Leon Osman

[vintage-toffees]

He is a criminal for playing that many games for Everton

Fraud of a player

 

[GwladysPhil]

He irritates me so badly even though there's been far worse players who've come and gone. I can't stand how people try to defend him with little substance to their arguments, he wasn't good enough for the club past 2007 and should never have been allowed to wear an Everton kit again after the '09 final (same with Hibbert).

He wasn't a good player, he was an average one who did have some very good memorable moments but for me the 20-30 games a season where he was utter toilet and a waste of a shirt on the pitch stand out in the memory more. Now he keeps popping up doing punditry gigs here and there, if people want to listen to anything he has to say then fine but never try to make out he was something he wasn't or that he was treated unfairly by certain sections of supporters.

That's a very contradictory statement. He was a decent player albeit in patches and got praised by other players. He scored some cracking goals and I really don't get this aggressive attitude towards him.

Local lad too, must be a wool thing.

 

[Nymzee]

Absolute grass.

 

[Saint Domingo]

....absolutely. He was a little maestro coming through the ranks. Loved watching him for the A and B sides in the Lancashire League and he was an FA Youth Cup winner. The goal he scored in the semi final at Blackburn was top drawer. If he was the same age and part of the current U23 side he'd be the stand out by a long way.

Technically better than any player in the current first team. Genuinely two footed, even without pace could take it past players, he was great in the middle but continuously got played wide mainly because he could still deliver from there whereas others couldn't. Even in Martinez's second season it was his return from injury that eased relegation fears. We've never replaced him Pienaar and Arteta. Baines used to be able to fire the ball infield or up the flank to Osman or Pienaar knowing it would be controlled instantly. Watching him trying to find a pass now with a host of static midfielders around him is painful.

 

[GwladysPhil]

Score a cracking header against city which nearly knocked him out.

 

[MikeH72]

Score a cracking header against city which nearly knocked him out.

Remember when he shinned one past Joe Hart from 30 yards?

 

[Azzurri]

 

[sageyefc]

ssssssssss

 

[degsy]

...he got exposed when a team worked out he needed to be closed down, otherwise I don't think folk realised how good he was. I point to Soton away where they worked out how crucial he was and dumped him as soon as he got the ball. He turned defence into attack with a little shimmy that looked simple but was so difficult. Proper footballer.

and he put in a few cracking 'fearless' headed goals. Showed that attack the ball bottle only surpassed by Cahill and Ferguson...our 2 strapping potential want aways should be as brave...couldn't do - or didn't seem to do defensive headers though. Had the Moyeses kiss of death, wide right position for more than enough times.

We all have to learn to separate the football Ossie from the KOPITE GRASS.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

Technically better than any player in the current first team. Genuinely two footed, even without pace could take it past players, he was great in the middle but continuously got played wide mainly because he could still deliver from there whereas others couldn't. Even in Martinez's second season it was his return from injury that eased relegation fears. We've never replaced him Pienaar and Arteta. Baines used to be able to fire the ball infield or up the flank to Osman or Pienaar knowing it would be controlled instantly. Watching him trying to find a pass now with a host of static midfielders around him is painful.

He was ridiculously weak, though - partly because he has the physique of an U-16 netball player, but also because his technique was (and continues to be) very over-rated.
Technically strong players are very hard to dispossess and push around, even if they're physically nothing special - prime Arteta would be a good example of this, a very tenacious player. Osman has more in common with Big Vic Anichebe - polar opposites in physique but similar inability to contest the ball. Constantly getting the brush off and falling on their aris.

 

[Saint Domingo]

He was ridiculously weak, though - partly because he has the physique of an U-16 netball player, but also because his technique was (and continues to be) very over-rated.
Technically strong players are very hard to dispossess and push around, even if they're physically nothing special - prime Arteta would be a good example of this, a very tenacious player. Osman has more in common with Big Vic Anichebe - polar opposites in physique but similar inability to contest the ball. Constantly getting the brush off and falling on their aris.

A ridiculous comparison, one of the technically worst players I've seen at Everton with one of the best of recent times. Vic could barely trap the ball, all he had going for him was a big physique. He was completely useless outside of the box. Osman was physically weak like you said but he often weaved away from challenges. What we're seeing now is a team full of athletes who can't play football which is why we can't win away and why we're generally quite turgid to watch with no magic anywhere. Messi loses the ball and is dispossessed more than anyone in la liga. It's what happens when you take a risk and try and make something happen. Used to get my goat when morons would be happy clapping Fellaini and Roswell for crab passing it all day long then would jump on the back of Pienaar or Osman of Arteta if one eye of the needle pass didn't come off. Amazing how that midget gem team qualified for Europe and reached a cup final if it was full of weak players.

 

[orly]

A boil on the face of the otherwise beautiful hamlet of Skem

 

[Stuartisitc1878]

players of Osman's size normally come with a low centre of gravity allowing them to turn quickly and move away from those trying to tackle them. Desptie having quite quick and tidy feet he had the turning circle of Morris Minor. every time he tried to move in anything other than a straight line he had zero balance or strength. Surprisingly good leep though and could score a worldy every now and then but bang average player who player for us for far to long in my opinion.

 

[Walken]

Technically better than any player in the current first team. Genuinely two footed, even without pace could take it past players, he was great in the middle but continuously got played wide mainly because he could still deliver from there whereas others couldn't. Even in Martinez's second season it was his return from injury that eased relegation fears. We've never replaced him Pienaar and Arteta. Baines used to be able to fire the ball infield or up the flank to Osman or Pienaar knowing it would be controlled instantly. Watching him trying to find a pass now with a host of static midfielders around him is painful.

So untrue it's actually painful to read, horrible little snake, and a crap footballer, he was proper moyes, cowardly

 

[Black Belt Jones]

A ridiculous comparison, one of the technically worst players I've seen at Everton with one of the best of recent times. Vic could barely trap the ball, all he had going for him was a big physique. He was completely useless outside of the box. Osman was physically weak like you said but he often weaved away from challenges. What we're seeing now is a team full of athletes who can't play football which is why we can't win away and why we're generally quite turgid to watch with no magic anywhere. Messi loses the ball and is dispossessed more than anyone in la liga. It's what happens when you take a risk and try and make something happen. Used to get my goat when morons would be happy clapping Fellaini and Roswell for crab passing it all day long then would jump on the back of Pienaar or Osman of Arteta if one eye of the needle pass didn't come off. Amazing how that midget gem team qualified for Europe and reached a cup final if it was full of weak players.

Suspect you're on your own with Osman the risk-taker - Not heard that one before in all honesty. John Stones took risks - NEA if 40000 people start booing, I'm playing football. Leon never had that sort of sack.

Obv Osman had good feet - tidy passer, whereas Big Vic couldn't trap a bag of cement. But contesting the ball, shielding it, moving play at pace - they were both as poor as one another as whatever it takes to do this in the prem, they didn't have it.

Never seen two players who loved the hallowed turf of Goodison park as much as those two. Forever sat on their backsides on the grass, dispossessed and the game leaving them behind....