Away Match Day Thread 18/9/21 L1: Cheltenham Town v OUFC

[Carpy]

The anger doesn't come from losing, nobody expects us to walk any game, it's more that we lose games so easily.

The amazing thing for me is that Robinson knows our deficiencies, he said so last year, yet seems unable to listen to his own logic when it comes to signing players.

 

[horseman]

Yes, I honestly see us winning both. Our home form has been excellent for some time and I think we'll be a very different side in front of our own fans. Wycombe were a much better side than many gave credit for, and they're the only side to take points off us at home.

So yes, 6 points.

Unfortunately this is where fans thought process goes wrong imho. Last season the talk was failure to beat the so called top sides when the reality is it doesn't matter from whom you get the points it's the accumulation that counts.
You mention Wycombe but how well did Accrington and Gillingham do at ours last season? the season before Accrington dominated us all over the pitch but like us at times failed to score when they could have been 3 or 4 up.

Given the opinions on here about us why would those next 2 home opponents not be rubbing their hands at playing an ineffictive Oxford (in some fans eyes)

 

[The mighty Aldo]

Two things that seem new this season are that we run out of steam in the second half and that subs tend to make us worse not better, whoever they are and whether we are winning or losing. Any ideas why?

Wonder if that has anything to do with Short leaving the club?

 

[Scotchegg]

Unfortunately this is where fans thought process goes wrong imho. Last season the talk was failure to beat the so called top sides when the reality is it doesn't matter from whom you get the points it's the accumulation that counts.
You mention Wycombe but how well did Accrington and Gillingham do at ours last season? the season before Accrington dominated us all over the pitch but like us at times failed to score when they could have been 3 or 4 up.

Given the opinions on here about us why would those next 2 home opponents not be rubbing their hands at playing an ineffictive Oxford (in some fans eyes)

I've no doubt that opposition fans will be confident, but we're like two different teams at the moment. At home we've got 22 points from the last 24 during the regular season games. Ironically, it was Accrington who last beat us last, but we've out played Lincoln, Charlton and Burton last year. I'm not sure that Gillingham or Accrington are as strong as they were last season so do think we'll be strong favourites for both games.

 

[tonyw]

Having just watched back the iFollow highlights (extended), KR's post match with Chris Williams and Mark Sykes post match reaction, several thoughts came to mind. The goal was as a direct result of Cheltenham playing how they play - long ball, big lad collects and crosses. Very simple but, we had nobody tracking Alfie May who ended up with an open goal and an easy finish.

Yeah, it was just a horrible goal to give away at this level.

Thornily got well and truly beaten to the long ball, and when it fell to the guy on the right, Seddon had been caught upfield so McNally had no choice but to go out to him. And then noone filled in the space he left, and so left May with the open goal.

McNally was the only one not at fault there - Thornily didn't do well enough defending the hoof, Seddon abdicated his defensive responsibilities, and then Sam Long and Gorrin failed to spot the danger quick enough to track May.

We're missing Josh Ruffels more than I thought we would.
Seddon is excellent with the ball at his feet going forwards, but from what I've seen so far, Ruffels is the better defender. He struggled against the very top wingers, but for the 40+ games a League One season where we didn't face one of those, he was as solid as they come. And he was a threat going forwards at set pieces and an effective physical presence defending them as well (if we forget the first goal against Blackpool!)

And it justs adds to the narrative - I'm not for a second saying that Seddon is a bad player; but his best attributes are the quality of his passing and crossing and his general silky attacking play. Like most of the rest of the squad.

There's going to be some games this seaon where it all comes together and we absolutely play teams off the park.
But I just don't think we're set up to grind out those ugly 1-0s on bad days.....and without that, I don't think you get promoted out of this division.

 

[horseman]

I've no doubt that opposition fans will be confident, but we're like two different teams at the moment. At home we've got 22 points from the last 24 during the regular season games. Ironically, it was Accrington who last beat us last, but we've out played Lincoln, Charlton and Burton last year. I'm not sure that Gillingham or Accrington are as strong as they were last season so do think we'll be strong favourites for both games.

You disappoint me i really did assume you'd realize how tongue in cheek (yes with a touch of sarcasm ) my post was.

now stop looking over from by the dugout and listening to gossip in it and have a word with Karl and the boys

 

[werthersoriginal]

It’s true that we could do with some taller and stronger players, but the team we put out yesterday was full of excellent footballers. You’d expect any side containing the likes of Taylor, Whyte and Henry to be potent. Seems to me the current issue is more to do with underperforming than recruitment.

 

[bazzer9461]

I'd really like to see Kane and Brannagan in the same side, with Henry in a (false) 10 position off Taylor.

Think we need to look as to whether Gorrin should be dropped for a couple of games

 

[RyanioBirdio]

We're missing Josh Ruffels more than I thought we would.
Seddon is excellent with the ball at his feet going forwards, but from what I've seen so far, Ruffels is the better defender. He struggled against the very top wingers, but for the 40+ games a League One season where we didn't face one of those, he was as solid as they come. And he was a threat going forwards at set pieces and an effective physical presence defending them as well (if we forget the first goal against Blackpool!)

What will be interesting to see is how Seddon responds to being flogged week after week, all season long, without any respite. Ruffels was almost never injured, but when he did pick something up he recovered quickly. Quite the physical specimen, was Josh (ooh er).

 

[Oufcrealist]

Does anyone really look at possession stats any more? Some teams fart about with the ball at the back for ages (thus putting the passing count up), others are happy for that to happen as they like to play on the counter-attack or are more direct and move the ball forward more quickly. It isn't really a reliable measure of much.

Stats are for the most part baloney. I never take any notice of them. The only stat that matters is the result at the final whistle.

 

[bazzer9461]

I don't blame those who booed. Our away performances have been stupidly frustrating. Same old story every time.

Keep booing and the players won’t want to perform and the likes of Brannagan could be waiting on January to see if he can get a move to where he maybe appreciated and those who played yesterday didn’t play as well as they could but being booed at the end of the game made themselves look silly.

 

[Scotchegg]

Think we need to look as to whether Gorrin should be dropped for a couple of games

This is how I'd look to set up. Horrendously unfair on Skyes, who has been outstanding, and I wouldn't be against dropping Whyte altogether to keep him in. But I think it keeps our best players in their best positions.

 

[gofish2]

It wasn't like that, sykes came over after fans booed, but to a man they were telling him he played well. Even shaking his hand . If the others had put the same shift in we'd have won.

That's true as well. But he did that as he was being booed earlier. Said so in the interview after the match. I thought he really worked hard and was unlucky

 

[Followtheox1]

Maybe - but two of those weren't starters, and while you'd hope they would start scoring, 'hope' is all there is because they have no real track record. But it's not just that - not only are there *not* goals all over the pitch as was claimed, we aren't (in away games at least) really creating that many decent chances for those who *are* experienced strikers.

A lot of people didn't seem that bothered whether we re-signed Shodipo, certainly there wasn't a clamour to have him back like there has been with other players on loan. However, his goals from a wide position were really important to us and I would have taken him back in a heartbeat, he was much more impactful during his time with us than Holland or Barker were in their loans (talking about Holland's last loan spell) . Thought the other aspects of his game really improved over the season and still really young too.

 

[Oufcrealist]

I resisted the temptation to post last night after getting back for fear of not being constructive. Having slept on it, i feel no less annoyed and frankly dumbfounded about yesterday’s performance.

First and foremost, who are these Oxford supporters that have this self righteous attitude towards teams like Cheltenham, AFC and Wycombe? What in gods name gives us a divine right to beat any one of them? Is it because we play 4 square passes across our backline before the inevitable, hopeful ball up to Taylor’s head/shoulders/ chest (which he never wins btw!)? Newsflash: Square passes do not make you a good footballing team nor do they make you an effective one!

I said it after last week and i’ll say it again, KR has not addressed the midfield physical ability issues he spoke about after Blackpool. We are powder puff at best and downright soft at worst.

Maybe at 33 i’m old fashioned (surely not!) but i do not care for a pretty footballing team and the comments i heard in the away end yesterday and the derogatory way in which people spoke of Cheltenham was bizarre. They deserved to beat us with their style. Just like AFC deserved to beat us and just like Wycombe were worthy of a point last week. It is not up to these teams to bow to our ‘superior’ footballing philosophy, it is up to KR and Co to find a way to break these teams down and find a way to win. right now, playing a bloke who’s 5’10” up top, on his own, with a right footed winger playing from the left and no focal point to our attack i just cannot see how the tide will change against these teams.

KR is inflexible and downright stubborn in his approach, or so it would seem. Unless he has a willingness to accept a change of system is required against the more direct oppositions, a mid-table (at best) season awaits.

Fingers crossed Erik and Co are willing to plough more money into us in Jan as for the love of god, we will require a CF not in the mould of Taylor and Winnall and we will require a CM who has the ability to impose himself. Stay in touch until then, get those players in and you just never know.

Final point, travelling numbers were again outstanding - more variety of song and prolonged spells of singing required. That said, the fare on the pitch could really help with that!

Very well put EC . I have been thinking the same today.

 

[Wandering Yellow]

Keep booing and the players won’t want to perform and the likes of Brannagan could be waiting on January to see if he can get a move to where he maybe appreciated and those who played yesterday didn’t play as well as they could but being booed at the end of the game made themselves look silly.

Only if they have no character

 

[MiddleBartonYellow]

View attachment 7181


This is how I'd look to set up. Horrendously unfair on Skyes, who has been outstanding, and I wouldn't be against dropping Whyte altogether to keep him in. But I think it keeps our best players in their best positions.

To unfair on Sykes.

 

[werthersoriginal]

To unfair on Sykes.

Really you could put in Sykes on the left, he does better on his wrong side than Whyte does

 

[holdsteady]

View attachment 7181


This is how I'd look to set up. Horrendously unfair on Skyes, who has been outstanding, and I wouldn't be against dropping Whyte altogether to keep him in. But I think it keeps our best players in their best positions.

I would like to see Whyte given a run on the right before dropping him, it hasn’t worked on the left but in his previous spell here he had the ability in his natural side to drive us forward and get goals.

 

[Sarge]

I would like to see Whyte given a run on the right before dropping him, it hasn’t worked on the left but in his previous spell here he had the ability in his natural side to drive us forward and get goals.

... and Whyte banged in a hat trick the one time he played in the middle , upfront ( Shrewsbury?)