Erhun Oztumer (pg.24 on loan to Bristol Rovers)

kentaddick said:

Scoham said:

Leuth said:

Bowyer and mercurial technical players is an uneasy match at the best of times and it's one of our great leader's truest failings that he can't seem to find space for outrageous talent

Outrageous talent? Sarr is comfortable at this level, Oztumer has found it harder. Good League 1 attacking midfielder for me.

Oztumer is an outrageous talent. I know it was non league, but I’ve never seen some one so outrageously on his own plane of talent when he was at dulwich hamlet. There’s a lot of good footballers at that level who simply won’t or didn’t make it for various reasons, sometimes not because of lack of ability. Oztumer was messi like at that level, he was so good. He lacks some obvious physical attributes that mean he’ll never quite take it to the highest level. But he is seriously talented with a football.

That was also 6-8 years ago and much further down the pyramid - he was in the Dulwich team that won the Isthmian Division One South in 2013. He certainly was something special, though, and he's done himself proud since then.

These days, and at a much higher level, while I think he's certainly a useful player to have, I think he is more suited to League One or below, where some of the old magic might come back!

Viewfinder said:

kinveachyaddick said:

For me his size does count against him in this division. In the games I've seen, he's been eased off the ball too easily as the average Championship player is bigger and quicker than their League One counterpart, where he would still be useful. A shame, as was excited when we signed him.

Agree entirely. He had a brilliant 25 minutes orchestrating the team against Forest at The Valley earlier in the season: quick feet, quick brain.

But lack of size and bulk soon counted against him. Brushed off the ball by bigger opponents. Would even struggle against the better teams in League One.

A strange signing. We in the Covered End have watched small players flop before. Nicky Ajose, anyone? 

Yes only those in the covered end have watched small players flop before? 

Oztumer hasn't been a flop really, sure he's not fired on all cylinders at any stage yet, but he hasn't stunk the place out either.

Ajose was a one season wonder. 

What about Lookman, what about Jay DaSilva, What about Chris Solly, What about Josh Cullen, What about Johnny Williams?

I could go on, these are only vaguely recent examples of short players that have played well for us. Even Tarique Fosu was decent on his day under Robinson.

If we keep going back you can look at Matt Holland or Kinsella or Mendonca or Parker. 

Shorter players have largely done pretty well here. 

Dazzler21 said:

I almost forgot one, very important player Andy Reid. What a player he was, short and fat he was better than most players he played against for us. 

Touch like a Champions League player, body like a Sunday League player.

Covered End said:

Scoham said:

https://www.londonnewsonline.co.uk/charlton-chief-bowyer-on-why-height-of-footballers-wont-be-an-issue-even-in-the-physical-championship/

I'll remember this at The New Den, when the ball stays in the air for 90 mins and Millwall score 2 headers from set pieces :-(

You some kind of oracle or something @Covered End or maybe it’s just your years of experiencing these depressing situations!

I'd like to see him on the bench. I'd say he's probably more worthwhile having there than McGeady or Davidson. He's shown flashes but whether it's down to the role he's given, his diminutive stature, or whatever, he does seem to struggle to impose himself on the game. Given space by the opposition he's a clear threat, but too easily snuffed out. He's not a million miles different to Williams - probably more of a goal threat - but Williams, despite being a tiddler himself, just has that extra half yard of pace and a knack of being able to get on the ball and win free kicks etc. Ozzy doesn't quite have the same knack of staying involved in matches. I think Bowyer rates him, he was after him in January 2019 remember as well as last summer, but I think he also knows we're in scrap right now and wants a few warriors in the team and I don't think anyone could argue Ozzy is a warrior.

Despite his small stature, Oztumer has some special qualities, touch, vision, quick brain ..... and both Dulwich and Walsall built their sides around him, providing the platform for him to perform. And reaped the rewards, especially with their goalscoring.

At Charlton, we haven't seen that - he is just another player to rotate in Bowyer's gameplan and systems; the team isn't especially set up for him to thrive.

As said by someone above, Ozzie hasn't even had a proper run in the side; precious little chance to build match fitness and expression - so of course, we haven't really yet seen him at the top of his game.


At Walsall, they played to his abilities: for example, he was uprooting trees with his goalscoring - he had a free-er role, able to exploit space and make late unmarked runs into the box, slippery in possession, winning penalties and scoring goals.

Okay, it's a tighter game in the Championship but Bowyer doesn't use him like that. Ozzie is just another cog in the wheel, within the gameplan and team effort.

Yet we're crying out for flair and especially goals.

Absurdistan said:

Was on our books as a kid but let go at 16 because he's only 5ft 3in. Was a writeup about him in this weeks South London Press. Banged in loads of goals for Dulwich Hamlet. Heard for the brother of another Turkish player who was let go (the injured guy) that Smallwall might be interested in him.

http://www.streatham-today.co.uk/sport.cfm?id=15759&headline=Dulwich boss: Oztumer is good enough to be a pro

The above quote is from 2013. He's still 5' 3'' and little seems to have changed with regards to our opinion of him. If he was too lightweight and not suited to the physical game, why were we chasing him for so long? LB has only given him 90 minutes once which suggests that he has had major doubts all along too. So why sign him?

stoneroses19 said:

Back on the bench for today

Good to see that LB does read CL after all

But late to the party but I'd try to shoehorn him into the side somehow just for his set pieces alone. We are so crap at corners & free kicks he must be worth a try.....and he always seems to have a goal in him. 

Insigne at Napoli is only 5 ft 4 so it can be done.

So he is too small for our team? Surely bowyer knew that when he signed him

soapboxsam said:

Covered End said:

golfaddick said:

But late to the party but I'd try to shoehorn him into the side somehow just for his set pieces alone. We are so crap at corners & free kicks he must be worth a try.....and he always seems to have a goal in him. 

Good idea, put him at the far post from corners and let him out jump the defenders a foot taller

I remember Oztumer scoring a goal in League one from a header for Walsall.
A daisy cutter of a cross was headed in with not a defender in sight ?

Against Charlton at the Valley.

Yes, a great header.