Chelsea FC: Players Fighting For Their Future
Oscar dos Santos Emboaba Júnior
That Oscar on his day is a brilliant player cannot be questioned. When a 19-year old becomes a regular in the Brazilian national team, keeping out the likes of Ronaldinho, Kaka, Ganso etc and going on to get 45 caps at just 23 years, it makes you realise how special he is. But it has come with a huge price… Oscar has not had any extended period of rest since 2012! Prior to joining Chelsea FC, he featured for Brazil in the 2012 London Olympics, which they lost in the final to Mexico.
After going through the rigours of club football with Chelsea in the 2012/2013 season (in which the club won the Europa League) along with his national team commitments, he again had to take part in the FIFA Confederations Cup during the summer, which they went on to win thanks to a 3-0 victory against Spain in the final, with Oscar taking part in every game. And again after the 2013/2014 season came to an end, he had to take part in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, with him again playing the maximum number of games after Brazil lost their 3rd place match to the Netherlands.
With Brazil competing in the 2015 Copa America in Chile, he was expected to be named in the squad, which would have meant a 4th consecutive summer without a break for the youngster. But a fortunate injury in training prior to Chelsea’s title decider against Crystal Palace ensured that he was not named in Dunga’s 23-man shortlist to prosecute the tournament.
What really makes Oscar special is that he is one of those rare breed of players the combines technical nous with an uncanny work rate and it is this attribute that makes him valuable to both club and country. He, along with Willian, is Chelsea’s first line of defense, closing down opposing players and helping the team regain possession as quickly as possible, which is evidenced by the number of tackles he attempts and completes.
But he also combines this with the ability to thread fantastic passes and score incredible goals, as evidenced by his goals against Juventus in the 2012/2013 UCL group stage, and his free-kick against Stoke City in the 2013/2014 F.A. Cup fifth round clash. These are just 3 of the 30 goals he has scored for the club in his 151 appearances till date.
But it is also in his versatility that his problems lie. Oscar’s combative style of play belies his relatively small frame, both in height and physique, meaning that he expends more energy than most doing what he does. While many have claimed that he doesn’t have the capability to put up consistently impressive performances, like Eden Hazard, I for one feel that his lack of an extended summer break, constant football (due to Mourinho’s limited squad rotation) and his combative style have been largely responsible for his drop of form in the second half of every season since he joined the club in 2012.
Several unconfirmed reports have claimed that Chelsea FC intend to cash in on Oscar to fund the transfer of Paul Pogba from Juventus, and more recently Raheem Sterling from Liverpool (which is totally ridiculous, to say the least). But Mourinho’s insistence that he expects Oscar to take a Hazard-esque leap next season indicates that he still features in club’s plans for next season at least. His enforced summer break (due to his omission from Brazil’s Copa America squad) could be a blessing in disguise as he will get the extended rest he has lacked since joining the club in 2012.
But it could also lead to his demise as he would not be able to use the lack of a summer break as an excuse in case of a disappointing second half of the 2015/2016 season. Next season may just be the one that decides if he has a long-term future at the club, as Schurrle’s transfer shows that Mourinho has no time for stragglers, no matter how talented or popular!
Next: Ramires Santos do Nascimento