Home Match Day Thread +++ 11/1/2020 OUFC V Rotherham United L1 +++

Scotchegg said:
I know I hold the default positive position on here, but some of the flapping is frankly embarrassing. We didn't play well. The team selection was wrong. Eastwood looked rusty. Brannagan wasn't fit. We set up to hassle them and it didn't work. Rotherham were the best side I've seen here for a long time and it's no surprise that they've gone top. But, we more than gave them a game in the second half and could/should have got something from that game.

It's gone, we move on, and if we match the last 45 minutes on Tuesday then we should beat Ipswich and get back on track. We've got some big games coming up and we need to stick together and give everything on and off the pitch to get the success we all deserve. The towels being thrown in by some is the sort of thing we've been laughing at on the Sunderland forum and is a bit below us!
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Who’s thrown in the towel? Most comments have challenged and in-correct starting line up and Rotherham being a very good effective side.

Today showed up some weaknesses in our squad.

Agree, 2nd half we were the better team, but I think that was partly down to us raising our game and them content/not busting a gut when they had no need to. Having said that, the more the 2nd half went on the more we made them look ordinary/make rash mistakes/wayward passes etc.
 
Tough watch that. Right from the off they looked a good foot taller than us.
They were tough and physical first half and they were pushed right up on us at every goal kick, not allowing us to move the ball around from the back. In midfield they were strong and liked to get the ball out wide and as we were getting outmuscled in there, this happened far too often.
Ruffels and Gorrin struggled to stay with some of the wingers - They were just too damned quick. Their subsequent delivery was, at times everything that we have long desired and with so many towering lummocks to aim for, they made life tough.
3-0 at half-time really didn’t flatter them, they were well on top and we seemed to have no answer to their strong-arm grip on the game. No favours either from a referee who, once again infuriated with his incompetence. Quite how he failed to recognise blatant fouls against our players I have no idea.

We came out for the second half with a couple of changes and played with a little more urgency. Browne and Holland gave Rotherham more of a run around and look to be wise signings. On another day, we may had got ourselves right back in it, as we had some decent chances quite late on.
But on the whole, we looked a little off the pace again and by the time we got ourselves sorted, it was too late to claw our way back.
No need to panic too much, we were not quite ‘on our game’ today. Another tough one on Tuesday. Let’s hope that we have learned a lesson here.
 
Hopefully we get another centre forward in and the new boy and Taylor compete to be the starting centre forward, Mackie looks like his best role is as a sub to help see games out now, like playing with ten men when he starts.

Poor choice of starting 11 from Robinson, proven by the second half, he has made mistakes before and learnt from them so hopefully he will before Tuesday and we will get a win.
 
Scotchegg said:
I know I hold the default positive position on here, but some of the flapping is frankly embarrassing. We didn't play well. The team selection was wrong. Eastwood looked rusty. Brannagan wasn't fit. We set up to hassle them and it didn't work. Rotherham were the best side I've seen here for a long time and it's no surprise that they've gone top. But, we more than gave them a game in the second half and could/should have got something from that game.

It's gone, we move on, and if we match the last 45 minutes on Tuesday then we should beat Ipswich and get back on track. We've got some big games coming up and we need to stick together and give everything on and off the pitch to get the success we all deserve. The towels being thrown in by some is the sort of thing we've been laughing at on the Sunderland forum and is a bit below us!
Click to expand...
Been scouring this thread for evidence of anyone "throwing in the towel"? You shouldn't be on a football forum if you are put out by people expressing diappointment and pointing out stuff they feel might have been done better.
Most people who have made mildly critical points have also been looking forward to a better day at the office on Tuesday night.
Over the last couple of months we have become rapidly accustomed to the idea of being promotion candidates, and the January window has been good so far. So games against the likes of Rotherham and Ipswich (at home as well) become litmus paper games for promotion issues and, dare I say it, games against teams in the lower half of the Championship.
 
Scotchegg said:
I know I hold the default positive position on here, but some of the flapping is frankly embarrassing. We didn't play well. The team selection was wrong. Eastwood looked rusty. Brannagan wasn't fit. We set up to hassle them and it didn't work. Rotherham were the best side I've seen here for a long time and it's no surprise that they've gone top. But, we more than gave them a game in the second half and could/should have got something from that game.

It's gone, we move on, and if we match the last 45 minutes on Tuesday then we should beat Ipswich and get back on track. We've got some big games coming up and we need to stick together and give everything on and off the pitch to get the success we all deserve. The towels being thrown in by some is the sort of thing we've been laughing at on the Sunderland forum and is a bit below us!
Click to expand...
Let’s not throw in the towel, indeed, but PLEASE let’s make those necessary changes. And I’m afraid Mackie is one of them.
 
uptheus said:
Who’s thrown in the towel? Most comments have challenged and in-correct starting line up and Rotherham being a very good effective side.

Today showed up some weaknesses in our squad.

Agree, 2nd half we were the better team, but I think that was partly down to us raising our game and them content/not busting a gut when they had no need to. Having said that, the more the 2nd half went on the more we made them look ordinary/make rash mistakes/wayward passes etc.
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I'm not so sure it showed weaknesses in our squad, just that we got it wrong today against a side who worked us out.

Eastwood was back maybe a week earlier than he would have liked, and in addition to Mous being out, it made our whole defence look nervous. But Moore has played well when in the team and I'm not sure Stevens would have been any better in goal.

Midfield was where we were caught out, but few would have changed Gorrin, Bran and Bap in the middle. Brannagan wasn't fit enough, but it was maybe worth a gamble. Gorrin got an early booking and that affected his normal game, and Baptiste was trying to do too much.

Then you look at the front three, and we know that Taylor, Browne and Holland were better but you can at least understand the reasoning for starting Mackie, Fosu and Sykes even if it didn't work.

We will play much better than that, and will win more than we lose. We beat Ipswich and Gillingham and we're right back in the mix for the autos.
 
We got beat by the better side today but the second half shows we still have the ability to get out of this division.

I'm excited for what the rest of the season holds.
 
holdsteady said:
Hopefully we get another centre forward in and the new boy and Taylor compete to be the starting centre forward, Mackie looks like his best role is as a sub to help see games out now, like playing with ten men when he starts.

Poor choice of starting 11 from Robinson, proven by the second half, he has made mistakes before and learnt from them so hopefully he will before Tuesday and we will get a win.
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I agree, we need another striker (Mackie’s at least a 10-15mins player at best). We also need two fullbacks, RB starter and LB cover if my starter. Also look weak in centre of midfield without Brannagan. Baptiste we know is like china, so we seem weak in that area against these physical sides.

Burton for example!
 
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Going from back to front I thought Eastwood looked edgy and not his normal assured self. Long didn’t do too much wrong but it’s perhaps what he doesn’t do that raises the most questions. Ruffles poor, looked nervous and that’s two or three three games now where he’s been below par. Dickie uncharacteristically sloppy. Thought Moore did ok but doesn’t have the authority of Mousinho.

The three midfielder were all sub standard. Brannagan, in particular, and Baptiste played like men worried about getting injured. Are they aware of interest perhaps ? Gorrin was effectively useless from the 6th minute when he got booked.

Fosu looked a bit headless first half but vastly improved when we got on the front foot after half time. Sykes one of our better performers, has the ability to ghost past defenders but just needs better end product. Mackie over Taylor was bizarre. I can half understand Mackie starting if Henry is in the side but take Henry and Taylor out of this team and that’s a lot of goals lost.

All three subs contributed to a vastly improved performance. Browne showed some great first touches and carried a genuine threat. I thought Holland was the stand out performer though - skilful, tenacious and a real threat. Taylor should have scored but the keeper was quickly out to narrow the angle and I don’t think it was the glaring miss some are making out. The opportunity Baptiste spurned looked a worse miss than Taylor’s.
 
Big Ronaldo said:
Ruffels and Gorrin struggled to stay with some of the wingers - They were just too damned quick. Their subsequent delivery was, at times everything that we have long desired and with so many towering lummocks to aim for, they made life tough.
Click to expand...

It's happened all season that our fullbacks are too narrow and give opposition wide players far too much space to receive a ball. Then, they are also slow to close down and still stand 5 yards off (compare that to Rotherham players today). The Rotherham player didn't even have to beat Ruffels to get his cross in for the first goal because of this.

I think both current full backs are our weakest positions.
 
Scotchegg said:
I'm not so sure it showed weaknesses in our squad, just that we got it wrong today against a side who worked us out.

Eastwood was back maybe a week earlier than he would have liked, and in addition to Mous being out, it made our whole defence look nervous. But Moore has played well when in the team and I'm not sure Stevens would have been any better in goal.

Midfield was where we were caught out, but few would have changed Gorrin, Bran and Bap in the middle. Brannagan wasn't fit enough, but it was maybe worth a gamble. Gorrin got an early booking and that affected his normal game, and Baptiste was trying to do too much.

Then you look at the front three, and we know that Taylor, Browne and Holland were better but you can at least understand the reasoning for starting Mackie, Fosu and Sykes even if it didn't work.

We will play much better than that, and will win more than we lose. We beat Ipswich and Gillingham and we're right back in the mix for the autos.
Click to expand...

As you know I’ve been saying we’re weak in the fullback areas and it showed today, so add to that with Brannagan kidding the management about his fitness and Baptiste being fragile we looked weaker, especially up against strong, physical and organised teams that press high and don’t allow us to play nice football.
 
Well I spose the only good thing about having a blip in January is no other team is going to come in and bid for are players. I reckon this league is going to go down to the wire. Peterborough were 2nd before Xmas they are now 9th, Bristol rovers were 3rd and now sit in 12th. There is only 11 points seperating 1st and 15th. If we end up in the play offs and lose out it still will be the best season we have had in 20 years. Keep the faith if it's not to be this year there is always next.
 
Typical Oxford to bust the bubble of a week full of promise with that turd of a first half.

We have a problem with physically strong sides, Burton were the same earlier in the year...Rotherham looked like men playing against an U23 side.

I'm disappointed in KR. Last week it was all 'play the Oxford way' yet clearly chose to pick a side to cope with Rotherham, and that side woefully failed.

I'm disappointed too that he didn't boss Brannagan and make his decision for him, clearly unfit and not anywhere near his usual self.

Much better second half but that could be due to Rotherham know the game was won by that point, and expected us to come at them, even so, much better.

The silver lining is two fold...we have a quick turnaround to Tuesday and a chance to put it right and secondly, again, a few that are in the shop window (Bran, Dickie, Baptiste) gave any scouts watching pause for thought.

Ultimately, we have a problem against this type of football and until such a time we figure out how to combat it, we'll come unstuck.
 
Boy, today showed how much of that £1million for Cadden would have been worth it. The worrying point about today is that KR thinks we are a better team than Rotherham and didn't think his selection went wrong.

Mous would have been the general he normally is, alongside Dickie, against their forwards. Also, we brought Taylor here to score goals, well he cant do that unless he is played and given a longer run in the team, to gel with the new players. Both Holland and Browne today showed what they can add to this side, and should be played along with Kelly and Mous on Tuesday.
Hopefully Eastwood's glitches were rustiness. But why did he come for a ball that was then simply looped over him, when two defenders were covering.

Tuesday will show if the last two defeats out of two are simply trip ups on the way to promotion, or evidence that we should be setting our sights lower with the play offs. With the money already spent this window and the likelihood of a right and left back coming in, it would simply be a wasted opportunity if we know don't push on and have a real go for it.
 
Boy, today showed how much of that £1million for Cadden would have been worth it. The worrying point about today is that KR thinks we are a better team than Rotherham and didn't think his selection went wrong.

Mous would have been the general he normally is, alongside Dickie, against their forwards. Also, we brought Taylor here to score goals, well he cant do that unless he is played and given a longer run in the team, to gel with the new players. Both Holland and Browne today showed what they can add to this side, and should be played along with Kelly and Mous on Tuesday.
Hopefully Eastwood's glitches were rustiness. But why did he come for a ball that was then simply looped over him, when two defenders were covering.

Tuesday will show if the last two defeats out of two are simply trip ups on the way to promotion, or evidence that we should be setting our sights lower with the play offs. With the money already spent this window and the likelihood of a right and left back coming in, it would simply be a wasted opportunity if we know don't push on and have a real go for it.
 
Shropshire U said:
Been scouring this thread for evidence of anyone "throwing in the towel"? You shouldn't be on a football forum if you are put out by people expressing diappointment and pointing out stuff they feel might have been done better.
Most people who have made mildly critical points have also been looking forward to a better day at the office on Tuesday night.
Over the last couple of months we have become rapidly accustomed to the idea of being promotion candidates, and the January window has been good so far. So games against the likes of Rotherham and Ipswich (at home as well) become litmus paper games for promotion issues and, dare I say it, games against teams in the lower half of the Championship.
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Don’t mind Pete. They’re just cranky because it’s tiring being the best fan.

Disappointed to hear someone changed their coat today. You can’t go doing that.
 
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