Will Osula

[Joe1984]

  On 01/12/2024 at 15:49, TRon said:

 

You could have said the same of Bruce.

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Fine. So if Howe doesn't play a player because he doesn't believe he's ready. Howe gets slammed.

 

So if he does play a player and he's not ready and stinks the place up. Guess what happens?

 

The player gets slammed for his performance and Howe gets slammed for starting him.

 

Of course in an ideal world the player plays and tears the place up with great performances.

 

But we don't know if a player is or isn't ready because we aren't the ones working with him daily.

 

That would be Howe. The manager.

[Gawalls]

  On 01/12/2024 at 15:54, Joe1984 said:

Fine. So if Howe doesn't play a player because he doesn't believe he's ready. Howe gets slammed.

 

So if he does play a player and he's not ready and stinks the place up. Guess what happens?

 

The player gets slammed for his performance and Howe gets slammed for starting him.

 

Of course in an ideal world the player plays and tears the place up with great performances.

 

But we don't know if a player is or isn't ready because we aren't the ones working with him daily.

 

That would be Howe. The manager.

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You’ve explained scenarios where fans will always find a way to have a pop at Howe and that’s fair enough but it seems on the other side of the fence there’s the people like this post where people will always find a way to not blame him. In all jobs - if you can’t recognise when things aren’t working then there will never be improvement. 

[Joe1984]

  On 01/12/2024 at 15:58, Gawalls said:

You’ve explained scenarios where fans will always find a way to have a pop at Howe and that’s fair enough but it seems on the other side of the fence there’s the people like this post where people will always find a way to not blame him. In all jobs - if you can’t recognise when things aren’t working then there will never be improvement. 

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I did say that a manager lives or dies on his decisions. It's part of the job. 😄

[TRon]

  On 01/12/2024 at 15:54, Joe1984 said:

Fine. So if Howe doesn't play a player because he doesn't believe he's ready. Howe gets slammed.

 

So if he does play a player and he's not ready and stinks the place up. Guess what happens?

 

The player gets slammed for his performance and Howe gets slammed for starting him.

 

Of course in an ideal world the player plays and tears the place up with great performances.

 

But we don't know if a player is or isn't ready because we aren't the ones working with him daily.

 

That would be Howe. The manager.

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It's not so much in context of yesterday's game because I don't think he was needed with Wilson being fit (by his standards), but with regards to the whole season so far. I agree Osula's not ready to start games, but is there really no scenario where he could have come on and ran at defenders for 20 mins just for nuisance value, or to hold the ball up? I think Howe is far too cautious introducing younger players personally. I reckon the talented ones would relish a run off the bench for a limited period and I've said it before in this thread.

[Joe1984]

  On 01/12/2024 at 16:06, TRon said:

 

It's not so much in context of yesterday's game because I don't think he was needed with Wilson being fit (by his standards), but with regards to the whole season so far. I agree Osula's not ready to start games, but is there really no scenario where he could have come on and ran at defenders for 20 mins just for nuisance value, or to hold the ball up? I think Howe is far too cautious introducing younger players personally. I reckon the talented ones would relish a run off the bench for a limited period and I've said it before in this thread.

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Yeah that's fair.

 

But we won't know if he can until he gets to.

 

Which I get is your point. 😄

[Novocastrian]

He’s ripe for a loan to the Championship but we can’t keep our two first choice strikers fit.

[Andy]

  On 01/12/2024 at 16:06, TRon said:

 

It's not so much in context of yesterday's game because I don't think he was needed with Wilson being fit (by his standards)

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If Wilson wasn't fit to play the rest of the match when Isak went off, I find it hard to believe Osula wouldn't have been a better option than bringing on Barnes and putting Gordon up top. 

 

Gordon can look okay up front against a high line, but against anything else he struggles and ends up dropping too deep. 

[Gawalls]

  On 01/12/2024 at 16:44, Novocastrian said:

He’s ripe for a loan to the Championship but we can’t keep our two first choice strikers fit.

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Doesnt matter if you’re just gonna waste a spot on the bench . May as well put another keeper on there at the moment.

[KennyUtd]

If he's available on the bench he's surely ready. Or what's the point?

[ExiledGeordie]

I don’t quite see the point in paying 15m for him if he’s literally never going to get on the pitch particularly when we can’t buy a goal at the moment. 

[nemtizz]

  On 01/12/2024 at 16:44, Novocastrian said:

He’s ripe for a loan to the Championship but we can’t keep our two first choice strikers fit.

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Even if both were out he's not still getting gametime. May as well loan him out in Jan.

[TRon]

  On 01/12/2024 at 16:56, Andy said:

 

If Wilson wasn't fit to play the rest of the match when Isak went off, I find it hard to believe Osula wouldn't have been a better option than bringing on Barnes and putting Gordon up top. 

 

Gordon can look okay up front against a high line, but against anything else he struggles and ends up dropping too deep. 

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I'm with you, would like to see him used a lot more, even for short bursts to take the workload off Isak.

 

I assume Howe doesn't think he'd fit into our shape and isn't fully trained into our way of playing. But tbh we've had players here for three years who still don't look on the same page.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

  On 01/12/2024 at 17:20, nemtizz said:

 

Even if both were out he's not still getting gametime. May as well loan him out in Jan.

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Yet. 

[SteV]

Listening to Eddie’s presser today, I think he’s going to be getting more minutes sooner rather later.

 

I know Eddie always speaks ultra-positively about all our players, but it felt like he was going a bit further, name-checked him a couple of times when the question wasn’t directly about him etc.

[khay]

Going to have to over Christmas schedule. Hopefully impressed and gets some goals. 

[OverThere]

Any sightings? 

[AyeDubbleYoo]

Big praise from Howe in the press conference. 

[OverThere]

  On 13/12/2024 at 13:57, AyeDubbleYoo said:

Big praise from Howe in the press conference. 

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= gets on after 3+ minutes of second half added time.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

  On 13/12/2024 at 14:06, OverThere said:

= gets on after 3+ minutes of second half added time.

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Possibly, sure

[KaKa]

  On 13/12/2024 at 13:57, AyeDubbleYoo said:

Big praise from Howe in the press conference. 

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Yeah, sounded promising. Seems like the young dude has been working hard.

 

Hope he snatches the opportunity and makes the most of it.

[TRon]

  On 13/12/2024 at 14:10, KaKa said:

 

Yeah, sounded promising. Seems like the young dude has been working hard.

 

Hope he snatches the opportunity and makes the most of it.

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I think Wilson's injury setback has probably promoted him a notch in Howe's order, not sure it's got that much to do with any progress in training, but hopefully he should be more than ready to play a part by now.

[KaKa]

  On 13/12/2024 at 14:16, TRon said:

 

I think Wilson's injury setback has probably promoted him a notch in Howe's order, not sure it's got that much to do with any progress in training, but hopefully he should be more than ready to play a part by now.

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Did you see what Howe said?

[TRon]

  On 13/12/2024 at 14:17, KaKa said:

 

Did you see what Howe said?

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No. I was just commenting that Osula has not been trusted with even 5mins of coming on as a sub in almost half a seaon, so if his sudden progress has happened at the same time as Wilson getting a new injury, that's a remarkable coincidence.

[KaKa]

  On 13/12/2024 at 15:14, TRon said:

 

No. I was just commenting that Osula has not been trusted with even 5mins of coming on as a sub in almost half a seaon, so if his sudden progress has happened at the same time as Wilson getting a new injury, that's a remarkable coincidence.

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You should go and listen to what Howe said then.

[TRon]

  On 13/12/2024 at 15:16, KaKa said:

 

You should go and listen to what Howe said then.

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I googled it. It doesn't really change anything, still a remarkable coincidence that he's suddenly decided Osula's ready after barely giving him even five minutes off the bench for half a season.

 

Not that I'm complaining, I thought he should have been given longer spells as sub anyway, we've been overly cautious IMO. I don't agree with playing Gordon as a striker instead, he's not got the physical presence and it disturbs the balance of other areas of the team.