Sam Osborne

[magpie_mania]

Did you miss the post that said "The ‘offer’ was a token one - pay equivalent to what he earned as a first year pro, barely above minimum wage"?

I'm sure he would have stayed if the offer was a reasonable one. It seems that mighty Leamington offered more, which I think says it all.

Is he playing full-time with Leamington? They only average around 500.

Not sure how the offer is known though.

[Notts78]

Did you miss the post that said "The ‘offer’ was a token one - pay equivalent to what he earned as a first year pro, barely above minimum wage"?

I'm sure he would have stayed if the offer was a reasonable one. It seems that mighty Leamington offered more, which I think says it all.

Yeah cos that post must be true. He was offered a zero hour contract on less than £10 an hour, but only if he played. So essentially he was offered nothing. FACT.
Osborne is average at best. He may improve and play at National League level at some point. He had his moments for sure, but they were too few to justify a significant contract offer. I was more disappointed at Crawford being released. He looked to have progressed and contributed in our good performances prior to lockdown no.1. By all accounts he wasn’t a particularly good trainer and that appears to have been his down fall. With Crawford you could make an argument for him to replace what we have. Osborne isn’t fit enough to lace Cal Roberts boots.

[BigFatPie]

The ‘offer’ was a token one (not signing another winger when he didn’t sign it tells you that) - pay equivalent to what he earned as a first year pro, barely above minimum wage. It was a ‘if he’ll stay for that we may as well have him around’ offer rather than a genuine willingness to keep him as part of things and I fully understand, at 21, his decision to move on to get regular game-time he clearly wasn’t going to get here.

It’s one thing being understudy to Roberts and Enzio, but another entirely to be behind 34 year old Jim O’Brien for a starting berth on the wing and tells you everything about the approach taken by this manager unfortunately. Even when Osborne (and Crawford) came into prove themselves, the old boys were still the ones trusted when it mattered.

Massive Curtis Thompson vibes about Osborne; I fully expect him to follow the path set by Thompson, Colby Bishop, Luther Wildin etc and bounce back at a higher division then we’re currently in - only this time with us already in the Conference and him proving he can score goals and influence games at this level, there really is no excuse!

Ardley has zero faith in young players, that much is obvious, just another reason why he’s unsuitable for a club at our level.

Then there’s the team selection, tactics, motivation as well but they’re for another thread.

[Elite_Pie]

Yeah cos that post must be true.

It may or may not be true. It's just that on things like this the person who posted it has turned out to be right far more often than wrong.

You also seem to think I'm moaning about Osborne leaving, which I haven't done. I was 50/50 regarding his value to the squad when he left, and that's still the situation. It will only be a mistake if he plays regularly at this level or above, and that hasn't happened yet.

[SwalePie]

Ardley has zero faith in young players, that much is obvious, just another reason why he’s unsuitable for a club at our level.

Then there’s the team selection, tactics, motivation as well but they’re for another thread.

I find it hard to believe that a former Championship academy manager has no faith in young players.

[magpie_mania]

It may or may not be true. It's just that on things like this the person who posted it has turned out to be right far more often than wrong.

You also seem to think I'm moaning about Osborne leaving, which I haven't done. I was 50/50 regarding his value to the squad when he left, and that's still the situation. It will only be a mistake if he plays regularly at this level or above, and that hasn't happened yet.

Event if he does, I don't think it necessarily means it was a mistake, even if he would have stayed if we had offered more. Sometimes it needs a step back then 2 steps forward.

[Elite_Pie]

Sometimes it needs a step back then 2 steps forward.

Funnily enough, that's a phrase I've often used myself although not about Sam Osborne!

[BigFatPie]

I find it hard to believe that a former Championship academy manager has no faith in young players.

I have no idea whether he was any good at that job, but I’d suggest that coaching young players at a championship club and having the guts to first put them and then keep them in the first team at our level are two different things.

[queenslandpie]

Except that isn't all there is to it, there is another possible explanation. Maybe he thought that he was good enough to make the Notts first team, but was either told or thought that he was unlikely to get the opportunity.

Maybe he did but the management didn't. Maybe he is good enough as well. It was clear from the fact we had just signed Rodriguez before he pulled the pin and had other wingers at the club that yes his game time would probably be limited. I am not criticising the guy at all seemed to me he did a good job when he pulled on the shirt. However if you have other players at a club under contract for the coming season in the position and others not in contract and need to spend money elswhere on a national league budget that's what's going to happen isn't it. Happens all the time in football but people get more emotional about it as he was home grown which is understandable. I wish the guy all the luck in the world but I can understand why he was probably not offered a big deal by the club and I can also understand why he knocked it back. its really a non story.

[SwalePie]

I have no idea whether he was any good at that job, but I’d suggest that coaching young players at a championship club and having the guts to first put them and then keep them in the first team at our level are two different things.

He held the job for about 5 years successfully. I'd suggest that would at least make him an experienced judge of a young player's ability and potential.