The Big Drog

We dont know that yet. Im not saying Marin will be the first name on the team sheet, but he is a winger and a player who is capable of earning a permanent starting role at the club, however as I said earlier, lets not pretend that we are going to play with out and out wingers like Man Utd do. Why do we need natural widemen? I accept that width is important but Mata and Hazard are more than comfortable drifting into wide positions to stretch the opposition and the full backs will always provide width too. Why cant we win with small technically gifted players? Last season Man City won a league with a starting line up mainly containing Silva, Nasri, Aguero, Tevez and Balotelli. Only Balotelli could be described as a physical presence of those players. Hazard, Mata, Marin, Oscar, Torres. Only Torres could be described as a physical presence of those players. Mikel and Lampard are physically imposing players. Terry and Luiz/Cahill are physically imposing players, as are Ivanovic and Cech. No dimensions? Players like Hazard, Mata and Oscar will give us more dimensions than we have ever had before, genuine creativity and ingenuity. Ye Hulk would be great at the club, but if you were giving me the choice between Oscar and Hulk, I would take Oscar every single day of the week, Hulk is a wonderful player, Oscar is very special.

We've signed Marko Marin, a winger. We have Kevin De Bruyne, somebody who can play on the wing. The signing of Oscar would mean that Mata and Hazard could be played in wider positions. I think its naive to assume that we will play with set wingers like Man Utd do, Hazard, Mata and Oscar would all be given the freedom to roam. I also dont see why signing Oscar would mean we wouldn't be signing a right back.

I dont agree at all, I very strongly disagree. Why cant small, quality players win things? If they are good enough they can win things. Look no further than Barcelona. Eden Hazard is a player of the highest quality, Juan Mata is a wonderful player and added a lot to the team last season, Oscar has an incredible amount of potentian and would be an addition to any squad in world football. We still have some big players with a presence, Terry, Lampard, Luiz, Cahill, Ivanovic, Mikel, Essien, Cech, they are all big players with a big physical presence. We've needed attacking flair for such a long time and that is finally happening with signings like Mata, Hazard, Marin and, hopefully, Oscar. Signing good footballers can only be a good thing.

I wouldn't say i know a lot, I've seen him play for the senior Brazilian side each time and I've seen him a couple of times for his club side, I would say Henrique has a far deeper knowledge of the player. From what I have seen of him I have been hugely impressed, he instantly caught my eye as a top prospect. I believe he can play deeper, ala Modric but I think you might be reducing his attacking instincts if you play him as part of a double pivot, the lad is a number 10, a true number 10, while Hazard and Mata can play out wide, it would leave the number 10 spot open to Oscar, obviously it wouldn't be a rigid formation, those players are mobile and intelligent enough to constantly switch positions. I definitely think the number 10 would be his best role, though he has occasionally played out wide for brief periods in the matches I have seen, he has the qualities to do that but I would definitely say that primarily he is a number 10.

Ye that's true, the quotes an articles do sound very encouraging though, but ye its always better to veer on the side of pessimism when it comes to us and transfers.

As I say, I was full sure that he would inevitably end up at Barcelona or Real Madrid, or at least one of the big Italian clubs (traditionally a more regular home for top Brazilian players than the English league). I couldn't get over just how good this lad is, terrific vision, a turn of pace, skill and an excellent decision maker. A forward line of Torres Mata, Oscar, Hazard is hugely exciting. If anyone has doubts about him then watch the Brazilian side at the Olympics, this guy is the real deal.

I cant believe it, I was away over the weekend so Im completely out of touch with the latest football news but now I've just seen the article on The Telegraph and, thanks to the links on this thread, the quotes from the Brazilian paper, The Daily Mail and Sky Sports. Im ridiculously excited, having seen him play all of the games he has played so far for the senior Brazilian national team and a couple for Internacional and I've been deeply impressed. A South American player of his quality and his age, I would have bet any number of my limbs that he would end up playing for Barcelona or Real Madrid, I never thought we would be able to sign him but this one looks like it will actually happen. Messi aside, I would genuinely struggle to think of a more exciting signing.

Oh what an incredible goal. Hat trick for Jese, stunning play from the Barcelona lad Delofou(possible bad spelling) all coming from Spain keeping the ball at the start of the second half.

Cracking goal from Jese, they've just upped the tempo the last couple of minutes, the goal was always coming.

I was just flicking through channels, spotted this only a few seconds in on Eurosport and its pretty incredible. Portugal have just equalised but Spain have been terrific, the style of football is breathtaking. The way they work the ball around the pitch and out of very tight situations is very impressive. The Spanish production line does not cease.

Id say take a read of "Inverting The Pyramid" the football book on how tactics and formations have changed through the years, it's generally considered the finest book on football systems and formations ever written and gives a pretty good description on where the terms "regista" and "trequartista" originate.

Then you underestimate him, he is a very talented player with a lot if potential. Give him a chance, he will win you over.

Well Im excited. Maybe its because we haven't had a direct winger in ages but I really think Moses would add something to the side. He is young, he is technically good, he is a genuine threat and I think he would add something to the team.

Its a tough one. Personally Im always more excited by the signing of footballers than athletes and we have done well recently to sign technically gifted players like Mata, Hazard, Marin, De Bruyne. That being said there is no doubt that Walcott would add something to the team and I feel his speed and directness would really benefit Torres. I wonder if Walcott would want out of Arsenal too? Aside from the issues of Arsenal losing their best players and a probable higher salary at Chelsea, he must feel that he isn't really loved by the Arsenal fans. He must be aware that Oxlade-Chamberlain already seems more popular with the Arsenal fanbase than he is. That must annoy him a bit. Id be very much on the fence were this to happen.

This made me lol, you gotta give the man credit, he is a quality troll.

I think he will be a hit. Very talented player, young and exactly the type of player we should be looking for.

Why does it revolve around only those two horrible games? For each of those games there is a dozen world class performances.

You have to lol at Arsenal. I wouldn't want him at Chelsea. 28, injury prone and a strong affiliation with Arsenal. I can make an exception for Ashley Cole because he is the best left back in the world but I've never rated RVP that highly to begin with.

Whenever I've seen him (a few Inter matches and quite a bit for Brazil) he has always looked quite solid at the back. Perhaps he hasn't got the greatest acceleration but over a distance he is quite quick, he is powerful runner, ala Yaya Toure.

You'd think from looking at the comments that the only matches Maicon ever took part in were the two against Bale. He is an incredible player, strong, fast, technically very good. He is solid defensively and offers a lot going forward, how we can be complaining having sat through years of bloody Jose Bosingwa I dont know.

Because he is technically better than all of our central midfielders. I still think there is a problem in central midfield, we have players who, if we are setting up to defend and keep a shape, they are perfect. They are hard workers, defensively aware and able. However it seems we are trying to adopt a more attacking, fluid approach and Im not sure if any of our midfielders are technically proficient enough to play that way. Mikel arguably is, Romeu probably is but he plays the same role as Mikel. The other central midfield role is likely to be occupied by Lampard and Meireles on a rotating basis and neither are as technically good as Modric and neither can link the play like Modric does. I think he would add so much to the side as we try to change the whole philosophy of the team, I really hope this one happens.

I didn't see it three months ago, just making up for lost time and ye it was a better contribution than your claim the Enrique is a better player. Funny that, clearly Barcelona think he is alright.

I dont agree. Alba and Alves are clever enough not to both go forward at the same time and leave the defence completely exposed. In any case, Busquets is there to make up the extra number. What Alba also adds (with his previous experience as a left midfielder) is the ability for Barcelona to go with 3 at the back and use Alves and Alba as wing backs.

Terrific signing for Barcelona. A lethal attacking option from deep, very able defensively, suits the Barcelona style down to the ground. Left back was an issue last season in the absence of Abidal, Alba certainly solves that problem.

lol no.