🇷🇸 Nemanja Matic

[Stats 7,142]

Liverpool is a midtable team. they were eliminated early for both domestic cups and didnt play in Europe. Liverpool allowed 50 goals in last season, which will probably be worse now with the loss of Suarez.

No one on lIverpool minus Hendo is good at pressing. Liverpool plays an open games and allows the offensive players to shine.... I guess since both willian and Oscar play defensively for Jose, they are purely defensive ams right? Or the fact Jose wants them to play like that? Kind of like how Di maria played for Jose at madrid....

Its obvious. You like Sterling because you share nationalities. Its ok, its rational and reasonable.

They probably finished higher than us because they did not have the distraction of Europe but the fact is they are a top 4 team. They are not a mid-table tea. It is that simple. Time will tell how the loss of Suarez and addition of Europe affects them but as it is they are a top 4 team. Fact. Yes, Oscar's pressing may suit Liverpool's pressing but he still would not be a guaranteed starter imo. While he could do a job in CM, he does not have the natural composure, balance and passing skills required of a very good CM. That is why he would not walk into Liverpool's team.

NO. Let's no go there. I like Sterling a lot and yeah I support him on a bit more because he is Jamaican but that is nothing to do with why I think he is better than Oscar. I just think he is. Sterling makes assists, has great balance/strength, his passing is quite impressive, brilliant pace, acceleration and dribbling and seems to get better every game whereas I cannot say the same about Oscar. He only cemented his place into Liverpool's first 11 around late December and got into double figures. While Oscar has good defensive work rate, his general attacking play is not that good.

[RoyalBlues 4,050]

I'm enough of Oscar topic, nice to see Oscar thread down there, as I stay away from that, so I went to Matic thread only to found out another Oscar thread in disguise. Great how lucky I am.

[BlueLyon 9,359]

I think Sterling is better than Oscar in attacking sense, but thats it. Oscar positioning, work rate and defending are better. Though its pointless as they have completely different roles nowdays.

[The only place to be 11,313]

And yes, Oscar would not get into Liverpool's team. Whose place would he take? Not Sturrdige. Not Sterling. Not Balotelli. Whose place would he take?

He would take Joe Allen's spot on the left of their diamond or midfield 3. Every. Single. Day. Of. The. Week.

But yes, Oscar would not take over Henderson, Sterling or Sturridge. Fact.

Well Sterling is a more advanced midfielder, Henderson would play next to him (with slippy Gerrard in there) and Sturridge is a striker.

He also wouldn't take Moreno's spot or Mignolet's spot. He'd give Gerrard the help he needs defensively without being as one-dimensional as Leiva, and support the attack without being as useless defensively as Coutinho.

Essentially he's a link man like Modric, a better Joe Allen.

[Reddish-Blue 2,506]

He would take Joe Allen's spot on the left of their diamond or midfield 3. Every. Single. Day. Of. The. Week.

Well Sterling is a more advanced midfielder, Henderson would play next to him (with slippy Gerrard in there) and Sturridge is a striker.

He also wouldn't take Moreno's spot or Mignolet's spot. He'd give Gerrard the help he needs defensively without being as one-dimensional as Leiva, and support the attack without being as useless defensively as Coutinho.

Essentially he's a link man like Modric, a better Joe Allen.

Totally agree, Oscar > Joe Allen any day of the week

Whenever people talk about Joe Allen, the first Chelsea name that comes to mind is Ryan Bertrand... as in he's not brilliant but as a squad player, he'll do his job, he'll generally give you a 7/10 performance and he won't complain

[CHOULO19 24,332]

Why don't we just rename all the threads into "Oscar"?

Please, get back on topic or take the discussion into the appropriate thread.

[Rapkun 668]

I kind of wonder if Matic signed up to be a dm or if he envisioned himself as the deep lying playmaker for Chelsea

I think he doesn't mind playing both positions. but I personally think Nemanja is limited when it comes to playing passes that break through a line.

[Supermonkey92 1,428]

I'm kind of worried that he seems to be more proactive, even when it would be better to actually take a page out of Mikels book now and then and drop deeper, but I guess that's his style

[TheWiz 109]

Back in his early Chelsea Days I remember watching regularly the Reserves, with Matic, Borini, Gael Kakutta and so on. When I saw him the first few Times I was astonished and I wondered how a limited Player like Ballack plays Week in Week out and someone like Matic, who pulls Hoddel-esque Passes and breaks through Midfield Lines with occasional Powerdribbles wastes his Time with the 2nd Team.

However, I was sure that he'll be Chelseas Future and thought to myself that at our Club they know what they are doing - until suddenly they loaned him out to Vitesse.

At around that Time a Chelsea Representative (cant remember his Name) was Guest on eurosport.co.uk, where People could ask him Questions about the Club and Football in general. So i joined and asked him how Chelsea could loan out/sell a potential Football Genius like Matic.

His reply (Quote on Quote): "I never heard such a Question before". ... and my Reaction was like .. WTF?

However, today I'm happy that Jose is back as Manager and I'm happy (but not wondering) that he brought back Matic - and he knows what he is doing.

Not everyone can have an Eye for Talent.

[The Skipper 20,609]

Back in his early Chelsea Days I remember watching regularly the Reserves, with Matic, Borini, Gael Kakutta and so on. When I saw him the first few Times I was astonished and I wondered how a limited Player like Ballack plays Week in Week out and someone like Matic, who pulls Hoddel-esque Passes and breaks through Midfield Lines with occasional Powerdribbles wastes his Time with the 2nd Team.

However, I was sure that he'll be Chelseas Future and thought to myself that at our Club they know what they are doing - until suddenly they loaned him out to Vitesse.

At around that Time a Chelsea Representative (cant remember his Name) was Guest on eurosport.co.uk, where People could ask him Questions about the Club and Football in general. So i joined and asked him how Chelsea could loan out/sell a potential Football Genius like Matic.

His reply (Quote on Quote): "I never heard such a Question before". ... and my Reaction was like .. WTF?

However, today I'm happy that Jose is back as Manager and I'm happy (but not wondering) that he brought back Matic - and he knows what he is doing.

Not everyone can have an Eye for Talent.

Interesting post, but completely disagree with anyone who calls Ballack, a complete midfielder, limited. What exactly was he limited in?

[DH1988 1,348]

Interesting post, but completely disagree with anyone who calls Ballack, a complete midfielder, limited. What exactly was he limited in?

+1

No referee is safe from Ballack.

[Shane 2,275]

Interesting post, but completely disagree with anyone who calls Ballack, a complete midfielder, limited. What exactly was he limited in?

Ballack wasn't a world beater in the middle for us. He had his fare share of good games for us, But towards the end let games pass him by and was ineffective in the middle.

[zolayes 14,489]

Ballack probably the most COMPLETE midfielder Chelsea ever had ,, But also a Leader ,,, yet willing

to take on a more limited role for the sake of balance in the team ,

[Barbara 15,149]

I'm enough of Oscar topic, nice to see Oscar thread down there, as I stay away from that, so I went to Matic thread only to found out another Oscar thread in disguise. Great how lucky I am.

Oscar's threads are everywhere here these days. Even when you don't mention him at all in your posts someone quotes you saying the love for him is too much around here these days. It's something like an obsession - or a plague. I can't decide.

[TheWiz 109]

Interesting post, but completely disagree with anyone who calls Ballack, a complete midfielder, limited. What exactly was he limited in?

I have to ask the same Question. Why do you think he was complete?

[Barbara 15,149]

When Matic came here I couldn't resist and write an article for the site I work for on how he was going to fix a problem we had since Ballack left.

Ballack didn't come here on his very best form and still he played a huge role for us in the midfield and from the moment he left until Matic came back last season, the void left by Michael had never been filled. He left a hole that has now been addressed and covered.

I won't discuss if he was complete or not, but he bossed our midfield, that's all that matters.

[CHOULO19 24,332]

I have to ask the same Question. Why do you think he was complete?

Don't think it works that way, mate

If you think he's limited, then it's up to you to say in what area he is limited. You can't expect @The Skipper to cover every single area of his game!

[zolayes 14,489]

I have to ask the same Question. Why do you think he was complete?

Physically IMMENSE ,, Highly Intelligent ,, Two footed Great header ,,, strong in the tackle/

High level of technical skill .. great penalty taker ..able to Captain his country .

Good at set pieces . Fluent in several languages .. The personality to keep Drogba in line .

.. well perhaps he isnt complete ,, but was always good enough for me

[zolayes 14,489]

Don't think it works that way, mate

If you think he's limited, then it's up to you to say in what area he is limited. You can't expect @The Skipper to cover every single area of his game!

I tried but forgot a lot of the other things he could do

[Madmax 9,219]

But towards the end let games pass him by and was ineffective in the middle.

I thought 09-10 was his best season for us and one of the problems we faced in the clusterfuck that was 10-11 was not adequately replacing him. Just my opinion, of course.