+++ 13/07/20 L1 Play Off FINAL - OUFC v Wycombe+++

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Northstandboy

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Here we go then, the big one!

One game away from being promoted to The Championship, one division behind the top League in English football and arguably the WORLD!

Match Thread: Opens just before Kick Off https://yellowsforum.co.uk/threads/13-07-20-l1-play-off-final-oufc-v-wycombe.4035/
Post Match Thread: Opens just after the final whistle https://yellowsforum.co.uk/threads/13-07-20-l1-play-off-final-oufc-v-wycombe.4036/
Ref Watch: After final whistle https://yellowsforum.co.uk/threads/...anderers-l1-play-off-final-robert-jones.4053/
 
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Positive tests for certain players would be a disaster, but whatever happens we’ve got a good squad of very together players who will give their all for 90+ minutes at Wembley. It’s been a successful season overall, now for one final game...
 
I havent really taken alot of notice of Wycombe’s squad, didn’t they lose some players before the play-offs began because they couldn't/wouldn’t extend their loans? Having said that, there were one or two players from the games against Fleetwood who impressed me. CB Anthony Stewart MF Nmandi Ofoborh and Forward Fred Onyedinma. I was gobsmacked to see that, including the two he scored on monday, hes only scored about 7 or 8 all season. Not sure how many games he’s played? They’ve got some dangerous players so we’ll need to be totally ‘at it’ from minute one. No slow starts as they will be in our faces as soon as the first whistle goes. Hopefully though, it’ll be about our players and what they can bring to the match. One last huge effort to get us over the line. COYYs!!
 
It won’t be an easy game after what Wycombe did at Highbury so I am a tad cautious but I have faith in our players and Wembley is Wembley, As Jimmy Greaves used to say “ football is a funny old game “
 
Again it will come down to who makes the least mistakes. If we score 1st, i can see us winning quite comfortably. If they score 1st i can see us scoring and they will just shut up shop and park the bus. Hoping its us that comes out smiling on Monday evening. COYY
 
Having watched all the playoff games, I hate to say it, but Wycombe have looked the strongest and fittest of the teams involved.

Goal keeping errors aside, Wycombe have scored some cracking goals. Onyedinma and Wheeler have been impressive.

I'm hoping our passing game will be much more evident on Monday. If, we have a fully fit squad, we should have enough to beat them.


3-1. Henry , Browne & Brannagan - Jacobson.
 
Having watched all the playoff games, I hate to say it, but Wycombe have looked the strongest and fittest of the teams involved.

Goal keeping errors aside, Wycombe have scored some cracking goals. Onyedinma and Wheeler have been impressive.

I'm hoping our passing game will be much more evident on Monday. If, we have a fully fit squad, we should have enough to beat them.


3-1. Henry , Browne & Brannagan - Jacobson.
I think it‘s a bit difficult to judge us on the games against Portsmouth. They were such tight, cagey games, nobody from either side really shone apart from Browne with is goal. Everyone seemed to cancel each other out. Key players like Henry were quiet, hopefully he’ll get his game going on Monday.
 
Not withstanding niggles and injuries, If you can’t play your A game at Wembley in a play-off final then there is something wrong!
 
Quietly confident the U's will triumph ... maybe aet
 
I would consider playing Mousinho as the CDM as so much of the game revolves around an initial long ball need to also press high to stop their defenders getting their heads up. Apart from that the big pitch should allow for us to dominate possession and take their legs away. Going for us to win it in the last 20 with a Dan Aygei break
 
They're a very good, effective and efficient side that will cause us plenty of problems. Ainsworth has done a magnificent job and we all know they won't lack motivation.

Having said all that, if we play in the fashion that got us to third when the league stopped, we have plenty going for ourselves, too.

This stat from Opta was tweeted out the other day shows how stark the difference in styles is between the teams:

013A0997-F874-472F-835D-9AF0B085C9B9.jpeg

If we can repeat that style at Wembley and the back four can marshall their attacking threat, I think we have an exceptional chance to win.

But that's a big ask. We didn't see much of it in the semi-final games and we seemed rushed when in possession. Rustiness? Effectiveness of the opposition to nullify? Adapted tactics in the face of the opposition? Who knows, but to me it's imperative that we make every attempt to play our own style and impose it upon Wycombe. Any thought that we could get drawn in to a battle on their terms leaves me very nervous.

I think they have much more about them than Northampton, but watching how Northampton suffocated and bulldozed Exeter (a far superior passing side) in the League 2 final should serve as a reminder to us all that an expansive style is not guaranteed to win the day.

All that said, man-for-man I think we have the better players and I have total faith that their talent, experience and formidable spirit can overcome the opposition in front of us.

COYY!
 
Again I have no idea. ?

Nice expansive pitch, huge venue,no crowd, all a bit "odd".

Perfect world we use the ball well, play that exciting, slick football we get glimpses of and win it in 90 minutes.

Having a sports psychologist on board seems like a premeditated act of genius!
 
They are a dangerous side and seem the strongest of all the four playoff teams - they’re strong, pacy and direct. They could easily bulldoze us and brush us aside - having said that, we could get our passing game going and knock it around them.

We need to have confidence in our passing game and not just hit long balls forward or take long shots like we did at times against Portsmouth - when we instead had the confidence to trust our process and play our way it was much better. To me, that means Dickie bringing the ball forwards out of defence and committing midfielders, Brannigan dropping deep and pinging the ball about and Henry not just shooting long every time but playing short probing passes around the oppositions box. Get that going and not many teams can live with us...
 
Against Fleetwood, Wycombe capitalised on mistakes made. Stray passes were quickly hoofed forward indeed, looking at how Pompey scored in the first leg, that goal came as a quickly hoofed forward ball with our defence still in attack mode and out of position. If we can play our passing game and make those passes stick, we will win. Equally, if we lose possession, players have got to cover from any position. Wycombe are not particularly inventive in their style but have the players to put a ball away, given the chance.
I would expect that Karl and the backroom boys have got plans. :sneaky:
 
They are a dangerous side and seem the strongest of all the four playoff teams - they’re strong, pacy and direct. They could easily bulldoze us and brush us aside - having said that, we could get our passing game going and knock it around them.

We need to have confidence in our passing game and not just hit long balls forward or take long shots like we did at times against Portsmouth - when we instead had the confidence to trust our process and play our way it was much better. To me, that means Dickie bringing the ball forwards out of defence and committing midfielders, Brannigan dropping deep and pinging the ball about and Henry not just shooting long every time but playing short probing passes around the oppositions box. Get that going and not many teams can live with us...
And, can we please get Easty to play some balls out from the back, those hoof balls forward were coming back just as quickly. - Just not our game.
 
I would consider playing Mousinho as the CDM as so much of the game revolves around an initial long ball need to also press high to stop their defenders getting their heads up. Apart from that the big pitch should allow for us to dominate possession and take their legs away. Going for us to win it in the last 20 with a Dan Aygei break
Perhaps Mous could get Akinfenwa sent off again
 
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