Manager/Coach Karl Robinson

He’s not getting fired with a big pay off.
As for Lee Bowyer he’s been linked with higher clubs, so he won’t be coming.
We are best sticking with what we have. He won’t be taking us down, nor up. We need to get on a run and get enough points on the board.
Any chance of a 7-1 to us at Wigan?
Brilliant, if it works out over the next few weeks, but on his showing so far this season with tactics and recruitment, he's lost it, and whatever you wish for in that sentence, I hope to god that the powers that be think differently.
Oh, and on the point of neither up nor down, with your Chrystal ball, please may I have Fridays lottery numbers?
 
And yet we were told we didn’t need a new defender, and that any potential new recruit wouldn’t be fit before Mousinho anyway. Even though anybody with even 20% of their vision could see that Mousinho hasn’t even been wearing kit for over a month. Cracking little PR move putting him on to walk around the centre circle for five minutes the other week, though. Bought just enough time to get that winger in.

The problem with spinning yarn is that eventually it all unravels.
He did play 90 minutes at Walsall though so if he needs an operation how did he get through it? I find it all rather confusing TBH!
 
KR has pulled us out of stickier situations than this with worse squads in the past. It's not looking great at the moment, but there are mitigating factors. It's a supremely unusual season. Obviously every team will be affected by COVID, but it will affect every team differently.

Not trying to be a happy-clappy optimist, yesterday was concerningly rubbish, but I think some perspective is needed.

At what point does perspective/blind loyaly become concern? Genuinly interested.
 
He did play 90 minutes at Walsall though so if he needs an operation how did he get through it? I find it all rather confusing TBH!
The quote was that his knee could go at anytime. Not really confidence inspiring. I would go so far as to say that if this knee injury is so severe, Mous should stop playing and be dropped from the squad. That place could be used for one of the existing non-squad members or, bring in a new player in January. Harsh maybe, but what right does Mous have to be holding a squad position when it could be a hazard to his well being to play?
 
I spoke a few weeks ago about issues with some of our players, and how Robinson is supporting them.

It's not just the situation with Joel Cooper. Several players having young or expectant families, and others have personal issues that would test anyone. Covid has magnified everything, and footballers are not immune to dealing with the same worries and concerns we all have.

Robinson has his faults, but he is managing in exceptional circumstances with a number of players that need an arm around their shoulders more than a kick up the a**e.

Results are not good, but now is the time to come together and see through the tough times - on and off the pitch.
So are other clubs not having these same issues?
 
So are other clubs not having these same issues?

I'm sure they are, but maybe not to the extent that we are. I think KR said that we had something like 7 players expecting children. That is an exceptionally high number for any team. We've had "normal" injuries but also those that are very unlucky (Ruffels shoulder, Cam's eye). We have Joel Cooper who has his issues to deal with, and we had Elliott Moore who sadly lost his Dad only a few months ago.

I don't know enough about other clubs and their personnel, but many of these issues are unlikely to occur in a "normal" season.

It's not to ignore the fact that we haven't been good enough on the pitch, but just to remind some that players are human and lockdown has impacted many people in ways that may not be obvious on the surface.

Today is Men's Day where we acknowledge mental and emotional health for men who very rarely talk about such things. I just feel that before we judge players we may just take a moment to recognise that some may be struggling in more ways than we know.
 
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5 minute fans forum from this evening: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p08z08s8

Worth a listen. Mous is waiting on a knee operation that would put him out for a season. Sounds as though he shouldn't play at all this season. Begs the question, why is he in the squad and, why is he on the bench?

Quite a few comments on the subject of Sean Clare.

Fair play to KR turning up but he was never going to face a barrage of tough questions. Give us a "live" forum with fans in attendance and let's see how that goes!

I gave that a listen this morning. Good of KR to face the music and I didn't think the questions were too much of a soft touch. At least they didn't throw in some nonsense question about building a fourth stand!

KR took the criticism of Clare the wrong way. It's not Clare per se that is the issue, it's where he continues to be played. Fans on here have seen his good attributes when he can express them further up the field. It's the basics of being a RB that is worrying us all, especially when we have other options there.

Re. The Mous knee situation. I had to rewind it to check whether KR said 'he needed knee surgery in the summer' (implying 2021) or he 'had knee surgery in the summer' (implying 2020). It was the former. If that's only come to light since the end of the transfer window, fair enough. If not, heads should be banged together thinking that somehow we could get through a season with Moore, newbie Atkinson and a could-fall-apart-at-any-moment Mousinho as our main centre back options. Sam Long is now there which I'm sure wasn't the plan.

It was reassuring to hear that Atkinson is fit again though. I hope but don't expect the defence against Wigan to be Long-Atkinson-Moore-Ruffels or Obita.

Re. Joel Cooper. Let's hope his time away is a short one. If it's a personal/family situation back home in NI, I hope for the player's sake it resolves itself quickly and he feels good to come back when ready. Let's not pry too much on that.
 
Look, if its true that a number of players have personal issues that may be affecting their performance levels then it would be useful to communicate this to me, otherwise I will become impatient. I don't expect a phone call from the player explaining his situation but a bit of transparency wouldn't be a bad idea.
I love OUFC so I'm going to empathise if this is a truly unique situation. I want us to do well, but at the moment it looks to me that the team just cant be arsed.
 
Whilst these 5 minute forums are a good idea, they do lack a more incisive questioning and follow up. Neither Radox nor Oxmail are inclined to do much in the way of "hard" journalism and that allows a little too much leniency and, particularly with KR, the freedom to waffle away. The revelation that Mous was unlikely to play again this, or even next, season should have brought some real questions about why he is in the squad. Ok, it's a fans forum and if they don't ask the right questions there is no call for the right answers but, given the current situation, I would have thought Jerome would have been all over that response.
 
I spoke a few weeks ago about issues with some of our players, and how Robinson is supporting them.

It's not just the situation with Joel Cooper. Several players having young or expectant families, and others have personal issues that would test anyone. Covid has magnified everything, and footballers are not immune to dealing with the same worries and concerns we all have.

Robinson has his faults, but he is managing in exceptional circumstances with a number of players that need an arm around their shoulders more than a kick up the a**e.

Results are not good, but now is the time to come together and see through the tough times - on and off the pitch.
Are we going to have one of your pointless predictions for Saturday.
I'm sure they are, but maybe not to the extent that we are. I think KR said that we had something like 7 players expecting children. That is an exceptionally high number for any team. We've had "normal" injuries but also those that are very unlucky (Ruffels shoulder, Cam's eye). We have Joel Cooper who has his issues to deal with, and we had Elliott Moore who sadly lost his Dad only a few months ago.

I don't know enough about other clubs and their personnel, but many of these issues are unlikely to occur in a "normal" season.

It's not to ignore the fact that we haven't been good enough on the pitch, but just to remind some that players are human and lockdown has impacted many people in ways that may not be obvious on the surface.

Today is Men's Day where we acknowledge mental and emotional health for men who very rarely talk about such things. I just feel that before we judge players we may just take a moment to recognise that some may be struggling in more ways than we know.
At least the seven players of which you mention are good at doing something.
 
Mous doesn't need an operation now, but if he plays too often or is rushed back then any injury would likely finish his career.
What? So we have kept a player in the 22, but we can't play him 'too often' (however much that is!) because if he gets injured *any* injury then that will mean he can't play at all! That is just potty. If he is that delicate (and that's not a word that readily springs to mind when talking about central defenders!) then for his own sake he probably ought not to be playing at all especially if he can't have an operation to fix whatever it is that's wrong with him.

With the dearth of defenders we have, the very least any backup ought to be is fit enough to play when needed.
 
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What? So we have kept a player in the 22, but we can't play him 'too often' (however much that is!) because if he gets injured *any* injury then that will mean he can't play at all! That is just potty. If he is that delicate (and that's not a word that readily springs to mind when talking about central defenders!) then for his own sake he probably ought not to be playing at all especially he can't have an operation to fix whatever it is that's wrong with him.

With the dearth of defenders we have, the very least any backup ought to be is fit enough to play when needed.
Its absolutely incredible isnt it. And just when you think things cant get more ludicrous.

Reading this morning we are s**t because the players care too much. Absolute piffle.

I dont also support all the "personal problems" piece. Sure 1 or two have issues which they deserve all the support in the world. Mental health and family issues always come first. The rest are asked to play football twice a week with a fixed well paid contract when thousands are losing jobs on a weekly basis and worrying how theyll put food on the table. If i performed the level they did against Crewe in my job on Tuesday, id be on notice right now. I just dont swallow that guff and am almost embarassed people are trying to make these kinds of excuses for our abysmal performances.
 
I'm sure they are, but maybe not to the extent that we are. I think KR said that we had something like 7 players expecting children. That is an exceptionally high number for any team. We've had "normal" injuries but also those that are very unlucky (Ruffels shoulder, Cam's eye). We have Joel Cooper who has his issues to deal with, and we had Elliott Moore who sadly lost his Dad only a few months ago.

I don't know enough about other clubs and their personnel, but many of these issues are unlikely to occur in a "normal" season.

It's not to ignore the fact that we haven't been good enough on the pitch, but just to remind some that players are human and lockdown has impacted many people in ways that may not be obvious on the surface.

Today is Men's Day where we acknowledge mental and emotional health for men who very rarely talk about such things. I just feel that before we judge players we may just take a moment to recognise that some may be struggling in more ways than we know.
Say no more, I completely retract my criticism of our counter attacks, I had no idea 7 of our players were pregnant, that explains a lot!
 
Its absolutely incredible isnt it. And just when you think things cant get more ludicrous.

Reading this morning we are s**t because the players care too much. Absolute piffle.

I dont also support all the "personal problems" piece. Sure 1 or two have issues which they deserve all the support in the world. Mental health and family issues always come first. The rest are asked to play football twice a week with a fixed well paid contract when thousands are losing jobs on a weekly basis and worrying how theyll put food on the table. If i performed the level they did against Crewe in my job on Tuesday, id be on notice right now. I just dont swallow that guff and am almost embarassed people are trying to make these kinds of excuses for our abysmal performances.
Absolutely agree. We can all see the problem is tactical and the skills of players. Watch the opposition and the ball is "killed " when passed. Look at us and it bounces off and is lost. Some of the basic errors are laughable. This is not a loss of skills though as last year the same players could do this. So must be a lack of concentration and confidence. KR has to fix this. It may be as easy as allowing the midfield to play without the fear of worrying that if they lose the ball our defence will concede.
 
Mous doesn't need an operation now, but if he plays too often or is rushed back then any injury would likely finish his career.
I think KR said it could go anytime - tomorrow, next month or in a year and if he has an operation he will be out for the season. Sooner or later he will need that operation and if recent very poor defensive performances haven't deemed it necessary to take that gamble of playing him as is, then he should have the operation at Xmas and be de-registered in January to free up a DEFENDER space. AT 35 he's not going to be a year out and come back to the squad - especially now it's limited to 22 and possibly 20 next season.
 
Didn't think I'd say this at the start of the season but I'd settle for mid table obscurity and a shot at a Papa John's takeaway from Wembley at present.
 
Aren't all predictions pointless?!

Not if you can trust their accuracy and act upon them. Here's an example. I predict we'll turn out in the same old formation with no significant (e.g. change at RB, injection of pace / support for Taylor) changes, we'll play marginally better than against Crewe and lose by a re-assuring 2-0 having had 1 shot (o on target). I think this is a 'more likely than not' scenario and that basis the prudent man on the Clapham omnibus (wearing a facemask, see) would plan to finish hedge-laying at the same time as the other sandal-wearing volunteers and save myself the price of a iFollow pass. I'm buying the pass now hoping to be in front of the TV at 2.59, I must be mental..
 
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