GABRIEL OSHO: MORE DESIRED?

The signing of Gabriel Osho in the summer certainly caught the eye, however, what has played out hasn't quite reached the levels fans would hope. Osho came with an impressive track record, and despite showing glimpses so far, Osho's first two months as a Bluebird have been littered with disappointing outings.

Gabriel Osho in action.

The 27 year-old completed a permanent move from AJ Auxerre on a four-year deal in the summer, with fans full of excitement. Osho was a regular in Ligue 1 last season, after a season in the Premier League with Luton Town. Fans expected Osho to come in and become one of the first names on the team sheet and dominate the Third Tier.

After City's defensive struggles last season, centre-back was cited as a necessary position to assess this summer, and many thought a signing of the calibre of Osho would go a long way to fixing things. However, things haven't quite played out like that just yet.

Stiff Competition:

Prior to Osho's signing, City had kept five clean sheets in the opening seven games in all competitions. Dylan Lawlor and Will Fish were essential to this, with both having had pleasing starts to the League One campaign. Therefore, with the signing of Osho, it became apparent the Nigerian international would be forced to compete for a place.

Calum Chambers has grown into his role this season, with plenty of pleasing performances. At the time, the signing of Osho put Chambers' City future into question, with many seeing the club-captain as the fourth choice. However, the 30 year-old has been pleasantly surprising many this campaign.

With the three other options having good starts to the season, Osho's task of getting in the team has become more challenging as time has gone on.

Underwhelming Performances:

Osho has shown glimpses in a City shirt, with good performances against Exeter City and Wigan Athletic, however, to those who didn't know Osho prior to his signing, it's more than likely at this stage in time, they would associate Osho's name with a defender who lacks concentration and is mistake-prone.

The defender's first league start was disastrous, as Cardiff lost their first game of the season against Bradford, conceding three and Osho gave away a reckless penalty. Osho's next game at the Cardiff City Stadium, close to nothing went right for the 27 year-old. The defender was at fault for a goal after an under-hit back pass, having done the same thing just a few minutes prior going unpunished, before getting caught on the ball in the second half, having to be bailed out by Nathan Trott. In Osho's most recent start, the defender was hooked at half-time after another under-hit pass back to the goalkeeper, with Trott saving the defender's blushes again.

What can Gabriel Osho offer?

In Osho's glimpses so far, there's been signs that Osho can be physically dominant in games, whilst also possessing quality on the ball. The 27 year-old has also shown qualities in the air, adding to his ability to dominate opposition forwards.

The Nigerian has shown his long balls ability in glimpses, as well as an ability to carry the ball forward. One of Osho's biggest assets in regards to this current City squad, is that Osho is quick and can offer an almost get out of jail free card, in terms of being able to make recovery challenges.

Osho's route back in:

Osho has played just three minutes in the last three games, having been an unused substitute in the last two games. Therefore, the defender is looking for a route back in to the side, after a sticky start in the Welsh Capital.

The easiest route for Osho will be being the beneficiary of an injury. Will Fish and Dylan Lawlor have had their injury struggles this season, meaning there's a chance that Osho will be thrown in at the deep end sooner rather than later. Otherwise, Osho will have to impress in his short cameos, similar to his performance against Wrexham.

There's also a possible route in for Osho in the number six role, where he has previous experience at Luton playing. However, given City's already stacked competition in that area, playing as a holding midfielder seems fairly unlikely at this stage for Osho.

Summary - More desired?

Given the hype when signed, I believe it's fair to say there's more to be desired with Osho. Being given a run in the team could be beneficial, however that seems unlikely at this moment in time, therefore Osho might have to find another route back in.

Osho has a good track record at a far higher level than this, therefore I have no doubt about his quality and that Osho could excel in this team, given the time to build up the confidence he's lost since joining.

Instagram

Twitter