left and other Chelsea players unavailable, the quick thinking Oscar sees an opportunity. He is wide open for a long stretch in front of goal and accelerates to get there. Mata spots his run and sends in a beautiful cross that only Oscar's poor first touch prevents from being converted into goal number 3. Old failings resurface v 2.0 (1) A Sunderland counter sees Johnson on the ball and looking for a viable pass. Oscar is trudging back to cover for midfield runners. (2) Look behind you! Oscar's caught ball-watching again while Seb Larsson has drawn level and is about to go past him to collect Johnson's pass. (3) Still unaware, Oscar's actually starting to hold up while in the space of 4 seconds a possible counter for Sunderland has broken down simply because of the wrong weight on Johnson's pass. Cahill collects. Old failings resurface v 3.0 (1) and (2) Sessegnon's pass wide to McCleary has set him up well for a menacing cross into the Chelsea box. While the back four hold their shape well and Ramires shows up in support, and midfield runners for Sunderland can capitalize on a weak clearance/knock down. There is no-one defending the area in front of goal; Oscar's not even in the picture. What happens next? (3) McCleary's cross is too strong for Wickham; Cole heads it away for Bertrand to latch on to. Ultimately, no damage done. Against a better side, who knows? This represented the last noteworthy incident for someone on Oscar Watch. Sunderland had a fair share of the ball but failed to genuinely trouble Chelsea from open play bar the freak goal and 2 freekick instances. At 78 minutes, Lampard came on for Hazard and this saw Chelsea's shape change to 4-3-3 for the rest of the game with Oscar as the most advanced of the midfield 3. Stats (via thechels.co.uk and whoscored.com) : 6 successful tackles (highest in the game) 4 successful dribbles (highest in the game) 44 of 51 passes completed (completion rate 86.27%) 21 forward passes 12 backwards passes 11 sideways passes 3 long passes, 2 completed 1 key pass 2 tunovers initiated 3 shots, 0 on target 76 touches of the ball Conclusion As can be seen from the stats, Oscar was heavily involved in the game, second infact (3 touches less than Mata). His passing and offensive game remains solid as ever; the latter a little curtailed due to a change in role and responsibilities. He exhibited great knowledge and understanding of his new responsibilities and worked well in tandem with his partners around him. A quicker defensive reading of the game and the consequent awareness is required but for a young import into the league getting his first significant minutes in that crucial position, the cerebral Oscar holds much promise.
