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Saturday, April 6, 2013

OSCAR: NO MORE MR NICE GUY


          

Baby-faced Brazilian Oscar is only 21, stands 5ft 10in, and weighs under 11 stone. He looks like you could knock him down with a feather.

But he admits you need a mean streak to survive in the Premier League, and his hard-nosed Blues colleagues have been giving a helping hand in how to toughen up.

Oscar said: "I'm not aware if anyone's been told to kick me in training, but they are!

"If people say I'm too nice, that's good! It's just the way I am. But here in England you do need to be firmer, harder on the pitch. That's just the way it is.

Debut "It's not my style of play to mark players and stop them, or be threatening in any way, but I am learning that at Chelsea. I will be more on top of it in that sense.

"I love to play football, rather than the tackling side of it. But we play a lot of games here and we get fouled a lot, so we're learning to face up to the bullies.

"The league here is really strong. I have to up my game every time I play. But training is strong here, too!"

Oscar could be forgiven for wondering what on earth he had done joining Chelsea from Brazilian club Internacional in a £25m deal last summer.

His debut season has seen Roberto Di Matteo sacked, protests against interim boss Rafa Benitez, and the Mark Clattenburg affair.

On top of that the Blues surrendered their Champions League crown earlier than any other team in history, but remain in contention for the Europa League and FA Cup.

But Oscar has taken all that in his stride - and claims playing for Chelsea is like a holiday compared to playing for Brazil, where he carries the hopes of a nation on his shoulders ahead of the next World Cup.

He said: "I didn't expect my first season here to be so dramatic. I hope next season can be more steady!

"But in Brazil it's normal to have such dramatic ups and downs all the time. There, the fans put a lot more pressure on the players.

"When you win, you are adored. When you lose, you are hated, and managers change quite a lot.

"But playing here doesn't really compare to the pressure of playing for Brazil because we've won the World Cup five times.

"It's not only a massive country but football is part of the culture. They always want you to win, so you can never have an off-day.

"But I'm really pleased with how my season here has gone. This is the first time I've been in Europe and I think I am doing well in one of the best leagues in the world. But the season isn't over - and I'm hoping to win titles, too."

Chelsea could end up playing 70 games this season and Oscar, who is set for his 50th with the Blues, admits the grind is a shock after he starred for Brazil at the Olympics last summer.

He insists the Blues are up to the challenge of competing on three fronts, with a Champions League spot as big a priority as the two trophies they can still win.

He added: "I've probably played 50 games already and I wouldn't do that in a whole year in Brazil! But you just have to get over it.

"It's fun because we are competing in different competitions. I am adapting to it. Hopefully it will be the same again next year, because it will mean we are doing well once more.

"I'd prefer to win the lot, to win both cups and be in the top four. That's what we're trying to do. You have to want them all."

Legend The first thing most Chelsea fans will tell you about if you mention his name is Oscar's wonder goal in the Champions League against Juventus.

But he is also part of a 'magic triangle' of players along with Juan Mata and Eden Hazard, who make Chelsea tick - and who Frank Lampard recently claimed are the future of the club.

Oscar said: "It's great for a legend like Frank to say something like that.

"We are so young and this is our first season together, so we are still getting to know each other.

"I hope we can continue to do that next season and hopefully it will be an even stronger connection. We're great together - but we will get better."

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