Away Match Day Thread 12/12/2020 L1 - Blackpool v OUFC

[Daviddidcotexile]

We fought out a great point. Atkinson injury is a worry. Almost stole the match at the end. We should be proud of the clean sheet. Long was MOM for me. Onwards and upwards.

 

[bazzer9461]

Very disappointed with Woodburn always in the refs ear trying to get one of our players booked

 

[Dubai Yellow]

A great point out of a poor performance. I found that hard to watch tbh, bar Long, Moore and Atkinson who were decent. Otherwise we looked very much second best all game. Hopefully we can move on and win another game soon.

 

[Thomas/Brock/Jones]

Would hsve taken that before , rode out our luck but could have snatched it !! Hope Atkinson not too bad and at least a base to build on now.

 

[tonyw]

The last couple of weeks, McGuane and Kelly have started really well but then faded badly. Today they never got going at all.

Some of that you've got to credit to their central midfielders, who were limited but dogged.

But with our setup, if we can't pass the ball through the middle of the park - and we couldn't today at all - then we're going to struggle to create a great deal.

As I said above, eventually KR had enough, brought on Hanson and was content to scrap to a stalemate in the middle and take our chances - and that was the correct call today because otherwise we'd probably have lost. And we could have nicked the win at the end.

But for us to get back to bossing and winning games against the bad opponents we've got coming up, then we need McGuane & Kelly (or whoever else is playing in front of Gorrin - Forde, Hall.....hopefully some day Cam) to be much, much better than they were today.

 

[ttg17]

0-0 draw I think. We’ll keep it tight and prioritise getting a result over anything. I think players like McGuane and Taylor will benefit from a week off, too, so could maybe see us even sneaking a win late on.

Nostradamus!

Terrible game hahaha. Truly awful stuff from both sides. A draw probably fair - although they came closer, with the two woodwork shots and that scuffed shot after the square ball in the first half - which for me represents a good result. Another clean sheet, another point at a tough side away from home. Say what you like about KR, but he knows how to tighten a team up and make them tough to beat.

I just don't know what Kelly offers. He's not physical enough (quick, strong, quick feet) to make any impact on games, and he's not technically good enough to link play or to be a set-piece wizard. I get that games like today, where we were looking to be compact and play a bit of hoof ball, are clearly not the types of game where he is going to thrive, but then why not play Forde? He's the kind of experienced League 1 veteran that you'd rather have in there for this kind of fixture I would have thought. I also wonder if Taylor is getting away a bit lightly this season for underperforming. Again, I appreciate the chances aren't really being made for him, but the whole value of a player like Taylor is that he doesn't need chances made for him - he's always been so good at putting away the little half chances and making something out of nothing. Is he offering enough? I'm not sure. That ball hooked in late in the second half that he nearly got to is exactly the kind of half chance he used to make something of. And that's before you consider some of the bona fide chances he has missed this season.

Last year we were the fittest team in the league, we were regularly outrunning teams and snatching late wins. This year the complete oposite is true - we seem to collapse half way through the second half. It's a bit worrying, as it doesn't seem to be getting any better, it's a recurrent problem.

Well played the whole back six. Stevens a little indecisive on a couple of occasions but very strong in the air. Eastwood's going to struggle to get back in the team I think. Long my MOTM. So, so solid. Fingers crossed Atkinson's injury isn't too bad - growing to love him. Ruffels has had a real examination these last few weeks, he's come up against some tough opponents, and despite some hairy moments has more or less held up I think.

We're slowly rebuilding our season. It's not very exciting to watch, it's pretty attritional, but we're getting there.

 

[Paul Cannell]

The substitution from hell.

Having said that, of course, they combined for the one decent bit of attacking play before Shodipo saw glory and missed the obvious square ball.

 

[tonyw]

Stevens a little indecisive on a couple of occasions but very strong in the air.

He had that one horrible moment towards the end of the first half when he started to come, and ended up in no man's land, and should really have been punished (He looked a lot like 2019-2020 Simon Eastwood in that moment!)

Otherwise, I thought he was very solid again. His fundamentals - positioning, handling, communication, decision-making - seem very sound

 

[Osleroad]

A bit doomy and gloomy on radox post match...no good bemoaning players not making the bench who aren't completely on it in training or otherwise.
Plymouth btw are in a bit of free fall losing last 4.

 

[unification]

A quick stat. Aside from Wigan (15), only Northampton, us and Blackpool, have scored the fewest number of goals in the league this season. A mere 16 each.

A 0-0 is no real shock then.

 

[tonto]

Hanson really shored up the midfield

 

[tonto]

I think Hall did enough in 10 minutes to show that we still need him. Kelly is infuriating one quarter really effective and then fizzles out.

 

[Essexyellows]

Decent draw and could have won it.
Solid blocks being built and against some decent teams as well.

 

[ttg17]

We can't keep saying that every game. I wonder why he was their most effective player?

He has the most goal contributions for them this season with 7 (4 goals, 3 assists), and last week was up against Hull's top scorer. Based on the stats, he has been up against the oppo's most effective players recently.

 

[Dilla]

Really miss having wingers getting past their man and getting crosses into the box this season.

 

[Dilla]

I think Hall did enough in 10 minutes to show that we still need him. Kelly is infuriating one quarter really effective and then fizzles out.

Waste of a wage and more importantly a squad place if he's only good for 10 mins though.

 

[Mellowyellow]

Good point, with the opponents coming up that we have, time to build on this and get towards the top of the top half of the table before any new recruits come in during January to fine tune the team, as we did last year for the final push.

 

[tonto]

Who’s to say he is only good for ten minutes? I feel he is really finding his form. Those two nearly assists were the best attacking moments we had.

 

[West Oxon U’s]

 

[West Oxon U’s]