Harry wrote:While we can blame appalling defending mistakes and missed chances, to me the real problem yesterday was in central midfield.
Oztumer is worth his place in the side because of his goals, but his general play in the middle is not, and never has been, great. He simply does not get in the game enough and does not create decent openings for our front men. Joe Edwards is fine as a wide midfielder, full back, or wing back, but is not good enough as a central midfielder. Time for Cuvelier to start, or perhaps play Tyrone Roberts as an attacking midfielder behind Agyei and Baka. Roberts looked the best footballer on the pitch when he came on. He must start every game and the more he is involved the better.
I think Oztumer has become an anomaly in the way the team now sets up. Whitney signed him to replace Sawyers at a time when Whitney was trying to continue the "philosophy" that had got us so close to promotion the year before.
Having more or less put that philosophy to bed this season with the team being more direct and physical (not a criticism) I wonder where Oztumer actually fits in. The Smith philosophy was to try to pull teams about through slick passing and movement. Carving chances through incisive play down the throat. We often passed up the chance to cross, even from wide set pieces, preferring to work the ball like Arsenal and dare I say it Barcelona in their pomp. And when it worked it was glorious. Oztumer would have fitted right into that.
But now we get it wide and get it in. We've already scored as many headers this season as we did all of last. We even chuck the thing into the mixer when we can. No problem with that and it isn't actually about just lumping it forward either. It is a modern twist on how Graydon set his best sides up. And to further what some might see as sacrilegious, I'm not sure if Sir Ray himself could have found an effective role for Oztumer.
The way we play needs a number ten who is alongside rather than behind the number nine. Two up top. Strike twins who can hold it up and get on the end of stuff that comes in from wide. So if Devlin and Leahy are to hug the chalk out wide, the big question becomes what we do with the three midfielders in between them and I'm not sure there is an obvious role for Oztumer's fantastic ability in there. And I think he knows it. His body language is off and when he does get the ball he seems maybe a little over anxious to stamp his talent and his value on the game when often there is a far simpler intervention available.
He is a brilliant talent, one of the most skilful players I've seen play for us. I'm just not sure we're currently made for each other.