You are disregarding that Mourinho is not playing a pure #10 in that position. He is using Oscar as a deep #8 to release Hazard and Willian. Oscaris doing his job indeed. Its to quickly release Willian Eto'o and Hazard into counter. Then Oscar comes in from deep to smash in any rebounds and to support the 3 upfront along with Lampard/Ramires.

 

This is quite true and something I've noticed over the last wee while . Oscar is actually being deployed quite deeply and is covering a much larger area than the other attacking/creative players . I think his role in the team and where Mourinho wants him to be on the pitch has changed from the start of the season .

 

The most important thing is that we continue to keep  winning and whether that means Oscar scores goals or gives assists (which is how people seem to judge him on here) isn't really relevant in achieving that cause . 

73% passing against villa

 

im sorry, but that is horrific for any outfield position, let alone a number 10

73% passing against villa

 

im sorry, but that is horrific for any outfield position, let alone a number 10

 

mhm.

 

Really missing mata in the #10 role tbh.

Yeah he was really bad this game, it's getting on my nervous now to be honest we really need him and he is nowhere to be found.

 

Hazard is unstoppable and just creates mayhem whenever he has the ball and he really puts in the effort. Oscar gets the ball on the edge of the box and loses it. Willian put in a decent performance, sending off was harsh but he did better attacking wise than he has done over this month and the last whereas Oscar is still pretty far away.

Missing Juan

73% passing against villa

 

im sorry, but that is horrific for any outfield position, let alone a number 10

 

Well considering Oscar is normally charged with making that final cutting pass, wouldn't you expect his pass ratio to be lower than someone like Matic who generally just passes it to the closest open teammate? Plus we were playing a lot of balls in behind which would have made that go down.

 

I don't think statistics like that mean anything unless you show what passes didn't make it.

Really missing mata in the #10 role tbh.

 

He was worse than Oscar the entire season.

Edited March 16, 201412 yr by Stim

He was worse than Oscar the entire season.

 

Never used in the number 10 role, mostly used wide right.

He was worse than Oscar the entire season.

all 3 months of it? should have built our team around him and hazard even if it meant sacrificing some of the defensive stabilty.

Well considering Oscar is normally charged with making that final cutting pass, wouldn't you expect his pass ratio to be lower than someone like Matic who generally just passes it to the closest open teammate? Plus we were playing a lot of balls in behind which would have made that go down.

 

I don't think statistics like that mean anything unless you show what passes didn't make it.

 

That's the thing though, he wasn't making those types of passes. I don't think Oscar was as bad as he has been in recent weeks for us but he is still misplacing too many passes, simple ones too.

 

He is completely off his game right now and a lot of people are saying it is because he is burnt out because of how many games he has played in the last 2 years. Let's just say this true for second, how exactly is he going to recover for next season when there is a world cup just around the corner ? I don't want to go into next season with this Oscar playing as our number 10.

I just don't rate him that highly.

I was all for Oscar but even im having doubts about him lately.

How can Oscar, or anyone else, make telling forward passes if there isn't a centre forward in the right positions, making the right runs, to pass to?

It is the forward that is the problem.

Geez!

How can Oscar, or anyone else, make telling forward passes if there isn't a centre forward in the right positions, making the right runs, to pass to?

It is the forward that is the problem.

Geez!

Spot on. If you watched the Spurs game today you would have seen how mobile Adebayor was and he was always getting into positions so players pick him out. Torres stands around waiting for the ball with defenders easily marking him. Invariably he then loses possession and tries to chase the defender, thus getting some credit for working. It's awful.

With hazard or when mata was here, you'd always see people type out 'it must be frustrating for these guys that the forwards can't convert their chances', 'he would be on x amount of assists by now'. It was evident when seeing that as well. I don't see Oscar making the same type of forward-thinking passes like those two did. 

 

It shouldn't be just to our strikers either. Mata did it fine throughout our team and our strikeforce was worse last year than it was this year 

 

Essentially, I'll just be rehashing Lane's arguments though. Hopefully next season Thorgan will provide more creativity or at least someone else. What if Oscar, say, gets even more tired next season? (if that is the argument)

Edited March 16, 201412 yr by MANoWAR

How can Oscar, or anyone else, make telling forward passes if there isn't a centre forward in the right positions, making the right runs, to pass to?

It is the forward that is the problem.

Geez!

 

Lets not act like theres a literal void upfront. Even when our strikers make a run and Oscar sees it, the pass ends up being overhit or just plain inaccurate

 

I urge everyone who thinks its solely down to our strikers to watch the spurs match from the moment Oscar came on. He had so much space around him, and so many opportunities to create goalscoring chances, yet he was dreadful. Mish*t passes, fluffed crosses, poor first touch . . .

 

Something us definitely up with him. While i think hes overrated by the majority of Chelsea fans, i still think he has it in him to play better than this, probably as a CM. As a nr 10, i dont think he will ever reach heights needed to be a key player for Chelsea.

 

 

Well considering Oscar is normally charged with making that final cutting pass, wouldn't you expect his pass ratio to be lower than someone like Matic who generally just passes it to the closest open teammate? Plus we were playing a lot of balls in behind which would have made that go down.

 

I don't think statistics like that mean anything unless you show what passes didn't make it.

 

This is another issue i have with Oscar and its him not even attempting through balls. He is misplacing the simplest of passes.

 

Btw, in recent weeks, Matic has been much more creative than Oscar. He has shown he has the ability to send our striker through on goal.

 

True, Matic has more space and time to pick a pass, but thats not the point of this discussion.

all 3 months of it? should have built our team around him and hazard even if it meant sacrificing some of the defensive stabilty.

you realise we're top of the league though right? and that is down to the way mourinho has set the side up, including his decision to build us around the more defensively-aware Oscar. its all well and good saying we should have sacrificed some defensive stability for creativity, but the results we've had speak for themselves. Oscar's just a little short of form, and lacking a striker to pick out. i dont see Oscar as an issue/weak link in our team at all

you realise we're top of the league though right? and that is down to the way mourinho has set the side up, including his decision to build us around the more defensively-aware Oscar. its all well and good saying we should have sacrificed some defensive stability for creativity, but the results we've had speak for themselves. Oscar's just a little short of form, and lacking a striker to pick out. i dont see Oscar as an issue/weak link in our team at all

didnt realise we are top of the league ...for now. We could easily finish 4th aswell though. We haven't won anything yet, and considering how poor we've been going forward this season bar hazard, I think its perfectly normal to question tactics.

I dont agree with every decision the manager or club makes, I have my own opinions.

I didnt say oscar was a weak link, I suggested mata was a stronger link.

Im not gonna be putting my head in the sand because we're top in march. Its like telling a palace fan to stop talking about relegation, because on paper they aren't in the drop zone, and Sunderland have a couple of games in hand.

Could be that he's not fully comfortable playing in such a fluid and inter-changing front 3. He's always much better solely in the middle as he is for Brazil and lacks Hazard and Willian's dribbling so maybe deploying him more rigidly would help.

I'd very much like to see thorgan or piazon given a real opportunity in the 10 role next year, they both( from what I have seen) offer a lot of creativity and have come on significantly in the last number of months, probably enough to warrant a place in our squad

I'd very much like to see thorgan or piazon given a real opportunity in the 10 role next year, they both( from what I have seen) offer a lot of creativity and have come on significantly in the last number of months, probably enough to warrant a place in our squad

 

I would really love to see the 2 Hazard brothers playing together. Thorgan Hazard has done all that has been asked of him during his loan spell in Belgium. He's won the young player of the year and the main player of the year award. He's not just the brother Eden Hazard, he has real talent of his own.

Edited March 17, 201412 yr by Scott Harris

people are forgetting how young oscar is. i get the impression that many have been spoilt and thus creating an impatient demand.

Isco, Pogba, Gotze, and Draxler are all younger than oscar. Youth is not an excuse for him. He's a good player, but he is not a number 10, if anything he's a box to box player, but he needs to bulk up significantly if he is to succeed in a role like that.

Isco, Pogba, Gotze, and Draxler are all younger than oscar. Youth is not an excuse for him. He's a good player, but he is not a number 10, if anything he's a box to box player, but he needs to bulk up significantly if he is to succeed in a role like that.

Wow... Drogba was a late bloomer. By your methods we should have never bought Mata....

Huh? Mata was doing very well in terms of creativity with Valencia when he was younger. I know he's young, but from younger age we see glimpses of creativity before it gets improved (you've seen that with all the AMs -- ozil, mata, etc. and with younger talents now like Sterling, coutinho...) Oscar provides the most tackles in your team tbh and drops deep quite a bit -- he's more suited to a bbm role than AM 

 

How do you develop it by 23 if we haven't seen enough to suggest it will improve? I haven't seen that his vision is great -- would that not be more natural than suddenly acquired by learning? Even when he does notice players to pick a the pass to his passing has been off (although he may improve this) 

Edited March 17, 201412 yr by MANoWAR