Leon Osman

[Clint Planet]

He had a go at the club at the beginning of the season for cutting him loose. He also made a case for Hibbert, saying that they were just asked not to come back and that was that. No thank yous, no carriage clock, no handshake. People now call him a grass because he spoke of his frustrations to the media.
I agree with him that some common courtesy from people he had worked with for decades would have been appreciated. I think he's right. The argument against is that he earned lots of money and so get over it. Probably the same people who get all flustered because Moyes showed no loyalty to the blues when he went to utd.

Is right.

All this "grassing" rubbish is distasteful and unedifying. He was a good lad and a great servant of the club. If he was treated shoddily by the club, he has a right to talk about it without some nomarks invoking the Cosa Nostra Code of Silence.

 

[witchdoc187]

Joe Cole said Osman was the best player in the squad when they played in the England U21's.

Slippy said Joe Cole was better than messi

 

[Barnfred 55]

Is right.

All this "grassing" rubbish is distasteful and unedifying. He was a good lad and a great servant of the club. If he was treated shoddily by the club, he has a right to talk about it without some nomarks invoking the Cosa Nostra Code of Silence.

I've never really understood the amount of hate going around for Osman, typified by some of the posters on this site. He was a good servant for the club over the years, and a competent performer at the level we have been at for most of his time here. Often played out of position but that was because he was fairly versatile. Last season showed he was past his best and it was the right decision not to extend his contract. Ironically, he is the type of player we are lacking now. I'm not for a moment suggesting that, even at his best, Osman would be the player to help take us to the next level. But we definitely miss his goals from midfield and the subtle creativity he used to bring around the box.

As regards his comments since leaving the club, I can see both sides of the argument. The club, from what I've heard, were pretty brutal in how the news was actually released; the same with Hibbert, although in my opinion Hibbert can count himself very lucky to have actually been given a contract for the last 3 years. I find it hard to believe that the first either player knew of the situation was when the list of players being released was given to the press. Surely there must have been discussions between the club, the players and their agents at some stage given that their contracts were up. However, notwithstanding that, given both players time with the club, it would have been a nice gesture, either within the press release or via twitter, for the club to thank them for their service.

But I can also understand why the comments from both players have been taken badly by many fans. They have had great careers in professional football and earned a huge amount of money doing so that can afford them a very comfortable lifestyle for the remainder if their lives. The vast majority of supporters can only dream about that and probably scrimp together pounds and shillings each week to actually be able to attend the games. Their comments were probably ill advised and perhaps a bit disrespectful to a large portion of the fans who turned up to watch them week in week out over the years.

In essence, probably both the club and players could have acted better with hindsight.

 

[TheGhostOfBolasie]

I've never really understood the amount of hate going around for Osman, typified by some of the posters on this site. He was a good servant for the club over the years, and a competent performer at the level we have been at for most of his time here. Often played out of position but that was because he was fairly versatile. Last season showed he was past his best and it was the right decision not to extend his contract. Ironically, he is the type of player we are lacking now. I'm not for a moment suggesting that, even at his best, Osman would be the player to help take us to the next level. But we definitely miss his goals from midfield and the subtle creativity he used to bring around the box.

As regards his comments since leaving the club, I can see both sides of the argument. The club, from what I've heard, were pretty brutal in how the news was actually released; the same with Hibbert, although in my opinion Hibbert can count himself very lucky to have actually been given a contract for the last 3 years. I find it hard to believe that the first either player knew of the situation was when the list of players being released was given to the press. Surely there must have been discussions between the club, the players and their agents at some stage given that their contracts were up. However, notwithstanding that, given both players time with the club, it would have been a nice gesture, either within the press release or via twitter, for the club to thank them for their service.

But I can also understand why the comments from both players have been taken badly by many fans. They have had great careers in professional football and earned a huge amount of money doing so that can afford them a very comfortable lifestyle for the remainder if their lives. The vast majority of supporters can only dream about that and probably scrimp together pounds and shillings each week to actually be able to attend the games. Their comments were probably ill advised and perhaps a bit disrespectful to a large portion of the fans who turned up to watch them week in week out over the years.

In essence, probably both the club and players could have acted better with hindsight.

The club will obviously have thanked them for their service. No need to publicly suck their willies at all.

Both players should consider themselves incredibly lucky to have been given millions over the past 5 years when they've contributed absolutely nothing whatsoever to the club. If either had any ambition they'd have left ages ago to play more often in a different team.

I don't get the hate though, so agree with you on that, unless there's something I missed. I don't think we are missing either of them whatsoever though, bog standard players at best, maybe at our level in their early years, but that's about it.

 

[mightymoyes]

Joe Cole said Osman was the best player in the squad when they played in the England U21's.

he was so brilliant they decided not to give him any u21 caps.

 

[Barnfred 55]

The club will obviously have thanked them for their service. No need to publicly suck their willies at all.

Both players should consider themselves incredibly lucky to have been given millions over the past 5 years when they've contributed absolutely nothing whatsoever to the club. If either had any ambition they'd have left ages ago to play more often in a different team.

I don't get the hate though, so agree with you on that, unless there's something I missed. I don't think we are missing either of them whatsoever though, bog standard players at best, maybe at our level in their early years, but that's about it.

Agree with you on Hibbert. Certainly for the last 3 years when he never appeared to be fit anyway. But I think Osman has made a contribution of sorts during the Martinez era, although his last season was a bit of a joke. I also think you missed my point on Osman. I didn't say we miss Osman now, I said we miss that type of player i.e. a midfield goal scorer with a bit of guile around the box.

Also, do you know the club thanked them for their service?. That's what one would expect a club like ours to do, but it's also what the players outbursts were about and the club hasn't exactly made any public response to them that I'm aware of. I'm not defending the players by the way. I just think it's the decent thing for any club to do for players who had been with them since they were 11 or so.

 

[Black Belt Jones]

On his day he was a very good player with sweet feet but once in 4 or 5 games was of no benefit to us. Was easily swept aside and had divers boots on. You could see a good player in him and we seen it not often enough.

Physically the weakest player I've ever seen in an Everton midfield. I know the game's developed miles past raw strength being important, but there are still some basic requirements. He was like a piece of spaghetti.
Suggests he wasn't as technically accomplished as he appeared to be at first glance. The best small players are extremely hard to dispossess - they play a very 'strong' game just on their technique, despite not being physically strong themselves.

 

[Moomin]

Agree with you on Hibbert. Certainly for the last 3 years when he never appeared to be fit anyway. But I think Osman has made a contribution of sorts during the Martinez era, although his last season was a bit of a joke. I also think you missed my point on Osman. I didn't say we miss Osman now, I said we miss that type of player i.e. a midfield goal scorer with a bit of guile around the box.

Also, do you know the club thanked them for their service?. That's what one would expect a club like ours to do, but it's also what the players outbursts were about and the club hasn't exactly made any public response to them that I'm aware of. I'm not defending the players by the way. I just think it's the decent thing for any club to do for players who had been with them since they were 11 or so.

They found out from family and friends, no one at the club contacted either Hibbert or Osman to make them aware they wouldn't be offered a new deal.

Only when their names was on the release list and family members texted them.

Rather poor from the club.

 

[GrandOldTeam]

Not great from the club, but there was no manager to make a decision before their release...

Respect works two ways.

 

[squonk]

what are all the grass shouts about?

some people get a kick out of abusing Everton players, both past and present. strange isn't it.

 

[Ivo]

he was so brilliant they decided not to give him any u21 caps.

Also he was 28 at the time.

 

[Walken]

The club bullying him out made me happier than the 95 cup win

 

[Barnfred 55]

Not great from the club, but there was no manager to make a decision before their release...

Respect works two ways.

As I said, I don't think it reflects well on either party. Good point about the lack of manager, but then again Bill isn't usually shy in making pblic statements and it's the sort of thing that you would expect him to revel in.

The other issue I can't get my head around is that you're not telling me that there hadn't been any discussions between the club/players/agents regarding the expiring contracts. Surely there must have been.

 

[banno]

As I said, I don't think it reflects well on either party. Good point about the lack of manager, but then again Bill isn't usually shy in making pblic statements and it's the sort of thing that you would expect him to revel in.

The other issue I can't get my head around is that you're not telling me that there hadn't been any discussions between the club/players/agents regarding the expiring contracts. Surely there must have been.

I agree that there is more to the story. The agents acting on there behalf must have had some kind of idea what was going on. That's why I take the story with a pinch of salt.

 

[d34noj]

Slippy said Joe Cole was better than messi

So by that comparison, Steven Gerrard thinks Leon Osman is better than Lionel Messi.