Can Oscar live up to his potential under Jose Mourinho?

Oscar (Right) could be central to Chelsea plans

The ‘Special One’ has returned to Stamford Bridge. And with him he brings a bundle of expectations.

From the time Mourinho left Chelsea, the Blues line-up has gone through radical changes in troupe – the likes of Terry and Lampard being the only exceptions. A lot of big names have been brought into the squad in the past few years under seven different managers. However, quite a lot of these players, have not been able to live up to their name and potential.

Oscar, the Brazilian midfielder, is one amongst the many.

Having started his career at Sao Paolo before he had turned 18, Oscar later moved to Internacional in 2010. He shot into prominence at the Under-20 world cup, where he scored a hat-trick in the finals to win Brazil the title.

Oscar made his Chelsea debut back in August 2012, following Roman Abromovich splashing out 25m pounds to bring the Brazilian wonder kid to Stamford bridge. Even though the signing was low-key compared to that of Eden Hazard, Oscar’s talent was already well-known and much talked about in European Football – subsequent to his exploits at the junior level.

Oscar’s strength lies in his creativity and vision for passing. His work-rate is very commendable, as he never qualms in tracking back and offering defensive cover. Although he doesn’t have much pace in the armory, he more than makes it up with his proficiency in midfield. What makes Oscar truly special, is his capability to conceptualize passes that others do not see until they have happened.

Thus, Oscar represents a modern brand of playmaker, who are both creatively resourceful, yet are obstinate in their play.

But, for Oscar, the biggest hindrance to success at Chelsea is the positions he plays. In the presence of Mata and Hazard at the central midfield – the role Oscar plays for Brazil – last season, Oscar had to play majority of the games for the Blues on the right of the three behind the striker. In this role, his contribution was too humble in terms of goals and assists.

At the end of the season, Mata and Hazard – very good midfielders their own right – had excellent season stats to boast. However, Oscars talents were wasted in the wings, and his abilities were on display few and far between.

With Mourinho taking up the reins at the London club, it would be interesting to see his handling of Oscar. Mourinho, well-known for getting the best out of his players, is expected to find a role for Oscar which enables him to be creative as well as effective.

And likely, under Mourinho, Oscar will be seen playing a third central midfield role where he will operate in conjunction with Mata and Hazard. A 4-3-3 formation, if employed by Mourinho, will suit Oscars brand of play. With Ramires and Mikel in the side as defensive mid-fielders, Oscar will have to compete for his spot. But, in terms of creativity, Oscar is way ahead of both.

If Mourinho manages to integrate the 4-3-3 formation with Mata and Oscar in the middle and two wingers like Hazard and Schuerrle, Chelsea will be a very fiddly and unpleasant side to face.

Whatever happens, it will be a shock if Oscar is not at the heart of the plans that will be ultimately put into action.