by Southbank Old Boy »
17 May 2008 12:48
FiNeRaIn Thanks for the memories john. Much like marek he was one of the most technical players in the squad. You could tell he'd been given a premiership education and it showed. The problem with oster in the side is that we have championship mentality players who were never in the position they should be, thats why a lot of balls went to waste and john was singled out.
Oster's ball against blackburn last year which bentley scored from stood out for me. Shorey should of been 5 yards further forward and we would of had a decent attack, instead he was way off play stood diddling his thumbs and the ball went to bentley. Premiership players move into space and a lot of the times balls are played into an area where people SHOULD be running, reading players never made that movement and thats why we never had large periods of possession in the prem or couldn't string more than 5 passes together.
Oster played a lot of under-rated balls like that and its a shame our players didn't have the mentality or awareness to find space and make better runs. One of the genuine " football" players we've had in recent times.
Take care john.
Yep, Oster had a great "premiership education" at Grimsby!!!
He might've spent a couple of years at Everton, playing a bit part in Everton's worse period in the last 25 years and just missing out on relegation by virtue of goal difference, but he's by no means ever established himself as a top flight player. Even during his time at Sunderland he only played about 20 games in the Premiership and only 48 starts in 4 and a half seasons.
Oster flattered to deceive. He has a lot of ability but he just hasn't been able to harness it and he's just not been good enough at Reading or any of his previous clubs, bar Grimsby as a 17 year old, to hold down a regular first team place.