Away Match Day Thread +++ 23/02/2019 Blackpool v OUFC Match Day Thread +++

[Mellowyellow]

Not sure if you went Tuesday Kip, but tore us a new one maybe a bit extreme. we could and should have come away with a draw it certainly wasn't like Wigan last season where they did stick one up us and make it bigger.

I was there on Tuesday. Sorry but the only statistic that has any importance is 4-2, a hammering. Percentages of possession count for nothing. We were not a 10% the team we were today.

 

[Osleroad]

One thing that frustrated me today is at set pieces James Henry was back on the half way line. He's the one man I would want on the edge of the box.

hopefully he was doing what he was supposed to and keeping the team shape

 

[West Oxon U’s]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1099458240230973440

 

[West Oxon U’s]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1099409862608543745

 

[Big Ronaldo]

Totally made up over that win yesterday. I admit that it was completely unexpected as I was sure that we would get a draw at best.

This, not so ‘topsy’ turvy season is completely throwing me.
What we have at the moment is a team that exhilarate and frustrate in equal measure. Annoying as that is, that is where we are... capable of playing teams off the park while conspiring to be grubbily beaten.
There is no doubting the shining quality amongst the squad, but finding a way to harness it is still so elusive.
We hope, once more that we have worked it out (how to win) but I suspect that we will witness much more slithering between the two extremes before the season’s end. COYY

 

[MC Yellow]

Great feeling to get that away win. Well done lads.

Now have to focus on building on this with a good run.

Time will tell but given how our season is going it will be a big ask to string a run of wins together.

No doubt many more hours of utter frustration followed by relief.

COYY’s

 

[Canterbury exile]

Sam Long was immense yesterday. He has far less ability going forward than Hanson but does give us defensive solidity. Dickie so frustrates. He goes from resembling Bambi on ice to giving excellent no nonsense displays like yesterday. It was never pretty but they played the situation , the up and under opposition tactics and the poor playing surface really professionally. And i hope Mous never reverts to central defence. We are far more solid with him as defensive midfielder. Btw, what a fine free kick from Jordan.

 

[Steve McAvoy]

What a relief! Travelling down next week, got my ticket. No predictions. The world suddenly looks a brighter place.

 

[West Oxon U’s]

Let’s hope Robinson doesn’t break new ground with c**k-ups in selection. Where will he play Garbutt? Mous? Will he ignore Smith again? Will he play our best-performing player, Sykes? Will he draft in his unfit old mate Kashi (quoting “leadership qualities)? Will Sinclair be told to sit on the bench again thus diminishing his confidence even further? Will he change formation? Tactics? Ideas? I’m not holding my breath for anything vaguely sensible - Just prepared to be sitting in a Blackpool pub at 2:15 getting even more angry.

Robinson made the right calls it would seem given the options he had available. Why would Ahmed Kashi not be fit by the way?

 

[Foley]

Robinson made the right calls it would seem given the options he had available. Why would Ahmed Kashi not be fit by the way?

Yes he does seem to have.
I know Garbutt is normally a left back but he played very well and gives KR some food for thought going forwards.
And if we can defend like that going forwards we really should be ok.

 

[Topper Haines]

Sam Long was immense yesterday. He has far less ability going forward than Hanson but does give us defensive solidity. Dickie so frustrates. He goes from resembling Bambi on ice to giving excellent no nonsense displays like yesterday. It was never pretty but they played the situation , the up and under opposition tactics and the poor playing surface really professionally. And i hope Mous never reverts to central defence. We are far more solid with him as defensive midfielder. Btw, what a fine free kick from Jordan.

I think this sums up the bulk of our problems. Mous (as CB) and Hanson always have one huge mistake in them per game, The Dickie/Nelson combination also usually has one huge mistake between them per game with the only consistent performer being Ruffles - bringing Long in to be another 7/10 player game in game out has got to be a good move because without that backline stability we will always struggle.

 

[Oxfordpete]

A decent dogged performance that our current predicament called for. Is all about points...however that happens.

Garbutt and Sinclair epitomised this. Graham also sacrificed his attacking to help the team cause.

KR a lot more measured post match. Not sure if fans would welcome a performance like today at home, however if it gets results then I don’t really care.

Reminded me of our performance vs Southend away this season, and the back end of last season when KR went back to basics and just made us tough to beat. KRs hand may have been forced today, however it’s encouraging that the team can put in that type of performance....we will need more of them!

when KR says he doesn’t think fans would like us playing like yesterday more often, he might have been right at the start of the season but yesterday was a vital 3 points
Fantastic free flowing attractive football and no points OR a battling gutsy hard fought gritty game and taking 3 points surely a no brainier
The free kick apart we were really a huge threat ???? I don’t think so, and today I don’t care because we won, can we reply on winning by a great free kick on Saturday, possibly not, but yes I’d take it, a scrappy goal I’d take it, yesterday the players actually put their neck on the line, the defended well and had to, they battled defensively and had to, I have been very critical of our defence, especially Dickie, but yesterday they deserve praise, We were under a lot of pressure but they held firm, the same again Saturday please, but let’s work their goalie a lot more than we did yesterday
I was gutted that 10 man Walsall won yesterday a draw v Bradford would have been better
Plus Shrewsbury and Gillingham both winning also wasn’t great

 

[Bacon]

In the week Blackpool’s manager mentioned we (Oxford) are very vulnerable from crosses, which I 100% agree with btw. Can anyone who was there yesterday tell me if we were still letting Blackpool get lots of crosses in and if so how did we deal with them? Was there any shaky moments? Radio Oxford said Blackpool had corner after corner second half.

 

[Shosho]

In the week Blackpool’s manager mentioned we (Oxford) are very vulnerable from crosses, which I 100% agree with btw. Can anyone who was there yesterday tell me if we were still letting Blackpool get lots of crosses in and if so how did we deal with them? Was there any shaky moments? Radio Oxford said Blackpool had corner after corner second half.

Plenty of crosses from them. Both Garbutt and Graham having to do plenty of tracking back as they pushed the LB and RB high (Daniels and Anderton?). There was some shaky clearances (long in the second half, in his own 6 yard box) but fundamentally we didn’t mess about and just played it safe

 

[PottersRightBoot]

We dropped deep whenever they had the ball and second half tonked it up to Sinclair to chase. Extremely simple tactics which worked a treat.

Garbutt was seriously quick and gave us a lot of balance. There was very little in the way of possession for possessions sake. We basically let them have the ball and they had ran out of ideas by the end.

Our defending at corners was first class.

Looking at the remaining fixtures we play 7 of the bottom 9. Suggest the team stick to their tactical knitting.

 

[RCYellowRC]

In the week Blackpool’s manager mentioned we (Oxford) are very vulnerable from crosses, which I 100% agree with btw. Can anyone who was there yesterday tell me if we were still letting Blackpool get lots of crosses in and if so how did we deal with them? Was there any shaky moments? Radio Oxford said Blackpool had corner after corner second half.

They hammered in crosses but alot of there crosses went past everybody and out the other side of the box. The ones that did male it into the box didn't really trouble us, they were doubt with well.

One thing that did cause us issues was long throws. Last ten minutes they launched every throw into the box and there were 1 or 2 long throws that we got away with after the ball pinged around the box for a good 30 seconds.

 

[RCYellowRC]

We dropped deep whenever they had the ball and second half tonked it up to Sinclair to chase. Extremely simple tactics which worked a treat.

Garbutt was seriously quick and gave us a lot of balance. There was very little in the way of possession for possessions sake. We basically let them have the ball and they had ran out of ideas by the end.

Our defending at corners was first class.

Looking at the remaining fixtures we play 7 of the bottom 9. Suggest the team stick to their tactical knitting.

That long ball up to Sinclair worked a treat and there number 16 TILT couldn't handle it. Made 5 or 6 mistakes because Sinclair stuck to him.

Do think we were robbed a certain goal from the referee being so inconsistent and giving Sinclair a yellow for basically the same scenario in which the equaliser against Sunderland came and there centre back threw himself to the floor.

March is make or break for us, every game is winnable and we need minimum of 3 wins from next month.

 

[Bacon]

Thanks for the replies. I firmly believe whatever division we are in next season, we need a completely new back 4 (assuming Nels is going). Our full backs are ok, but nothing more than cover in my opinion.

 

[RCYellowRC]

Thanks for the replies. I firmly believe whatever division we are in next season, we need a completely new back 4 (assuming Nels is going). Our full backs are ok, but nothing more than cover in my opinion.

I'd give Kelleher a go next season no matter which league we're in. Statistically best centre back in league 2 with most tackles and headers won in the whole league.

 

[werthersoriginal]

I'd give Kelleher a go next season no matter which league we're in. Statistically best centre back in league 2 with most tackles and headers won in the whole league.

I think he’s actually out of contract then , so we’d have to offer him another one