Home Match Day Thread 7/4/2023 L1: OUFC v Sheffield Wednesday

[East Stand Fan]

That was just a phenomenal tackle. He slide tackled a man 3 feet in the air. Biblical scenes.

Noticed this wasn't on the highlights which is a shame because it looked like a certain goal and exceptional tackle. Is there footage of it floating around?

 

[tonyw]

If we're going to stick with playing wingers then I'd like to see Smyth come in for Murphy and get an extra body in midfield. Means we play Browne and Joseph I their best positions out wide, get our best striker in and take Murphy and Wildschut out of the equation as well as freeing up the midfielders to get forwards more without worrying about getting caught on the counter so easily. I like what I've seen of Smyth, seems to take on responsibility which I like and we need.

I know that the calls for it have quietened down now that Manning has us looking like a halfway competent team again.....

......but I really do think that the time is right for 3-5-2 on Monday. With Moore out, you have a ready made back three in Long/Findlay/Brown. Fleming comes in at LWB. McGuane and Cam play in the middle, and then you have a front three of Joseph/GOD/Browne. Sometimes that will be Browne sitting behind the other two; sometimes he can drift out left, Joseph can drift out right and you're playing it more like a 3-4-3.

The only question mark, without Anderson, is who plays RWB. Could be Goodrham, could be Smyth?

The alternative is giving Negru his first senior start in the biggest must-win game of the season so far, which feels like a big ask (or, I guess, playing Fleming as an out-and-out LB, but that didn't work so well in February).

 

[Scotchegg]

I know that the calls for it have quietened down now that Manning has us looking like a halfway competent team again.....

......but I really do think that the time is right for 3-5-2 on Monday. With Moore out, you have a ready made back three in Long/Findlay/Brown. Fleming comes in at LWB. McGuane and Cam play in the middle, and then you have a front three of Joseph/GOD/Browne. Sometimes that will be Browne sitting behind the other two; sometimes he can drift out left, Joseph can drift out right and you're playing it more like a 3-4-3.

The only question mark, without Anderson, is who plays RWB. Could be Goodrham, could be Smyth?

The alternative is giving Negru his first senior start in the biggest must-win game of the season so far, which feels like a big ask (or, I guess, playing Fleming as an out-and-out LB, but that didn't work so well in February).

I thought about playing 3/5 at the back, but I don't think there a need to try to be clever against Port Vale. They look a poor side at the moment and will have to replace Stevens, Taylor and Ojo who was sent off.

I would either play Negru at centre back or move Brown across and play Fleming on the left, and pretty much keep the rest of the side as it was.

I know that there will be many calling for Gats to start but I still think that he's at his best coming on to change our shape rather than looking to lead the line from the beginning. Wildschut and Murphy haven't set the world alight, but we've been playing containment football and I think that they'll look much better with more free reign to get forward and support Joseph.

 

[Swaby39]

It’s probably now a case of ‘if it ain’t broke…’ I think 352/343 is in our future but we’re playing a system that’s proving effective in one aspect - we aren’t conceding many chances, let alone goals. We just need to add goals and Monday presents our first opportunity under LM to really try and force a win from the start. I suspect he will go with the same team only with Negru in there instead of Moore and I understand why.

 

[werthersoriginal]

I thought about playing 3/5 at the back, but I don't think there a need to try to be clever against Port Vale. They look a poor side at the moment and will have to replace Stevens, Taylor and Ojo who was sent off.

I would either play Negru at centre back or move Brown across and play Fleming on the left, and pretty much keep the rest of the side as it was.

I know that there will be many calling for Gats to start but I still think that he's at his best coming on to change our shape rather than looking to lead the line from the beginning. Wildschut and Murphy haven't set the world alight, but we've been playing containment football and I think that they'll look much better with more free reign to get forward and support Joseph.

I mainly hope they play whatever formation they’ve been practising, and not some last minute random shakeup. I thought Murphy was mediocre rather than terrible but Wildschut wasn’t really in the game. We just have so few options, especially with the new ‘no midgets’ policy.

 

[Jster]

I couldn't quite tell, despite being there - did we swtich to a back 5 when Fleming and Negru came on, or was Brown still at left back with Fleming ahead of him?

 

[werthersoriginal]

I couldn't quite tell, despite being there - did we swtich to a back 5 when Fleming and Negru came on, or was Brown still at left back with Fleming ahead of him?

I was far too gripped by the game to spot that!

 

[Joey]

I couldn't quite tell, despite being there - did we swtich to a back 5 when Fleming and Negru came on, or was Brown still at left back with Fleming ahead of him?

Yeah we went to a back 5 with Brown coming inside, G'OD and Joseph played as a 2 up front

 

[Symp59]

Yes long term Long as got to go average at best.

 

[WhyteMustard]

Yeah we went to a back 5 with Brown coming inside, G'OD and Joseph played as a 2 up front

Ciaron Brown really is a top pro and despite his limitations as a footballer he delivers very consistent performances.

The likes of Murphy and Yanic should hold their heads in shame (our so called wingers on very good money) because for the majority of the game we were very dependent on an 'old fashioned centre half' playing left back to burst forward down the flank and make something happen. He endeavour and grit is very admirable and certainly doesn't go unrecognised! For me take Cam's goals and his endeavour away from the side and we'd be down already.

As a few others have said this is such a poor league this year and Wednesday were bang average.

 

[Theox07]

I prefer brown as left back wingers are scared to take him on as he’s much bigger and stronger than them long on the other side seems his winger always wants to go at him

 

[MJB]

Yes long term Long as got to go average at best.

I don’t have a particular problem with Long being the second choice Right Back (and fourth choice CB). He can even fill in at Left Back if we really needed. A useful player to have at the club. He just shouldn’t be our first choice next season.

 

[Jster]

Yeah we went to a back 5 with Brown coming inside, G'OD and Joseph played as a 2 up front

Interesting... I wonder if that's a clue as to what he'll do at Vale with Moore out.

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

Weird that Wildschut's coming in for so much criticism - particularly in relation to Murphy (who keeps getting offered a 'clean slate' by many).

Don't get me wrong - they've both been disappointing. But Yanic has offered far more when available than Murphy, and the former's availability has been hampered by legitimate injury - as opposed to non-classified (illegitimate) reasons.

There is a significant portion of our fanbase who are still bowing down to Murphy "he played, he ran once, it's good" - the ever lowering bar. His 'quality' cross yesterday was sh*te, whipped in 10 foot infront of Joseph with no chance of him getting on it even if he were Haaland.

Still think we'll get a goal or assist or two out of Yanic this season. Doubt we'll get anything out of Murphy.

 

[Jster]

Yeah, Wildschut assisted one of our extremely rare goals very recently in fact.

 

[Golden Dr Otto]

On the subject of penalty’s, I thought we were very lucky to concede one when Fleming made a challenge in the box at the end of the game.

Great tackle got the ball. ESPN commentators agreed

 

[Golden Dr Otto]

I also thought our players were very passive in that situation.

Don't get me wrong - I hate the harassment of officials (and it would look even worse with a female ref) - but we could have had one or two players in her ear making it clear a 2nd yellow was the only option. Instead, as we've seen before, our players are inclined to nonchalantly watch on from a safe distance whilst 2 or 3 of the opposition petition (and in this case, placate) the ref.

At times I feel we're still too nice. Part of the problem is that I don't think we have those players - could certainly do with a couple on our Summer shopping list.

Agreed. They could have had 5 players in the book by the time Vaulks got his second foul in. They got away with some nasty stuff because it was early in the game and our players don’t react. Moore always feels like the prime culprit for our softness as a unit

 

[Daviddidcotexile]

Weird that Wildschut's coming in for so much criticism - particularly in relation to Murphy (who keeps getting offered a 'clean slate' by many).

Don't get me wrong - they've both been disappointing. But Yanic has offered far more when available than Murphy, and the former's availability has been hampered by legitimate injury - as opposed to non-classified (illegitimate) reasons.

There is a significant portion of our fanbase who are still bowing down to Murphy "he played, he ran once, it's good" - the ever lowering bar. His 'quality' cross yesterday was sh*te, whipped in 10 foot infront of Joseph with no chance of him getting on it even if he were Haaland.

Still think we'll get a goal or assist or two out of Yanic this season. Doubt we'll get anything out of Murphy.

The reality is the Sheffield goal was poor by Yanic. He rightly got taken off at half time.

 

[sonofivan]

Yanic wildschut has not one good attribute
Can’t run not even that quick
Not a great passer
Doesn’t work hard
Never tracks back
Has literally 0 skill

Dreadful player

Can you please get off the fence and just say what you think?

 

[Jster]

The reality is the Sheffield goal was poor by Yanic. He rightly got taken off at half time.

He's not actually a defender though, and tbh the xG on that chance must have been tiny. To blame him for what was a ridiculous piece of skill is harsh. Yes, he could have closed down better, but it was hardly a glaring error.