It wasn’t meant to be this way. When Bristol City beat a number of Championship clubs to the signing of a talented 21-year-old winger from Oxford United five years ago, it was something of a coup in terms of their model.
Acquiring young talent, from either within their academy or lower down the pyramid, with high ceilings who could be developed into proven Championship performers which would then be beneficial on the field and then potential off of it, with regards to the transfer market.
He was a bright, intelligent footballer, keen to learn and with the sort of polite and well-mannered personality the Lansdowns love to promote at their sporting institutions. If you were creating a prototype of what the Bristol Sport concept of a footballer would be, it would be very close to O’Dowda circa 2016.
For the player, it all very nearly bore fruit at the start of 2019 when he form was such, he was emerging as one of the brightest and most exciting wingers in the division; Leeds United, Fulham and a number of other clubs all had a close eye on him, with the Robins activating a 12-month extension to give them greater security against potentially losing one of their prized assets for small change.
Except injuries then struck, interest waned, suitors looked elsewhere, and O’Dowda ended up signing fresh terms to which we are now reaching the rather unassuming conclusion as June 30 nears.
It’s a cruel coincidence, and symbolic in itself, that as the business model of the club over the last five years is being exposed to greater scrutiny and criticism amid record losses, that the progress of one of its poster boys appears to be ending in inevitable failure, in the context of Bristol City that is.
He turns 27 next month and the assumption in 2016 and 2019 when that new deal was signed would have been that O’Dowda would be at the peak of his powers, he also may well not have been playing for the club following a high-profile transfer. Those forecasts, of course, now appear painfully overly-optimistic.
O’Dowda is on the road to recovery from a knee injury which should allow him to feature in some, if not the majority of the Robins final seven Championship fixtures of the season. The international break has come at a good time in that sense, with the extra week potentially crucial.
Back in November, Pearson’s message to the winger was simple: “Callum knows he's in a position where he's had a frustrating time with injury. I like Callum a lot. Hopefully he can stay fit and get a run in the side where he shows what he's capable of.”
Prove your fitness, maintain your performance levels and an extension is likely.
And for time, he very much did. O’Dowda started 13 of a possible 14 games between November and February, locked down the left wing-back role as Pearson switched formations and delivered strong performances against Hull, Cardiff and Blackburn, plus Coventry before the inexplicable collective collapse.
That was interspersed with some mediocrity to fuel his ever-growing legion of critics, fair enough, but overall that run of games gave reason to believe that the Republic of Ireland international was a viable first-team option, not just this season but beyond.
However, just as everyone was settling into that slightly reassuring reality - albeit with his detractors never far away - familiar circumstances struck with a dodgy display at Blackpool - although he wasn’t alone with such an aberration - and then an injury against Reading, within 19 minutes of coming on as a substitute.
It made for uncomfortable viewing to hear the lack of sympathy within Ashton Gate as he left the field to then be ruled out by Pearson, the information ventured purely of his own volition and not through any direct questions, for four to six weeks. His frustration clear.
Injuries aren't his fault, and it's cruel fortune he's suffered so many in such a fertile period of growth for a footballer. But there is only so much patience that can be offered by the club.
There are many strands to this all but from a very simple economic point of view, in this financial climate with the restrictions they have placed upon themselves with regards to Profit & Sustainability, City cannot really justify a contract for a player who is yet to exceed more than 20 Championship starts in a single season, especially not at the age of 27.
Contracts can’t be solely about investment anymore, the club fundamentally need a tangible return otherwise it’s just dead money. Especially for a medium to upper-tier earner as O’Dowda.
But - and of course there’s a but - beyond the regret that will undoubtedly exist within Ashton Gate at the prospect of releasing O’Dowda who will almost certainly find himself a Championship gig somewhere else, is there still hope for him in BS3.
Seven games is not a lot, and it could potentially be fewer depending on his recovery, and the stereotype of what he supposedly is, is very much cast and hard to shake or prove inaccurate in such a short period of time, in matches whereby the Robins are kind of - and nobody wants to admit it but it’s sort of true - playing for time against sides with either promotion, relegation or play-offs on the line.
However, should O’Dowda put together another run of performances, and we’re talking 7/10 and consistent 90-minute bodies of work here, it might just help argue his case ahead of a summer window whereby Pearson wants to make significant changes, but of course will be limited to an extent in how much surgery he can do.
He does have an in-form Jay Dasilva and Cam Pring ahead of him at left wing-back, which is a problem, and unless there’s a shift back to a flat back-four, which doesn’t seem likely at the moment, there’s no obvious opportunity for him to return to the team in his more orthodox attacking role. This is a clear problem.
But in letting O’Dowda go, is there a consideration to replace him? He isn’t a centre-back or a central midfielder so the answer to that, especially with Dasilva, Pring and Callum Wood in supply, could be no.
But if it’s yes, there can’t be too many “better” options - and we’re talking in terms of ability and experience coupled with familiarity of what the manager wants - out there. There may well be (and feel free to let us know in the comments below) but sometimes you can’t get these players on the open market and left-wing isn’t exactly an area of importance for Pearson in the market.
There is a reality where retaining O’Dowda - and a 12-month extension isn't a huge leap of financial faith, giving the club an extra year to assess him, although he himself may feel the open market is a more lucrative option given the history we have discussed above - makes sense, if we try and change our perception slightly of what he is.
And that’s not the potential Championship starlet destined for success, capable of ripping open defences on the dribble and scoring exhilarating goals. But a good, reliable squad option who can cover multiple positions, is an excellent professional and can bring an extra edge of quality when required.
His lack of goals and assists is a frequent statistic thrown his way and it’s poor, no doubt but a clear counter is that for key passes per 90 minutes (a very basic but also sometimes effective measure of a player’s creativity) he ranks second overall in the squad on 1.4 behind Matty James, who gets to take corners and free-kicks.
Altering that mindset is all down to O’Dowda himself, of course, and, again, seven games isn’t going to do it. But he has to prove to his manager, who includes “reliability” among one of his go-to attributes in assessing the merits of a player, that he can become it.
There is slight precedent with this situation and although you may joke at the comparison, there are parallels with Jamie Paterson’s situation. Now, O’Dowda is a very different person and player but Pearson made a telling observation ahead of the Swansea City clash in February when he noted that the playmaker, who was released last summer and has gone on to flourish for the Swans, had grown too comfortable at Ashton Gate and needed a fresh start, for his own good.
“Sometimes players can be at a place for too long and need freshening up, I think he’s benefited from moving away. Every player has a shelf life and that doesn’t mean that in terms of their career, it means at football clubs players can be there too long.”
Frustratingly and sadly so, that observation seems increasingly apt for O’Dowda who has every chance of moving on elsewhere and thriving. And maybe that’s the inevitable conclusion no matter what does or doesn’t transpire between now and the end of the season. It would, however, be a shame to end it that way.
SIGN UP: For our daily Robins newsletter, bringing you the latest from Ashton Gate
