Home Match Day Thread +++ 21/08/18 OUFC v Accrington Stanley +++

[brokeandobscure]

Just got in. I hate that journey when we lose. Encouraging signs tonight. Hopeful we can turn it around.

 

[Salaghaf]

Just got in. I hate that journey when we lose. Encouraging signs tonight. Hopeful we can turn it around.

Long journey home. Where abouts do you live?
Think we can turn it around, once our full squad is fit, oh, and we have a left back who can play as a left back....!!

 

[Davox]

Problem we have now is that if we lose to Burton and Sunderland it’s likely Tiger will change things.

However, after those games we have Coventry, Wycombe, Walsall & Wimbledon which are all winnable and changing systems and players at that point could mean another losing run in those set of games, whereas if we stick with Robbo for 10 games I reckon we’ll pick up form.
In short, I hope we win on Saturday! It’s hugely important for the whole season.

 

[Navegante]

Pathetic interview from Robinson as well... Try taking some responsibility rather than blaming everyone else.

Typical Scouser: never their fault.

 

[Oldham]

“Swindon town, we’re coming for you”.....

 

[TigerDriver]

Glimmers of hope there but ultimately we collapsed, and predictably so.

Obika: a mystery - looked a changed man pre-season, now frankly doesn’t look like scoring at all. I hope I’m wrong but as a striking or any other threat he’s offering nothing.

Biggest issue for me is Nelson. Our defence is negligible at the moment: and our captain seems to have checked out. KR said pre match that he was deciding between Dickie (another who is underperforming) and Nelson, but you don’t drop your captain. That shouldn’t be an issue next time up, Nelson didn’t appear to do anything captain-like at all, he left it to Mous - who I thought had a decent game.

And as for KR’s post match interview: what a pile of hot air. There’s no thought filter on his gob is there? That scoffing at the idea of bringing in Raglan, who may or may not be the answer, was deplorable.

 

[West Oxon U’s]

John Coleman after U’s 2 Accrington 3

 

[uptheus]

I agree, but Brannagan is/will be the engine room in our midfield when Hanson gets up to speed our midfield will be one of the best in the league. Brannagan is not the reason we lost tonight.

Obviously it wasn’t just Brannagan, but he’s making unnecessary runs which leaves gaping holes through the middle.

He can be the engine in our team, but there’s a time and place when to make those runs.

Teams are cutting through us so easily e.g. one or two passes and they’re on the edge of our box.

 

[uptheus]

Glimmers of hope there but ultimately we collapsed, and predictably so.

Obika: a mystery - looked a changed man pre-season, now frankly doesn’t look like scoring at all. I hope I’m wrong but as a striking or any other threat he’s offering nothing.

Biggest issue for me is Nelson. Our defence is negligible at the moment: and our captain seems to have checked out. KR said pre match that he was deciding between Dickie (another who is underperforming) and Nelson, but you don’t drop your captain. That shouldn’t be an issue next time up, Nelson didn’t appear to do anything captain-like at all, he left it to Mous - who I thought had a decent game.

And as for KR’s post match interview: what a pile of hot air. There’s no thought filter on his gob is there? That scoffing at the idea of bringing in Raglan, who may or may not be the answer, was deplorable.

Totally agree with your last paragraph. I saw Raglan before the game chatting to another player and he looked dejected. I mean, what must he be thinking when our defence is at sixes and sevens and leaking goals at ease and he doesn’t even make the squad! Then if he hears that interview he must be thinking I must move on. Another sign of poor man management. I actually feel Faz May have something to do with it as he clearly didn’t want him at the club when he was in charge. Wouldn’t surprise me if he asked to go out on loan.

 

[unification]

Reading through the comments here and whilst the same points are understandably rising the one that troubles me is fitness.

How on earth are we in August and talking about players tiring after a mere five matches? Who was responsible for having the team fighting fit?

 

[Manorlounger]

That's two games in a row where the opposition have said they were not playing well and yet beat us. Pompey fans, after the game were saying they had never seen us play so poorly and yet, still felt that their team's performance was well below par. Coleman's post match interview makes great mention of how many times Accrington gave away the ball, too many mistakes etc.

Let's face it, under present management/coaching we are not going to win any prizes this season.

And, will somebody please take Robinson off post match interviews. The man has lost the plot and talks utter B*****s. He contradicts himself within sentences and will almost certainly face censorship for his remarks about the officials yesterday.

 

[TailsWeWin]

John Coleman after U’s 2 Accrington 3

Measured, thoughtful, intelligent and honest.
Always thought he was a good man.

 

[Paul Cannell]

Presuming that interview persona's not some Mr. Pastry tribute, you can see how the man can lose a group of players at the drop of a hat. Contradictory, whining drivel "you can't do anything if the players don't take responsibility", "the buck stops with me", "I don't know what to do", "I know the back four to pick for Saturday".

London Oxford Airport - where you can hear the whining long after the engine's switched off.

 

[windmill]

Norman LB,McMahon RB?

Get Marvellous Marvin back on loan. He did well at LB.

 

[Corporate_Clive]

SORRY but the scouse t**t has to go...as bad as the CLOT ffs where do we get these cnuts from

Pep points per game, ALOT better, just saying.

 

[Shaun Rice]

My first game of the season and so I have nothing to compare against but I think that this is a group players learning how to be a team and there are some positive signs. There were mistakes, and they proved costly but I thought there was some good play and at times we looked dangerous. The work ethic was good I think it will come together so long as Robinson is given a chance and everyone calms down a bit.

Time to gel! Time to gel is a term used by managers, pundits and fans for a team that’s simply not good enough. Yes there are slight improvements from playing together and knowing others attributes or limitations but that only takes a few training sessions and a couple of matches.
Pompey have 6 new players all in their first team. I guess they just ‘gell’d’ quicker?
The reason we played better last night was because of the team we put out. Just look at who scored our goals!
Mackie, Garbutt, Norman, McMahon and Obika, don’t need to Gel they’re ‘simply’ not good enough! Something seems to have effected Nelson and Dickie too. No wonder we’re leaking goals.
Our recruitment was poor in the window. Clearly didn’t go as expected. How we don’t have cover at left back and we have an unproven striker and Obika up front is crazy.

Still, we have players to come back in and once Holmes and Carruthers are back we’ll be stronger but we only have a core of 12 or 13 players worthy of the first team.

 

[brokeandobscure]

Long journey home. Where abouts do you live?
Think we can turn it around, once our full squad is fit, oh, and we have a left back who can play as a left back....!!

Only Challow, but buses less frequent for midweek games. Hope you're right.

 

[Corporate_Clive]

I'd love to say after the next window.
I'd like to say Christmas.
But facts are facts, we have zero points.
Big, big match against Burton now. Lose that, possibly go out of the cup (though cup games shouldn't be the marker) and we are heading to Sunderland with no points...
Worrying, despite the better performance.

IMO that would be very ironic Sunderland away, null points, them top of the table...Mr Eales?

 

[LondonRoader]

Generally good going forward last night, Obika had 2 defenders tight to him all night as soon as the ball went near him they were all over him.
if Obika played against our CB he would have a field day, they are too far apart, not supporting each other and are NOT physical enough, but Obika taking 2 of their players out left space for our other attackers and helped create overload with Norman.
Our midfield was ok going forward but let holes all over the place when attacking, we are not at the moment playing as a unit through the phases.
The defence is our Achilles heel at the moment, marking at set pieces seems not disciplined enough and last night because we were counter attacked a lot there were great gaps between players for the experienced accy players to utilise, I see peeps are say Mous had a good game, I thought he was shocking, got done by Kee on a one on one header (no cover near him) for Kee to score, no physicality to his play , then he fell over when accy counter attacked for their pen and again the defence was so stretched the players were on the wrong side of the attackers, the amount of time we passed the ball across our defence last night was a mistake waiting to happen, the defence pick the ball up and the midfield are not creating the space or angles to receive the ball.
We had to score wonder goals last night, as we never really hurt them in the area or drew out their defence for decent through ball, it might have been better but management have a lot of work to do on the training ground.

Is there too many cooks in management dept ?

 

[LondonRoader]

IMO that would be very ironic Sunderland away, null points, them top of the table...Mr Eales?

That situation would make a few on this forum happy...