Away Match Day Thread 10/10/2020 L1 Gillingham v OUFC

[Bath Yellow]

Good to see the team play in the clubs proper colours which we had until i believe 1971. Brought back a lot of memories to the Big Ron Atkinson years when we first came into the league.

 

[Mellowyellow]

That’s because he’s the better out of the two players, but still wouldn’t be first choice for me as I would have got decent right back in, and left back and wingers with pace.

In some ways the fact that people are settling for long as first choice shows our lack of options. Not so sure he would be first choice in too many other Div.1 teams.

 

[Mellowyellow]

We would be in the championship now if we had replaced eastwood with a decent league one keeper last season. He costs us too many goals with basic gk errors.

Absolute rubbish. How many goals did our defence cost us, when we weren't playing well. Far to wide a sweeping statement to make, especially about 1 player.

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

This is mental.

The defence didn’t do their job, allowing an effort on goal that shouldn’t have happened, and that yes, Eastwood should’ve done better with, but we conceded two more goals after that, that were also conceded due to very poor defending again, and were not in any way Eastwood’s fault, but still he’s being singled out and hounded by the pitchfork mob, as though he’d dropped a clanger for all three!

If the defence don’t do their job, then it makes the goalkeepers job much more difficult, but the keeper alone cannot be held responsible, it doesn’t make sense.

Ruffels has been off form for a while now, Moore looks like he may never be at the standard of Dickie or even Mous, and Atkinson has struggled so far as well, and Clare looks useless as a RB.

Of all the defenders, and despite his own mistakes and shortcomings, only Long has performed to any sort of decent level, in various positions across the back line, and he’s been criticised almost as much as Eastwood!

I feel sorry for Stevens when he eventually does get his chance, as if this defence lets him down, which let’s face it, looks almost certain that they would, if he so much as gets beaten at his near post, he’ll be slaughtered!

Whatever you do, don’t follow premier league football, you’ll have vapours! David De Gea was Man Utd’s best player for years, even won their player of the season for a few years, and yet when he started dropping a few absolute clangers people turned on him. That’s football, that’s society, that’s life.

Yes the defence made mistakes. But allowing someone to go past you as a defender isn’t the same as a keeper letting in a soft header at his near post. Eastwood has also made three big mistakes in a row now, including one which effectively cost us the chance to go up last season (don’t forget people vilified Henry as well for arguably a much smaller error)

How many poor Eastwood games would it take for you to admit that Stevens deserves a chance? Or would you have him as our first choice keeper until he decides he doesn’t want to be any more?

 

[Pooleox]

I know this goes against a lot of comments, but KR has a good team there. Their skills are fantastic, just need to play together more. They have to be less naive and that will come with more game time.

 

[pidge]

The man cannot do right for doing wrong. He made some world class saves today ffs, due to the sh*te defending. Maybe you should turn it around and ask how many points would we have if we'd invested in a decent defence, and without the mistakes they have made.

It’s a fair point and he’s not the soul blame the defence is just as at fault but it isn’t just this season. In the play offs aswell he made a mistake that led to a goal in every game. I just think Eastwood could be a bit unsettled understandable aswell given he is separated from family and it sadly effecting his game.

 

[Mad Dog]

Firstly, if you’ve read my posts, I’ve said a number of times that I’d be happy for Stevens to be given a chance, but I’m not gonna turn Eastwood into some sort of hated villain in the process.

Secondly, it wasn’t Eastwood alone who cost us at Wembley, he was stitched up by Moore ducking out of a header, meaning he had to bomb off his line to challenge the striker, as if he hadn’t, and just stayed on his line, and the striker, who was through, had then scored, he’d have been criticised for staying on his line, it was a lose lose situation for Eastwood, but a situation that was actually created by his defence letting him down and putting him in that impossible position in the first place!

And let’s not forget it was Eastwood’s penalty shootout heroics that got us to Wembley in the first place!

Thirdly, Henry has never been criticised anywhere near as badly as Eastwood for his glaring error in front of goal, it was almost made a joke out of since, and he was forgiven very quickly by everyone, citing his wonderful contributions over the last few seasons, and rightly so, I just don’t see why Eastwood can’t be afforded the same respect and appreciation.

And a defender getting skinned ridiculously easily and making no effort to block a cross, and then other defenders allowing a striker to have bags of time and space to get on the end of the cross to score, is just as poor as a goalkeeper being beaten at his near post, why on earth would you think it isn’t?!?

Whatever you do, don’t follow premier league football, you’ll have vapours! David De Gea was Man Utd’s best player for years, even won their player of the season for a few years, and yet when he started dropping a few absolute clangers people turned on him. That’s football, that’s society, that’s life.

Yes the defence made mistakes. But allowing someone to go past you as a defender isn’t the same as a keeper letting in a soft header at his near post. Eastwood has also made three big mistakes in a row now, including one which effectively cost us the chance to go up last season (don’t forget people vilified Henry as well for arguably a much smaller error)

How many poor Eastwood games would it take for you to admit that Stevens deserves a chance? Or would you have him as our first choice keeper until he decides he doesn’t want to be any more?

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

a defender getting skinned ridiculously easily and making no effort to block a cross, and then other defenders allowing a striker to have bags of time and space to get on the end of the cross to score, is just as poor as a goalkeeper being beaten at his near post, why on earth would you think it isn’t?!?

Defenders get skinned multiple times per game, strikers get allowed time in the box week in, week out. A decent keeper saves a weak header, straight at him, at chest height, at his near post, 90 times out of 100.

 

[Mad Dog]

Defenders get skinned multiple times per game, strikers get allowed time in the box week in, week out. A decent keeper saves a weak header, straight at him, at chest height, at his near post, 90 times out of 100.

Yes, as does Simon Eastwood

 

[uptheus]

I think Eastwood is good enough and should be first choice, but defensively we are weak right across it. Moore is fairly reactive, Atkinson raw with one or Two costly mistakes per game and Clare/Long & Ruffels not really up to it, but the last 2 are good as cover/squad players.

To me we need to address the full back situation, central defence and on the wings. These were areas that needed addressing, but we’ve failed to do this

We need someone in the central defence who can communicate across the back four as it all starts from here (foundation). If we don’t concede we don’t lose.

A defender’s primary role is to defend, so the fact that Clare seems to lack in the area means he doesn’t/hasn’t met this need so far with no signs of looking like he will.

It’s time to offload/loan out some players and address these key areas.

Too many central midfielders in my eyes.

 

[cecantena]

It’s a fair point and he’s not the soul blame the defence is just as at fault but it isn’t just this season. In the play offs aswell he made a mistake that led to a goal in every game. I just think Eastwood could be a bit unsettled understandable aswell given he is separated from family and it sadly effecting his game.

The family are now altogether again back in Oxfordshire.

 

[Fourthstand]

I think Eastwood’s frailties have been highlighted and exposed this season given an inexperienced backbone of defenders in front of him. It will get to the point where we can’t make excuses any longer.

 

[cassox]

I know this goes against a lot of comments, but KR has a good team there. Their skills are fantastic, just need to play together more. They have to be less naive and that will come with more game time.

agree we have a good side but we are too slow and l;abourious in the build ups,we should speed things up and i'm sure we would hammer some of the shite thats in this league.....be more direct and cut the fuckarsing about

 

[unification]

I really hate the way this forum turns on players, even Eastwood, one of our best since 2016 and the guy that got us to the playoff final. Looks like a lack of moral strength to me, can’t bear adversity so lash out at a scapegoat. Just the sort of s**t that fascists like Trump know they can exploit. You’re better than that!

Agreed. I’ve watched the goals back.

Whilst you can scrutinise each and every players role in them and say what each of them could have done better to prevent it, I see no single person being totally at fault. Some are more culpable than others but to me all of the goals came down to collective team errors.

 

[m]

Sorry Sarge, but the way kr talks of him, he seems to be out of the running. When he said in his previous interview that he couldn't get a non league side to take him on loan, it gave a good indication of his current view of Jones. He hasn't developed as KR would have hoped.

So when it suits your agenda KR is absolutely correct then, yeah?

 

[tonto]

Its going to be a long old season!

It is if youre going to carry on moaning.Guess we are going to have to start winning.

 

[mooro]

It's strange that most of the people who have been slagging off Sam Long for years are now saying we need him to start at RB.

The more that other people play at right back, the better a full back Sam Long becomes

 

[pidge]

The family are now altogether again back in Oxfordshire.

That’s great to hear

 

[tonto]

For some reason I cant watch the highlights on ifollow anyone else got this problem? Hard to comment on the match having been unable to watch it thanks to ifollow as well. We desperately need an experienced CB/organiser for the defence.

 

[Leysboy]

For some reason I cant watch the highlights on ifollow anyone else got this problem? Hard to comment on the match having been unable to watch it thanks to ifollow as well. We desperately need an experienced CB/organiser for the defence.

Don’t watch it! It will make you feel worse, especially with the chances we had and missed absolute sitters.