Oscar

[Bir_CFC 3,455]

The Mata transfer will put a lot of pressure on Oscar. I hope he starts fully proving that we'll be fine without Juan - I want him to step up and consistently provide those killer passes. I hope he has that in his locker. He needs to be a lot more creative in the final third.

While he'll surely improve, I don't think Oscar will ever come close to even 50% of Mata's vision and creativity. Just a different kind of player.

He has ability to cover the goals but I don't see the assists getting anywhere close to Mata level.

[communicate 2,703]

Nah, Sneijder has brilliant vision, which is one thing Oscar hasn't got (yet hopefully) in his game. Sneijder has insane technique in a lot of things he does, so I wouldn't compare him to Oscar at all.

In term of that pure play-making ability, it is not even close but with the way Mourinho want us to play Oscar is the perfect player.

I think sneijder will face similar fate to mata if he is in our team

[Styles 9,790]

While he'll surely improve, I don't think Oscar will ever come close to even 50% of Mata's vision and creativity. Just a different kind of player.

He has ability to cover the goals but I don't see the assists getting anywhere close to Mata level.

I'd love to know what Mata's open-play assists numbers actually are. He seems to have a lot of assists from corners and freekicks which beef up his tally quite a bit in my opinion.

I don't really take too much stock in assists anyway to be honest. For example Mata gets an assists for this

Hazard is 40 yards from goal when he recieves the ball, he has to beat a player and then smack it into the top corner from 35 yards.

It's a great assist if you play fantasy football I guess.

[Sir Mikel OBE 4,920]

Will he get the 10 shirt next summer or will he hold on to Drogba's old shirt?

[Korea 734]

I'd love to know what Mata's open-play assists numbers actually are. He seems to have a lot of assists from corners and freekicks which beef up his tally quite a bit in my opinion.

I don't really take too much stock in assists anyway to be honest. For example Mata gets an assists for this

Hazard is 40 yards from goal when he recieves the ball, he has to beat a player and then smack it into the top corner from 35 yards.

It's a great assist if you play fantasy football I guess.

I said this before, due to hazard and oscar inability to excel in set pieces will cause both of them to never reach the amount of assist Mata got in 2012-13.

[Barbara 15,149]

I'd love to know what Mata's open-play assists numbers actually are. He seems to have a lot of assists from corners and freekicks which beef up his tally quite a bit in my opinion.

I don't really take too much stock in assists anyway to be honest. For example Mata gets an assists for this

http://differentgame.wordpress.com/2013/09/16/how-much-does-juan-mata-to-chelsea/

The original post I guess was on Whoscored.com (but I could be wrong, I remember someone posting this on Mata's thread a few months ago).

He's had 8 open play assists last season in EPL.

A better article and a better source

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/15116/8827707/chelsea-stats

He's had 12 assists last season, 8 of which from open-play. Hazard's had 11 all of which from open-play.

'nuff said

[Korea 734]

http://differentgame.wordpress.com/2013/09/16/how-much-does-juan-mata-to-chelsea/

The original post I guess on was Whoscored.com (but I could be wrong).

He's had 8 open play assists last season in EPL.

A better article and a better source

http://www1.skysports.com/football/news/15116/8827707/chelsea-stats

He's had 12 assists last season, 8 of which from open-play. Hazard's had 11 all of which from open-play.

'nuff said

Nice, im stealing this website information....

I knew it mata didnt have many open play assists..

[Gilvorak 3,734]

So I've just learned Mata's passing is overrated. And we're downgrading the importance of quality delivery from set pieces now?

[Jase 43,479]

The length at which people are willing to go to downplay and basically say Mata has been useless for us is absolutely pathetic and borderline idiotic, if not already.

[Korea 734]

The length at which people are willing to go to downplay and basically say Mata has been useless for us is absolutely pathetic and borderline idiotic, if not already.

downplay what?

Whose downplaying it...

I said Oscar and hazard could never reach Mata assist total cause of their inability to excel in set pieces..

[Jase 43,479]

downplay what?

Whose downplaying it...

I said Oscar and hazard could never reach Mata assist total cause of their inability to excel in set pieces..

Yeah and then this...

I knew it mata didnt have many open play assists..

[We Hate Scouse 10,286]

The length at which people are willing to go to downplay and basically say Mata has been useless for us is absolutely pathetic and borderline idiotic, if not already.

This season he has served no use for us whatsoever therefore at present time he is useless.

[Jase 43,479]

This season he has served no use for us whatsoever therefore at present time he is useless.

Was the point even anything about this season?!

[Korea 734]

Yeah and then this...

He didnt though, which is what Ive been saying all this time...

I've said many times, Mata assists total came a lot from set pieces, which is why neither hazard or oscar could match it.

[Barbara 15,149]

The length at which people are willing to go to downplay and basically say Mata has been useless for us is absolutely pathetic and borderline idiotic, if not already.

I don't think Styles or I have done it and I'm not sure that's Korea's point either.

There were posts saying Oscar is supposed to fill Mata's shoes. Oscar isn't a set-piece taker by nature (sometimes he takes some corners and the odd free-kick for us), so what he has to fill is 8 assists in the league.

Don't be so bloody defensive, nobody here is making him useless for God's sake. Do the numbers downplay him? If you think so, that's your problem and Mata's. I think having a set-piece assistant or scorer is an asset to the any club, did any of us imply he's a lesser player because of that, or just that many of his assists come from that so it's only fair to compare his open-play assists with the guy that is supposed to fill his shoes.

Also, Oscar and Hazard are the players staying in the club, so I hope both of them to put Mata numbers to shame. Sorry if you consider this offensive, downplaying or making Mata useless.

That article I've posted was posted before in the Mata's thread, months ago. Not by me or any of those guys. It was Amels or Melanicus

[Jase 43,479]

All of Mata's assists for us since joining the club. 52 assists in total; 33 from open play and only 19 from set pieces.

Open Play (33)
Terry vs Southampton
Cole vs Stoke
Hazard vs Norwich
Ivanovic vs Norwich
Sturridge vs Tottenham
Oscar vs Nordsjaelland
Lampard vs Aston Villa
Moses vs Leeds
Ivanovic vs Southampton
Ba vs Southampton
Hazard vs Stoke
Lampard vs Brentford
Hazard vs Man United
Hazard vs West Ham
Torres vs Steaua Bucharest
Ba vs Man United
Moses vs Rubin Kazan
Torres vs Rubin Kazan
Terry vs Fulham
Torres vs Benfica
Torres vs Swansea
Ramires vs Everton
Lampard vs Arsenal
Sturridge vs Wolves
Drogba vs Newcastle
Drogba vs Valencia (1st goal)
Drogba vs Valencia (3rd goal)
Drogba vs Stoke
Ramires vs Tottenham
Malouda vs Tottenham
Ramires vs Liverpool
Torres vs QPR
Lampard vs Bolton

Set Pieces (19)
Terry vs Tottenham
Cahill vs Wolves
Torres vs Wolves
Torres vs Arsenal
Cahill vs Man United
Moses vs Shakhtar
Terry vs Liverpool
Cahill vs Nordsjaelland
Lampard vs Reading
Terry vs Steaua Bucharest
Oscar vs Liverpool
Terry vs Wolves
Ivanovic vs Benfica
Sturridge vs Bolton
Luiz vs Man United
Cahill vs Leicester
Ivanovic vs Aston Villa
Drogba vs Bayern Munich
Terry vs QPR

[Jase 43,479]

He didnt though, which is what Ive been saying all this time...

I've said many times, Mata assists total came a lot from set pieces, which is why neither hazard or oscar could match it.

Funny that when only 19 of Mata's 52 assists for the club came from set plays...

[Korea 734]

Funny that when only 19 of Mata's 52 assists for the club came from set plays...

so, 19/52 isnt a lot? thats prob 19 more than hazard and oscar combined.