Despite a less than illustrious start to his career in maroon, occasional flashes of footballing ability and a growing faith in Csaba's judgement had ensured that David Obua wasn't written off quite as quickly as might have been expected by a nervy Hearts support. Some neat passes, a decent first touch and talk of his versatility had reassured onlookers that given time, there was a chance that the South African player of the year and former Kaiser Chiefs star could become a useful addition to the squad.
While some were quicker to lose patience than others, a fair number amongst the support did try their best to overlook some awkward flaws in his game and gave due consideration to the fact that a period of adjustment could be required. He was slow to move in for the tackle, preferring instead to attempt pass interception from a safe distance. He was visibly off the pace and wanted too much time on the ball. His positional awareness was shaky. His workrate was less than convincing, and at times he looked like a man who would rather be anywhere else than on a football pitch. If this wasn't enough, his build was anything other than typical of your average SPL player and despite being reasonably tall, he looked worryingly like he might snap in a strong breeze.
Listed in this way, these not inconsiderable problems seem to present conclusive evidence that he just wasn't likely to make it but it would appear that we're nothing if not optimists down in Gorgie. A few moans and groans from the stands was as bad as it got for Obua - the fans merely raised an eyebrow at his trousers-around-the-ankles press conference houdini antics and even forgave him for the heinous act of turning out in green boots.
But a charmed existence of this kind can't last forever and when you're on a sticky wicket as it is, the second last thing you should do is push your luck. The absolutely last thing you should do is snuff out any remaining goodwill and make yourself the most disliked man in Gorgie by spitting at your own fans.
I'm not the type to boo or heckle players and in a cauldron like Tynecastle where players are so close to the support that they can hear every word, I fail to see how booming criticism and insults are likely to effect improvements in performance. Nonetheless, supporters are entitled to voice their opinions and should be able to do so without the intended target responding with a torrent of abuse and globs of projectile saliva. Had Obua demonstrated half as much vigour or aggression with a ball at his feet, there's every chance that he would have avoided such a situation in the first place because while lack of ability can be forgiven, lack of effort certainly cannot. To those who would gladly gnaw off their own arm for a chance to wear that maroon jersey, it's the ultimate act of disrespect. A universal footballing sentiment and a characteristic of supporters which I'd imagine is every bit as prevalent in South Africa as it is in Scotland...
So, where to go from here? Csaba Laszlo has voiced his disappointment in Obua's performance thus far and it remains to be seen whether or not he can do enough to convince the manager that he deserves another chance. However, I'd hazard a guess that the supporters would quite gladly do a whip round for his plane ticket back to Uganda and that his actions this weekend may have been the final nail in his coffin where they are concerned. It might be going a little far to suggest that his position is completely untenable, football fans are also characteristically fickle and short of memory, but I've seen nothing to suggest that he has either the required levels of commitment or bottle to turn this situation around. If I were him, I'd begin with a grovelling apology to the fans but I'm not holding my breath - his rotten attitude could well be a more significant problem than his questionable footballing abilities.
While some were quicker to lose patience than others, a fair number amongst the support did try their best to overlook some awkward flaws in his game and gave due consideration to the fact that a period of adjustment could be required. He was slow to move in for the tackle, preferring instead to attempt pass interception from a safe distance. He was visibly off the pace and wanted too much time on the ball. His positional awareness was shaky. His workrate was less than convincing, and at times he looked like a man who would rather be anywhere else than on a football pitch. If this wasn't enough, his build was anything other than typical of your average SPL player and despite being reasonably tall, he looked worryingly like he might snap in a strong breeze.
Listed in this way, these not inconsiderable problems seem to present conclusive evidence that he just wasn't likely to make it but it would appear that we're nothing if not optimists down in Gorgie. A few moans and groans from the stands was as bad as it got for Obua - the fans merely raised an eyebrow at his trousers-around-the-ankles press conference houdini antics and even forgave him for the heinous act of turning out in green boots.
But a charmed existence of this kind can't last forever and when you're on a sticky wicket as it is, the second last thing you should do is push your luck. The absolutely last thing you should do is snuff out any remaining goodwill and make yourself the most disliked man in Gorgie by spitting at your own fans.
I'm not the type to boo or heckle players and in a cauldron like Tynecastle where players are so close to the support that they can hear every word, I fail to see how booming criticism and insults are likely to effect improvements in performance. Nonetheless, supporters are entitled to voice their opinions and should be able to do so without the intended target responding with a torrent of abuse and globs of projectile saliva. Had Obua demonstrated half as much vigour or aggression with a ball at his feet, there's every chance that he would have avoided such a situation in the first place because while lack of ability can be forgiven, lack of effort certainly cannot. To those who would gladly gnaw off their own arm for a chance to wear that maroon jersey, it's the ultimate act of disrespect. A universal footballing sentiment and a characteristic of supporters which I'd imagine is every bit as prevalent in South Africa as it is in Scotland...
So, where to go from here? Csaba Laszlo has voiced his disappointment in Obua's performance thus far and it remains to be seen whether or not he can do enough to convince the manager that he deserves another chance. However, I'd hazard a guess that the supporters would quite gladly do a whip round for his plane ticket back to Uganda and that his actions this weekend may have been the final nail in his coffin where they are concerned. It might be going a little far to suggest that his position is completely untenable, football fans are also characteristically fickle and short of memory, but I've seen nothing to suggest that he has either the required levels of commitment or bottle to turn this situation around. If I were him, I'd begin with a grovelling apology to the fans but I'm not holding my breath - his rotten attitude could well be a more significant problem than his questionable footballing abilities.
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