Away Match Day Thread +++ 15/09/2018 Wycombe W v OUFC match day thread +++

I cannot see why we wouldn't play Smith instead of Obika upfront - give him some game time...even during the ten minutes, he demonstrated that he has a better first touch and if he had some of the chances...who knows. But even though Mackie is very good at holding the ball up and unlike Obika he does win headers, his finishing is on a level with Obika. Otherwise in the players who started on Saturday, I don't see a weakness - Garbutt is clearly improving and I think has more to give; Josh Ruffels did well coming in for Brannagan. But we shouldn't be deceived. Wycombe, for reasons best known to themselves, did not press at all even though a cursory look at Oxford matches this season shows that when we are pressed high, we have huge difficulty getting space in the midfield (compare Coventry with Wycombe and we looked an entirely different side even though the lineup was almost identical). So at Wycombe the defence were able to get the ball up to the halfway line and beyond before facing any serious challenge. At this stage, we have the extraordinary swarm of Norman, Whyte, Henry, Garbutt, Baptiste and Holmes leaving the Wycombe defence bemused and on their bums. And although we so badly miss that striker, Holmes, Baptiste and Whyte each had some superb strikes which the keeper did well to get anywhere close to. Walsall will be a tougher game but KR must learn to adapt tactics.
 
I cannot see why we wouldn't play Smith instead of Obika upfront - give him some game time...even during the ten minutes, he demonstrated that he has a better first touch and if he had some of the chances...who knows. But even though Mackie is very good at holding the ball up and unlike Obika he does win headers, his finishing is on a level with Obika. Otherwise in the players who started on Saturday, I don't see a weakness - Garbutt is clearly improving and I think has more to give; Josh Ruffels did well coming in for Brannagan. But we shouldn't be deceived. Wycombe, for reasons best known to themselves, did not press at all even though a cursory look at Oxford matches this season shows that when we are pressed high, we have huge difficulty getting space in the midfield (compare Coventry with Wycombe and we looked an entirely different side even though the lineup was almost identical). So at Wycombe the defence were able to get the ball up to the halfway line and beyond before facing any serious challenge. At this stage, we have the extraordinary swarm of Norman, Whyte, Henry, Garbutt, Baptiste and Holmes leaving the Wycombe defence bemused and on their bums. And although we so badly miss that striker, Holmes, Baptiste and Whyte each had some superb strikes which the keeper did well to get anywhere close to. Walsall will be a tougher game but KR must learn to adapt tactics.

Was an interesting ploy letting us have the ball in defense, but at least Nelson/Mousinho realised and carried the ball in to midfield.

Re: walsall, they may be 6th but its a bit of a false position. They are giving up lots of high quality shots whilst running hot on their conversion (like Peterborough). This wont be sustained and before long they will fall off...lets hope come Saturday its us converting the average of 15 attempts Walsall are conceding (per game!)!
 
Main worry from Saturday was, even when we have played well, we haven't really looked like scoring. Apart from Holmes' scorcher that he tipped onto the top of the bar (and which came from a defensive error), every save by the Wycombe keeper was fairly routine. No one who has played up front on his own has had defenders worried so far and we can't do much in improving that strategy until January.

If we had the division one equivalent of Hamilton/Aldridge, a bit like Crawley had in Tubbs and Barnett in their glory days, we could be very good. A striker like The Beast certainly gave us the willies when he came on. But, unless we have good scouts, quality strikers cost money and will Tiger and his friends cough up? If it was up to me, I would give Browne and Obika a go up front together with Holmes and Whyte on either side and two from Baptiste, Hanson and Branagan in the middle. Don't think there are too many other options.
 
Sad
Main worry from Saturday was, even when we have played well, we haven't really looked like scoring. Apart from Holmes' scorcher that he tipped onto the top of the bar (and which came from a defensive error), every save by the Wycombe keeper was fairly routine. No one who has played up front on his own has had defenders worried so far and we can't do much in improving that strategy until January.

If we had the division one equivalent of Hamilton/Aldridge, a bit like Crawley had in Tubbs and Barnett in their glory days, we could be very good. A striker like The Beast certainly gave us the willies when he came on. But, unless we have good scouts, quality strikers cost money and will Tiger and his friends cough up? If it was up to me, I would give Browne and Obika a go up front together with Holmes and Whyte on either side and two from Baptiste, Hanson and Branagan in the middle. Don't think there are too many other options.

Good striker partnerships seem to be a thing of the past unfortunately. The modern game seems to be about lone strikers with attacking midfielders quick to support.
 
Good striker partnerships seem to be a thing of the past unfortunately. The modern game seems to be about lone strikers with attacking midfielders quick to support.

They were talking about that on 5live a few nights ago, with the gist of the discussion being that now managers/coaches/defenders were so used to the lone striker, playing two up front in an 'old fashioned' formation was starting to be adopted on occasion by some teams (I can't remember the specific examples thay gave, I was only half listening!). I suspect that might end up being more true in the non Prem/Champ divisions in the near future, since playing one up fron really only works if you have a bloody good player up there - and if they were that good consistently they would be playing higher up the food chain anyway!
 
They were talking about that on 5live a few nights ago, with the gist of the discussion being that now managers/coaches/defenders were so used to the lone striker, playing two up front in an 'old fashioned' formation was starting to be adopted on occasion by some teams (I can't remember the specific examples thay gave, I was only half listening!). I suspect that might end up being more true in the non Prem/Champ divisions in the near future, since playing one up fron really only works if you have a bloody good player up there - and if they were that good consistently they would be playing higher up the food chain anyway!
I’m probably a dinosaur but I still think a good old fashioned 4:4:2 is as good as any. Do we have the personnel to play it though?

Maybe this?

Mitchell
Norman Mous Nelson Garbutt
Holmes Baptiste Hanson Whyte
Obika/Smith Henry/Browne
 
Main worry from Saturday was, even when we have played well, we haven't really looked like scoring. Apart from Holmes' scorcher that he tipped onto the top of the bar (and which came from a defensive error), every save by the Wycombe keeper was fairly routine. No one who has played up front on his own has had defenders worried so far and we can't do much in improving that strategy until January.

If we had the division one equivalent of Hamilton/Aldridge, a bit like Crawley had in Tubbs and Barnett in their glory days, we could be very good. A striker like The Beast certainly gave us the willies when he came on. But, unless we have good scouts, quality strikers cost money and will Tiger and his friends cough up? If it was up to me, I would give Browne and Obika a go up front together with Holmes and Whyte on either side and two from Baptiste, Hanson and Branagan in the middle. Don't think there are too many other options.
Did Crawley have glory days? But yes, those two were a handful, which none of ours are. Remember Accringtons sub, a big fast black guy? He was a handful
 
We don’t have anyone good enough to play up front on there own so it’s hard to see why Robinson is so obsessed with carrying on with it. Fans of both his previous clubs have accused him of being obsessed with this system, I suppose it bought him some success at the beginning of his career so he sticks with it now, not worked for his last 3 or 4 years though so seems strange to be so stubborn about it.

Personally don’t think we have a good enough centre forward to play one, 4-3-3 for me with 3 from Whyte, Browne, Henry, Holmes up top, hasn’t hurt Liverpool not playing a traditional centre forward, plus would allow us to play Baptise, Hanson and Brannagan in the middle.

If Robinson gets sacked it will be because he hasn’t made the most of the best players we have because he has become to attached to one style of playing, I would say that looks fairly likely to happen at the moment, he changes the personal regulary but refuses to budge tactically.
 
Smith hasn’t really been given a chance yet (4/5starts as rageonline have him down as Andy against Burton) 3 wins (yes two cups and Burton @home) & 2 defeats away at Portsmouth and his first game at home to Fleetwood in a game we could have won tbh.

Consistency is key imo and that includes management.
 
Smith hasn’t really been given a chance yet (4/5starts as rageonline have him down as Andy against Burton) 3 wins (yes two cups and Burton @home) & 2 defeats away at Portsmouth and his first game at home to Fleetwood in a game we could have won tbh.
Unless KR is going to try something different (like Browne as the striker or playing two up front ;) ) then you'd have to think Smith would be in the starting lineup on Saturday. The hints we have had about Mackie suggest that might even be it as far as he is concerned (but certainly a long time out anyway) and Obika has really had enough chances.
 
Smith hasn’t really been given a chance yet (4/5starts as rageonline have him down as Andy against Burton) 3 wins (yes two cups and Burton @home) & 2 defeats away at Portsmouth and his first game at home to Fleetwood in a game we could have won tbh.

Consistency is key imo and that includes management.
Having chased Smith for months, it bemuses me that Robinson has given him so little time on the pitch. He can hardly expect him to gel with the other attackers at this rate. Does he suddenly not rate him? Is he rubbish in training? Or does Obika crack in goal after goal on the training pitch every week? (No: that’s a silly question, even as a rhetorical one). Give the boy a run of 4/5 games at least!
 
If Robinson gets sacked it will be because he hasn’t made the most of the best players we have because he has become to attached to one style of playing, I would say that looks fairly likely to happen at the moment, he changes the personal regulary but refuses to budge tactically.
Not sure I agree with that.i just don't get the obsession with formation.
On Saturday we lost as we didn't take our chances or get the rub of the green.
We at least seem to have stopped leaking stupid goals (the first against Coventry was a fluke and you could argue that the second was poor goalkeeping)
We need now to start scoring more.under MAPP we had Taylor and Hoban who couldn't hit a barn door. We relied on Roofe, Maguire, Hylton, Sercombe.
Holmes, Henry, White and Browne need to start putting their chances away
 
Having chased Smith for months, it bemuses me that Robinson has given him so little time on the pitch. He can hardly expect him to gel with the other attackers at this rate. Does he suddenly not rate him? Is he rubbish in training? Or does Obika crack in goal after goal on the training pitch every week? (No: that’s a silly question, even as a rhetorical one). Give the boy a run of 4/5 games at least!
He did comment post Wycombe around the fact he though Smith would come good now that he's got used to men's football over the U23 run arounds, etc.
 
Not sure I agree with that.i just don't get the obsession with formation.
On Saturday we lost as we didn't take our chances or get the rub of the green.
We at least seem to have stopped leaking stupid goals (the first against Coventry was a fluke and you could argue that the second was poor goalkeeping)
We need now to start scoring more.under MAPP we had Taylor and Hoban who couldn't hit a barn door. We relied on Roofe, Maguire, Hylton, Sercombe.
Holmes, Henry, White and Browne need to start putting their chances away

Let's not start turning draws into defeats now! Some fans on here moan enough as it is, let alone giving them even more reason to moan if you start taking points off us.
 
Let's not start turning draws into defeats now! Some fans on here moan enough as it is, let alone giving them even more reason to moan if you start taking points off us.
Fair point Denis. It felt a but like a defeat as we should have won comfortably....
 
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