As I see it we have been paying 25k a week for Oli to sit on his hands in the final season of his contract - he hasn't had any takers for his services since returning from Cardiff, so for me I hope he performs for us so that we can at least get some value for money from him.
Not quite sure what game you were watching. He was quiet but efficient. Everytime he got the ball he looked forward, instead of our usual back to the defenders negative passing (Evans and McKenna), played some wonderful balls out to the wing and adds an added aerial threat which we have been lacking for three seasons now.
There is no doubt he can pass the ball well, but his tackling is dreadful, always a yard behind the play. I would much rather have Evans in there who gives energy some thing else that Oli lacks. His height is useful and I would love him to prove me wrong but I can't see him being I the team long term or at the club for that matter.
Neat and tidy player, but a bit powder puff for me. Got done in a 50/50 with Jay Spearing - half his size. Could do better.
any 50/50 he goes for is pretty much a 95/5 in favour of the other fella by default. with quinn, elmo, koren and dudgeon across the 5 in midfield we have pace and creativity. what's needed is a bit of steel, break up play, put it about. i get what he does i just a) don't think he's all that special at it and b) it's not integral to what SB is trying to achieve.
i thought he did ok, certainly wouldnt say he was ****e...can definately tell hes a bit rusty and needs games but he was composed and steady away i thought..
I think it's totally unfair to criticize a player that hasn't had a run in the team, UNLESS he was truly awful! But he wasn't was he. When/If this big fellow get's match fit he could be a real asset.
He was okay, played well enough. I like the fact he can spread the ball about rather than the 'pass to the nearest man' what we had all of last year.
Olly reads the game really well, he makes a lot of interceptions which is why he doesn't seem to make many tackles. His passing was very good too, some of his long passes were very good, nicely weighted with a purpose to them instead of just hitting the ball forward.
How do you play yous balls off, when you,ve been sidelined for god knows how long by two previous managers. He was always in the headlines for Cardiff, whilst on loan. Give the guy a break and let him settle in. It was his first game for a long, long time .
I don't know where people are getting the opinion from that Oli was amazing at Cardiff. According to their board most fans seemed to be of the opinion that he started really well but come the end of the season would have happily driven him back to Hull. If memory serves he was dropped by them towards the end of the season.
He's not a defensive midfielder so I doubt he was in the team to tackle. Quinn was the hard working midfielder to get at them and then get forward. Olofinjana was there playing as a deep lying playmaker, and he did a good job. I'd put Evans/McKenna in alongside Quinn for away games, but for home games we can afford to do it and it got the ball out to the wing backs much more quickly.
There's also one thing Oli does which we've critically lacked the last couple of years, that is those late driving runs into the box to get on the end of crosses, pull a defender out or offer another option. None of our players have done that for awhile.
He was probably the one who gave the ball away the most - tad rusty. that said it's a team game and the other tidied up well. I think he's a better passer than Evans but I'd still pick McKenna; although we've lost Cairney we do have options in the middle.
