Home Match Day Thread 18/5/2021 Play Off L1 OUFC v Blackpool

[Oxford84]

Nonsense. Why did the ref give a free kick to Blackpool then ? Whether contact was made is irrelevant, it’s all about being in control and that was never ever Sykes’ ball to go for. He had a 30% chance at best of getting the ball. Yes, he managed to keep his feet down and that was clever of him but it was a risky challenge and a stupid one in the circumstances.

he hardly even touched him,the player couldve of just walked past it!

 

[Mellowyellow]

Ok let me think

Rochdale away

MK Dons away

Crewe away

Gillingham home

Burton home

Bottom 4 at xmas to play offs not bad for useless players and manager that can't rise to the occasion

Many would be happy to reach the play offs at the start of the season but many forget it's not a given when you do as it's just a lottery

Sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and say the opposition were better on the day,

The problem on this forum is we are not allowed to lose a game of football without having to read the same negative repetitive stuff and it just becomes boring

The problem also seems to be the need to beat teams in the top 6 to show you could compete at a higher level, which we haven't done consistently this season.

 

[PottersRightBoot]

We have not got a hope in hell of turning it round. They know how to sort us.

 

[West Oxon U’s]

That was horror show bar the opening 5 minutes. We put in a masterclass in how not to play a first leg playoff match.

I was in the North Stand , fairly low down and what immediately struck me was how quiet the Oxford players are.
There are not enough vocal characters in the team especially when things go against them. The side has a soft centre.

Also it was noticeable the contrast in physicality . Lee bounced off a Blackpool defender three times in the first 15 mins,
The isolated Taylor was not able to win anything up top and Henry was anonymous for large parts of the first half. Hanson is not good enough
to play full back for a upper L1 side and is only able to punt the ball up the line.
There is absolutely no quality with the ball or composure on it from him. Ruffels had a torrid time too at left back. Naive from Ruffs.

Again the final ball or cross was seriously lacking ; Barker excepted against a superbly organised Blackpool rearguard.
They had total control of the game and had too much know how for us.

It all looked a match too far for too many of the Oxford players who quite frankly looked like they had stage fright bar those opening few minutes.

A shocking and embarrassing performance I regret to say and to find our we’ve suffered another 2 or 3 hamstrings and cramp sums up
where we are fatigue-wise.

 

[Oxford84]

Who’s the third CB?

mcnally.

 

[uptheus]

Think atkinson was at fault for the 2nd and 3rd. The guy beat him too easily for the 2nd and he missed the tackle for the 3rd.

His head dropped after the 2nd goal which is worrying.

 

[Paul Cannell]

Who’s the third CB?

Kelly.

 

[Jolteon]

KR has his own appreciation thread on the blackpool forum https://avftt.co.uk/index.php?threads/karl-robinson-appreciation-thread.18301/

Should hopefully motivate him for the return leg,

Stuff like this always upsets me a bit. By all means call out his comments, but 90% of that thread is just insulting him for being fat, scouse or both. KR isn't everyone's cup of tea, he's passionate to a fault and he lets his emotions control what he says instead of his brain at times, but he's human and doesn't deserve that vitriol.

 

[Paul Cannell]

Stuff like this always upsets me a bit. By all means call out his comments, but 90% of that thread is just insulting him for being fat, scouse or both. KR isn't everyone's cup of tea, he's passionate to a fault and he lets his emotions control what he says instead of his brain at times, but he's human and doesn't deserve that vitriol.

Just wait till he rams that abuse down their throats on Friday.

 

[holdsteady]

If there had been the atmosphere of Boca juniors vs River plate derby we would of still lost tonight as they are a better team.

Those moaning could always put there hand in there pocket and buy a season ticket, then we would get to witness the noise they bring.

Overall we were a bit s**t and they were a well drilled, physically superior team who took there chances while mostly dealing with ours, you can see why they finished third, they have a very good chance of going up.

To improve we need a bit of what they have, a few players who are physically stronger, we looked lightweight.

Overall I still enjoyed being out and about in a crowd tonight though, not certain of the point of face masks while being sat in a seat though.

 

[Northstandboy]

Can I just say one thing (for now) - I am really quite disappointed by how vocal the crowd, and also the players were tonight? If I was there tonight (Dad couldn’t get a ticket so instead, we sank a few large glasses of merlot and had a chicken tikka jalfrezi instead - every cloud and all that) I would have been giving it everything, and then some.

99% of those in attendance tonight, wouldn’t have seen live football in how long? Moreover, when was the last time we got to see live football that mattered as much as tonight? I might feel the way that I do because I watched on in envy. That’s highly probable, but I’m not bitter - promise. However, when you’re watching 4000 HOME fans (65/70% of our average attendance) spread all over the stadium and the only thing you can hear is your belly rumbling, that’s not good enough.

Tonight was a chance to really get behind the team and sing your heart out, with the blessed freedom that we are now so fortunate to have. I expected more, and I’m sorry if that doesn’t match the opinions of others on here. That was very poor. It was like watching a pizza cup match.

Quite often the atmosphere is not as loud on TV.

I thought the pre match and until the second goal was pretty loud? Even Nick, Jerome etc said about it.

So because your dad didn't get a ticket you gave up your ticket?

 

[dickwalton1964]

he hardly even touched him,the player couldve of just walked past it!

so why did the ref see fit to award a free kick. He was closer than me or you.

 

[LeftSideBoy]

Quite often the atmosphere is not as loud on TV.

I thought the pre match and until the second goal was pretty loud? Even Nick, Jerome etc said about it.

I cut and didn’t paste the part where I mentioned the communication (or lack of) between the players. I couldn’t hear much, if anything from those that you would expect to be commanding the team. I’m not just making a point about that fans. It just had a sense of occasion and felt like watching snooker. I know the circumstances are different than we have ever known, but we as people, are not.

 

[Oxford84]

so why did the ref see fit to award a free kick. He was closer than me or you.

because it was a free kick,it wasnt a booking.

 

[Scotchegg]

I know a few get pissed with my positivity so I've left it a while before posting!

Firstly, that was as emotional as I've been at a game for a very very long time. Recognising some old faces but missing many more, and know that some would never be back, hit me harder than I thought. I'm not ashamed to say that it brought a few tears to my eyes and made me realise that this was more than just a game.

As for the game, Blackpool were very good but we didn't really show up. We didn't have the fight that has been such a part of our recent run. It's hard to pin this on any individual but collectively it just felt like it was one game too far. But let's not talk about people not carrying. The players were hurting at the end, and as fans we need to be there for the good times and the bad.

The only positive is that we looked the same against Accrington but followed that up with a tonking against Crewe. Sadly, I think Blackpool are just too good to blow this lead - but stranger things have happened and an early goal or 2 could turn this on it's head.

Believing may no longer be enough! But we can pray and hang on to the thinnest of strands of hope and if it doesn't happen then at least we've given it a go and will clearly know where we need to improve.

Onwards and upwards!!

 

[Manorlounger]

Hopefully the Jaffa situation softened the North Stand dose of reality.

Mrs Lounger dropped hers in shock and watched it roll away. She is heartbroken.

 

[Northstandboy]

I cut and didn’t paste the part where I mentioned the communication (or lack of) between the players. I couldn’t hear much, if anything from those that you would expect to be commanding the team. I’m not just making a point about that fans. It just had a sense of occasion and felt like watching snooker. I know the circumstances are different than we have ever known, but we as people, are not.

How come you didn't come?

Are you not a ST holder?

 

[lerekdilley]

As soon as I saw Hanson at right back, my optimism had gone. We have no attacking threat when he’s playing and he isn’t league one standard as a defender. If I was KR I’d go for a one off game with 3-5-2 and play a bit more direct for the return leg and just go for it, rather than fitting inadequate players into a system that’s not going to work.
The only other option would be Forde at RB or if you want gung ho just go with Clare as a wing back (If he’s allowed to play), even with his mistakes he still offers more than Hanson.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

The problem on this forum is we are not allowed to lose a game of football without having to read the same negative repetitive stuff and it just becomes boring

Just as we’re not allowed to win a game of football without it turning into a “told you so” fest, where one result means anything that anybody has ever said previously that others have considered to be negative is magically and universally wrong.

It’s a shame that the bitterly divided, tribalistic society that we all have to live with outside of football seems to have made its way onto a lower league forum, but there we go. I guess the solution is that we all say nothing, or we all say the same thing as each other. Apparently anything even an inch either side of the line warrants teams being drawn up and mud being slung.

I don’t know why people care so much about what others think to be honest, nor why anybody would come here knowing they’re only going to get upset. There are plenty of times when I can’t be arsed with it and give it a swerve for a night, rather than reading page upon page of stuff that will wind me up. It takes more effort to show up and post than it does to do nothing.

It’s all a bit weird. Think I’ll go and watch a few episodes of Forged In Fire until everybody calms down.

 

[Paul Cannell]

I thought the pre match and until the second goal was pretty loud? Even Nick, Jerome etc said about it.

They would say a camel was Shergar if it was wearing a yellow shirt