Oscar: Introducing Chelsea's newest signing

After weeks of speculation, Chelsea appear to be on the verge of signing 20 year old Brazilian midfielder Oscar from Internacional for a fee thought to be in the region of £25 million, quite a considerable price. So is he worth it? Can he be a top player who will play a key role? In this article, I will explore the case for and against.

Oscar began his career at União Agrícola Barbarense before moving onto Sao Paulo, a club whom he played for between the ages of 13 and 18. During this time, Oscar impressed many with his flair and was rumoured to have appeared on many European clubs’ radars while at Sao Paulo. Oscar did eventually leave Sao Paulo in 2009, choosing to move to another Brazilian club Internacional, a move that led to Oscar becoming a prominent member of Brazil’s under 19 team, and later the under 20 team. Oscar’s earliest major success was his hat trick against Portugal in the FIFA under 20 world cup in 2011, and led to scouts from Chelsea and reportedly Tottenham travelling to Brazil to watch the midfielder. Chelsea’s offer came in after a superb 2011 season for Oscar where he scored 13 goals and got 10 assists in 44 games.

So what exactly are Oscar’s attributes and what will he offer to the new look Chelsea? Well, if there is one top player the Brazilian can be compared to, it is none other than Andres Iniesta. Oscar’s passing is excellent and as I’ve already mentioned, he chips in with a few goals as well. Some have also drawn parallels to Kaka and even Chelsea’s own Frank Lampard so he’s quite a rounded player.

As rounded as Chelsea’s latest purchase is, he will enter his new club quite low down in Chelsea’s deep midfield pecking order. It’s difficult to see how Roberto Di Matteo will suddenly decide to play Oscar, a 20 year old from Internacional above the likes of Raul Meireles, Michael Essien, Frank Lampard, and Ramires amongst others. Fellow new arrival Marko Marin will also be expected to feature more regularly due to his superior stature before joining Chelsea. Oscar will undoubtedly have to work for and earn his potential spot in Chelsea’s team next season.

One question that remains on the lips of most Chelsea fans is will Oscar make an impact this season or will he be confined to only games in the early rounds of the league cup. Well it’s difficult to say for sure, but I believe Oscar is ready to play quite regularly. Some would say that Chelsea will keep their exciting new talent on hold until they are sure he’s ready to become a regular starter like they have done with the likes of Romelu Lukaku and Josh Mcceachran but I believe due to Oscar’s flair, Chelsea will really benefit from Oscar’s talent. So please Roberto, give Oscar a chance like Andre Villas Boas did last season with the promising Oriol Romeu but didn’t with Romelu Lukaku. You may reap the benefits of the £25 million man.

Should Chelsea buy Hulk?

Due to the departures of Salomon Kalou and Didier Drogba this summer, Chelsea only have  three centre forwards in their squad at time of writing. These three consist of Daniel Sturridge, Fernando Torres and Romelu Lukaku, which could get cut to two if Lukaku goes out on loan like many are recommending. There is no question that Chelsea need another striker, but is Hulk the right man to buy? In the following article, I’ll be looking at the Brazilian striker’s positives and negatives.

Hulk, whose real name is Givanildo Vieira de Souza joined FC Porto in 2008 and from very early on in his time at Porto, he set Portugal’s primiera Liga alight, and by the end of his first season at the club, he was firmly established as one of Porto’s most important players. Despite serving a four game ban during the 2009/10 season for his part in a tunnel brawl during Porto’s match with rivals Benfica, Hulk’s continued to impress, with the forward scoring 10 goals and getting 11 assists in 31 matches. The 2010/11 season saw Hulk’s stock rise dramatically with the Brazilian forming a superb partnership with Colombian striker Radamel Falcao. The dynamic duo of the livewire Falcao and the powerful Hulk went a long way to helping Porto secure a Europa league and Primiera league double.

The season just gone however has undoubtedly been Hulk’s best and it has had to be due to Falcao leaving at the end of the 2010/11 season. Hulk has bought a great deal of attention to himself due to his numerous excellent performances with him contributing 21 goals and 15 assists in just 38 games. Hulk’s importance to Porto cannot be understated and without him, Porto may well not have been Portugal’s most successful team during this time. His power, presence and determination would definitely give Chelsea a potential replacement for Drogba.

However, despite all his accolades some have accused Hulk of being an average fish in a small pond in the Portuguese league, and that he isn’t good enough to make the step up to the EPL, La Liga or even Serie A at this stage, and it’s easy to see why. After all, Hulk has never scored in a competitive match for Brazil and has only been deemed worthy of playing 13 times for Brazil at a time where his nations aren’t exactly blessed with many strikers. Also, Hulk’s performances against top teams such as Manchester City and Zenit St. Petersburg have been largely underwhelming. Is this really the resume of a £30 million striker?

Conclusion

To answer the question in the article’s title: not quite. Although Hulk has dominated many opposition defences in Portugal, he hasn’t quite done enough on a higher level to justify the rumoured price tag. If Chelsea bought him for £20 million would I be ok with it? Yes, but with financial fair play supposedly coming into play soon, Chelsea can’t afford to through away £30 million on a player who could very well suffer the same fate as the likes of past Chelsea signings Andriy Shevchenko and Hernan Crespo. Instead, I’d rather Chelsea make a bid for a more proven striker such as Radamel Falcao or Edison Cavani.

Five players who could be England's future

After last Sunday's Euro 2012 exit at the hands of Italy, England fans and the English media came to the realization that they aren't quite at the level of the likes of Spain, Germany, Italy and others. Some are even demanding that there are some widespread changes, if not a complete overhaul of the FA and how it runs its operations. However, in this article I'll be going through the players who could turn England's fortunes around in the coming years.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

When the line-ups were announced for England's first Euro 2012 game against France, I like many others was very surprised to see Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's name on the team sheet. The Arsenal man had a relatively quiet game as England were pinned back in their own half for most of the game and he spent the rest of the tournament on the bench. However, it's important to remember that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is still only 18 years old, and he is unquestionably one of England's most exciting young talents with incredible pace and excellent timing. At the 2018 world cup in Russia, he'll still only be 24 years old which highlights the longevity of him. 

Phil Jones

One year ago, Phil Jones signed with then English champions Manchester United from Blackburn with many heralding the youngster as a player with the potential of becoming one of the best defenders in English football in the coming years. The 2011/12 was a mixed one for Jones as injuries as well as uncertainty over whether he was best as a right back or a centre back became an issue for him. In my opinion, his immense physical presence means he's best at the heart of the defence but can be a makeshift right back. Due to his leadership, he reminds me and many others of a young John Terry and with some more experience, he could well reach his full potential sooner rather than later.

Tom Cleverley

Just like Phil Jones, injuries were a major factor in him not reaching the levels of expectation placed on him. In the opening games of the season, Cleverley impressed many with his assurance on the ball, silencing many doubters who claimed he wasn't at the standard suitable for Manchester United. Despite the ankle injury that restricted him to just 15 games in all competitions last season, I believe that Cleverley showed enough talent to warrant the hype surrounding his future.

Kyle Walker

In his first full season as Tottenham, the Sheffield-born Kyle Walker was truly magnificent. His superb season was rewarded by him winning the prestigious PFA young player of the year award, as well as earning a place in the PFA team of the year. Sadly for Walker, injury led to him missing Euro 2012, with many saying he would have started most of England's games as opposed to Glen Johnson. But the 22 year old Walker still has plenty of time to feature in a major international tournament and as long as he maintains the form he showed in the 2011/12 campaign he should have no problem getting into England's starting eleven's in years to come.

Jack Wilshere

As England fans watched their own team's miserable performances at the 2010 world cup in South Africa, many of them must have thought to themselves "if only we had a player like Xavi or Iniesta". But many felt they did in the shape of Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere. The 20 year old had a superb 2010/11 season and famously gave Xavi and Iniesta a very tough game during a champions league tie against Barcelona. However, the 2011/12 one was essentially non-existent due to a multitude of injuries suffered which denied the youngster any chance of getting into England's Euro 2012 squad. Hopefully for both England and Arsenal fans, Wilshere will soon recapture his best form to lead England into the next four or five, perhaps even six tournaments.

Didier Drogba: A Tribute

Didier Drogba- A tribute to a blues legend

Back in June 2004, a 26 year old striker named Didier Drogba joined Chelsea from Olympique Marseille for £24 million. The expectation was high on both Chelsea and the young Ivorian as he was in demand after an excellent season with the French side, in which he helped them to the 2003/04 season's UEFA cup. Chelsea new they had a player with potential, but how much potential, went beyond what most fans could ever imagine.

His 2004/05 season was a mixed one for the powerful centre forward. He showed some flashes of brilliance as he helped Chelsea to both the premier league and the carling cup but he also struggled with injuries and some Chelsea fans became frustrated with Drogba's attitude and he got a reputation as somewhat of a diver. All in all, Drogba scored 16 goals in 41 appearances in a blue shirt during the season.

The season after, the idea that Drogba was a diver became more widespread and many Chelsea fans wondered whether if he'd ever improve enough to reach his full potential. However, he again showed flashes of the form he displayed at Marseille. He scored 16 goals in 41 games again.

Although Chelsea didn't win the league like they did in Drogba's first two seasons, the 2006/07 campaign was undoubtedly Drogba's best. During the vast majority of Chelsea's games, Drogba looked almost like a man possessed. He added his name to Chelsea's history books with the winning goal in that season's FA cup final against Manchester United. The season saw a marked improvement in Drogba as he scored 33 goals in 60 games.

The season after wasn't quite as good for Drogba as he struggled to cope with the departure of Jose Mourinho and controversially got sent off in Chelsea's unsuccessful champions league final match with Manchester United. However, on his day Drogba was still unstoppable. The season after was again, plagued by controversial moments including his frosty relationship with Luiz Felipe Scolari and his reaction to Chelsea's semi final exit to Barcelona. But when Guus Hiddink became Chelsea's manager in February, Drogba was back to his best.

New manager Carlo Ancelotti forged a very close relationship with Drogba and this showed as Drogba's goals earned Chelsea their first premier league title in four years and earned Drogba the golden boot thanks to his 29 league goals. The season after wasn't quite as good for Drogba or Chelsea, as he only scored 13 goals.

In a season where his place was threatened by Fernando Torres, many felt it would be Drogba's least fulfilling yet. Yet they couldn't be more wrong as Drogba played an integral role in Chelsea's winning of their very first champions league title, a trophy Chelsea had been chasing since Drogba joined the club. His slotting home of the winning penalty in that final will secure his place as one of Chelsea's greatest ever.

So thanks Didier, you have become a Chelsea legend. Also, your immense humility and devotion to improving conditions in your home country make you a great human being also. On behalf of every Chelsea fan, thank you.

Euro 2012 group D key players

Group D

This Friday, Poland and Greece will begin Euro 2012 in Warsaw in front of approximately 50,000 fans. So in honour of the beginning of world football’s most captivating events, I will be going through the key players and possible ‘’it factors’’ for each team, group by group. Here’s group D.

Sweden: Zlatan Ibrahimovic

After Sweden’s failure to qualify for the 2010 world cup in South Africa, the talismanic Swedish striker decided to quit the national team. However, due to persuasion from the newly appointed Sweden manager Erik Hamren, the AC Milan striker decided to make a return to the national team, and what an inspired decision it was as Ibrahimovic scored an impressive 5 goals in 8 Euro 2012 qualifying games. With a solid mix of youth and experience around him, Ibrahimovic is Sweden’s undisputed best player. Whether he can produce the performances to help Sweden get through this tough group remains to be seen.

Ukraine: Anatoliy Tymoschuk

If Ukraine are to spring a surprise, and progress beyond the group stages at their very own tournament, they will need a lot of determined, strong willed players. Now who better to provide this than Anatoliy Tymoschuk? The Ukrainian captain has done well in all of his three seasons at European giants Bayern Munich so he is comfortable in high pressure situations. Tymoschuk is a highly versatile player, who can play at centre back, as well as his more favoured position in the centre of midfield. A good tournament will surely make Tymoschuk a national hero in Ukraine.

England: Joe Hart

For the past six years, Wayne Rooney has been England’s most feared and vital player. However, due to suspension, the Manchester United number 10 will miss England’s first two games against France and Sweden respectively. Instead, England will require another key player and that man is Joe Hart. Hart has had a magnificent season with premier league title winners Manchester City, with many calling him the league’s best goalkeeper and one of the world’s best. This is Hart’s first tournament as England’s first choice goalkeeper and many are tipping him as a future England captain. A good Euro 2012 will only add to this idea.

France: Karim Benzema

When Raymond Domenech left the Real Madrid striker out of France’s world cup 2010 squad, many were surprised. However after a truly dreadful tournament from France, new manager Laurent Blanc had to create a better French side and Benzema is at the heart of it. Benzema had a magnificent 2011/12 season as his 21 goals helped Real Madrid win La Liga, their first in five years. Arguably more than any other player in the tournament, Benzema will arrive in Poland and Ukraine brimming with confidence, and could very well inspire France to a magnificent tournament.

Euro 2012 Group C key players

Group C

Spain- Xavi Hernandez

If Spain emerge triumphant, they will become the first team ever to win the euros, a world cup, and then another euros within three years. In both of these previous tournament wins, central midfielder Xavi has been an integral part of the Spain side due to his passing and organization skills, which summarize the philosophy of the Barcelona academy Xavi came from. However, with reliable goalscorer David Villa missing the tournament due to injury, Xavi may be required to chip in with more than just assists.

Italy- Andrea Pirlo

This time last year, Andrea Pirlo had just left AC Milan to join Juventus with many people thinking that at the age of 33 he was in the twilight of his career and past his peak. However, his spectacular performances in the 2011/12 season went a long way to helping the Turin side win the Scudetto with him chipping in with 13 assists, the most in the entire league. If the central midfield maestro can replicate this form it could give Italy’s strikers; Giampaolo Pazzini, Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli plenty of chances, which could lead to the Italians going far in the tournament.

Croatia- Luka Modric

In many people’s estimations, Luka Modric is the beating heart of Croatia’s team. Much like Andrea Pirlo with Italy, Modric will be expected to produce his trademark excellent passes for the Croatian strikers, namely fellow premier league player Nikica Jelavic and former Arsenal striker Eduardo. The dynamic central midfielder has a great deal of expectation on his hands, but if he can produce the sort of performances he did at Euro 2008, where he helped Croatia to get an unexpected quarter final place, it could allow Croatia to get out of a very tough group. Another impressive tournament could lead to Tottenham losing the in-demand player.

Republic of Ireland- Shay Given

Being the team who are widely considered as the weakest in the group, Ireland will most likely have a lot of defending to do at Euro 2012. However, luckily for the Irish, they have an outstanding goalkeeper in Shay Given. The 36 year-old will want to make this tournament special as due to his age it will likely be his last European championship. The Aston Villa number one has been in the premier league for an impressive 15 years and has faced numerous world class players. If Ireland can counter attack well, they may cause an upset and progress from their group.

Euro 2012 key players: Group B

On Friday 8^th June, Poland and Greece will begin Euro 2012 in Warsaw in front of approximately 50,000 fans. So in honour of the beginning of world football’s most captivating events, I will be going through the key players and possible ‘’it factors’’ for each team, group by group. Here’s group B.

Netherlands: Robin Van Persie

After a truly brilliant 2011/12 season in which he won the premier league’s prestigious golden boot award with 30 goals, Van Persie will begin Euro 2012 as one of Europe’s most feared strikers. The Oranje are considered by many to be one of the best teams in the tournament after getting to the world cup final in 2010, and due to their excellent qualifying campaign, where they picked up 27 points out of a possible 30. With players around him such as Wesley Sneijder, Dirk Kuyt, Klaas Jan Huntelaar and Eljero Elia, Van Persie should get plenty of chances. If he manages to bury a few of them, he could very well lead the Dutch to Euro glory.

Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo

Perhaps more than any other team at Euro 2012, Portugal will be relying on one man’s form if they want to do well: and that man is Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo. The former Manchester United man is unquestionably one of the world’s top players and possesses incredible pace, a ferocious shot, great heading ability and a bag full of tricks to rival any player in a world. Portugal will need Ronaldo to be at his very best if they want to progress through the ‘’group of death’’ in which they are in.

Germany: Bastian Schweinsteiger

Germany’s final appearance at Euro 2008 was largely due to the excellent performances by combative central midfielder, Bastian Schweinsteiger. However, the emergence of young, determined players such as Sami Khedira, Mesut Ozil and Thomas Muller means the 27 year old will be one of Germany’s more experienced players at Euro 2012. If Germany are to go far and possibly win Euro 2012, it will likely be down to the determination and exceptional leadership of the Bayern Munich man.

Denmark: Christian Eriksen

For the last two seasons, the 20 year old Ajax man has developed into one of Europe’s most exciting young talents. In fact, such is the hype surrounding the youngster; some have even gone on record as saying he is Denmark’s best young talents since the Laudrup brothers; Michael and Brian. Having played in every single one of Denmark’s qualifying games, Danish coach Morten Olsen clearly doesn’t view the attacking midfielder as being too inexperienced. If Eriksen’s creativity and skill helps Denmark advance through their incredibly difficult group, it could lead to the 20 year old moving to another top European side.