chunkster wrote:Just a thought PT? do you think that JW in knowing that ozzy will go next season or in fact january? is setting the team up so that we will be ready to play without him?. But doesn't want to drop him completely because 1. he would suffer a backlash from fans and 2. He still has the ability to make something special happen. And if you think about it, if ozzy plays like he did yesterday for the next few games, then fans will start saying he should be dropped, which would take point 1 out of the equation :wink:
I dont think it is a conscious ploy to freeze Ozzy out or make him dispensable. I just think that Whitney compromised his own philosophy last year as he tried to continue the formula that had been successful for Smith. But that compromise didn't work and we ended up without any discernible style or plan. Whitney got dogs abuse and has probably decided that he may as well be true to himself and pick his type of players and play his type of game. If you're going to take cack you may as well take it for being you rather than the poor impression you're doing of someone else.
Ozzy s role in the team has fallen victim of that. I think if he was starting with a blank piece of paper, Whitney would go for another 6ft player who could go box to box and be the third man arriving late into the box from our plentiful supply but who could also link play at the top end of a midfield that had Chambers at its base. Rather ironically, I think I have just described Isiah Osbourne..