Jason Tindall was undoubtedly impacted by William Osula, a striker for Newcastle United.
After a close decision for an offside, William Osula’s first goal was called off, but he was understandably still grinning long after the final whistle on Saturday. In the same way that Osula experienced life at St James’ Park with Newcastle United’s 1-0 friendly victory over Brest, the newcomer gave supporters a peek of the raw qualities that have long thrilled the Magpies’ coaching staff: the quick pace, the physical stature, the work rate…
Those observing from the sidelines, who have followed Osula’s development since assistant Jason Tindall’s brief tenure working with Paul Heckingbottom at Sheffield United, won’t have been all that surprised by it. According to Heckingbottom, Tindall ‘knows all about him’ and ‘always enquired’ about Osula. Before the black-and-whites moved to Newcastle, the former Sheffield United manager’spoke to those people’. It’s obvious that this attacker has a ton of potential.
“Will has got moments in him, which are really exciting, where you can’t play him because he’s got pace and power,” he stated to ChronicleLive. “He may move in the opposite direction if he squares up the defender. Step over the left foot, then the right, and boom.
Newcastle likely purchased him because they saw his potential. He still has to improve physically and is a work in progress. He’s not even close to being ready to start at the front of the line and log big minutes for the team.
“I think the only thing Will is now lacking is the know-how, the game intelligence that lets you play for ninety minutes instead of just showing up on the field and hoping for a magical moment.
“Hey, Newcastle is aware of this. They understand that. They will be working with him because they are aware of his areas for improvement. It’s simply time, sometimes. They are aware that they are purchasing a task and a collaborator.”
The term is project. When Eddie Howe was at Bournemouth, Anton Robinson was a recruitment consultant. He previously told ChronicleLive that the Newcastle manager and his staff would look at players who “might not be hitting the stats that you want, but there might be a reason behind that if you can think outside the box.” Osula serves as an example.
Osula, who played in 21 games for relegated Sheffield United, averaged barely 37 minutes on the field while making just nine starts in the top level last season. Osula did not score a single goal in the league for the team. Playing for the lowest-scoring team in the Premier League, he had nothing to eat; no team in the league made less crosses (428), fewer passes (12,218), fewer shoots (365) or shots on goal (129). The Blades’ worst defense in the division meant they were also always forced to come from behind.
That gives some background, and it’s interesting that Newcastle’s coaching staff did not bring up the possibility of Osula staying at Sheffield United on loan because they preferred to work with the 20-year-old straight away and give him the opportunity to pick up skills from Callum Wilson and Alexander Isak in the upcoming days, weeks, and months. Heckingbottom said that Osula has already mentioned how Howe can ‘polish’ him and that he is a motivated player who is willing to learn.
“Will is one of those lads that would stay out with us,” he stated. “He would arrive at the training site first and leave last. He would return in the afternoon and put in plenty of work, but the real challenge is translating it into a pitch that asks why you are doing these sessions and why you are learning this material.
“He has that speed and athleticism. He possesses that from birth and has more physical potential left in him. He’s only twenty years old. He still has a ways to go.
“He is aware that he can compete in some areas. He is aware that he is not physically alone. He is aware that he can create memorable moments, but what the manager and the squad need to see from him is consistency in holding the ball up and understanding your job when it’s not there—both of which can help you win games.”
This kind of arrangement has been done before. When Aaron Ramsdale was a goalkeeper at Sheffield United for two years, Andy Howe, Newcastle’s assistant head of recruitment, showed Osula around the training ground on his first day. Bournemouth signed Ramsdale for a pittance in 2017 after observing how he handled playing with the first team. Osula was far more expensive—£10 million, with the possibility to reach £15 million—but there are a few similarities after Newcastle’s personnel pursued the Dane for three years.
Heckingbottom continued, “They are skilled at what they do.” “There, they have a well-organized setup. Jason was already somewhat familiar with Will as a person to keep an eye on. He will already have been under observation by Andy Howe. They’ll have been inundated with chances.
They don’t have any issues with him. He’s fantastic as a boy. His family is quite kind. His goal is to succeed. He possesses all of that. They’re not considering any issues at all.”
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