After getting used to the Championship last year and playing an important role in Coventry City staying up, this season has been about Callum O’Hare demonstrating just how good he is capable of being. Regularly a stand-out performer who is at the heart of what this Sky Blues side tries to do, a return of four assists and just one goals underlines that O’Hare remains a player who lacks in his final execution. Coventry City wouldn’t be the same team without Callum O’Hare there, but making that final step to becoming one of the best in the division in his position continues to elude him.
Callum O’Hare’s stand-out attribute is undoubtedly his work-rate. In a team that likes to press high up the pitch, O’Hare is the leader of those efforts. On top of that, he is also a skilful footballer who can beat defenders in tight areas. Those two things combined makes him an attacking player who is genuinely difficult to deal with for opposing defenders and is why he is so consistently recognised as Coventry City’s biggest threat. However, O’Hare is also someone who lacks composure when it comes to the final third. It’s not just his poor goal return, which looks to be down to a tendency to under-hit efforts on goal, but also seemingly being unable on a consistent basis to recognise the opportune moment to release the ball. That O’Hare has been one of the most fouled players in the Championship over the past two seasons is as much due to his dribbling ability as it is his tendency to hold onto the ball for too long and run out of options.
At just 23 years old and in his second season in the Championship, there is still time for Callum O’Hare to develop that killer instinct that is missing in his game. However, for someone who plays in a position on the pitch where most players are mainly judged on goals and assists, if O’Hare can’t add that to his game, there will be a limit on where his career can take him. While he remains an important player for this Coventry City side for the player he is currently, he is a talented enough player to reach a higher level, which is why it has been frustrating that he hasn’t yet taken that next step.
Sideways Sammy 