The Mak

You can argue that players are assigned roles based on their strengths and we know what Oscars strengths are and creating is not currently one of them. The same way when we see Fabregas as no. 10 we'll see a completely different animal. I believe creativity comes instinctually ala Hazard, Fabregas, Mata etc. and I haven't seen anything to convince me Oscar can touch their levels of creativity. If he could, he wouldn't be asked to be so defensive. Putting it another way, he is currently being asked to play like Ramires and I think that is more so because his offensive limitations rather than anything else...

I would suggest Oscar start playing better and more consistently in the coming season. If he doesn't he should be shipped on and replaced for the 15/16 season. Simple really. Ozil may have been a defensive liability, but he created a lot and that is the main role for a No. 10. In the same vein, there's only so long you should persist with a 'defensive no. 10' who creates very little.

This is what I'm afraid of. In the 2012 season it was 'tired because of the Olympics', last season it was 'tired because of the Confederation Cup/focusing on the WC' and now next season it seems it will be 'tired/emotionally drained because of the World Cup'. How long do the excuses go on for? How do you excuse a player for going missing for nearly half a season or never really doing enough offensively? He's still a professional football player and gets rest/extra rest like other players who have also played in tournaments. I don't think the excuses can last forever and I think even some of the Brazilian member here would agree with me. He needs to have a much better season this season in my eyes. No more excuses.

Can you imagine if he was English? We'd get £50m easily.

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Lol if this is true. Does the kid even shut his mouth when he sleeps? I bet he sleeptalks. It'd be nice to see what the Lukaku fanboys say about this now. (I don't normally use the word 'fanboy', but the way some people have attempted to defend Lukaku and his big mouth on here makes me question if they fully support the club or one single player who hasn't even scored a goal for us...)

bushman for president.

Just ignore the old guy for the time being. All he does is complain these days about this forum and everyone on here...(but he still posts everyday) The severe lack of Chelsea games affects some more adversely than others!

I can understand the criticisms completely, but I'm not too worried at the moment. Yes, I agree he needs to do more. I think his 'improvement' last season wasn't a big one by any stretch of the imagination. For example, his goal tally of 17 is a bit inflated due to his 5 penalties and 3 against Newcastle (including 1 pen). I do think he would've assisted more though if our front line wasn't so below average. However, he definitely lacks the consistency at the moment to make him great. We need to see more of the dominant performances like the ones against Sunderland and Newcastle or his one against a big team like Bayern in the Super Cup. However, the reason I'm not too worried at the moment is his age. He's still very young at 23. The greats usually have that one 'breakout season' which they finally begin to fulfil their full potential and I don't think Hazard has had that yet. Ronaldo had his at 22/23. Messi was always good, but wasn't scoring a goal a game until 22/23. But comparing Hazard to these two is always unrealistic and unfair. So its probably better when you look at the likes of Robben and Ribery who both had theirs at around 24/25. Again however, these players played in absolutely dominant teams with WC players in almost every position on the pitch. I mean, do you even compare a midfield of Mikel/Lampard/Ramires to the midfields consisting of Xavi, Scholes, Alonso, Schweinsteiger etc.? I don't think so. At the same time though, are we really complaining that Hazard isn't running the pitch and doing it all himself? It is a team game isn't it? I don't think it's a level playing field. I don't think it's totally fair on Hazard to compare him with other great players in such great teams as well. What is different this season is that we have that beast Matic from the start. We'll finally have that midfield metronome we've been crying out for in Fabregas; meaning Hazard won't have to drop deep all the time. We'll finally have a top striker to create space; and one who has a much better chance of actually putting away the multitude of chances (created by Hazard) the likes of Torres has fluffed. Hopefully, we'll also have a LB in Luis who'll both be able to let Hazard do his thing and also support him going forward. Who knows? Perhaps Mourinho wanted Luis instead of Shaw because having a LB at the peak of his powers could fast track Hazard's potential (instead of waiting around for both Hazard's and Shaw's). If that's the case, I say screw Shaw. Yes, I would say it's all set up nicely for Hazard to have his 'breakout season' in the next year or two (at most). However, I think we can only be 100% critical of his performances after the coming season (at least).

He'd be a constant starter for us if his natural position wasn't the same as Hazard's...if only his left foot was as good as his right!

What I always found funny was people saying that Fabregas is Lampards replacement. Totally wrong, totally different players. Tiago is Lampard's replacement. He is an experienced head in midfield and that is what we need when things get tough. I'd have him over Mikel any day and he also controls the game better than Frank. Knows Chelsea, knows Mourinho, knows the league, knows the system, great stand in for when Fabregas needs a rest and great squad singing.

Never saw the big deal around this guy and was shocked at his transfer and price but wow! Impressed is not the word. The boy is making everyone forget about Falcao and is fast becoming the player of the tournament.

I wouldn't reach that conclusion just yet myself but if things haven't improved by the end of next season I'd be of the same opinion. What I don't get is Mourinho's love for each player but his refusal to play them together. If they can't play together then fine, but I think he'll end up needing to choose between the two in that case because they're both big investments who aren't particularly creative and seem to hinder each other's game or get in each others areas. He already pushed for Willian so the logical thing would be to move Oscar for a massive fee, while we still can... (Labas by the way! My partner and daughter are Lithuanian but saying 'labas' is pretty much the extent of my Lithuanian! )

Well PSG want Oscar and they have a history of paying ridiculous prices...selling Oscar, buying Sanchez and having a good few million to spare sounds like an alright deal to me. Not to mention that Mourinho doesn't like playing Oscar and Willian together anyway. Though it will never happen...

I know it's highly unlikely, but Hazard + Sanchez sounds like the most terrifying combination of wingers imaginable right now. I think they'd compliment each other very well and go a long way to breaking teams down; mainly since Willian drifts into the middle while on the right and Salah is an 'inside winger/forward' like Hazard which has often resulted in us becoming too condensed going forward.This is probably best highlighted by the fact that Mourinho refused to play Willian and Oscar together near the end of the season. I know I said Oscar deserves one more year to impress as a 10, but putting my FM cap on for a moment I would ship him on and like to imagine a 4-3-3 with Hazard and Sanchez. Who knows as well, allowing Ramires to go back into his natural position might see him pick up some form again and stop him acting like the donkey we saw last season. I suppose what I'm trying to say is that I think a 4-3-3 with proper wingers is much more suited to Mourinho than a 4-2-3-1 with a bunch 'inside wingers/forward' and perhaps the most uncreative no 10. I've seen in quite some time...

So that implies competitive matches? Good!

Same, but I would've had those international match bans carry over into the next world cup or at least its qualifiers. I mean, banning him from international friendlies isn't really a punishment...

Liverpool fans playing the victim card...as usual. Liverpool fans needs to get it into their thick delusional heads that their not punishing them, their punishing Suarez. Whatever club has him can't accept his goals without also accepting how stupid he is. He's lucky he'll even get to play at club level at all next season.

I think this parody website sums up Liverpool's reaction to these situations: http://waterfordwhispersnews.com/2014/06/25/its-the-dwwnwcru-daily-wwn-world-cup-round-up-11/

Not only is this the third time, it's actually happening with more frequency. Who next on his list? Costa? (just imagine) Big ban and a muzzle when he returns is the only solution.

Yeah, and I'm just waiting for the 'he never got a proper rest in X amount of years' excuse to flair up again two months into next season; while still being able to pull off performances like today...

Because I'm not convinced by one single performance. I still believe he is one of the most uncreative no. 10s I have ever seen. I believe creativity is instinctual ala Hazard, Fabregas, Mata etc. and I believe it does not come as naturally to him as the players I've mentioned, especially against teams who sit back. If people believe Fabregas' creativity is a magic bullet for our problems when facing smaller opposition, well then they're in for a disappointment. What if he's injured, tired or having a bad game? We also need a creative no. 10 to carry the load and so far I have not seen enough of it from Oscar (my stance on this has not changed since the whole 'Oscar V Mata' thread back in last September). However, I think he deserves one more season as 10 to see if he really can do it...but I wouldn't pass up a stupid overinflated World Cup bid in the meantime...

I'm actually hoping that PSG decide to throw the £60m they were planning to use for Hazard at Oscar instead....

Fixed