Oscar explains how Mourinho has changed his game

Squawka aren't known for their high-end football coverage, but they've managed to secure several impressive interviews of late, and now it's Chelsea's turn. They didn't bag Eden Hazard or Diego Costa, but Oscar's a fascinating player in his own right, and I think this quote does a nice job of illustrating what he brings to the team:

Jose has been the one who has really brought me on and developed my career. He has helped me evolve as a player and I think his real strength is in understanding how to get the very best out of his players. It is great working with him.

This is where Mourinho has been great for me. He says that I’ve evolved mentally and tactically and he’s right – I’ve learned from him what a no.10 needs to be. It’s about coordinating things, analysing the game around you, creating that balance and making things happen.

If you listen to people talk about building squads for long enough, you'll probably get sick of the word 'balance'. But the reason it's brought up so often is because it's so important. Yet it's fairly difficult to spot. Oscar rarely shines in games these days, but he's instantly obvious by his absence. Without him the attack doesn't flow quite as well, the midfield isn't quite so secure and Chelsea aren't quite so functional.

Oscar isn't flashy, but we don't need him to provide dazzling play all the time. Instead, he works to make the rest of the team work, flowing into the gaps where he's needed and thinking harder than anyone else about how to disrupt the opposition. It's not a glamourous job, and most no.10s wouldn't be capable of pulling it off, but Oscar -- always capable of a disciplined performance -- seems to have wholeheartedly embraced the role under Mourinho. Right now, he's a vitally important, if under-appreciated, cog in the Chelsea machine.