13/08/22 - L1: Bristol Rovers v OUFC

[Leysboy]

I see Ipswich and Wednesday are already at the top, a few more performances like that from us and we won’t catch them.

We need to win our next two games, if we don’t forget top 2 (pipe dream).

 

[ChamonixOx]

So trying to find solutions to problems is wrong now?

I’m no more supportive of today’s performance as anybody else but as per, there’s been a huge overreaction.

It’s clear for all to see that we’ve approached this season tactically different in an attempt to concede less - probably because we could afford to not score so many goals and KR is looking for more balance… hardly a bad thing is it? It’s also obvious that there’s a bit of a disconnect while we try and strike a balance of being solid, which we were again today, and creating chances like we always have.

FWIW I hope we do revisit the 433 of old. But if this is the way Karl wants to play then so be it. Give it a proper go.

Balance is the issue, but I don’t feel Karl is clear on the system we should play, and hence is struggling to get the balance right in the squad, and his confusion is filtering down subsequently. The players look confused, were arguing amongst themselves, and that’s really alarming.

Three league games and no real clarity? Take Cambridge as an example, not as technically gifted, but they were clear on the system and what each other needed to do which is where we should be by now.

We are light on squad numbers, but if UTO is to be believed, turning full back’s away does not help. He needs to get his head straight, settle on a system, and finish putting the squad together accordingly before the too good to go down conversations start!

Overreaction, not after today’s performance as BR looked like a team set for a relegation battle, and they still managed to beat us! We have on paper, some easy games ahead of us, and he needs to use these to pick up points, generate clarity, and finish off the squad (and not allow any victories to paper over the cracks).

 

[Leysboy]

I’ve cheered up. Little bit watching Man Utd get stuffed, and so did Reading at Rotherham.

What’s alarming to me is that KR thought I’d wasn’t a bad performance. Deary me!

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

The problems this season so far as I see them (in no particular order)

1. Eastwood isn’t the right keeper for how we play. Too slow/poor with his distribution.

2. Both fullbacks are out of form and Seddon just isn’t good enough but KR is too stubborn to change it. We have no-one else who can even play right back really.

3. Findlay and Moore are solid enough but for ages we had a centre back who could dribble the ball out which added a massive attacking element to our game - we really miss that. It opened up teams at time and gave them something else to think about. Instead we just pump long balls into the channels now.

4. This new formation doesn’t get the best out of Brannagan, and he’s a bit off form and as our best player that hurts us.

5. We massively lack pace on the wings. Add that to fullbacks who don’t overlap and wingers who can’t cross at the moment and it means we have very little threat. Electric wingers with pace scare opposition fullbacks. Bodin doesn’t.

6. Browne isn’t playing well centrally.

7. Taylor is super isolated and ineffectual as a lone front man.

8. We found a formation which works really well for us last season (352) but we have no wing backs and no second striker to pair with Taylor (until Joseph came along).

 

[TailsWeWin]

I expect them to be disappointed, as I am. I haven’t defended the performance. But my world hasn’t come crashing down on my head because the great thing about football is it can all change so quickly.

For the majority of last season there were non stop complaints about conceding too many goals, playing ‘tippy tappy’ football, dominating and losing etc. Well - the majority of that has gone this season. So are those fans happier now? Or are they starting to realise that actually it’s not as simple and just ‘stop conceding goals’ - there’s a compromise on shape and style. KR is clearly trying to address that and you’ve (and others) made your mind up after 4 games in which we’ve won 2 and lost 2? Today is the first one where I can say I really didn’t like what I saw but this is football - we won’t be brilliant every week. Deal with it!

I like attractive, positive football. The current style isn’t for me. But for all I know, Karl is saying one thing and another is happening on the pitch. It’s a fairly big change and the final third is normally the last thing to click. Got to give it more of a chance.

“The first one where i can say I didn’t like what i saw” ?! Blimey. Perhaps you weren’t at Derby, or the Kassam a week ago?

 

[Notaswindonfan]

Just back, needed a couple of beers to get over what for me was a game where the opposition wanted it more, quicker to the ball a team playing as a unit, until they scored think we edged it without playing at a quick pace, need to go on a run of good results now or can see this season ending with us being outside the top six.

 

[Yellowmania]

The best period of the game was when Henry was wide, allowing Browne to underlap generating cutbacks. That evaporated and so did our threat. I always worry when our tactics appear to be - get it wide and spam the box with crosses. Is a classic default to look like you're doing something useful, when you are for the most part, wasting possession.

Aside from the above, I'm unsure of our tactics this year? Only standouts across 3 league matches are the diagonal balls from our CB's to wide wingers. Playing two holders nullifies Brannagan's strengths. Eastwood, Long and Seddon don't have the quality on the ball to play the ball out from the back. We don't have the patterns of play we had last year, no doubt down to the late start to assembling the squad.

Still plenty of works needed on the squad in the remaining weeks.

I’d add Findlay to the list of not being able to play out from the back. His distribution is generally poor and gives possession away or puts a teammate in trouble. Good defender yes but the modern centre back needs to be able to successfully move the ball on.

 

[ttg17]

We paid a lot of money to land Browne, and Karl has managed him here before. He was a marquee signing, and now it turns out the manager doesn't know where to play him or where his best position is? It beggars belief.

New managers should be given time to find their feet and work things out, but Karl has been here for four-and-a-half years and Browne is not a new player to him. So to say 'give it time' when we're meant to be chasing promotion and churning out poor all-round performances just isn't a good enough excuse.

I’m pro-KR. i think he’s a good man and a man who I am actively proud to be the face of my club.

But I have to confess i did start to wonder last year (and the opening games of 22-23 have not helped my perception) what another manager, with the funds at their disposal this summer, could be achieving.

 

[TailsWeWin]

I’m pro-KR. i think he’s a good man and a man who I am actively proud to be the face of my club.

But I have to confess i did start to wonder last year (and the opening games of 22-23 have not helped my perception) what another manager, with the funds at their disposal this summer, could be achieving.

He is a good man. But he’s not a great manager.

 

[ChamonixOx]

I’d add Findlay to the list of not being able to play out from the back. His distribution is generally poor and gives possession away or puts a teammate in trouble. Good defender yes but the modern centre back needs to be able to successfully move the ball on.

Defensively a good old fashioned centre half, but as you suggest, not a ball playing one on initial impressions. I’m hoping it is just a case of getting up to speed with League 1, but jury out on that.

 

[Gregortheox]

After reading some of the posts on this thread I feel I'm not really adding anything by ranting, but I need to for my own mental health.

We all know what a Joey Barton team will do... and these were the kind of teams we failed to get enough points against last season....and its f*****g happened again. We haven't f*****g learnt anything have we? .... Its f*****g painful and incredibly naive.

And where is the passion, urgency and the basic performance levels that pass these men of ours as pro footballers? I saw some yellow cards for being little bitches, but not for valid reasons like going in strong or aggressively, breaking a line or for facing up properly to the opposition who were trying to get our man sent off.

Tonight I'm questioning everything. Our fans are quiet, our manager is regularly talking absolute gibberish and I am starting to doubt whether KR is the man for this inflated budget if ours.

 

[Coffin dodger]

No, that's what you hope not think?

It's what I know..

 

[Leysboy]

He is a good man. But he’s not a great manager.

He’s a great manager for keeping you in this league, but to serious kick on and get promoted no. He doesn’t have the coaching and managerial needs to achieve that.

He gets out thought by opposing managers time after time, and some of them are new to management.

 

[tatabanya]

Same problems, different reasons. It happens. No idea what's going wrong at MK - nor do I really care - but you have to say, yet again, we look unprepared for the start of the season and that is surely down in no small part to the recruitment (or slow nature of it).

Ten of our starting xi today were at the club last season. Should have had easily enough to perform far better than we did, and it’s nowt to do with the recruitment being slow.

 

[tatabanya]

Same problems, different reasons. It happens. No idea what's going wrong at MK - nor do I really care - but you have to say, yet again, we look unprepared for the start of the season and that is surely down in no small part to the recruitment (or slow nature of it).

Ten of our starting xi today were at the club last season. Should have had easily enough to perform far better than we did, and it’s nowt to do with the recruitment being slow.

 

[tatabanya]

Same problems, different reasons. It happens. No idea what's going wrong at MK - nor do I really care - but you have to say, yet again, we look unprepared for the start of the season and that is surely down in no small part to the recruitment (or slow nature of it).

Ten of our starting xi today were at the club last season. Should have had easily enough to perform far better than we did, and it’s nowt to do with the recruitment being slow.

 

[Leysboy]

Terrible Echo in here.

 

[ttg17]

Difficult to disagree with any of this. I think the 352 point is particularly pertinent. I just think it’s a formation that suits this league so well. We’ve seen it work for so many teams that go up from this division in the recent past. At this level, with the best will in the world, you’re not going to have players who have the time and ability on the ball to make a 433 work when they’re not given time to play it. A Man City make it work, but we don’t have Rodri, Gundogan and KDB available to avoid the press. We crumbled today when BR started pressing high, as we have done so many times over the last few years. 352 packs the middle of the pitch, makes you defensively solid, and gives you two players up front to cause danger.

What’s annoying is this isn’t even hypothetical. It worked SO well for us last year. It got the most out of our defenders, it got the most out of our best striker, and it made us defensively solid. Sure, that success was probably built on having an elite front two, and the likes of Sykes and Williams who could run the flanks all day, but it must be worth revisiting.

 

[Victor1986]

He never played at a reasonable level - that's why.
Love him to bits but he ain't gonna move us on.

 

[brassmonkey]

Ten of our starting xi today were at the club last season. Should have had easily enough to perform far better than we did, and it’s nowt to do with the recruitment being slow.

Think we miss the skills and athleticsm of sykes and the vision/play making of kane more than we thought.