Jon Whitney: Erhun Oztumer going the extra mile for Walsall
Jon Whitney reckons Erhun Oztumer is going the extra mile for Walsall this season – and has the stats to prove it.
The 26-year-old playmaker ran further than any other Saddlers player in last weekend’s 1-0 win over Scunthorpe, while his average distance he covers in a game has increased from 10 to 11.5km compared to a year ago.
Whitney sees this as proof Oztumer has the work-rate to back-up his considerable talent.
“The Scunthorpe game was the first time since he signed that his total distances were the highest in the whole team,” said the boss.
“That just shows the Oztumer doubters, who think he is just a flair no.10, that they couldn’t be further from the truth.
“He works his socks off. The distances and the intensity of his press, the defensive job he does in the team is what all the players need to do.”
Whitney added: “The hard work comes first and I think Erhun understands that.
“Anyone watching him thinking that can do a job on him, it’s much harder than that. It’s so difficult now because even if he is not in the game technically and scoring his worldies, he still does a job for the team.”