Home Match Day Thread 23/02/2021 L1 OUFC v Portsmouth

[christenedinjericho]

I wonder if we'll get to hear a proper non MP like answer from KR about our slow second half starts as this time it has cost us. Again another out of sorts game and we probably got what we deserved.

I've posted this before hearing KR's media interview...so he'll no doubt come out and say it's becoming an habitual problem.

Do you think I should put a post it note on KR'S door when I pass in the morning?

 

[Pillox]

Too negative from the start. KRs pre match acceptance of a draw was a warning bell. We didn't get into them, no control of midfield despite playing 3 in the centre against 442 until the goal.

Too many players needing service, not enough providing it. Balance wrong.

Everyone's an expert in hindsight I know

 

[bazzer9461]

Only a win on Saturday will really do now, to stop the rot and kick start another decent run.

Given previous visits to MK of late, I am not counting my chickens.

And Grigg seems to have found his scoring boots

 

[Sheik djibouti]

True but sadly Taylor came on and did exactly the same ... sweet f a

Apart from his absolutely brilliant nod down for Shodipo's chance at the end. The way he twisted and the awareness he showed in that one moment was a cut above virtually anything anyone else did all night and why he is so important to us if he gets right service.

He isn't at the moment and that is one reason we are floundering so badly.

 

[Oxford84]

Don't let the scoreline trick you into believing this was a close run thing. This match was totally and utterly controlled by Portsmouth. If ever we needed proof that playoffs weren't going to happen this year, this is it.

Portsmouth were s**t as well.

 

[Blox21]

No service, no goals , midfield need a rocket .
Thought Pompey just looked stronger and won every second ball .

 

[Pillox]

God, Jerome talk a lot of crap at times.

Listen to other teams local radio and compare

Our coverage is 1st class

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

Stevens
Long Moore Atkinson Ruffels
Gorrin
Brannagan Lee
Barker Taylor Shodipo

Based on tonight, any other selection just isn’t good enough.

I struggle to see how any other side can even be considered. It’s time to unleash both of our wingers.

Lee could offer that bit of trickery we need in midfield as well.

Sorry but if there are no other injuries I can’t see how any other side other than that starts next game.

 

[bazzer9461]

Ruffels: Bang average against any side above the bottom 12. Absolutely woeful on the ball and got caught out far too many times on the left hand side.

Henry: Useless, yet again.

Sykes: Beyond the odd fancy trick, offers very little going forward and is a defensive liability.

Winnall: Shocking. No, he didn’t get service that he needed but his touch was poor, he had no pace and he couldn’t hold up the ball or chase for the second ball without giving away a foul.

No way Henry, Sykes and Winnall start on Saturday. If we are serious about going up, we need to pick our best 11.

Stevens
Long Moore Atkinson Ruffels
Gorrin
Brannagan Lee
Barker Taylor Shodipo

Based on tonight, any other selection just isn’t good enough.

Shodipo really? He was poor tonight

 

[ttg17]

Fair play to Pompey. The better team won, that was one of the most professional performances I've seen in a long time. Kept us completely at arm's length until the last 5 minutes of injury time.

I know rationally and from experience that KR sides go through phases of being unplayable, then useless, then unplayable again, and I know we'll probably come good again very soon, but this run of form is starting to get worrying. When was the last time we really played well for a full 90 minutes? I'd probably say beating Bristol Rovers 2-0, and although that was only towards the end of January, that was 7 league games ago now. Rochdale we needed a last minute freak goal to get three points, Fleetwood played with 10 men for 90 minutes and still made it uncomfortable watching at the end, and then the last few games have, for the most part, been pretty poor. Yes we got results against Wigan and Ipswich, but you really couldn't have argued if we'd lost on Saturday, and we were comfortably beaten tonight, regardless of the scoreline and last ditch attempts.

I've said before that I think KR teams benefit from being settled, and chopping and changing them affects their rhythm and, consequently, performances. I think we're seeing that now. I appreciate it's at least in part due to necessity (players can't play 90 minutes every three days for months on end), but it seems like we have a new midfield and front three combination every match at the moment. Kelly has been much-maligned on here, but since he's been moved out of the first XI and we've lost that solid midfield 3, we've suffered. I'm not saying he's the answer necessarily, but I'm not sure shoehorning Henry into the side at RCM is the way to go.

I think there is reason for optimism: Long is back, our two signings are still settling in ('gelling' with the team) and will improve, and we are slightly unlucky in that our two strikers are in a barren run of form, which won't last for ever. There's still a hell of a lot of football to play, and I genuinely don't think there's any reason to think the autos, let alone the playoffs, are out of reach yet. But the kind of listless, slow performances we've been putting in recently are getting concerning.

 

[Manorlounger]

I am just so fed up watching the same poor tactics again and again. It's almost as if KR starts out trying to correct what he got wrong in the previous game and then slowly wakes up to realise that this is new opposition.
Where was our midfield today? Why play wingers and not give them the ball? Why allow players to run out of patience and resort to hoofing the ball?
Winnall was penalised for fouling far too often.
Again, we failed to pass to our own players.
We failed to win second balls.
We can't take throw ins full stop.
We don't track back in defence.
We switch off when the ball goes dead.

It is so frustrating because there is talent among those players. There are skilled players in that squad who are just not utilising their skills.
Why was Agyei not on the bench as an option? If you want someone up top to hold the ball he, at least, has a chance over Winnall and Taylor.

Why is it that teams are allowed to out think us from the off? They do their homework, come up with counter tactics and a game plan. We come to a full stop and panic.

It's just not good enough from a professional football club with all the resources at their beck and call.

 

[Mad Dog]

Stevens - 6.5

Long - 6.5
Moore - 6.5
Atkinson - 6.5
Ruffels - 5

Brannigan - 6
Henry - 5.5
Sykes - 5

Shodipo - 6
Winnall - 2.5
Lee - 6

Subs:

Gorrin - 5.5
Barker - 7
Taylor - 5
Forde - 6

With the exception of Long and Moore, those ratings are very generous

 

[bazzer9461]

First half we had 60% possession but only 30% of that was in their half. Says it all.

As much as that in their half, more like 45 in our half and 15 in theirs

 

[Paul Cannell]

Portsmouth were s**t as well.

And still they beat us man for man, for pace, for commitment, for ideas and organisation and to every second ball.

That was a disorganised performance by a bunch pf players who look like they met in the pub at lunchtime (apart from Stevens, Long and Barker). Got what we deserved.

 

[Manorlounger]

That was a disorganised performance by a bunch pf players who look like they met in the pub at lunchtime (apart from Stevens, Long and Barker). Got what we deserved.

Perfect description.

And, I would add, should have stayed there.

 

[Junior_1]

I expect him to not shove people in the back on the halfway line and give away silly free kicks. I expect him to not be offside when he doesn’t need to be. I expect him to pass not shoot when he’s miles out. I expect him to not give the ball away when deep in our own half.

Other than that, he was class....

 

[Oufcrealist]

Portsmouth were s**t as well.

No, they were better than us apart from the last five minutes when we went at them.

 

[Pillox]

Portsmouth were s**t as well.

Imagine how many they would have won by if they'd played well

 

[brassmonkey]

I think our midfield is too weak. You have to earn the right to play. Brannagan et al get pushed off the ball too easily and lose out on too many 2nd balls.

 

[Oufcrealist]

With the exception of Long and Moore, those ratings are very generous

Stevens was ok!?