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

[Shaun Rice]

Funny how that wasn’t the case when the core of the squad were one game away from promotion. Eastwood, Long, Moore, Ruffels, Gorrin, Henry, Sykes, Taylor...

Bit of consistency wouldn’t go amiss. It can’t be “they’re not my players” when it goes wrong and not the rest of the time.

That’s just it when multinational companies want to avoid corporate manslaughter they have a group of people making the decision so no one person is responsible. But at a department level the manger is responsible for the function of HIS team. What sort of manager let’s HR bring the people in? and works with what they give him?

 

[arthurturner]

That was unbelievable wasn't it? At ht I was feeling quietly confident. I guess the lesson for KR is that if you let the team drink more than four cans of Stella during the break then for God's sake go a bit easy on the weed.

Carlsberg Special Brew most likely, the way the second half went.

 

[Oufcrealist]

With the dust having settled, a few final points from me.

- So much of the attention has been at the subs, the mistake from Eastwood and the general attitude of the second half. However, we should have had the game stitched up before then. Taylor’s open goal miss is not receiving the condemnation it deserves. Too often this season we labour to create chances and don’t convert them. Their keeper made a few good saves but we should have been out of sight.

- The midfield looked shot from the 60 minute. Why? Why are our players looking done so early in matches? Blowing out of your a**e with minutes to go is expected but not when you’ve only just come out the tunnel for the second half. Obita can qualify for a pass here and McGuane maybe too if we consider KR’s comments regarding him being injured.

- The Robins will rightly be chirping about this win. They didn’t win it though, we lost it. They’re a crap side who had mustered nothing until the end and even then we’re given gift wrapped chances. They’ll be in a relegation fight this season. We’ve not got to prove that somehow we aren’t either.

Agree with the bit about Taylor. It was a criminal miss in the context of the game. Score that and at 2-0 just before half time I'm sure we would have won it. This season he has already missed more sitters than the whole of last season. Not sure why, confidence is the only reasonable answer. Mind you, Eastwoods blunder was equally criminal.

 

[nige01ox]

As good as Long & Ruffels are as squad players they are we tend to lose possession when they are involved in the play. For example, when we broke with Long on the ball and virtually 3 against 2 he gave a very poor ball inside when 2 easier options were on. They rarely cross a ball into the box beating the first man, away from the keeper and into the danger areas as David Langan did in his day.

Not that I was even born to have seen Langan play, but I actually disagree with this view of Long's crossing, I think his supply is far better than he is given credit for. Last Saturday against Wigan he put a beautiful cross from deep right on Taylor's head, the keeper saved but he probably should have done better. Against Pompey, he goes on the overlap and picks out Forde in space with the cut back, who blazes over. And of course yesterday on another overlap, he squares it and puts it on a plate for Taylor 6 yards out, who somehow conspires to miss.

Now I'm not saying he doesn't also hit the first man on occasion, but that's true of all players at this level, even wingers whose primary job is to provide service to the striker. But the fact is he could have easily had 3 assists from full back in a week, but for his teammates' poor finishing. That's the kind of stat that has the pundits purring over TAA at Liverpool.

 

[Followtheox1]

Not that I was even born to have seen Langan play, but I actually disagree with this view of Long's crossing, I think his supply is far better than he is given credit for. Last Saturday against Wigan he put a beautiful cross from deep right on Taylor's head, the keeper saved but he probably should have done better. Against Pompey, he goes on the overlap and picks out Forde in space with the cut back, who blazes over. And of course yesterday on another overlap, he squares it and puts it on a plate for Taylor 6 yards out, who somehow conspires to miss.

Now I'm not saying he doesn't also hit the first man on occasion, but that's true of all players at this level, even wingers whose primary job is to provide service to the striker. But the fact is he could have easily had 3 assists from full back in a week, but for his teammates' poor finishing. That's the kind of stat that has the pundits purring over TAA at Liverpool.

Unfortunately that just makes it even more frustrating that he has got it in him to put good crosses in. I like Long, think he can develop more but there is no doubt that technically he is quite poor. His composure and quality on the ball generally is among the poorest in the team in my view. It's a shame as he can get in quite good positions but often gives the ball away.

 

[Scotchegg]

Unfortunately that just makes it even more frustrating that he has got it in him to put good crosses in. I like Long, think he can develop more but there is no doubt that technically he is quite poor. His composure and quality on the ball generally is among the poorest in the team in my view. It's a shame as he can get in quite good positions but often gives the ball away.

I think you're being incredibly harsh. Sam Long consistently plays to a standard much higher than many give him credit for. He is one of the fittest and hardest working players and learns quickly. His crossing and overall distribution yesterday was probably only bettered by Kelly and McGuane. He was beaten once on the inside when he lost track of his player, and played a poor ball in the second half after bringing the ball forward (but no one gave him an option!)

It's a shame to see one of very few shining lights this season, and a local lad, getting criticised when there are so many others to question.

 

[Berliner]

The four defenders (and Gorrin in front), by and large, were fine yesterday (if everything worked all the time they wouldn't be playing at this level). It is admittedly infuriating when one of these typical OUFC goals when it bounces around in the box happens, but we invited the pressure on ourselves. If you're going to blame anyone, it's the manager for the subs, the subs themselves for their inept turn-out, Eastwood who is becoming a liability and Taylor for his glaring miss.

Still (uncharacteristically for me) absolutely fuming about yesterday!

 

[HampshireYellow]

Looking back, we seemed to start time wasting ridiculously early - Eastwood booked for timewasting with around 15 minutes to go, suddenly we’re dawdling over throws, taking our time with set peices, taking everything long rather than knocking it short. Jerome and Co on the radio sometimes like to praise this and call it good game management and yeah, if we were 3-0 up at this stage and just killing the life out of the game then fine, I have no issue with that. But we weren’t, it was only 1-0 and by doing that so early it seemed to change the mindset of the players, who went from playing our calm, short passing game to panicking, hacking everything out of play etc - and this was before the two goals.

Oh, and forget the easy scapegoating of the subs for a second (who did play badly, yes) because this change of mood happened to the whole team, not just them. Gorrin, who had been brilliant, was hitting passes out of play. Atkinson was losing the ball on runs. Kelly was misplacing simple passes. The whole teams mindset changed, from an attacking team who passed the ball about, to one who were looking to hang on and keep a 1-0 lead by time wasting. At about 70 mins into the game.

 

[bigdel]

If Matty scored 2nd in first half what a miss game over , once again defence and goalkeeper lets us down

 

[Yellowmania]

I think you're bring incredibly harsh. Sam Long consistently plays to a standard much higher than many give him credit for. He is one of the fittest and hardest working players and learns quickly. His crossing and overall distribution yesterday was probably only bettered by Kelly and McGuane. He was beaten once on the inside when he lost track of his player, and played a poor ball in the second half after bringing the ball forward (but no one gave him an option!)

It's a shame to see one of very few shining lights this season, and a local lad, getting criticised when there are so many others to question.

You’ve missed the original point, Followltheox’s observation was about his technical ability which I concur with. I also don’t agree that local lads can’t be above discussion and also virtually the whole bloody team has been questioned on this thread to answer your last point!

 

[brassmonkey]

Long had a good game. Ruffels was awful. Their right winger exploited his positioning/lack of pace in the first half and we were lucky they didnt score. 2nd half twice he hacked it away straight to them when a simple pass to shodipo would have kept us in posession.

 

[Scotchegg]

You’ve missed the original point, Followltheox’s observation was about his technical ability which I concur with. I also don’t agree that local lads can’t be above discussion and also virtually the whole bloody team has been questioned on this thread to answer your last point!

I refer to the technical ability and completely disagree. Local lad or not, we should be recognising one of the few players who stood up yesterday, and that was Long.

 

[Followtheox1]

Unfortunately that just makes it even more frustrating that he has got it in him to put good crosses in. I like Long, think he can develop more but there is no doubt that technically he is quite poor. His composure and quality on the ball generally is among the poorest in the team in my view. It's a shame as he can get in quite good positions but often gives the ball away.

I think you're bring incredibly harsh. Sam Long consistently plays to a standard much higher than many give him credit for. He is one of the fittest and hardest working players and learns quickly. His crossing and overall distribution yesterday was probably only bettered by Kelly and McGuane. He was beaten once on the inside when he lost track of his player, and played a poor ball in the second half after bringing the ball forward (but no one gave him an option!)

It's a shame to see one of very few shining lights this season, and a local lad, getting criticised when there are so many others to question.

If you look back at my posts about Sam Long going back to last season you would see I think he has lots of potential and is young enough to to develop further. I also agree he gives 100 percent, is fit and is massively hard working. He also did really well when defending 1-1 against their winger at one point as well as a great defensive header against a bigger man. These are good attributes and I'm certainly not putting him on the scrapheap.
However, in my view he does lack quality/composure on the ball and lacks technical ability. I thought the same regarding Canice Carroll (couldn't understand the hype at all about him and was surprised Brentford wanted him) and Hanson. Out of the three I definitely thin Long has the most potential to develop.

 

[Paul Cannell]

Long played like a man and I'll bet he was hurting last night.

 

[Sheik djibouti]

The starting 11 had enough intelligence, experience and guile to dominate much of the first half. What they clearly lack is stamina. Had Taylor converted either the clever free kick routine with Kelly or the absolute sitter in the 2nd, it would've been a very different story......but. It all went to pot as those experienced, intelligent players faded and were replaced by....not so experienced or intelligent players, who might show a lot of huff and puff and some endeavour, but very little of it with any specific focus. Agyei, Shodipo and Sykes are absolutely no replacement for McGuane, Obita and Henry....EVER!

We needed intelligent players and I would much rather seen Mous, Forde and Hall come on for the last 25 as they had (and have had for their entire careers) exactly what we lacked...a bit of nous and game management to take the pressure off and stop Swindon playing in dangerous areas of the pitch. As for Sykes and Agyei. I have always willed them to be better and more consistent players. I even thought Sykes was one of our best towards the end of last season, but always recognised that it was partly (mostly) his unpredictability that made him so difficult to play against, but it is a blessing and a curse in equal measure. Yesterday showed that unpredictability is the last thing you need when trying to see a game out.

I also thought it showed how one-dimensional both Agyei and Sykes can be. There was an awful lot of....get ball.....run at opposition.....hope for the best (maybe a foul or a lucky break), but little inventiveness or plan B beyond that. Sykes ran into players looking for free kicks - got none. Agyei did the same, got none, but gave loads away in the process. I can't really comment on the other sub as I didn't see him make any positive contribution whatsoever. Robinson must see this week in week out. He must know who those players with a bit of vision and intelligence are and he must know that replacing them with players that don't really have it is going to seriously affect the way the game pans out, particularly in an edgy derby at 1-0!!! (regardless of how woefully poor Swindon were).

If only we had a Brannagan in the team yesterday.........can't wait to see you back Cam!

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?

Eastwood....I really don't know what to say other than he needs to be taken out of the firing line immediately for his and our sanity.

Robinson . . . needs to own that disaster yesterday it was his decisions and his tactics that delivered that result yesterday. Whether the players did what he wanted them to or not is also his issue to own. He needs to ask himself if the players he put on were capable of following the instructions he gave to them. His players his squad his tactics. He needs to be big enough to admit he and his team could do so much better.

 

[Oldman159]

Well, I have to say I thouroughly enjoyed the first half.

 

[bazzer9461]

Hopefully Cooper is back ready for the Ipswich game

 

[Followtheox1]

Hopefully Cooper is back ready for the Ipswich game

Is he injured?

 

[bazzer9461]

Is he injured?

I think he has family issues and returned to N/Ireland KR is hoping he would be back by this weekend

 

[uptheus]

Not that I was even born to have seen Langan play, but I actually disagree with this view of Long's crossing, I think his supply is far better than he is given credit for. Last Saturday against Wigan he put a beautiful cross from deep right on Taylor's head, the keeper saved but he probably should have done better. Against Pompey, he goes on the overlap and picks out Forde in space with the cut back, who blazes over. And of course yesterday on another overlap, he squares it and puts it on a plate for Taylor 6 yards out, who somehow conspires to miss.

Now I'm not saying he doesn't also hit the first man on occasion, but that's true of all players at this level, even wingers whose primary job is to provide service to the striker. But the fact is he could have easily had 3 assists from full back in a week, but for his teammates' poor finishing. That's the kind of stat that has the pundits purring over TAA at Liverpool.

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.