He has made a catalogue of defensive blunders. He scored an own goal against Bromley. He lost his place in the starting line-up for Wednesday’s goalless draw to Wigan Athletic.
Ricardo Santos was preferred to Otegbayo at centre-back yesterday. The former Swansea City man was one of Wednesday’s standout performers, completely justifying Henrik Pedersen’s call to start him alongside Liam Cooper.
Fatigue eventually caught up with Santos after an injury-hit opening to the campaign, forcing Pedersen to withdraw the big defender in the 74th minute and send on Otegbayo his place. This move did not go down well with the home crowd. Some fans booed the decision.
Confession time: I didn’t hear the boos. And several fans on social media have suggested the fans’ disgruntlement could have been aimed at Pedersen for taking off Santos rather than Otegbayo coming on.
“He’s a young player and he’s doing all he can.”
But if the jeers from a vocal minority of fans were directed at Otegbayo, what exactly do people think that’s going to achieve? Is giving a player personal stick magically going to make him perform better?
“Of course, it’s tough for him when the fans are doing this,” Pedersen told BBC Radio Sheffield. “He’s working a lot to come back to the level he wants to be. He’s fighting.
“We have to support him. He’s a young player and he’s doing all he can.”
And that’s the point. Otegbayo is not going out there deliberately to make mistakes. He’s trying to do his best for himself and Wednesday. His brilliant last-ditch challenge at the death helped Wednesday record their first league clean sheet of the season.
Because Otegbayo made his Wednesday debut more than two years ago, it is easy to forget he’s still only 21. He has experienced highs and lows in his Wednesday career. And the skeleton squad Pedersen had at his disposal last year meant he had little choice but to overplay Otegbayo and several other young players.
Footballers getting flak from their own fans is nothing new.
None of this excuses the lapses in concentration. Otegbayo does need to improve and sharpen up his decision-making.
“He’s learning and he has to learn because it’s a high level where we are now and he has to increase,” said Pedersen. “He has to work every day. His teammates support him really well.” He has backed Otegbayo to come good.
Supporters pay their hard-earned money and are entitled to their opinions. Many have already made their mind up on Otegbayo and feel he will never be good enough to help take Wednesday to the level they want to get to. Some see him as a liability.
Booing opposing players is par for the course. Booing your own player? It’s wrong. It’s counter productive. Getting on Otegbayo’s back is going to do little for his confidence levels.
Footballers getting flak from their own fans is nothing new. It’s a growing trend, but that doesn’t make it right.
It has certainly not helped Otegbayo that the players around him have constantly changed. Injuries to Max Lowe, Sil Swinkels and Santos has meant there has been no continuity in selection in defence.
Otegbayo is not perfect – if he was, he wouldn’t be playing for Sheffield Wednesday - but the criticism of him has gone over the top. Nobody goes out intending to make mistakes.
While Otegbayo is wearing a blue and white shirt, he deserves support. Get behind him. Give the kid a break.
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Young players are inconsistent, I don’t understand why people boo it’s ridiculous. His performance will get him a place in the team or be dropped. He’s on a learning journey. The booing just disadvantages us.
Credit to you, Dom, for saying what needs to be said. Otegbayo, like the manager, existed on the footballing equivalent of the Somme battlefield for most of last season, and neither of them gave up, nor complained publicly. The young man deserves great credit for this alone.