Home Match Day Thread 29/12/23: L1 - OUFC v Derby County

Who was your MOTM?

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Paul Cannell said:
You probably aren't the only one.

You probably aren't the only one who hadn't noticed that we were getting increasingly found out by teams that pressed us hard, that key players were (often predictably) getting injured, that the squad was paper thin despite a bloody good window overseen by Manning or that, without a striker, we were falsely high in the league table. That it looked a lot better than it was.
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Or, playing devil's advocate, on inheriting a dispirited, unbalanced, relegation bound team, The Snake, with one transfer window, produced a team drilled relentlessly to play to its strengths and to, as best as possible, amiliorate it's weaknesses, that managed to push us into the top three, simply down to quality management.

Just look at McGuane, he's gone from a weekly man of the match shoo-in to anonymity in a few weeks. That ain't nothing but managerial tactics.

I knew nothing about Des when he came here so had no preconceptions and consequently I didn't join the 'he's the new Messiah' group. I watched from a distance thinking 'I hope you're bloody right'.

Not a great start but, in fairness, not in great circumstances. So far I've seen more worrying signs than good ones but he has to be given time to show what he can (or can't) do. The Snake has set the bar high.
 
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Scrongo said:
Professional,young athletes , shattered absolute nonsense...
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May be they’re not athletes! I was thinking the same re; Mills, but he looked knackered mid way through the first half. Was constantly wrong side of his man and they targeted our right side, their left, especially in that first half.

When I mentioned about Mills’ fitness to someone at the game they responded by saying ‘he’s only 19 years old and it’s his first proper season in league football’. I was thinking when I was 19 I wanted to play every minute and train all day!!, but I guess it’s different now, but it still makes me wonder!!
 
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uptheus said:
May be they’re not athletes! I was thinking the same re; Mills, but he looked knackered mid way through the first half. Was constantly wrong side of his man and they targeted our right left their left, especially in that first half.

When I mentioned about Mills’ fitness to someone at the game they responded by saying ‘he’s only 19 years old and it’s his first proper season in league football’. I was thinking when I was 19 I wanted to play every minute and train all day!!, but I guess it’s different now, but it still makes me wonder!!
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Yes when I was 19 ,the amount of energy I had was unreal..
 
Des should be given a chance, and lucky for him Manning has helped give him that time Johnson already gone at Fleetwood. We are still in rebuild, hopefully a couple of permanent in a couple of loans ,4 out and hopefully get some players fit. A decent finish getting Des up to speed ,there are some good managers in league 1 and he's got alot to learn. Iam expecting 8th to 12th place there is alot going on.
 
MiddleBartonYellow said:
Simple question to you all, were we ever good enough this season, are we expecting too much especially after the rubbish we witnessed last season. I’ve seen all the home games this season and I wouldn’t say that we’ve been outstanding in any of them. Just saying……..
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It’s a fair point with the caveat that we are nevertheless underperforming reasonable expectations, least of all in comparison to Manning’s tenure. Buckingham wasn’t part of the CFC Group for no good reason so I can’t help feel that he is going to come good. But so far, regardless of excuses, he is not meeting the standards we could have reasonably expected after ten games. For example, the press is poor (compare ours to Derby and under Manning), our structure all over the place, with the latter exasperated yesterday by the removal of most of our attacking outlets. I.e. Harris and Mills with one being replaced by a defender who is so far out of form it’s painful to see. So while you point has merit, it should not negate Buckingham’s shortcomings so far.
 
QR said:
Or, playing devil's advocate, on inheriting a dispirited, unbalanced, relegation bound team, The Snake, with one transfer window, produced a team drilled relentlessly to play to its strengths and to, as best as possible, amiliorate it's weaknesses, that managed to push us into the top three, simply down to quality management.

Just look at McGuane, he's gone from a weekly man of the match shoo-in to anonymity in a few weeks. That ain't nothing but managerial tactics.

I knew nothing about Des when he came here so had no preconceptions and consequently I didn't join the 'he's the new Messiah' group. I watched from a distance thinking 'I hope you're bloody right'.

Not a great start but, in fairness, not in great circumstances. So far I've seen more worrying signs than good ones but he has to be given time to show what he can (or can't) do. The Snake has set the bar high.
Click to expand...
I think when Manning was here he had Brannagan & McGuane playing a double pivot e.g. if one goes the other holds (holding midfield role) and vice versa etc. I thought this actually stifled Brannagan’s game and the opposition found us out. I actually think if we had a true holding midfielder (similar to Gorrin in the good ole days) then Brannagan & McGuane would have more freedom where they’d be more effective, especially McGuane who now doesn’t seem to know when he can go or hold, hence the downturn in his performances!
 
Perhaps it is time for me to reassess my inflated hopes for this season.
Manning had done some good work to get us functioning early on and player confidence had carried us to a previously unexpected high. However, since he swanned off, our injuries and lacklustre performances have come home to roost. We may have to swallow the knowledge that we are in a false position in this league and from last seasons debacle, it was always going to be a tough ask.
Losing snake eyes was not ideal but we are still only one transfer window into this season.
Before blaming it all on Buckingham, remember that only one of this current squad is his signing.

We are running on empty right now but the transfer window looms large.
We can still hope to make a silk purse out of this season with a few additions a little luck and a splash of decent form but it feels to me like we are wilting away to a mid-table finish.
 
Personally, I find it very difficult to know just how good, bad or completely average Buckingham might turn out to be.

One of the problems with having a number of players injured is not just that they aren't available. As well as that, it means that the remaining 'fit' players have to play more - both within a game (because there isn't really anyone suitable to come on as an effective sub) and from game to game. I think we have had the same starting line up for the last three games, and I suspect most of us would have agreed that the line up was probably the best possible with the players available.

One way to try and get over the fact there a few options off the bench is to do what Buckingham did yesterday: think that fresh legs might make a difference even if they are not really the 'right' substitutions (because you simply haven't got those). It didn't work at all as we all saw, but I can see why he did it. Would we have been better without making the (unforced) substitutions? Who knows, but some of those who went off could hardly raise a gallop.,

So the fit players have to play more, and (almost inevitably) pick up injuries and knocks. And then you end up with what looks like being the situation at Charlton, where we are going to be very short handed indeed.

While I can certainly understand the frustration (and feel it myself) I think the manager is in a bit of a desperate position at the moment, and am not sure how much can be laid at his door.
 
ZeroTheHero said:
Personally, I find it very difficult to know just how good, bad or completely average Buckingham might turn out to be.

One of the problems with having a number of players injured is not just that they aren't available. As well as that, it means that the remaining 'fit' players have to play more - both within a game (because there isn't really anyone suitable to come on as an effective sub) and from game to game. I think we have had the same starting line up for the last three games, and I suspect most of us would have agreed that the line up was probably the best possible with the players available.

One way to try and get over the fact there a few options off the bench is to do what Buckingham did yesterday: think that fresh legs might make a difference even if they are not really the 'right' substitutions (because you simply haven't got those). It didn't work at all as we all saw, but I can see why he did it. Would we have been better without making the (unforced) substitutions? Who knows, but some of those who went off could hardly raise a gallop.,

So the fit players have to play more, and (almost inevitably) pick up injuries and knocks. And then you end up with what looks like being the situation at Charlton, where we are going to be very short handed indeed.

While I can certainly understand the frustration (and feel it myself) I think the manager is in a bit of a desperate position at the moment, and am not sure how much can be laid at his door.
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It’s easy to blame tactics, and of course there are so few fit players to choose. If we were playing Burton rather than their near neighbours, Derby, it would’ve ended so differently.
I think Charlton will be a big ask tomorrow. I’m sure Alfie May will be fit and ready to play and up for another goal.
Cameron Brannagan had a great game yesterday and looks back to his best, but even Beadle looked off song. Can’t see us winning, but if we can pick up a draw, I for one will be happy as I’m sure many others will be. One step towards a much needed transfer window
 
Yellowarmy said:
Add to that Coventry at Wembley, grays athletic away 2 nil loss in the Conference. Exeter play off agreed. Tonbridge angels in fa trophy.
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Droylesden 3 United 1. Droylesden bottom, no wins in eleven, all played out on live TV.
 
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