West Oxon U’s
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- 14 Dec 2017
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Critchley: “ Goal scoring has become an issue for us…”
On paper they are all winnable but I wouldn't be at all shocked if a team who have scored a single goal in their last five games don't win three on the spin. If we get caught by Blackpool then we've cocked up. Stevenage are also wobbling and I wonder if teams have sussed them a bit after a much better first half of the season.Blackpool I wouldn’t rule out.
Looking at their next 3 games I’d be shocked if they aren’t on 70 points going in to the final 2 games of the season.
We’ll get into the play offs. The run in is kind.
We’ll lose in the semis.
To Bolton. Simply not good enough to go up.
Been a rewarding season, mind.
That bloke was an absolute clown.There's a careless attitude amongst some of our fans about getting into the playoffs. Like the bloke who called Radio Oxford after the game yesterday to say that 27% of teams that go up via the playoffs go straight back down.
He got that the wrong way round and meant 73% go back down, but regardless, it's a bit of a weird stance to take, isn't it? 'You'd be a long shot, so don't even bother trying.'
It's a bit like when people say that if we got promoted, that we'd then get relegated with our current squad. Like there is some rule we have to retain our current squad and we might not actually bother and try recruiting some better players if we did go up.
You've got to wonder what some people want. Just to stay at League 1 level forever so we can feel good about beating minnows like Fleetwood 4-0?
Looking at the bottom four of the Championship, three are the teams that were recently in league 1, Plymouth, Wednesday, Rotherham. Ipswich are somehow top. Luton are in the EPL.There's a careless attitude amongst some of our fans about getting into the playoffs. Like the bloke who called Radio Oxford after the game yesterday to say that 27% of teams that go up via the playoffs go straight back down.
He got that the wrong way round and meant 73% go back down, but regardless, it's a bit of a weird stance to take, isn't it? 'You'd be a long shot, so don't even bother trying.'
It's a bit like when people say that if we got promoted, that we'd then get relegated with our current squad. Like there is some rule we have to retain our current squad and we might not actually bother and try recruiting some better players if we did go up.
You've got to wonder what some people want. Just to stay at League 1 level forever so we can feel good about beating minnows like Fleetwood 4-0?
There's a careless attitude amongst some of our fans about getting into the playoffs. Like the bloke who called Radio Oxford after the game yesterday to say that 27% of teams that go up via the playoffs go straight back down.
He got that the wrong way round and meant 73% go back down, but regardless, it's a bit of a weird stance to take, isn't it? 'You'd be a long shot, so don't even bother trying.'
It's a bit like when people say that if we got promoted, that we'd then get relegated with our current squad. Like there is some rule we have to retain our current squad and we might not actually bother and try recruiting some better players if we did go up.
You've got to wonder what some people want. Just to stay at League 1 level forever so we can feel good about beating minnows like Fleetwood 4-0?
Exeter away is a really tough game. They’re not a bad side. If you look at their results over the last 2 months or so, they’ve stood up to some good sides and them being mentally on the beach could go for us or very easily against us - I suspect they’ll be having a think about play offs next year and will see us as good prep. It’s not a bad fixture to end on but not a dolly-up. My hope is we don’t look back at Shrewsbury with any more regret than we do now but I have that horrible feeling.I expect us to beat Burton & Exeter away.
That puts us on 73 points without factoring in 3 home games in 6 days.
Exeter away is a really tough game. They’re not a bad side. If you look at their results over the last 2 months or so, they’ve stood up to some good sides and them being mentally on the beach could go for us or very easily against us - I suspect they’ll be having a think about play offs next year and will see us as good prep. It’s not a bad fixture to end on but not a dolly-up. My hope is we don’t look back at Shrewsbury with any more regret than we do now but I have that horrible feeling.
Ultimately it’s all insignificant if we don’t do our job and win on Saturday and go on to beat Lincoln so little point dwelling on anything beyond those two vitally important games.
I would rather have the joy of promotion, a season of playing different and bigger clubs plus the extra money than come 8th in league one for an eternity, Look at Rotherham, they go up and come down, but at least they mastered the going up part, how is that less successful than a club who haven't played in the second tier this century?
Staying in league one for ages worked really well for Oldham, 20 plus years in the third tier without troubling promotion, eventually left it via relegation and are now in the conference.
Ha - well as I’ve said before, should we grab 6th from here (starting a couple of games ago) it will be because we’ve shown near automatic promotion form to keep Lincoln out. From there, you’d have to think we could beat anybody in that play off mix and the Bolton result might be the most valuable experience of the season that helps us.Maybe we’ll just win all of our last 5 games and there won’t have to be any fuss
Personally, I hope we keep finishing outside the automatics and just wait for the next global pandemic to come along so we can get promoted via some dodgy points per game calculation.
'Easily' had 3 to 4 goals? Not sure what game you were watching?No chance we get play offs better teams will punish us - Even yesterday against one of the poorest sides we have played in years could have easily had 3 or 4 goals with better finishing.
Rhodes is out for the rest of the season I believe.Critchley: “ Goal scoring has become an issue for us…”
We were incredibly fortunate to not concede. As you say the one on one was a sitter, the free kick was a hell of a strike though and not something you'd expect to concede from. In the second half their number 2 had a couple of efforts, one was a tricky volley that he rushed but he was unmarked and before that he had a load of time and space 12 yards out but pulled it wide. There were also plenty of occasions they got themselves into good positions but messed up the final ball.'Easily' had 3 to 4 goals? Not sure what game you were watching?
To me they missed one very good chance ( at 0 0 the one on one) and hit the crossbar off a good free kick.
Lincoln to me are the team that are in it with us and they conceded 19 shots (7 on target) v Carlisle who are 7 points below Fleetwood.
1 on 1 first half'Easily' had 3 to 4 goals? Not sure what game you were watching?
To me they missed one very good chance ( at 0 0 the one on one) and hit the crossbar off a good free kick.
Lincoln to me are the team that are in it with us and they conceded 19 shots (7 on target) v Carlisle who are 7 points below Fleetwood.
The 1 on 1 was their really good chance.1 on 1 first half
Had few chances from us giving away the ball in the first half
Free kick
Should have scored start of second half
My point is if we give the better teams those sort of chances we will need to score 3 or more to get 3 points.
They had a chance in the second half when one of their players cut in from the left and managed to miss the target completely unchallenged from about 8 yards out.The 1 on 1 was their really good chance.
Other than that Cummings had little to do. Sure some teams will be more clinical ( Pompey seem to have been quite average much of the time bit have been good in both boxes).
Yesterday we went for it and were very open. I suspect that certainly v Peterborough, we won't play with Cam as the only midfield player!