Home Match Day Thread 28/11/2020 L1 OUFC v Swindon Town

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They (Ruffels & Long) obviously put the odd good cross in, but variably it’s poor, whereas, Langan’s crosses tended to be more accurate than not.
Long has put in 3 crosses that really should have been goals in the last 3 games ....how he is getting stick atm is baffling . Probably our best defender yesterday and put one on a plate for Matty T to somehow miss .
 
Long played like a man and I'll bet he was hurting last night.

Long was the only player from yesterday who improved his performance from the first half in the second. He kept playing to the system and looking for an outlet. He showed more maturity than others out there.

Technical deficiencies in the eyes of others or not, he was one who came out of yesterday’s game with some credit.
 
Long, Atkinson, Gorrin, McGuane, Kelly, Obita and Taylor all played well to a lesser or greater extent. We didn’t lose because of any of those players.

Eastwood, Ruffels, Henry, Agyei, Shodipo and Sykes did not. But I don’t think they’re solely to blame for the defeat - as I’ve said, the whole team’s mindset changed in the second half and we started to try and grimly hang on.
 
I also think that Atkinson owes Gorrin a massive debt of gratitude. Don't get me wrong, I like Atkinson and can see he has talent, but by christ he is naive. Gorrin was there, more often than not to clear up his messes and rickets for much of the game. I would be interested to see Gorrins heat map from yesterday as I am sure it will show him covering for Atkinson probably more than he should really have to. He's a real heart in mouth defender - can be exciting, but needs to do the basics better. T will come with time, but is it time we have as a team in trouble this season to allow him that development luxury?

Interesting that you pick out Atkinson and yet, watching the goals back, it is actually Elliott Moore who is more at fault for both of them - but he hasn’t really come in for any criticism at all
 
Long, Atkinson, Gorrin, McGuane, Kelly, Obita and Taylor all played well to a lesser or greater extent. We didn’t lose because of any of those players.

Eastwood, Ruffels, Henry, Agyei, Shodipo and Sykes did not. But I don’t think they’re solely to blame for the defeat - as I’ve said, the whole team’s mindset changed in the second half and we started to try and grimly hang on.
Eastwood kind of is , his calamitous error cost us the game however poorly others done and I don't enjoy saying it but as a keeper an awful , awful mistake .
 
Interesting that you pick out Atkinson and yet, watching the goals back, it is actually Elliott Moore who is more at fault for both of them - but he hasn’t really come in for any criticism at all
I think maybe Atkinson stands out a bit more because he goes forward a bit more (not to say Moore doesn't of course - he did a few times yesterday). I actually think you are right that Moore makes a number of mistakes too and yes he was in some way at fault for both goals yesterday. But I think it is a deeper problem that all comes back to the common factor of leadership and dominant characters.

Both he and Atkinson need to concentrate of the basics of their job...as well as how well they play as a pairing. I think it is fair to say that it was only last season when Dickie really became a bit of a colussus at the back for us. Prior to that, I was not convinced and he was prone to rickets in most games.

We desperately need one of them to step into that Dickie leadership role, but I happen to think neither are currently that player. Had Mous not been so crocked then I am sure we have have seen a lot more of him. But having your back up CB apparently one bad tackle away from a career ending injury is not a great place to be, when both your 1st choice CBs are struggling to form a dominant/effective partnership.

We desperately need someone to take games by the scruff of the neck and control things at the back...and I am yet to see anyone emerging as likely to do that.
 
Long has put in 3 crosses that really should have been goals in the last 3 games ....how he is getting stick atm is baffling . Probably our best defender yesterday and put one on a plate for Matty T to somehow miss .
Probably not hard to be the best defender at the moment, but him and Ruffels are not at the level if we want to get promoted (not that we’ll be anywhere near that this season), as they give the ball away so much. Good squad players like I said earlier and a couple of seasons ago.
 
Probably not hard to be the best defender at the moment, but him and Ruffels are not at the level if we want to get promoted (not that we’ll be anywhere near that this season), as they give the ball away so much. Good squad players like I said earlier and a couple of seasons ago.
Disagree , Long has come on leaps and bounds over the past couple of seasons and is a decent league 1 right back , Ruffs has been a consistent performer but hasn't found his usual form so far.. .I'm failing to see the obsession with knocking them when many other worse players not performing at all.
 
Disagree , Long has come on leaps and bounds over the past couple of seasons and is a decent league 1 right back , Ruffs has been a consistent performer but hasn't found his usual form so far.. .I'm failing to see the obsession with knocking them when many other worse players not performing at all.

Long and Ruffels are perfectly adequate League 1 players but to get to the next level we would have to improve in at least one of those positions. You can carry one in a promotion team but maybe not both. I feel you’d need more dynamism from your full backs. We had that for the first half of last year with a Championship standard player in Cadden. We did well with Long and Ruffels thereafter but just imagine if we’d had Cadden for the rest of the season and the playoffs (if we’d made them rather than nailing an automatic place)? We’d have been some team.

Big calls have to be made. There are players who are League 1 standard but won’t get you up out of it. MApp recognised that and started to make those changes in his final season with us, deciding to move on MacDonald and Ryan Taylor in January 2017 and was in no doubt part of Sercombe’s departure just before he left (although their falling out over the JPT final evidently played a part in that too). He wasn’t afraid to get rid of players who weren’t going to contribute to the next stage in his plans.

From KR’s comments yesterday, I think we may well be in for a mass binning in January in the MApp mould. I don’t think Ruffels or Long will be part of it as they help out with their versatility but we should be looking at more dynamic players for those positions.
 
I think they will end up as better players than our full backs. But we should of course have signed an experienced centre half.


and this is where we have one big problem, utter naivety from KR to think that these two 'Rookies' would be our answer as our main two CB's. I agree werthersoriginal that they have potential, but for KR to throw them in at the deep end and both at the same time? Perhaps, just perhaps, Eastwoods poor form may be down to him having no faith in his two CB's in front of him?

KR had the money from Dickie and failed to address the fact that he needed a Crosby/Shotton type of CB to nuture and rotate Atkinson and Moore to play with. His faith in Moush was shown up clearly by not putting him on with 20 mins left on Saturday.

This CB issue is down to KR and no-one else and for that he has to take the blame.
 
Don’t want this to become the Long/Ruffels debate as there are more bigger issues I think that need addressing first e.g. mentality (both players/manager) and that we were not right prior to the substitutions coming on so the blame shouldn’t be laid purely/mainly at their feet.
 
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I do not understand MC Yellowhammer. Can you explian to me? As I saying I am new here in england but I want to know more about the Oxford. I have just finished my work in a field hospital for corvid19 patience.

what is so funny, I do not understand. I thouhgt you were proud men?

If someone help me I may pay but it can be not werther originals. Hahhaha, I laugh because I understand why you laugh but still I like to learn more. Is it true? When will the arena complete or is my friend giving me the wind up?
 
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I mean MC Yellow, I am sorry. Do not take offense.
 
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I do not understand MC Yellowhammer. Can you explian to me? As I saying I am new here in england but I want to know more about the Oxford. I have just finished my work in a field hospital for corvid19 patience.

what is so funny, I do not understand. I thouhgt you were proud men?

If someone help me I may pay but it can be not werther originals. Hahhaha, I laugh because I understand why you laugh but still I like to learn more. Is it true? When will the arena complete or is my friend giving me the wind up?
Please do not use Bold for entire posts.
 
Please do not use Bold for entire posts.
I do not now what you mean. I am sorry, I have my screen enlarged for the window because my eyes only see good when bigger. Is this wrong for man with poor eyesight? I am just trying to do the right thing in the world you know Eastlatlantic boy.
 
Perhaps, just perhaps, Eastwoods poor form may be down to him having no faith in his two CB's in front of him?
Fair point, but don’t you think the opposite might also be true. With a firm, reliable, vocal leader behind them the two CBs form might be better?
 
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