Oatway

[London Irish]

i think he showed at gillingham with 20 mins to go he is good to bring on and kill the game but he should not be starting

Were you actually at the game?

It was 0-0 when Charlie came on. We then played much the better football than the Gills and won the game.

Charlie also played very well against the Blades, passing and spreading play to impress even the most jaundiced of critics. But sure, he's the obvious scapegoat when we lose, must be Kerry Mayo's week off from that.

 

[Yorkie]

Horses for courses, there are games where a psychotic dwarf is a necessity. At other times Oatway isn't as usefull. First choice central midfielders for me should be Nicolas and Carpenter. Oatway as cover or when we need a bit more muscle.

spot on

 

[London Irish]

McGhee told Oatway in the summer that if he is not a first team regular during first half of the season then around about Christmas time he will tell Charlie that he will not be offered a new deal for next season; I assume Charlie may be allowed to leave early if he wanted to; which would be a hard decision for him as he obviously likes being a major part of the club

Name the games that Oatway hasn't figured in the first team squad when he's been fit.

I'll save you the bother. None.

McGhee has also given quotes about Charlie being part of our midfield set-up for the next two years, although I do remember the Argus story you refer to. Since then, McGhee has gone on record saying Oatway has worked hard and made himself a better footballer. That's the updated picture.

 

[clapham_gull]

Some people talk like we're knocking on the door of the premiership. As far as I'm concerned we're a good division higher than we should be in terms of our resources and the players we should honestly be attracting. It is nothing short of a miracle that we are attracting future prospects like Nicolas to our tin pot little stadium.

Has anybody asked themselves how the hell we are in the position to attract such players and be looking forward to playing Leeds next week ?

It simple - an incredible sense of team spirit and has continued through a number of managers, and is being installed into the youngsters like Virgo and Hammond.

Oatway is a massive part of this, his influence behind the scenes in building team spirit has been a major factor in bringing us the success that we have seen over the last few years.

That's why he has the respect of Dick and Mcghee.

 

[dougdeep]

The first thing McGhee said when Nicolas signed,was that he was a player in the Oatway mould. So he must rate him.

 

[Yorkie]

McGhee also said that over the summer he expected every player to improve their fitness and without exception every single player did. Even the older ones.

 

[saltash seagull]

i think he showed at gillingham with 20 mins to go he is good to bring on and kill the game but he should not be starting

spot on he's ideal to have on the bench and be bought on chippy and alexis has got to be our midfield pairing

 

[larus]

I've never been a fan of Oatway, but I think he has improved this year.

Keep him in the squad, as it's not all down to the 90 minutes on the pitch, there's the rest of the week where the team-spirit is created. As clapham_gull points out, we are at least 1 division above where we should be given our resources. So why is that? I believe that the team spirit counts for something, and this starts from the chairmn, down to the manager and through a squad that want to play for each other.

 

[fatboy]

Can't be arsed to read this thread but I would play Carpenter and Nicolas when fit in central midfield, with Currie on one side and a decent wide player on the other. I would have Hammond as substitute over Oatway.

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

piercy can play out wide

 

[b.w.2.]

Carpenter should be in for Oatway, IMHO... although I have to admit Charlie played well against Shef U... always play your best players in each position... Nicolas and Carpenter the best possible combination in central midfield...

 

[Dave the OAP]

cant be arsed to read what Fatboy put...anyone?

 

[Spiros]

When we need to open teams up we need to put a bit more creativity in midfield than Charlie can offer. However there are times when the opposition have a creative midfield player of their own who needs to be closed out and THAT is what Charlie is best at.

Sadly, in home games we need to open up the opposition so it's best to use him as sub only for those.

 

[Weezle]

When Bob Booker gave his talk to Seagulls over London he confirmed that Charlie's greatest value was in creating and maintaining the fantastic spirit within the club which is a huge reason we are where we are today and a reason we are able to keep attracting players to our club. Charlie will always have a future at our club because of this. He can do a job when requried on the pitch, and in the future maybe will do a job for us coaching. He's been a fantastic servant to the club.

 

[3gulls]

When Bob Booker gave his talk to Seagulls over London he confirmed that Charlie's greatest value was in creating and maintaining the fantastic spirit within the club which is a huge reason we are where we are today and a reason we are able to keep attracting players to our club. Charlie will always have a future at our club because of this. He can do a job when requried on the pitch, and in the future maybe will do a job for us coaching. He's been a fantastic servant to the club.

Spot on, nobody could argue with that. However, in my opinion, Charlie gets to play too often. He is just not good enough to make a regular appearance in midfield (or at rightback!).

 

[Charlies Shinpad]

When MM decides to pack it in as manager I reckon everyone on this thread should be the first to apply for the post.

It seems all of you are a better manager than we have now,so why are you wasting your time on here?

Leicester, I am sure will be willing to have you apply for there top job!

 

[Dancin Ninja BHA]

McGhee has also given quotes about Charlie being part of our midfield set-up for the next two years, although I do remember the Argus story you refer to. Since then, McGhee has gone on record saying Oatway has worked hard and made himself a better footballer. That's the updated picture.

I just knew you'd be on this thread, sticking up for your main man Oatway

And it will be a sorry state of affairs if Mr Oatway is part of the Albion's midfield for the next 2 years

 

[Yorkie]

He doesn't have to stick up for him.

Mark McGhee picks him because he is capable of doing the job.

 

[3gulls]

When MM decides to pack it in as manager I reckon everyone on this thread should be the first to apply for the post.

It seems all of you are a better manager than we have now,so why are you wasting your time on here?

Leicester, I am sure will be willing to have you apply for there top job!

Many more performances like Saturday's, it may be sooner than we think. Even allowing for the Ref. and Lino., the starting team were very poor.

 

[London Irish]

Looks like I'm stuck forever with the reputation of being Charlie Oatway's rent boy, but even I wouldn't start him ahead of our best midfielder Richard Carpenter.

But the fact that McGhee might do so (haven't seen the final team list tonight) for the second successive game I think dispels the myth advanced in this thread that Charlie has no future in the squad in McGhee's thinking.