Home Match Day Thread 23/02/2021 L1 OUFC v Portsmouth

[Pillox]

As much as that in their half, more like 45 in our half and 15 in theirs

Whats 30% of 60%?

 

[Leysboy]

We are such a frustrating team to watch. We either brilliant or very poor. Today and for the last couple of games we’ve been the poor team.

We either go on a run and can win 5+ on the bounce, but then we can easily lose 3 or 4 on the bounce. We are definitely good enough for playoffs, because the table will say so, but in reality we are a solid 8th or 9th place team this season. I’d love to be proved wrong, but I think we are one strong transfer window away from being a formidable side in Lge 1.

 

[OX14]

I think our midfield is too weak. You have to earn the right to play. Brannagan et al get pushed off the ball too easily and lose out on too many 2nd balls.

Game of football is always won or lost in the midfield. Too many of our midfield are suffering from poor form.

 

[Pillox]

Game of football is always won or lost in the midfield. Too many of our midfield are suffering from poor form.

Worrying when you have an extra man in there

 

[ThatSlopesATwelfthMan]

Portsmouth played well. A lot of our errors were forced by Pompey harrying. We just kept doing the same ineffectual thing over and over in the end. Sykes and Winnall were dreadful tonight, often actively undermining our efforts. 8th is probably about right. Playoffs a big ask without McGuane who gives us the physicality and drive to trouble teams in the middle of the field. But who knows, small margins this year and we could see a settled Barker and Lee start to shine and some of our slightly jaded dependables find another 5% to push higher. Strange game to rest Gorrin and could probably have done with Kelly doing his invisible thing pressing and getting under the opposition's feet.

 

[dickwalton1964]

Is there a team anywhere who give away as many stupid fouls as we do ? I watched Sykes twice make ridiculous challenges, you could see a foul coming from a mile away. Stupid shoves or just sheer clumsiness. I then watched Pompey players to see if they did the same. They didn’t. Yes, they made a few fouls but proper fouls, fouls where they were a whisker away from the ball. Ours are brain dead fouls, tumbling into the back of players from behind and silly little trips cutting across players.

 

[Pillox]

Wonder what pompey budget is compared to ours

 

[Bath Yellow]

Left Shodipo isolated, unlucky not to score at the end, one time he had four on him, then got fouled after he beat the lot of them

 

[LeftSideBoy]

Shodipo really? He was poor tonight

He has had one or two bad games but on balance, he’s been very good during his time with us. 11 goals is a good return. He is much better than any of our other options on that side.

 

[OX14]

Worrying when you have an extra man in there

An extra man is not always required, it doesn't take 2 men to change a light bulb so it doesn't need 3 in the centre midfield. I'm not a fan of our formation I always think it's too negative, We should play a 4 2 1 3 rather than robbos favoured 4 1 2 3. I don't mind us losing when we play well but tonight was ugly and a waste of time watching.

 

[bazzer9461]

Whats 30% of 60%?

18% but we spent only 15% in their half in the first half.

 

[Junior_1]

With the exception of Long and Moore, those ratings are very generous

Stevens too.

 

[LeftSideBoy]

I struggle to see how any other side can even be considered. It’s time to unleash both of our wingers.

Lee could offer that bit of trickery we need in midfield as well.

Sorry but if there are no other injuries I can’t see how any other side other than that starts next game.

I absolutely agree with you. Lee is a quality player and through the middle could be a really good alternative to Maguane. When he gets on the ball, he is always positive and he can pick out a pass as well! I’ve been really impressed with him, since he arrived.

Barker was quality again tonight and was unlucky not to get an assist. Pace to burn and that’s exactly what we need. We need to start with pace on both wings. I just do not get this fascination with rotating our wingers! It makes no sense when you spend the first 45 playing sideways football and then have to chase the game in the last half an hour, because you’re 1-0 down. We need to get into teams early on and show some f*****g desire to get at them! We seem to be lacking b0llocks at the moment. We need a nasty streak.

 

[bazzer9461]

He has had one or two bad games but on balance, he’s been very good during his team with us. 11 goals is a good return. He is much better than any of our other options on that side.

Poor today

 

[ttg17]

Portsmouth played well. A lot of our errors were forced by Pompey harrying. We just kept doing the same ineffectual thing over and over in the end. Sykes and Winnall were dreadful tonight, often actively undermining our efforts. 8th is probably about right. Playoffs a big ask without McGuane who gives us the physicality and drive to trouble teams in the middle of the field. But who knows, small margins this year and we could see a settled Barker and Lee start to shine and some of our slightly jaded dependables find another 5% to push higher. Strange game to rest Gorrin and could probably have done with Kelly doing his invisible thing pressing and getting under the opposition's feet.

I think there's a lot in this. Our midfield just looks so flimsy and weak without him. And the juggling of different midfield combinations in an attempt to find the magic formula is what's really doing for us at the moment.

We basically don't have anyone who can receive the ball in the middle with a man up their a**e who can hold them off or spin them, which makes us so susceptible to any kind of pressure in midfield and means we just start avoiding those passes into feet - having to go long instead, which obviously doesn't play to our strengths at all.

 

[Junior_1]

Keeper and back 4 pick themselves.

Gorrin has to come in.

Kelly too next to Brannagan.

Lee right, Barker left.

Taylor up front.

 

[brassmonkey]

I think brannagan needs to he dropped. He offers next to nothing.

 

[LeftSideBoy]

Poor today

I can forgive a bad performance. What I am struggling to forgive is players like Winnall and Henry having stinker after stinker.

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

have to chase the game in the last half an hour, because you’re 1-0 down. We need to get into teams early on and show some f*****g desire to get at them! We seem to be lacking b0llocks at the moment. We need a nasty streak.

Exactly - why wait until we are 1-0 down to really attack teams, and have some energy about our play? Let’s go at them from the first whistle, not just play it back to the defence until they hit a long hopeful ball forwards. Get it to our wingers and attack teams.

 

[bazzer9461]

We now only have a game in hand on Pompey and Sunderland but Pompey are 6 points ahead so kiss goodbye to the play offs and please no bullshit “ still plenty to play for “