Colm Kavanagh has a dream...
Ossie's Dream
Leon Osman
Oh what a horrible season — I cannot wait for it to end. Like wishing your life away, I suppose, but the end of this season cannot come soon enough for me with, hopefully, membership of the Premiership for season 2004-05 still intact.
I hate this time of season when permutations are sought — for survival of the team and sanity of the mind. If we beat them and that lot lose to that other shower... etc etc etc.
Each and every game a "six-pointer", though only three are on offer. One ear on matters elsewhere as we circle the wagons, set the stall out trying to protect a lead or chase a lost cause. "Goal at Elland Road", the dramatic call from the radio. For a split moment, you brick it — we fall ever closer to that perforated line that, after 38 games, decides your fate. I hate it!
Nothing a few wins over the coming weeks wouldn't sort, to ease the mess we're in.
Aston Villa coming to Goodison Park on Saturday will provide a stiff test. They've been pretty anonymous for the first half of the season but credit to O'Leary for the manner in which Villa have a different look about them right now. Beating them won't be easy as they're now chasing a place in Europe next season. Was it really only three months back they were in the bottom three and the subject of intense media interest in their plight? What we'd give for a similar run, starting this Saturday!
I believe Gavin McCann remains absent from the Villa midfield due to injury. I liked McCann when he was first given a chance at Everton. A good tenacious ball winner in the middle of the park. What we could do with him playing for the home team on Saturday, eh? That midfield of ours continues to be our Achilles heel — consistently inconsistent but forever frustrating. For all his faults, the truth remains that Thomas Gravesen is our most obvious candidate to create anything out there on any given match day. Frightening?
Meanwhile, down in deepest Derbyshire, there's a team — Derby County — in dire straits themselves with one foot in Division One and the other hovering above Division Two. They are in a relegation dogfight. They've a kid playing for them who has scored two winning goals in recent weeks — but aside gaining the obvious headlines; he has been playing well, catching the eye. His name? Leon Osman. That's Leon Osman, on loan from Premiership club Everton — and now on extended loan (though with a 24 hour "I'm an Evertonian, let me back home" clause) for another month.
I'm scratching my head at the decision of the manager to allow him to spend a further month at Derby. No denying that being out on loan will do the youngster no harm. I am also reliably informed that the rumours of Osman not being in David Moyes's plans for the future are utter garbage. Won't that one come back to bite me should he be sold within the year, eh?!
We're looking at a very promising talent who right now should be at least sitting on the bench, at Everton. Needs to be, surely? We are so lacking in that current midfield when we should really be utilising all last options. Get him back Moyesy! He's needed right now for the troublesome run-in we face. There are no such things as easy games at this stage of the season when each and every point is scrapped for!
Last season, the unknown element that was the emerging Wayne Rooney carried us to more wins than we dared. I'm not saying that Leon Osman's introduction to the team at this stage of the season would guarantee us survival but seeing him continuing to do well at a Nationwide club most certainly doesn't assist OUR chances for Premiership survival.
There's a certain stubbornness in ALL Scottish football managers — 'twas ever thus! David Moyes is no exception. He's on record as questioning the lad's strength and height. Fair enough to express concern about one so young — but Alan Ball was no six-foot titan. Nor is Paul Scholes. Unfair, I know, to use two great players, past and present, when pleading for the safe return (uninjured!) of one Leon Osman but that's the fickleness of us football fans! I know he's highly rated by the staff at Everton, in particular the second in command.
Listen to him, Davey — he's right. Bring the kid back now — before we end up with regrets. It'd almost be like having a new player in midfield.
Sean who??? ;-)
Bring Ossie home!
Colm Kavanagh 24 February 2004