Wandering Yellow
Well-known member
- Joined
- 10 Aug 2019
- Messages
- 5,438
The majority of us went in to yesterday feeling confident and motivated, after some promising signings in the transfer window. But the problems from the KR reign seemed to persist even with many different players. I would put this down to our tactics. We are too easy to predict and work out, KR was a one trick pony. We looked to keep possession, and pick the right pass to Matty through the lines.
When it worked, we would look very good, popping it around like a League One Arsenal and playing with intensity, keeping the ball away from the opposition and forcing many chances for ourselves. A few times every season (until he lost the plot) we would blow a team away.
But the problem was, when a team implemented a different style from us, often our fans would hate it (ie Ainsworthball) but it would be effective. When a team breaks up play and hits us with balls over the top with us playing a high line, a pacy or bruiser striker could cause us all kinds of problems. When teams played a low block we played entirely in front of them, easy to predict and vulnerable on the break.
And yet again, that was the problem yesterday. Thorniley to Moore, Moore to Thorniley, Thorniley to Moore - tighter pitch, space at a premium, Cambridge deep. We looked like a KR team. No ideas. It always ends up with a frustrated CamBran having shots from way outside the box to try and force something to happen. Whenever a team doesn't try and match us, we struggle.
It is obvious to most teams what Oxford United will try and do, and what formation they will employ.
It's just a personal opinion, and I'm not making out like I'm some kind of tactical expert, but I'd like to see us in different formations depending on the game and even in game adapting. We need a plan A, plan B and plan C.
I would love to see us in a 3-5-2. Something like this:
I think we would look solid in a three at the back. It would also allow a ball-carrying CB to surge forward and create gaps, we've seen Atkinson, McNally Dickie do that and create space in the past. Brown and Long are NOT GOOD ENOUGH at LB or RB but as left or right sided CBs able to at least do a job and make themselves useful to the squad.
If you bring in another CDM it would also allow Brannagan to occasionally play behind the front two, and allow Rodrigues to drop in beside Harris and feed him. Harris doesn't look like a lone striker to me, but I think his running would stretch the game in a two.
I'm not sure where our wingers would fit in in a 3-5-2 but if we were dominating a game we could drop into a 4-2-3-1 and have wider men and maybe play GOD/new striker as a lone front man.
Wing Backs in a 3-5-2 would benefit us IMMENSELY. Chasing a game and they can act almost as wingers if they have the engine, need to block a game out and they can function as a flat back 5. WE could then be the side to frustrate teams.
I'd be very interested to know other people's thoughts on how we go from here...
When it worked, we would look very good, popping it around like a League One Arsenal and playing with intensity, keeping the ball away from the opposition and forcing many chances for ourselves. A few times every season (until he lost the plot) we would blow a team away.
But the problem was, when a team implemented a different style from us, often our fans would hate it (ie Ainsworthball) but it would be effective. When a team breaks up play and hits us with balls over the top with us playing a high line, a pacy or bruiser striker could cause us all kinds of problems. When teams played a low block we played entirely in front of them, easy to predict and vulnerable on the break.
And yet again, that was the problem yesterday. Thorniley to Moore, Moore to Thorniley, Thorniley to Moore - tighter pitch, space at a premium, Cambridge deep. We looked like a KR team. No ideas. It always ends up with a frustrated CamBran having shots from way outside the box to try and force something to happen. Whenever a team doesn't try and match us, we struggle.
It is obvious to most teams what Oxford United will try and do, and what formation they will employ.
It's just a personal opinion, and I'm not making out like I'm some kind of tactical expert, but I'd like to see us in different formations depending on the game and even in game adapting. We need a plan A, plan B and plan C.
I would love to see us in a 3-5-2. Something like this:
I think we would look solid in a three at the back. It would also allow a ball-carrying CB to surge forward and create gaps, we've seen Atkinson, McNally Dickie do that and create space in the past. Brown and Long are NOT GOOD ENOUGH at LB or RB but as left or right sided CBs able to at least do a job and make themselves useful to the squad.
If you bring in another CDM it would also allow Brannagan to occasionally play behind the front two, and allow Rodrigues to drop in beside Harris and feed him. Harris doesn't look like a lone striker to me, but I think his running would stretch the game in a two.
I'm not sure where our wingers would fit in in a 3-5-2 but if we were dominating a game we could drop into a 4-2-3-1 and have wider men and maybe play GOD/new striker as a lone front man.
Wing Backs in a 3-5-2 would benefit us IMMENSELY. Chasing a game and they can act almost as wingers if they have the engine, need to block a game out and they can function as a flat back 5. WE could then be the side to frustrate teams.
I'd be very interested to know other people's thoughts on how we go from here...
