Posted this in the matchday thread but i feel this thread is more appropriate:

 

Im still unconvinced by him. He has only 2 assists this season, and most of his goals have been jammy, so i dont think he will maintain his goalscoring form

 

If you look past his defensive ability his not half the player Mata is. I really have a problem with our starting nr 10 being one of the worst passers in the team. His passing % in the CHL is below 80%. Thats shocking!

 

He constantly gives away the ball. Today he tried to nutmeg Young in our own half, and lost the ball without anyone covering. If Matic does end up shoring up our midfield then Mata should replace Oscar in the starting line up.

 

I would agree. Oscar's a good player, but Mata is better.

I think both Mata and Oscar have been inconsistent this season, but Oscar has kept his place by a having a much better pressing and defensive game then Mata. I'm expecting Mata to play 90 minutes against Stoke next weekend atleast, hopefully Matic gets 90 minutes as well.

I've said it before but i prefer a number 10 to be more silkier on the ball,i think of Oscar as a central midfielder more than a CAM.Mata is the best nr 10 in the world in my opinion so i always would prefer Mata there.You say alot of Oscar's goals have been lucky but you could say the same about some of Hazards aswell.

 

Bayern super cup,Cardiff home(2),Swansea home, Norwich all goals where for me the GK should have saved them or they took a deflection.

Edited January 19, 201412 yr by jack_super_class

he's absolutely essential to our style of play.

 

at long last we are looking like a properly coached side with a coherent, identifiable style of play. oscar is at the forefront of that.

 

he is a brilliant player. he is a huge reason why we are able to be aggressive and proactive without the ball and he's a highly efficient attacking player. his appreciation of space is brilliant- he always manages to find dangerous areas of the pitch to drift into, and always moves into wide areas well to stop us becoming too narrow when a wide player goes into the middle.

 

lane you obviously don't rate him all that much. you had de bruyne knocking him out of the side for mourinho right? spent ages telling us all how superior he was to oscar last season unless I'm confusing you with someone else?

 

the idea that most of his goals are jammy is basically absurd and the assist stat doesn't matter much in my view. you can play a simple 5 yard square ball and get an assist whereas a properly defense splitting pass may not get one if it isn't the final pass. it is no great indicator of creativity or attacking value.

 

mata is a great player but it isn't only defensively where he doesn't fit our style of play as well as oscar. every mourinho side since he left portugal tries to score goals within about four passes. oscar's game is more aligned with this type of directness (and consequently his pass completion rate will suffer a bit) whereas mata fits a style that is more patient and looks to keep the ball in the opposition half.

 

out of the context of our style of play, squad and manager mata is still the better player. the question is should jose do what serves our best player or do what serves our best side? I would guess you haven't been to many games in the last three seasons. not a criticism, but just a conclusion based on the fact that you really can't judge a player or match all that well if you aren't there. because with this style of play the team looks much more assured and durable and when you see oscar pressing multiple opponents repeatedly it is easy to understand why.

I agree with you on the space thing, he alwqys seems to find space and time no matter how packed the midfield is, reminds me of gullit in that aspect. The jammy goals thing is as you say, absurd. His timing into dangerous goalscoring areas is what gets him a lot of chances, and that doesnt happen by accident.

Edited January 19, 201412 yr by dkw

2 players Lane doesn't like Oscar and Willian.

Disagree with the sentiment, we are a much better team this season than the last two years and a lot of that is down to pressing and hard work of the attacking midfeilders and Oscar does this better than any of the other four.

All this talk of Mata is the better player well he's had his chances this season and just hasn't done enough to warrant being picked ahead of Willian, Hazard and especially Oscar.

I really don't understand singling out a player for criticism when we have just beaten a rival where the whole team performed well, there really is no pleasing some fans.

2 players Lane doesn't like Oscar and Willian.

 

I like willian now

 

Disagree with the sentiment, we are a much better team this season than the last two years and a lot of that is down to pressing and hard work of the attacking midfeilders and Oscar does this better than any of the other four.

All this talk of Mata is the better player well he's had his chances this season and just hasn't done enough to warrant being picked ahead of Willian, Hazard and especially Oscar.

I really don't understand singling out a player for criticism when we have just beaten a rival where the whole team performed well, there really is no pleasing some fans.

 

ok next time i will pm you and ask if enough time has passed since our last win so i can criticize a player

I like willian now

ok next time i will pm you and ask if enough time has passed since our last win so i can criticize a player

Oh don't trouble yourself negative Nancy I'm sure you'll be too busy looking at your half full glass in a haze of melancholy.

the funny thing is when people compare Mata vs Oscar.  They are essentially comparing Mata under Rafa vs Oscar under Mourinho, which are 2 different circumstances.  Mata had a free role last season, with no defensive responsibility to the team, while this season Oscar is the key to the press for Mourinho.

 

Have you guys seen mata under mourinho.  If you wanna compare, its a better sample using mata during Mourinho reign vs Oscar during Mourinho reign...

 

Oscar he deserves more than a little push after what he nearly did to Cahill.

Just discovered he and his wife are expecting a baby!  Bloody hell, he doesn't look old enough to have left school yet!

Posted this in the matchday thread but i feel this thread is more appropriate:

 

Im still unconvinced by him. He has only 2 assists this season, and most of his goals have been jammy, so i dont think he will maintain his goalscoring form

 

If you look past his defensive ability his not half the player Mata is. I really have a problem with our starting nr 10 being one of the worst passers in the team. His passing % in the CHL is below 80%. Thats shocking!

 

He constantly gives away the ball. Today he tried to nutmeg Young in our own half, and lost the ball without anyone covering. If Matic does end up shoring up our midfield then Mata should replace Oscar in the starting line up.

Which goals have been jammy? except Derby

i love this little diamond!

Nothing lucky about todays goal

Anyone saying it was lucky are obviously still f**ked off about Mata going, its not Oscars fault end of the day.

Jose said in the post-match conference that Oscar had some specific practice of free kicks after training.

Love this guy!

He'll light the World Cup up this Summer, he just makes us tick at the moment and can't wait to see him on the biggest stage.

A far better asset to the team under Jose. Fantastic player and only going to get better under Mourinho!

thought Oscar picked a good game to have a very good performance! just as Mata leaves, Ossie goes and shows everyone why we are still in safe hands. Great No. 10

This guy amazes me.

 

Adding free kicks to his game now. Going to grow into a complete midfielder. Looking forward to seeing him at the World Cup

Edited January 26, 201412 yr by JoeyN

Amazed at how many of our fans still don't rate him. When he plays you forget how young he is and he will only get better!

Beautiful free kick today. He ran the show in the middle. Looks so awkward on the ball yet has so much class and does stuff no one else can do on the pitch (Except a certain no.17).