Home Match Build Up 25/02/2023 L1: OUFC v Bristol Rovers

[Swaby39]

I think playing God in the youth team was a good idea by someone - he gets minutes, he gets goals, he gets to see how his game has improved, he gets confidence - while all the time his teammates get to benefit from having him in the side, win games, progress in the cup and see where their careers could go next.

I very much doubt this one is a KR fallout

I hope not. But hard to leave out any goal scorer going in to a game we need goals in. Particularly when he won’t use the defensive combinations that allow us to get clean sheets. I’d take him for his confidence alone. We may need it.

 

[Theox07]

Long Moore Findlay Brown
Bate Brannagan Mcguane
Goodrham Odonkor Browne

Fleming can’t play again about 20 chances come from his terrible defending

 

[Concretebob]

12:30 kick off. A team who always raise their game against us. We're in appalling form. Fans have had enough of the manager. Joey Barton. Goodnight Irene.

We will win 1-0.

 

[tonyw]

Rovers are just about the only team in the division in as bad form as us; though we said that last week as well.

We overuse the phrase 'Must Win Game', but if we want to avoid the last month of the season being a desperate scrap against relegation, this really is one.

 

[Thomas/Brock/Jones]

3-1 , Browne to be the difference

 

[Northstandboy]

I said we needed 4 points from Cambridge and Rovers, obviously thought we would beat Cambridge and draw to Rovers, but now this is a MUST WIN!

 

[dabigfella]

I said we needed 4 points from Cambridge and Rovers, obviously thought we would beat Cambridge and draw to Rovers, but now this is a MUST WIN!

Right now EVERY match is a must win one.

 

[MarkG]

Barton issues injury updates on Rossiter and Gibson as he backs Gas turnaround

Joey Barton is dealing with mixed news on the injury front, but he remains confident that Bristol Rovers will fight their way back into form in the weeks ahead

www.bristolpost.co.uk

Macdonald's difficult debut provides proof that Gas can turn their form around

Bristol Rovers left-back Calum Macdonald discusses his first few weeks in north Bristol after a frantic deadline day move from Stockport County

www.bristolpost.co.uk

 

[WuTang]

Eastwood
Moore Findlay Brown
Long Mcguane Brannagan Fleming
Bate
Joseph O'Donkor
​

For the love of all that's holy just keep a f*cking clean sheet lads. Keep it tight, stay in the game and nick a goal or two. It's all about the 3 points, I don't care how ugly it is.

This has got to be the best formation to get that clean sheet, we can always go to a back 4 if we need to later in the game.

Have I mentioned I really want us to keep a clean sheet?

Don't concede basically.

Don't let the other team put the ball into our net.

Win.

 

[Theox07]

Eastwood
Moore Findlay Brown
Long Mcguane Brannagan Fleming
Bate
Joseph O'Donkor
​

For the love of all that's holy just keep a f*cking clean sheet lads. Keep it tight, stay in the game and nick a goal or two. It's all about the 3 points, I don't care how ugly it is.

This has got to be the best formation to get that clean sheet, we can always go to a back 4 if we need to later in the game.

Have I mentioned I really want us to keep a clean sheet?

Don't concede basically.

Don't let the other team put the ball into our net.

Win.

Nah Fleming is dreadful he can’t defend or attack so weak
Eastwood
Long Moore Findlay Brown so it’s solid
Mcguane bate Brannagan
Goodrham Odonkor Browne

 

[RyanioBirdio]

Have I mentioned I really want us to keep a clean sheet?

Don't concede basically.

Don't let the other team put the ball into our net.

Win.

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

Eastwood
Moore Findlay Brown
Long Mcguane Brannagan Fleming
Bate
Joseph O'Donkor​

The 3 and the 5 of your 3-5-2 (or 5 and 3 if you prefer a 5-3-2) pick themselves at this point.

Only question mark is what combination of GO'D, Joseph and Wildschut start up top, but I'd look to use all 3 over the course of the 90 minutes.

 

[WuTang]

View attachment 12258

Hope Karl is taking notes!

 

[WuTang]

Nah Fleming is dreadful he can’t defend or attack so weak
Eastwood
Long Moore Findlay Brown so it’s solid
Mcguane bate Brannagan
Goodrham Odonkor Browne

Bit harsh on Fleming, he's not had the best of starts but I think he's more comfortable in a wing back role than left back. I'm not sure removing a defender to add a winger makes it more solid so would disagree there. We can always revert to a more attacking 4-3-3 if needed. The lineup you posted isn't bad but is broadly similar to the numerous sides that have failed to keep a clean sheet or season.

Definitely need Findlay back though.

 

[ubermeistervonmeat]

Bit harsh on Fleming, he's not had the best of starts but I think he's more comfortable in a wing back role than left back. I'm not sure removing a defender to add a winger makes it more solid so would disagree there. We can always revert to a more attacking 4-3-3 if needed. The lineup you posted isn't bad but is broadly similar to the numerous sides that have failed to keep a clean sheet or season.

Definitely need Findlay back though.

May well need him back but its highly unlikely with KR at the helm - bench warming again

 

[WuTang]

May well need him back but its highly unlikely with KR at the helm - bench warming again

Very much the team I want rather than expect.

I expect a 4-2-3-1 with some new experiments and we concede in the first 30 minutes. Findlay misses out again.

 

[Yellow River]

Eastwood
Moore Findlay Brown
Long Mcguane Brannagan Fleming
Bate
Joseph O'Donkor
​

For the love of all that's holy just keep a f*cking clean sheet lads. Keep it tight, stay in the game and nick a goal or two. It's all about the 3 points, I don't care how ugly it is.

This has got to be the best formation to get that clean sheet, we can always go to a back 4 if we need to later in the game.

Have I mentioned I really want us to keep a clean sheet?

Don't concede basically.

Don't let the other team put the ball into our net.

Win.

Regarding formation and not conceding I posted something similar in the Tyler Smith thread earlier.


It’s not how I want to play the game, but needs must.

To my mind 3/5/2 and 5/3/2 is basically the same. The former when you have the ball and attacking, the latter when the opposition have the ball and we’re defending.

Also without a specialist DCM we can’t continue with 4-3-3 and expect different results.

With the players available we simply need a pattern of play/formation that will make us more difficult to beat and build from there. Confidence is a fragile thing and needs rebuilding quickly, we’re in a relegation battle, keep it simple for the players, don’t over complicate things needlessly.

Whether the front two is Wildschut and Joseph or Baldock and Smith, and/or O’Donkor, what it is does do is to have options on the bench to bring on fresh legs within the same formation If necessary.

 

[Yellow River]

Very much the team I want rather than expect.

I expect a 4-2-3-1 with some new experiments and we concede in the first 30 minutes. Findlay misses out again.

Yep, Karl knows where things have gone wrong, and knows how to put it right.

4-3-3 it is then or variant of.

 

[BDJ]

 

[holdsteady]

Whatever you do with this squad to try and pick an 11 that makes sense and you are confident with their are always holes, its just a s**t squad put together by a pool in Spain on a mobile to his mates/agents, no real thought went into building it that's why we have no system.

Going to need guts and big performances from a few like Brannagan to get out of this mess, I doubt we are going to stumble onto a formation thats works because we don't have one, so it will be backs to the wall stuff. Five years to end up in this position though, people knock Watford for changing manager frequently but they are far more successful and have put far more cohesive teams out than we do after 5 years of the same manager.