Home Match Day Thread 09/03/2024 L1: OUFC v Cheltenham Town

Who was your MOTM?

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ZeroTheHero said:
Happy with the three points of course. But that was a difficult watch for long stretches.

The first 40 minutes or so were almost devoid of urgency or imagination. We were joking in the stands that they would put a bit of oomph in just before half time to avoid being booed - and (while I hope that wasn't the reason really), the prediction came true. All we did was move the ball quicker and move with the ball and off the ball - and suddenly we looked like a much better team. A couple of decent shots and the goal was the result.

As so many times, when we came out for the second half we reverted back to the slow, possession stuff and fell further and further back. Was anyone really surprised when we conceded? And then we immediately picked up the pace again and looked better, and scored.

It is so frustrating! We are like a Jekyll and Hyde team, switching between passive, slow, unimaginative, boring football to a better, faster, more threatening, more urgent version - but that second version appears for short periods and we don't even seem interested in *trying* to be that better version for much of the time.

Little of what I saw today made me think we will end up in the playoffs. Sorry...
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A really good and accurate summary. I dread to think what the reaction would have been at half time had Murphy not scored, there was some real exasperation, bordering on anger, aimed at DB where I was in SSL.

The number of times we went from the centre circle - a few occasions in their half too - back to Cumming was just bewildering. It was as though we were playing a full strength Man City, getting pressed to death, and we were using our keeper for a bit of respite.

Des keeps saying he was disappointed that we weren’t playing quicker but it happens too often for it not to be something tactical within our system. Either that or his message just isn’t getting through. Another worry is that I expected it to be like the Alamo straight after half time, you’d have thought on the back of a DB bollocking, but we were just as insipid and toothless from the restart.

That last 10 minutes of the 90 I think was the players ignoring instructions and playing with the handbrake off knowing that they had to just do whatever it took to fire the crowd and get the result. We played far far quicker, the passing and movement went to another level and there was an intensity that was missing for the first 80 minutes.

Delighted with the win, pleased for the manager, but I remain baffled by yet another nothing sort of performance and another game gone by whereby I’m none the wiser as to what his style of football is.
 
ZeroTheHero said:
Happy with the three points of course. But that was a difficult watch for long stretches.

The first 40 minutes or so were almost devoid of urgency or imagination. We were joking in the stands that they would put a bit of oomph in just before half time to avoid being booed - and (while I hope that wasn't the reason really), the prediction came true. All we did was move the ball quicker and move with the ball and off the ball - and suddenly we looked like a much better team. A couple of decent shots and the goal was the result.

As so many times, when we came out for the second half we reverted back to the slow, possession stuff and fell further and further back. Was anyone really surprised when we conceded? And then we immediately picked up the pace again and looked better, and scored.

It is so frustrating! We are like a Jekyll and Hyde team, switching between passive, slow, unimaginative, boring football to a better, faster, more threatening, more urgent version - but that second version appears for short periods and we don't even seem interested in *trying* to be that better version for much of the time.

Little of what I saw today made me think we will end up in the playoffs. Sorry...
Click to expand...

I think there was a tactical switch towards the end of the first half, where Murphy moved inside off the left wing and Leigh moved further forward to provide some width. Where Murphy picked up the ball for his goal is certainly not where you'd expect a left winger to be.

Suddenly we looked to have a few options further up the pitch and it was easily our best spell of the half.
 
Murphy was certainly swapping wings all game. You may well be right about the tactical switch at that moment, I can't claim to have noticed it. I suppose I would ask why, if that's the case, we didn't retain that change into the second half or why it had less effect if we did. We were as insipid for the first half hour of the second half as we were for the majority of the first.
 
Just listened to Des’ interview where he says the pleasing thing was we stayed on the front foot and pushed them back even after going 2-1 up. I’m really beginning to question myself because I must have been at a different game. We weren’t exactly penned in but I’d say 85% of the injury time was played in our half. We managed it well enough though but to say we kept pressing after Leigh’s goal is just not true.
 
billyturleyscurlywurly said:
Do you know where our average manager is from?

Do you know where our League Two level right back who wasn’t involved again today is from?

😝
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Wow, that's going to take some working out. But when you consider Appleton, Wilder, Jim Smith (the real one, I mean, not Baldy), were all from up north I'd guess our average manager is from somewhere north of Birmingham. So I'm anxious to hear the answer, BTCW
 
dickwalton1964 said:
A really good and accurate summary. I dread to think what the reaction would have been at half time had Murphy not scored, there was some real exasperation, bordering on anger, aimed at DB where I was in SSL.

The number of times we went from the centre circle - a few occasions in their half too - back to Cumming was just bewildering. It was as though we were playing a full strength Man City, getting pressed to death, and we were using our keeper for a bit of respite.

Des keeps saying he was disappointed that we weren’t playing quicker but it happens too often for it not to be something tactical within our system. Either that or his message just isn’t getting through. Another worry is that I expected it to be like the Alamo straight after half time, you’d have thought on the back of a DB bollocking, but we were just as insipid and toothless from the restart.

That last 10 minutes of the 90 I think was the players ignoring instructions and playing with the handbrake off knowing that they had to just do whatever it took to fire the crowd and get the result. We played far far quicker, the passing and movement went to another level and there was an intensity that was missing for the first 80 minutes.

Delighted with the win, pleased for the manager, but I remain baffled by yet another nothing sort of performance and another game gone by whereby I’m none the wiser as to what his style of football is.
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Interesting to compare and contrast the final two for the Lincoln job, Des Buckingham and Michael Skubala. Lincoln apparently balked at the Mumbai release clause and went for Skubala, the Leeds first team coach but with no managerial experience. We obviously went the Buckingham route. Lincoln were in a mess, we had beat them easily and were looking downwards rather than upwards at the league table
Three months on Lincoln are now one of the form teams in League 1 unbeaten in 11 games and are the outside late runner in the play and today won 5-1 at Barnsley. We play them next at the Kassam, so will be interesting to see to compare the 2 rookie League 1 managers progress.
 
Lincoln also have a massive injury list, so definitely very impressive from Skubala.
 
If people are moaning about our performance then watch the highlights of Barnsley vs Lincoln!
One thing we can say is that no team have truly battered us like Lincoln did to them today!
 
Steve Gilbert said:
Yeah my eyes told me that there was a 15 minute lull mid way through the 1st half and we started slowly in the 2nd half only to then control the game and absolutely battered them for the last 15 minutes.

Not bad for a team playing against a side who were time wasting after 15 minutes, kicking our players left right and centre and just stuck 10 men behind the ball.

You really think a team fighting for survival is just going to come here and roll over for us?
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We battered them for about 8-10 mins after they’d equalised due to us trying to sit on a one goal lead and creating next to nothing until then, against a really poor side and attacking the home end. We were devoid of ideas and any urge to try and get a second goal until they equalised.

If we hadn’t have got that late winner due to Owen Dale’s superb individual piece of skill and desire on the wing, then at 1-1 even the positives couldn’t have glossed over a dull, insipid and frankly dreadful performance. The late winner was just what we needed but boy how anyone can think we played well and looked remotely like a potential play off and Championship side for next season is beyond my wildest imagination.

If we hadn’t have got the late first half goal I think we would say that was an utterly dreadful first 45 mins. The 2nd half 1-0 up against dross opposition we should have battered them but we did nothing, literally nothing until they scored and we had to up the ante. It’s almost like a Des team will never win by more than one goal if we are lucky, as we simply haven’t got the go ahead to actually try and win games with any authority.

Yes I’m delighted we won but let’s be honest we were awful and against a team that luckily were even worse! I’ve spoken to loads of people after the game and everyone thinks the same. I honestly can’t pretend there is any other way to describe how we played. 3 points yes fab, but the lack of style, desire, system, etc… honestly embarrassing. At 1-1 Des should be on his bike, he’s got Dale and Leigh to thank for hanging on by his stabiliser’s.
 
Chippy said:
We battered them for about 8-10 mins after they’d equalised due to us trying to sit on a one goal lead and creating next to nothing until then, against a really poor side and attacking the home end. We were devoid of ideas and any urge to try and get a second goal until they equalised.

If we hadn’t have got that late winner due to Owen Dale’s superb individual piece of skill and desire on the wing, then at 1-1 even the positives couldn’t have glossed over a dull, insipid and frankly dreadful performance. The late winner was just what we needed but boy how anyone can think we played well and looked remotely like a potential play off and Championship side for next season is beyond my wildest imagination.

If we hadn’t have got the late first half goal I think we would say that was an utterly dreadful first 45 mins. The 2nd half 1-0 up against dross opposition we should have battered them but we did nothing, literally nothing until they scored and we had to up the ante. It’s almost like a Des team will never win by more than one goal if we are lucky, as we simply haven’t got the go ahead to actually try and win games with any authority.

Yes I’m delighted we won but let’s be honest we were awful and against a team that luckily were even worse! I’ve spoken to loads of people after the game and everyone thinks the same. I honestly can’t pretend there is any other way to describe how we played. 3 points yes fab, but the lack of style, desire, system, etc… honestly embarrassing. At 1-1 Des should be on his bike, he’s got Dale and Leigh to thank for hanging on by his stabiliser’s.
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If my aunty had balls she would be my uncle.
 
Sarge said:
cant someone other than CB take corners? FKs fair enough, but of late his corners ain't great
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The ongoing joke with my Mrs is that Brannagan can't take corners. Can't remember which game it was, but I managed to convince her to come watch a match last season, and every single corner CamBran took was terrible. Nowadays if we have a corner (usually on iFollow) she'll say "don't let Brannagan take it!" just to wind me up...
 
Steve Gilbert said:
If my aunty had balls she would be my uncle.
Click to expand...
Really, did u watch todays game, we were fuc*in woeful. I don’t care what anyone says, we were shocking. Yes 3 points brilliant, not denying that, but if you could see a system, tactics, meaningful substitutions made to change the game etc… then you’re a better man than me.

In fact we were trying to take Dale off I believe immediately prior to his superb individual brilliance but the goal kick was taken too quickly as Henry and Bodin stood on the touchline. I’d honestly love to be positive, but from what I saw today I’m sorry it was anything but, despite taking all 3 points! And that’s as a supporter home and sometimes away for 50 years plus.
 
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Chippy said:
Really, did u watch todays game, we were fuc*in woeful. I don’t care what anyone says, we were shocking. Yes 3 points brilliant, not denying that, but if you could see a system, tactics, meaningful substitutions made to change the game etc… then you’re a better man than me.

In fact were trying to take Dale off I believe immediately prior to his superb individual brilliance but the goal kick was taken too quickly as Henry and Bodin stood on the touchline. I’d honestly love to be positive, but from what I saw today I’m sorry it was anything but, despite taking all 3 points! And that’s as a supporter home and sometimes away for 50 years plus.
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Yes I did watch the game and yes I did see a system and tactics that Des is trying to get the team to play.
It still needs tweaks as we are too slow on the ball at the back and need to play it into midfield quicker. Overall though the way Des wants to play has been clear for a few games now, play into the midfield then they will play it to the wingers to run at the full backs and get crosses in, you also have the late runners and the ones that hang on the edge waiting for the ball to come out.
We weren’t brilliant but we weren’t terrible either.
Overall we were the better team but then we should be at home against a bottom 4 team but as @dickwalton1964 pointed out before the game, it wasn’t going to be as easy as some were thinking and Cheltenham set up to frustrate us and waste time.
 
Steve Gilbert said:
Yes I did watch the game and yes I did see a system and tactics that Des is trying to get the team to play.
It still needs tweaks as we are too slow on the ball at the back and need to play it into midfield quicker. Overall though the way Des wants to play has been clear for a few games now, play into the midfield then they will play it to the wingers to run at the full backs and get crosses in, you also have the late runners and the ones that hang on the edge waiting for the ball to come out.
We weren’t brilliant but we weren’t terrible either.
Overall we were the better team but then we should be at home against a bottom 4 team but as @dickwalton1964 pointed out before the game, it wasn’t going to be as easy as some were thinking and Cheltenham set up to frustrate us and waste time.
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So 20+ games into Des’ term as manager (almost half a season) we are still too slow, still need tweaks and still need to play the ball forward quicker? And only in the last few games it’s become clearer to you at least the way Des is trying to play. I’m honestly not trying to be awkward or deliberately negative but doesn’t that set the alarm bells ringing and tell you something? Even in Mannings first game we could see a change and a proper system from the previous manager. That system seems to have been what Des has tried to maintain but we no longer high press, no longer defend as a unit, and look like 11 individuals told to just get on with it.

Appreciate your view and clearly mine is different, but honestly as happy as I am with 3 points we were simply shocking and not a team with any sort of coherence or tactics or system. I’d love Des to lead us to success, but other than the odd glimpse (like some of last weeks performance) I’m just not seeing it. I expected to build on a great performance from last week but we didn’t. We got 3 welcome points thanks to Cheltenham being so poor, we barely deserved them though despite what the statistics might say. I’ve enjoyed 80 minutes of watching paint dry more than I enjoyed most of todays game.

Criticise my negativity by all means but I’m being realistic rather than trying to paint a false picture of optimism as we managed a win at last after only 1 in the 10 previous games.

Let’s hope we get something at Bolton on Tuesday, a point at least would be most welcome and something I’d take right now.
 
Steve Gilbert said:
Yes I did watch the game and yes I did see a system and tactics that Des is trying to get the team to play.
It still needs tweaks as we are too slow on the ball at the back and need to play it into midfield quicker. Overall though the way Des wants to play has been clear for a few games now, play into the midfield then they will play it to the wingers to run at the full backs and get crosses in, you also have the late runners and the ones that hang on the edge waiting for the ball to come out.
We weren’t brilliant but we weren’t terrible either.
Overall we were the better team but then we should be at home against a bottom 4 team but as @dickwalton1964 pointed out before the game, it wasn’t going to be as easy as some were thinking and Cheltenham set up to frustrate us and waste time.
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Steve, honest question, do you know Des?
 
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