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Conte and Oscar: A match made in heaven

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Oscar.

He arrived with high expectations for what — it's easy to forget — was an absolute steal just under £20 million (as listed in Internacional's end of year financial statement), but, as many would argue, he never really built upon the magic of his first night against Juventus.

In many ways he's an odd player to wrap your head around: the attitude of a central midfielder, style of a winger and size of something that doesn't quite seem to fit anywhere. When he's in the team he often looks relatively inconsequential, when he's out of it the whole team often feels that way. This contrast is likely due to his catalytic nature. By himself, he is not a game changer; he will not be the one to make that physics-defying moment, eviscerating another team single handedly. Instead, he enables others to do so.

His play is like a wireless router: it is your broadband line that provides the sturdy connection, which allows the team to focus on playing their own game, and it is your laptop, tablet or phone that loads the web page or video or song that will get all the attention and all the celebrations, but it is the router that lies in the middle, always available, exchanging packets of data with short, sharp repeated interchanges in order to make this happen. People rarely consider how vital the hardware in their router is, but without it the team falls apart.

Oscar Backheel Assist

Much of his play is centred around an awareness of where his team is without looking and enabling them by using these short sharp interchanges, 1-2s and back-heels.

Now has he been strongly out of form lately? Yes. I don't wish to deny that. But he shouldn't be removed from the team before letting Conte get his hands on him.

Oscar Interchange

Antonio Conte is often lauded for his application of the 3-5-2 formation, but the reason for his successes goes beyond just a specific lineup or strategy. He aims to set up with players in tailor-made positions, and he likes to structure his teams to attack with strength in numbers.

"When my teams attack, we do so with five players, it used to be four but now it is five. Attack with five, defend with five."

-Antonio Conte; source: "Metodo Conte" via Evening Standard

And this is where Oscar comes in. A player with great stamina, the attitude of a midfielder but style of a winger, a player who works best when surrounded by other motivated teammates. Whilst I am not saying that he will be a categoric hit under Conte, he definitely has the skill-set to thrive in such a system. And it is with this approach we must consider all our players, not how they are now but how they could be in a different system — Pato as a second striker, Baba as a wingback, Terry as part of a defensive three.

As we enter a new managerial era these players are all like new signings, fitting into the puzzle in new places. Just as De Bruyne and Mata did not work under Mourinho, we may find some players who do not work under Conte, and some players, in particular Oscar, who may have an opportunity to find new life.

This FanPost was contributed by a member of the community and was not subject to any sort of approval process. It does not necessarily reflect the opinions held by the editors of this site.