Ex-Player Thread Ryan Williams

[Golden Dr Otto]

Best of luck Ryan and thanks for your many decent performances.

Unintended passive aggressive comment of the day

 

[holdsteady]

He’s not irreplaceable but is still a loss, quick, athletic, physical and had some some aggression to him, versatile and a good attitude he added a lot to the squad. Hopefully we sign some players with the above qualities not just floaty wingers who have moments to replace him.
The next month or two and the 6 players we bring in are really going to define the season now.

 

[DevilsAvocado]

Not sure I agree with this, he looked like one of our better players even when he was played out of position. He was signed as a right winger but Karl barely played him there, instead he had as many games at left wing back.

I reckon he was signed before we knew Whyte was available, and was sidelined as a result. Shame because he's a solid player and we could've used him to good effect this season.

Sad to see him go as i loved his attitude, the one issue i had with him as a player was that his final ball was just too
inconsistent, good squad player but not the end of the world he has left.

 

[dickwalton1964]

This is a loss, no doubt about it and I'm surprised at some of the underwhelming comments about him. There's a stack of players I'd rather see go before him and two - Long and Forde - vie for the same position as him. Seems like a very good pro and a more than decent footballer. Had a tenacity and aggressiveness about him and could up the tempo of a performance if the team were dwindling a little bit - similar to Alex Macdonald. Yes, he had indifferent performances here and there but show me a L1 player who doesn't.

A big loss to the squad if not quite so much to the starting eleven.

 

[bazzer9461]

Good luck Ryan and all the best

 

[RyanioBirdio]

Understand his reasons for moving but disappointing to see him go - one of the few players with a nasty streak. You need your fair share of those over a season if you want to achieve something.

Good luck to him and his family.

 

[MarkG]

Fair play to him for following his heart and playing for his hometown club whilst he still has a few good years left in him. It's like he first joined us as a boy, and left as a man.

 

[chuckbert]

The hardest thing about Ryan Williams for me is …
Ryan’s from Perth and both his brothers are back in Oz.
I know one of the Perth Glory scouts quite well, and you have no idea how hard it is not to tell him to keep an eye on Willo because he’s playing well.

Hmm. Sorry lads I may have been at fault here.

 

[chuckbert]

Having seen the state of the A league final, and also glory’s performances this season, he is just what they need. A bit of urgency - he’ll rip em all a new one.

 

[Marked Ox]

Good luck Ryan. Thank you for the committed performances and I hope your move to Perth is a success.

 

[Malc]

Good luck Ryan. I was always more optimistic when he was on the field.

 

[headingtonoldboy]

Good luck Ryan and thanks for all your efforts at OUFC. Hope your move is a great success.
On a personal note, I am sorry he has gone. I thought he was one of our better players who was always committed and looked to make things happen as well as being versatile.

 

[Foley]

Having seen the state of the A league final, and also glory’s performances this season, he is just what they need. A bit of urgency - he’ll rip em all a new one.

Didnt they come bottom?
He will definitely make a difference for them

 

[Jolteon]

Fair play that's a cracking move for him, and I'm glad that we as a club didn't stand in his way on this occasion. A really good player at this level, and a shame to see him go but also excited to see who we bring in with the extra squad space that gives us!

 

[EastStandKieran]

Good luck Ryan you was a player that always gave your all for the team it was a pleasure watching you

 

[chuckbert]

Didnt they come bottom?
He will definitely make a difference for them

They did, but even the top teams were lethargic. Watched the final (Melbourne city, western united) and it was v e r y s l o w.

 

[Oxford1996]

Good luck to him. Always gave everything compared to a few other wingers who’ve recently left..

He’s very replaceable.

So it will be interesting to see who replaces him.

 

[ChamonixOx]

He was an excellent squad player. A mixture of performances, but whenever it was never going quite right, it was never a reflection of his effort. Good luck, Ryan - you always gave it your best.

 

[BigCrompy]

The hardest thing about Ryan Williams for me is …
Ryan’s from Perth and both his brothers are back in Oz.
I know one of the Perth Glory scouts quite well, and you have no idea how hard it is not to tell him to keep an eye on Willo because he’s playing well.

Would it have killed you to instead tell him how well our secret weapons Jamie Hanson and Sam Winnall were playing, and just what a tour-de-force each would have been in the A-League, hmmm?

 

[Teacher]

Gutted. Said last summer he would be an alright signing as long as he wasn’t first choice. He was so much better than I had expected.

Had a bit of everything and embodied all those non technical skills you need from certain footballers within a squad. While he doesn’t have remarkable moments, I think he will be a player always looked upon fondly by OUFC and it’s fanbase.

 

[windmill]

Makes more money available....hopefully.

 

[werthersoriginal]

Gutted. Said last summer he would be an alright signing as long as he wasn’t first choice. He was so much better than I had expected.

Had a bit of everything and embodied all those non technical skills you need from certain footballers within a squad. While he doesn’t have remarkable moments, I think he will be a player always looked upon fondly by OUFC and it’s fanbase.

He just seemed a great guy and so feisty and committed. I loved the way he always seemed so angry and aggrieved. He must have the highest ration of MoTM vs appearances of any of our recent players.

 

[Londox]

The fact we got a fee for him suggests picking him up last season on a free was good business.

 

[werthersoriginal]

They did, but even the top teams were lethargic. Watched the final (Melbourne city, western united) and it was v e r y s l o w.

Will you go along to watch him play for Perth?

 

[chuckbert]

Will you go along to watch him play for Perth?

Yup. We normally go to a few games per season, although it’s been massively screwed since covid - basically all games were away over east for the first 2/3 of the season.
Will give us a reason to go next season.

 

[Marked Ox]

Yup. We normally go to a few games per season, although it’s been massively screwed since covid - basically all games were away over east for the first 2/3 of the season.
Will give us a reason to go next season.

Chance to get all the Oxford gear out for the games.

 

[chuckbert]

Chance to get all the Oxford gear out for the games.

We normally wear Oxford stuff anyway. (The purple isinglass away tops match the glory purple). The crowd has a fair proportion of exiles - you see York (vintage!), Plymouth, all sorts.

 

[BrockBuster]

Thought he was decent so disappointed to see him go. Always wondered why he never really got into the Aussie squad as his versatility, work rate and pace were all big plusses - hopefully does well there between October and the call-up date and forces his way to a World Cup. Good luck to him.

 

[BigCrompy]

Will you go along to watch him play for Perth?

Interestingly his (twin) brother Aryn plays at the level I watch, albeit for a much better team (Oakleigh Cannons) than mine (Hume City).

Which is quite a significant step below the quality of the A-League, if you could even begin to comprehend that.

Although in the youth team at Burnley, it doesn’t seem that Aryn has ever been much higher than our National League South. Considering how much DNA they share, there would’ve been a bit of a Sliding Doors moment at some point down the track.

Okay, so I lied… It wasn’t actually all that interesting after all.

 

[SteMerritt]

Considering how much DNA they share, there would’ve been a bit of a Sliding Doors moment at some point down the track.

Well considering that Frogs share 90% of DNA with humans...

...and having never seen a frog make it into the professional game yet, I'd guess DNA doesn't play much of a part in it...