Home Match Day Thread 09/01/23: FA Cup 3rd Round - OUFC v Arsenal

[southlondonyellow]

left side is the danger side

Nah I reckon the right side will give them a run for their money. Either way, all the London Road aren't we!

 

[SteMerritt]

Nah I reckon the right side will give them a run for their money. Either way, all the London Road aren't we!

Right side never gave the left a run for their money back at The Manor, so I doubt they will start tonight...

 

[bazzer9461]

I bought a half and half mug from the club shop and I’m going to own the flack coming my way. My dad used to take me to highbury to stand on the north bank before I’d ever even heard of or moved to Oxford.

100% Oxford fan though

Good

 

[Jolteon]

So what are the tactics KR employs tonight? Famous last words but I think he is quite good at this sort of game.

I'm guessing we'll flood the central areas and play quite narrow, keep them wide and see if we can make them resort to crossing the ball in aerially? Should be 50/50 with headers, but they'll be miles better with the ball on the floor.

As for us attacking, if they have any young full backs then I reckon Wildschut may be able to do something. He looked physically really strong in the Exeter game, could roll the full back any pull the ball back from the goal line? Play for set pieces? Shoot on sight for the likes of Brannagan etc.

I really hope we have a good sing song tonight and get a bit of an atmosphere going. Plenty of old school songs, I really hope we get the place rocking tonight. No excuses from the fans tonight, we can forget the miserable league form and just have a laugh.

Really looking forward to it!

They'll most likely be playing Tomiyasu and Tierney who are both decently physical players and neither is a young kid. Unfortunately for us, pretty much whatever combination they go for in their back 4 they're all decent, experienced players who won't be easy to target - unless they go for Cedric who has played less minutes than Yanic has this season.

Where I think we CAN win the battle is in the midfield - Elneny and Lokonga have both barely played this season and have mistakes in them, and I don't think Viera and Marquinhos will help out defensively at all. It's a game made for a midfield like ours assuming Arteta doesn't stick Xhaka in there for a bit of safety.

Agree with everything else you've said, flood the middle, get in their faces and unsettle them. Arsenal's first team are bloody brilliant - their fringe players, especially in the midfield, we can take 'em!

 

[BDJ]

I hope we have the spirit of our performance against Man City 2019 rather than the one from 2018 where we really were beyond outclassed. We did have Jon Obika up front in fairness that time.

Don't disgrace ourselves, give then a workout and hope for the best (a draw for a lucrative replay or a win - 18/1 best odds for us for that!). This is going to be highlight of this season so we may as well enjoy it since we have b****r all else to play for.

Excuse me?

 

[bazzer9461]

Honestly, you're wound up about that? He's right, they should win regardless of who plays. Fortunately, that's not always how football works.

Not wound up but would love to see the arrogant t**t’s face of the Arsenal loose.
But if they played their kids not guaranteed to win as yesterday showed

 

[Golden Dr Otto]

How are these 2 things possible?

Just a s**t tonne of disposable income and the desire to support the oufc club shop with any s**t they produce. Here’s a link so you can join me …

https://www.oufcshop.co.uk/listing.php?criteria=fa+cup

 

[westyorkshireexile]

It’s on espn+ in the USA so there will be streams for you.

Try..... hesgoaltv.me

 

[Salaghaf]

Easty (if fit)
Long Moore Brown Fleming
Bate Mcguanne Brannagan
Murphy Taylor Yanic

Would be my starting 11..

That is our best team.

 

[The mighty Aldo]

Be great if we could score
Think it will be like the Man City games hooefully
1-3

 

[Eaststanding]

Right side never gave the left a run for their money back at The Manor, so I doubt they will start tonight...

Challenge accepted. Pin your ears back ITV.

 

[sideshowrob]

It is funny how the side you are standing in always sounds the loudest.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

Just a s**t tonne of disposable income

 

[Wallop]

I remember the days when they wouldn't let you in to the Birdcage if you were wearing anything to do with football... how times have changed.

(and it used to be the underage drinkers pub when I was 17 back in the late 80s)

@SteMerritt and @OUFCwaffle pictured yesterday:

Brilliant, brilliant film.

 

[OX14]

Is the new scoreboard up and running?

 

[Nadi-]

Better stating for 45 and then Bodin replacing

 

[southcoastyellow]

View attachment 11562

Is it directly behind the goal..will it not be distracting or will it have arrows pointing to the goal…(when we are attacking)!

 

[BrockBuster]

Looking back over the last few seasons we've had some decent cup performances when we were in form. The away and home games against Newcastle in the FA Cup and the home tie against Man City in the League Cup both in the 19/20 season were when we were a fluid attacking side who seemed to be pulling in the same direction. Helped in those games that Newcastle were being managed by someone frankly incompetent and City played a lot of (albeit rather good) kids.

Now today against an Arsenal side high in confidence with a seeming production line of young players coming through, we're disjointed and liable to concede at least one soft goal a game. Have a few players in the squad now who tonight I think will 'fancy it' perhaps in the wrong way - trying to put themselves in the shop window over doing what's best for the team.

As much as I'd love to stay confident, enjoy the game and see what we can do, I honestly think this could be a bit of a nightmare. Hoping beyond hope I'm wrong, that we're solid, everyone does their best and Arsenal panic at the sight of a Ciaron Brown long throw. But yeah, not expecting much.

Edit - Forgot the WHAM game as well from the same season. Were on it that day no doubt too.

 

[tonyw]

Feel today kind of depends on the Arsenal team sheet.
If they play a 1b side (like they did against us almost exactly 20 years ago), with a few first team regulars alongside their squad players in need of some game time, then they'll be too good for us.
If they rest their entire first team, in anticipation of the Spurs game at the weekend, and play their second string interspersed with some kids, then we'll have a big chance.

In that respect, the 4th round draw actually probably helps us. A lot of their fans seem to be saying 'To hell with the Cup' because they're trying to win the PL and compete in the Europa too with a small squad - they think they're going to lose at the Etihad anyways, so would rather just rest everyone and take their chances with the kids tonight.

 

[tonyw]

As for our team - I think you need to play the mercurial players to beat a team like Arsenal. The ones that are capable of moments of Premier League brilliance, even if they don't often deliver it. So for me, that definitely means Anderson, Murphy & Bodin:

McGinty
Anderson Moore Long Brown
McGuane Bate Brannagan
Murphy Taylor Bodin

But I suspect KR will be more tentative, and play Findlay in place of Anderson, with Long moving to RB and the back four basically staying put all game.