Away Match Day Thread +++ 17/09/19 L1: Bolton Wanderers v OUFC +++

RyanioBirdio said:

Never got in behind or looked like scoring. We just don't get behind defences and stretch them. Too much softly softly, tippy tappy nonsense in midfield with little flicks and backheels, and not enough moving the ball quickly and going past a man with purpose. Woodburn epitomises this - no good. Too many dangly ankles and little flicks that either go astray or play people into trouble. Taylor's entire game is based on runs off the shoulder but not once tonight did we look to get on the turn and play the ball through, even though he was up against a donkey in Hobbs and an ageing runner in Wright who has played about four games in the last two years. It isn't good enough by a long shot to go up there and not have a proper go at them. The manner of that was deeply disappointing.

But at least we didn't lose.

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Foley said:

So what? Do you seriously think we will be close to relegation?
If so I reckon you should go to the bookies as you will get pretty good odds.

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yellowbow said:

Tonight’s performance does highlight how unbalanced the squad is. What can Robinson do to shake things up for Saturday? Taylor looks way off the pace at the moment, hopefully he can play himself into form - a goal will hopefully do wonders, because Mackie is by all accounts struggling with his back and Agyei looks nowhere near ready. Hall also looks a million miles from being able to influence a game. Sykes hasn’t had a look in, Thorne? Who knows the state of his fitness.. Baptiste - struggling with his knee.

At the back Dickie is one yellow away from a one game ban and Moore is also struggling with his back. So Nico or Sam Long are the only options to partner Mous.

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Foley said:

Dickie is actually 2 games away from a suspension.

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brassmonkey said:

If bolton can gel as a team after 3 days why does it take us 5 months?

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Scotchegg said:

It was a very strange game. Bolton played like a non-league team in the cup, battling for everything with chances offered at both ends. We played nice football at times but seriously lacked composure in the final third and couldn't break down a dogged defence.

Bolton played much better than they had in recent weeks, but that can't be an excuse. We should have won, and weren't good enough. Taylor looked out of sorts. Cadden offered nothing in the first half, and although much brighter in the second, the end product is still poor. Corners rarely get anywhere near an Oxford head and we're too hesitant when they do. Brannagan and Gorrin were hassled and hurried and we created little through the middle. Henry was as quiet as I've seen in a long time, and Woodburn looked lost at times. Fosu at least looked like he wanted it, Mous did little wrong, and Dickie was ok but a little casual in distribution. Overall, not good enough I'm afraid.

I guess the only irony could be that us and Coventry could end up promoted and the only teams to give Bolton a point. Although even I think that boat has well and truly sailed.

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yellowbow said:

Surprisingly downbeat for you Scotchegg, but I agree with all of it.

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Foley said:

A relegation fight? 6 points off bottom 3. Please.

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BS32 said:

You must be easily pleased, ffs what does it take for some of you to smell the coffee, we are a very very poor side with a delusional manager and an absent chairman, that to me equals a relegation fight.

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RyanioBirdio said:

Having had an hour and a bit to shake off the initial frustration and annoyance of watching that dross, I have to say as I already did a few weeks ago, I'm not as worried as I was last season. Either we're going to see what a good manager Karl Robinson is, and he'll deliver a solid season with a top ten finish, possibly even having a crack at the playoffs in the process, or he'll underperform again. This is his team, he's been given basically everything he asked for by the board, and he had all of last season to learn, reflect and implement change with a sturdier set of surroundings compared to last term. We have 20-something senior professionals plus a host of Under 23 players, including a few who almost anybody would class as 'really good' on paper, and we seem to have something resembling a decent budget for the division. So with that said, now it just needs to be managed correctly. There are no excuses - this is Robinson's team and its performance will reflect on him and his ability. It's up to him to show he's a good manager. He's got a win percentage between Oxford and Charlton of 36% across more than 150 League One fixtures since he left MK. Can he up it?

I don't think for a second we will go down, but I don't know that we'll achieve anything either. No idea what has happened since Blackpool where we were sensational, but we largely look like a lower mid table side. Flashes of something or other but no real bite or drive like you see in the best sides. The sort of team you see that leaves you going, "Eh... not great, but we've seen worse. Probably somewhere between 14th and 18th or something like that, maybe have a crack at sneaking 12th if they get a run together, there's a lot of mediocre at best sides in this league." Then again, football is a funny old game. String three wins together and you can suddenly find yourself seven, eight, nine places higher in the space of a fortnight.

Basically... rubbish performance, should've at least had a proper go at them and turned the screw a bit, but four points in four days with two clean sheets at least stops the rot.

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