oster??

[bobby1413]

Oster was brilliant at times but not great at others. He seemed quite inconsistent last year. By contrast, Stephen Hunt seemed to always perform well, perhaps because he normally only was subbed in the 70th minute.

But I think Oster could develop a little more and be a better player. Certainly wouldn't sell him though, he did contribute quite a lot last season.

[Royalee]

Oster has the odd good game, but lacks to consistency for the Premiership and was poor on Saturday (not that it really mattered against Swindon). He gives the ball away far too cheaply and often doesn't track back, meaning he makes it easy for teams to attack us down our right hand side. I'm just glad we have Little and Seol in front of him in the pecking order.

[Woodcote Royal]

I credit Steve Coppell with the sense not to relegate one of the few player we have with Prem experience to 3rd choice before a ball has been kicked........................shame we can't say the same about many of our fans.

[Royalee]

Seol has Champions League and top league experience in Europe - more experience than Oster at the highest level actually.

[Woodcote Royal]

So?

[Royalee]

So?

You were implying he had more experience and should thus not be 'relegated to third choice'. He WILL be third choice, whatever your delusions.

[Forbury Lion]

oster was good at getting the balls into the box but they seemed to go nowhere

Perhaps a failing of the strikers?

[Woodcote Royal]

So?

You were implying he had more experience and should thus not be 'relegated to third choice'. He WILL be third choice, whatever your delusions.

Er no, I was implying that Steve Coppell has a squad of players, some of whom have more experience than others, but that he will have more sense than some of our stupid fans, who seem to think a pecking order is already set in stone by August 1st.

Oster, like everyone else, will find his level on merit.

[Hoop Blah]

I credit Steve Coppell with the sense not to relegate one of the few player we have with Prem experience to 3rd choice before a ball has been kicked........................shame we can't say the same about many of our fans.

I think you're taking this lets be positive everyone of our players is great and on a level with each other stance too far now.

All things being equal Oster is obviously going to start the season/pre-season as third choice behind the player who kept him out all last season and our new £1m winger.

I'm sure Coppell will give him a chance if he pushes the other two and he'll undoubtedly have a part to play over the length of the season, but, realistically he's starting the season behind the other two, in much the same way as James Henry is probably one behind Oster.

[HighburyRoyale]

He's rubbish. Hate him. Gives the ball away far too often and doesn't track back.

Fair enough he can provide and (occasionally) look ok in the Chumpionship, but if we have real aspirations in the Premiership a player of Oster's quality shouldn't really get more than a handful of substitute appearances next year.

Long live Blakey. Hero.

[Woodcote Royal]

I credit Steve Coppell with the sense not to relegate one of the few player we have with Prem experience to 3rd choice before a ball has been kicked........................shame we can't say the same about many of our fans.

I think you're taking this lets be positive everyone of our players is great and on a level with each other stance too far now.

All things being equal Oster is obviously going to start the season/pre-season as third choice behind the player who kept him out all last season and our new £1m winger.

If that was the case he would not have been offered a new contract. He has Premiership experience and WILL be picked on merit.

[midlandadie]

i was one who slagged oster off many times last year. when oster played it showed us all just how good/missed blakey is when he was injured. oster lost the ball too easy, didnt come back to cover when needed in defence, his lack of defending could of cost us in some games, and when things were'nt going oster's way he seemed to just not bother and even murts ended up shouting at him at least once every game he played. he played well in some games and had some good moments. but the negatives out wayed the positves. But in his defence it was his first season in a new team and you have to adapt to that which cant be easy when there all playing the best football of there lives!! he has had his problems off the field and seems to be getting his head down now. remember how alot of people where doubting bobby convey after one year?! we have a small squad next year and need his experience so give him this year to prove himself.

[rabidbee]

Oster had a couple of great games last season, and a few just average games.

IMO he made some good crosses at swindon, but gave the ball away too easily

That's something I find maddening about Oster. He clearly has the skill, and loves playing a dummy or doing a trick to get passed a player. However, his concentration is poor, and he makes too many silly mistakes to just give the ball away. Fortunately (!), as he is so reluctant to help in defence, he rarely gives the ball away in dangerous areas.

I also agree with the comment that he's a confidence player - hope he can stay focussed and high on confidence this season.

[Hoop Blah]

If that was the case he would not have been offered a new contract. He has Premiership experience and WILL be picked on merit.

Did I say otherwise?

I'm sure he'll be picked on merit, but unless something happens to the other two wingers that merit will almost certainly see him as third in the pecking order. Do you not agree then?

He was offered a contract to play a part in the squad, thats what he'll do. Much like last season I expect to see Oster playing in cup games, coming of the bench at times and filling in when either Little and/or Soel are unavailable or out of form.

[Yahoops]

I seem to recall Coppell taking the blame for the criticism of Oster by fans because Oster was playing the way he had instructed. I think Coppell said something like "I asked him to do a certain job" - maybe someone else can remember.

[Woodcote Royal]

If that was the case he would not have been offered a new contract. He has Premiership experience and WILL be picked on merit.

Did I say otherwise?

I'm sure he'll be picked on merit, but unless something happens to the other two wingers that merit will almost certainly see him as third in the pecking order. Do you not agree then?

No I don't.

I don't believe that either, Coppell would have offered a him a new contract or, that Oster would have signed if it's a foregone conlusion he'll be 3rd in the pecking order even before the season has started.

Why would Coppell, who likes small squads, want to sign someone as a 3rd option?

Why would Oster, at 26?, accept such a poor prospect of playing first team football when he was clearly not happy being 2nd best to Blakey?

Neither party would have been interested in extending Osters stay here without the prospect of him making a valid contribution on the field.

Furthermore, Seol can play anywhere in midfield and respresents a real threat to everyone who played there last season, and that includes Sidwell with his unrealistic wage demands.

Coppell picks players on merit not on past performance or experience (which might have something to with Little getting the nod over Oster when it's the latter who has Prem experience )

[Hoop Blah]

No I don't.

I don't believe that either, Coppell would have offered a him a new contract or, that Oster would have accepted it if it was a forgone conlusion that he would be 3rd in the pecking order before the season had even started.

Why would Coppell, who likes small squads, want to sign someone as a 3rd option?

Why would Oster, at 26?, accept such a poor prospect of playing first team, football when he was clearly not happy with being 2nd best to Blakey?

Neither party would have been interested in extending Osters stay here without the Prospect of him making a valid contribution on the field.

Futhermore, Seol can play anywhere in midfield and respresents a real threat to everyone who played their last season, including Sidwell and his unrealistic wage demands.

For starters, I think Oster was offered and signed a contract before we signed Seol and so might've thought his place wasn't under as much competition. Given the chance to sign a one year deal with a Premiership club on decent wages or fight it out with the 300 odd other professionals on a free transfer over the summer, some might say that he didn't have much of a decision to make.

From Coppell's point of view, he knew he would probably struggle to add to his current squad and so having Oster, a component of a successful squad and one of our few players with Prem experience, would obvioulsy have it's benefits, even if, as planned he strengthened his squad.

Secondly, most professional players know how much can change over a couple weeks, months or a season and the prospect of fighting for a place at Reading would've been an attractive proposition when compared to possible alternatives.

As for Oster making a "valid contribution on the field" he didn't play that much last season but he still made a contribution all the same. He may have a very similar season coming up but maybe he contributes well by being a backup player and squad member pushing the first team - although from the Reserve games I saw he looked pretty disinterested at that level!

Yes, your spot on, Seol can play in a number of positions and it looks like he'll be an important player in our squad. As it's shaping up I'd say he may be our first choice right winger and our second choice left winger. Oster and Hunt will play their parts, but I don't think we'll see much of either of them in terms of starting the league games.

[Woodcote Royal]

Frankly, I think Seol is going to start somewhere but Coppell will not have kept Oster without rating him far higher than some of the garbage on this thread seems to suggest.

As I said before, our manager doesn't sign 3rd choices and Oster is only here because Coppell feels he has a part to play, and I would see his contributions to last season as the minimum expected for this one.

[roberto_11]

Oster will provide good cover on right and central midfield. Last season he found it hard to get a run of games together, so we haven't seen the best of him (although not many clubs have). He may surprise a lot of people by holding down a 1st team place if he gets a run in the team and gets his confidence up. He looks technically good enough for the Premiership so it's a possibilty.

[holsgrove breaks a leg]

Oster played his part in a record 106 point championship season, to berate his 'lack of concentration' is very short sighted. When Little was out towards the seasons end, Oster played in many games which co-incided with our as yet unbeaten run after Luton. I can fully accept peoples frustrations at players ala Brooker,Hughes in that position who clearly were never capable replacements, but Oster provided decent enough cover to compliment the 1st eleven. Granted he couldn't outshine Little but thats a recognition to Blakey's immense season. I am a massive fan of Little yet I havent seen Oster produce consistently bad displays to suggest that he is not worthy of a starting place if Little was injured or lost form. The same goes for Hunt and from what ive seen/heard of Seol- this is one position we have plenty of options and decent ones at that.