Cesc has been poor in every big game, Willian is praised for doing what Oscar has done regularly for over 2 years (plus he scores and assists more), Matic has been poor for a month, Jose plays for a point at home but no, Oscar is the problem.....

Erikson is great but he's also a YouTube player. I've been reading Spurs forums a lot this season as I was interested in Kane's progress, and despite Erikson's late goals many have been critical that he goes missing for long periods, is a bit powderpuff and gives the ball away too much.

Pretty much every great passing goal I've seen us make this season has had Oscar heavily involved, he thrives off clever fast movement and passing around him, I've noticed this when he plays for Brazil too, when he played on the same side as Neymar they feed off each other well, then big Phil goes to the WC and plays them on the opposite side of the pitch while using 2 terrible DM's and their attacking was s**t.

You should look at Jose's approach in these games before being critical of Oscar's contribution.

We do have secret meetings on the forum to decide which player should be scapegoated and which ones should be let off. Oscar was unfortunately the chosen one.

Lately I've started to think he may not be good enough.

His third season now and he's not quite the player I hoped he would be.

Honestly, and I know this may be controversial, but Ericksen at Spurs looks a better player.

 

I've always admired your sense of humour Davey.

Lately I've started to think he may not be good enough.

His third season now and he's not quite the player I hoped he would be.

Honestly, and I know this may be controversial, but Ericksen at Spurs looks a better player.

 

Its not controversial and not surprising either given he was hyped up from a young age much more than Oscar as a huge talent. What is surprising is how they managed to get him for £11 million. Like any young player, he does have periods where he drifts out of games, but the talent is unquestionable.

Its not controversial and not surprising either given he was hyped up from a young age much more than Oscar as a huge talent. What is surprising is how they managed to get him for £11 million. Like any young player, he does have periods where he drifts out of games, but the talent is unquestionable.

11 million is actually flatters Ericksen when you think about it.

 

He was a young guy with questionable talent from the Dutch league where the players produced are usually hit or miss. 

 

But perhaps a reason for the relatively low price, at the time, demand for an attacking midfielder wasn't high. Every team was pretty much set, we had Mata, City with Silva, Madrid with Modric and Isco etc.

Of all the players we've sold and people have complained about, the only one I regret at all is Kevin De Bruyne who I think is a much better talent than Oscar.

I disagree completely.

Of all the players we've sold and people have complained about, the only one I regret at all is Kevin De Bruyne who I think is a much better talent than Oscar.

 

Oscars done it in the premier league, De Bruyne joins a long list of players suited to the bundesliga. No one here is pining over Claudio Pizarro are they

Have to say he looked ill when he came off

He was as white as a sheet and looked clammy not sweating

When i was in the army they were danger signs for dehydration and exhaustion

He seems to lack muscles in his legs also

Davey change your avatar mate or is that part of your master plan to see that huge star and get the attention you obviously crave for.

Please don't tell me what to do, "mate".

If you don't like my posts on football, or the way I post, put me on ignore.

11 million is actually flatters Ericksen when you think about it.

 

He was a young guy with questionable talent from the Dutch league where the players produced are usually hit or miss. 

 

But perhaps a reason for the relatively low price, at the time, demand for an attacking midfielder wasn't high. Every team was pretty much set, we had Mata, City with Silva, Madrid with Modric and Isco etc.

 

Could be the reason but I don't think it flatters him at all. I remember being surprised at the time also, because he was among the list of young players tagged to be the 'next big thing' alongside Hazard, Neymar, Gotze and Lucas Moura. Look at the amounts that these players went for, none below 30 million pounds, which made me feel that Eriksen was a steal at the time, and I think that's proved (or will prove) to be correct.

 

I disagree completely.

 

Tell me, what does Oscar have over De Bruyne other than superior workrate?

 

Oscars done it in the premier league, De Bruyne joins a long list of players suited to the bundesliga. No one here is pining over Claudio Pizarro are they

 

Well, its a bit hard for him to do it in the premier league when he wasn't given a chance don't you think. And I trust Jose as much as anyone here, and I've supported the sales of Mata, Luiz, Lukaku and now Schurrle but even he makes mistakes the occasional blunder in the transfer market.

 

And Oscar hasn't 'done it' in the premier league. If he had, there wouldn't so much of debate about him.

6 goals and 7 assists in 19 BPL matches this season.  If thats not doing it, cant wait till he starts! Perhaps having Lampard has raised our expectations of goals from midfielders to an unrealistic level.

In his defence, Jose has got him running about A LOT.

6 goals and 7 assists in 19 BPL matches this season.  If thats not doing it, cant wait till he starts! Perhaps having Lampard has raised our expectations of goals from midfielders to an unrealistic level.

 

He has 7 goals and 8 assists in 29 appearances this season. Very good return I will admit.

 

Now looking a bit closer,

 

2 goals against Swansea

1 against Newcastle

1 against Crystal Palace

1 against Aston Villa

1 against QPR

1 against Bolton

 

2 assists against Spurs

1 against Swansea 

1 against Crystal Palace

1 against West Brom

1 against Hull City

1 against Newcastle

1 against Bradford City

 

Goals or assists vs Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool: 0

 

I'm absolutely not saying his goals or assists haven't been important. But when we need someone to produce something against a top team and a tight defense, I wouldn't look to Oscar. 

 

As for the Lampard comment, I would take 0 goals from Oscar if his performances were otherwise excellent.

Our problem last season was putting away those lesser teams though, so we needed goals and assists in them.

In defence of Oscar and the above stats, it's not really surprising that he's not got goals and assists in the big games. In the games against the Manchester clubs we've pretty much played for draws, which we got (despite being ahead in all of them) and therefore I'd look to what role Jose has asked Oscar to perform in those fixtures. And I'm sure he have scored yesterday if Remy hadn't got there first. He was certainly in the right place to have finished Hazard's cross if needed.

Does anyone have Hazards stats to hand for those same fixtures?

Our problem last season was putting away those lesser teams though, so we needed goals and assists in them.

 

Absolutely, which is why my comment that his goals and assists are important. And his return overall is good too. AND he's a good player. I'm just saying he can be much better.

In defence of Oscar and the above stats, it's not really surprising that he's not got goals and assists in the big games. In the games against the Manchester clubs we've pretty much played for draws, which we got (despite being ahead in all of them) and therefore I'd look to what role Jose has asked Oscar to perform in those fixtures. And I'm sure he have scored yesterday if Remy hadn't got there first. He was certainly in the right place to have finished Hazard's cross if needed.

Does anyone have Hazards stats to hand for those same fixtures?

 

I don't agree that Jose plays for a draw in these games, but he does look for the odd goal to win these games. I'm looking at which players provide that goal or telling contribution to a goal.

 

Hazard vs Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool: 2 goals 4 assists

The thing about Oscar is that he is so extremely inconsistent not only from game to game, but from minute to minute. He van have a very poor match were he does nothing but run around and give the ball away only to have two moments of brilliance that turns the game around like Newcastle at home. He does put in a shift each and every game though so even when he is overall poor he contributes a lot.

The fact is, when Jose wants to replace Fabregas in midfield with a more defensive option, he puts Fabregas in the number 10 role, at the expense of Oscar.

The fact is, when Jose wants to replace Fabregas in midfield with a more defensive option, he puts Fabregas in the number 10 role, at the expense of Oscar.

 

Well, Fabregas is an immense player, so its no slight on Oscar that Fabregas is preferred over him. The fact that Fabregas is played deeper to accomodate Oscar, even in big games is what you should look at.

I don't agree that Jose plays for a draw in these games, but he does look for the odd goal to win these games. I'm looking at which players provide that goal or telling contribution to a goal.

Hazard vs Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool: 2 goals 4 assists

Ok, maybe he doesn't play for the draw exactly, but he does play far more cautiously, for obvious reasons, and in the case it's almost inevitable that our midfielders are going to have less impressive stats.

I like Oscar and think he'll get better in the next couple of seasons. Perhaps his and the whole teams biggest problem is our lack of strength in depth that appears to be resulting in burn-out. And Oscar over the lady couple of years has played an unbelievable amount of games for a young player.

He has 7 goals and 8 assists in 29 appearances this season. Very good return I will admit.

Now looking a bit closer,

2 goals against Swansea

1 against Newcastle

1 against Crystal Palace

1 against Aston Villa

1 against QPR

1 against Bolton

2 assists against Spurs

1 against Swansea

1 against Crystal Palace

1 against West Brom

1 against Hull City

1 against Newcastle

1 against Bradford City

Goals or assists vs Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool: 0

I'm absolutely not saying his goals or assists haven't been important. But when we need someone to produce something against a top team and a tight defense, I wouldn't look to Oscar.

As for the Lampard comment, I would take 0 goals from Oscar if his performances were otherwise excellent.

Just to point out that in the home match against Arsenal he was an absolute monster in defence and received a standing ovation when he went off.

He's arguably better than Lamps was at the same age.

People need to get past describing him as a number 10 as well. The days of kaka and Rivaldo have gone and those type of playmakers would need to be more rounded payers in the modern game.

The fact is, when Jose wants to replace Fabregas in midfield with a more defensive option, he puts Fabregas in the number 10 role, at the expense of Oscar.

 

I think he likes the option of doing that, but he knows how vital Oscar is to the style of play that he wants to see. Oscar vs Mata, Jose said Oscar can press the double pivot, or centre back, which is what he wants. Fabregas is better than Mata defensively, but the style of play with both as our no.10 is similar. We play vastly better football with Oscar, the intense pressing allows us to dominate games.

He has 7 goals and 8 assists in 29 appearances this season. Very good return I will admit.

Now looking a bit closer,

2 goals against Swansea

1 against Newcastle

1 against Crystal Palace

1 against Aston Villa

1 against QPR

1 against Bolton

2 assists against Spurs

1 against Swansea

1 against Crystal Palace

1 against West Brom

1 against Hull City

1 against Newcastle

1 against Bradford City

Goals or assists vs Manchester City, Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool: 0

I'm absolutely not saying his goals or assists haven't been important. But when we need someone to produce something against a top team and a tight defense, I wouldn't look to Oscar.

As for the Lampard comment, I would take 0 goals from Oscar if his performances were otherwise excellent.

What about Hazard? How do his numbers compare, in the big games off the top of my head I can only think of his penalty against Arsenal?

Did he get an assist for Schurrle's goal against City too?

End of the day a league title is won over 38 games, it's all well and good condensing things down into 6 or 8 fixtures against top four opposition but unless we get wins in the other 30 odd games what does it matter?

Ok, maybe he doesn't play for the draw exactly, but he does play far more cautiously, for obvious reasons, and in the case it's almost inevitable that our midfielders are going to have less impressive stats.

I like Oscar and think he'll get better in the next couple of seasons. Perhaps his and the whole teams biggest problem is our lack of strength in depth that appears to be resulting in burn-out. And Oscar over the lady couple of years has played an unbelievable amount of games for a young player.

 

I don't expect impressive stats from anyone, especially not versus the very top teams. The only reason I went into the stats is because people have been citing it as proof that he's had a great season. For me, he's had a pretty good season, nothing more or less than what I would expect from Oscar. But for the sake of the team, I would like to see him improve his overall performances.