Is Oatway good enough?

[Gritt23]

I believe Charlie is good enough.

Last time we were in this division he looked out of his depth, but then last season I thought he was fantastic for us, and the improvement has been maintained this season. He looks much better than 2 seasons ago, and I think the midfield looks stronger, hungrier and more likely to break-up the opponents play when Charlie is in there.

 

[Tom the Croc]

He is the player I would most like to see disappear from the first team squad. Until Watson comes back that is.

 

[London Irish]

Not entirely sure what game you were watching on Tuesday night, but I guess it is all about opinions.

I think the whole midfield was poor and Carpenter when on did not look fit. However although Oatway made a couple of crucial blocks towards the end, for most of the game he looked out of his depth. Hammond offers so much more than Oatway in the middle and surely at home we would be better with a more natural wide player with Hammond and Carpenter (pressuming Nicolas is not fit) in the middle on Saturday.

Probably I was watching the same game as McGhee, who once again selected Charlie to lead the team from the centre of midfield today. I do think Hammond is playing well, but, as with your use of Nicolas at times, there is no logic in using that fact as a stick to beat Charlie with.

Football is, as you say, about opinions and I would respect yours a bit more if you cast aside your long-standing and often-stated anti-Charlie prejudice and admit Charlie has done well since he came back into the team at Gillingham.

 

[Yorkie]

I am a Charlie fan and, yes, he is good enough.

Horses for courses. Fans having unrealistic expectations come to mind.

 

[Brighton Breezy]

Charlie was superb yesterday until he had to come off.

he is obviously good enough for this squad. Whether he starts every game is a different matter when everyone is fit. But it is rare that everyone is fit and Charlie has an important role to play.

 

[Harty]

In answer to the original question. YES, he is good enough.

 

[Bwian]

Charlie is more valuable to this club than many of his detractors realise. The fantastic team spirit that has prevailed since MA arrived is mainly down to Charlie. Ask Nicolas or any player that has joined the Albion over the last 4 or 5 years.

Personally, I think he is a far better team captain than DC. Charlie encourages whereas DC bollocks everybody. So, my view is that he IS good enough. Yesterday proved that.

I hope that there will be a place for him on the coaching staff when his playing days are over. An Albion legend in the making!

 

[dougdeep]

When Nicolas was asked the main reason he had signed for us, he said that Charlie and Danny had told him to.

 

[larus]

Charlie is more valuable to this club than many of his detractors realise. The fantastic team spirit that has prevailed since MA arrived is mainly down to Charlie. Ask Nicolas or any player that has joined the Albion over the last 4 or 5 years.

Personally, I think he is a far better team captain than DC. Charlie encourages whereas DC bollocks everybody. So, my view is that he IS good enough. Yesterday proved that.

I hope that there will be a place for him on the coaching staff when his playing days are over. An Albion legend in the making!

I'll second that Bwian.

 

[Schrödinger's Toad]

Charlie is more valuable to this club than many of his detractors realise. The fantastic team spirit that has prevailed since MA arrived is mainly down to Charlie. Ask Nicolas or any player that has joined the Albion over the last 4 or 5 years.

Personally, I think he is a far better team captain than DC. Charlie encourages whereas DC bollocks everybody. So, my view is that he IS good enough. Yesterday proved that.

I hope that there will be a place for him on the coaching staff when his playing days are over. An Albion legend in the making!

I would agree strongly with the second paragraph, but sadly Charlie's ability is not on a par with his leadership, so I can't see him meriting a place in the team - in the squad maybe, as he has a role to play, but not ahead of Chippy, Alexis or Hammond.

 

[BensGrandad]

I believe that CO has a role to play as a squad player and will be used by MM when the circ umstances warrant it. MM appears to be a manager who doersn't have rigid first team of 11 but uses a squad of players for different matches to meet different demands.

I thought that we lost the midfield against Cardiff whebn Nicholas went off and Kavanagh then ran the show. Yesterday we fought a lot better in midfioeld and Chippy looked to be more involved than Tuesday night. But then what do I know about football!!

 

[Zeitgeist]

I'm going to go against the general view here. Since he came back from injury, Charlie has played some of his best football since he joined the Albion. IMO he's been in the team on merit rather than a stopgap which he had been in recent seasons.