Home Match Build Up 02-03-2021 L1 OUFC v Peterborough United

[arthurturner]

For this game and against the strongest teams I think we might be well suited by this formation.

Stevens
Long Moore Atkinson
Sykes/Forde Brannigan Gorrin Ruffles
Lee/Shodipo Henry/Lee Barker
Taylor/Aygei

​

This system would provide cover for Atkinson or Long pushing forwards. Would create a lot more stability in transition when we lose the ball. Would remove the need (or risk of them not doing it) of the three behind the striker not tracking back. It also allows where needed the midfield to be controlled with numbers. Ruffles and Sykes both have really good engines with Sykes being given more license than Ruffles this also allows us to slot into a back four at times during the game or when defending a counter attack by Long shifting across to right back and Ruffles dropping in. Right now I think this would be our strongest formation in the current block of games + other teams initially will not be expecting it.

​

I make that 12 players. Doubt we get away with that.

 

[MC Yellow]

A glorious win or a horror show that seriously puts our noses out of joint.

But this is Oxford and anything could happen.

Really looking forward to it. A real test of where we are or where we need to be.

I wanted to be going into this game on the back of at least 5 points from the previous 3 games as I have a feeling we will be sunk tomorrow night.

Really hope I am wrong.
0-2 or 1-3

 

[m]

I make that 12 players. Doubt we get away with that.

Erm, looks like 11 to me.

 

[Junior_1]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1366266956509290498

Nice supportive words as ever from Robinson towards Ageyi.

 

[Oxymoron]

Peterborough are phenomenal at home but not quite the unstoppable object away and they don't have a great record at the Kassam, so I doubt it will be the cricket score that some have predicted, but with Clarke‑Harris, Szmodics and Dembélé, they certainly have the ability to score goals - fortunately we now have our strongest back 5 available again.

Up front, I can't see a lot changing, so Taylor will need to take the odd chance we create, otherwise we are looking for Henry or Brannigan to spank one in from 20 yards, one of the back line converting a corner or Agyei to play like Agyei can in consecutive games and create something at the death.

1-1.

 

[Mad Dog]

Stevens
Long Moore Atkinson Ruffels
Gorrin Forde
Henry Brannagan Lee
Agyei

OR

Stevens
Long Moore Atkinson Ruffels
Gorrin
Forde Brannagan
Lee
Agyei Taylor

OR

Stevens
Long Moore Atkinson Ruffels
Gorrin
Sykes Brannagan
Henry
Agyei Taylor​

 

[Oufcrealist]

Nice supportive words as ever from Robinson towards Ageyi.

Yes. Top marks to KR for boosting a young mans confidence.
Why not just say. ' Dan did well when he came on. He just has to keep that level of performance up and he'll be in the squad on a regular basis'

 

[OX14]

Yes. Top marks to KR for boosting a young mans confidence.
Why not just say. ' Dan did well when he came on. He just has to keep that level of performance up and he'll be in the squad on a regular basis'

They don't nickname him Gobbo for no reason. I'm not a fan of him publicly coming out throwing our players under a bus aswell. Maybe he needs to change his man management as this could be a reason why we are so inconsistent.

 

[Notaswindonfan]

Erm, looks like 11 to me.

Looks like 12 to me

 

[mooro]

Agyei
Agyei Agyei Agyei Agyei
Agyei Agyei Agyei
Not Agyei Agyei Not Agyei​

 

[ttg17]

Yes. Top marks to KR for boosting a young mans confidence.
Why not just say. ' Dan did well when he came on. He just has to keep that level of performance up and he'll be in the squad on a regular basis'

By all accounts Agyei needed a kick up the backside to buck his ideas up. KR has done that, and if Saturday is anything to go by, it's worked. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that's the best I've seen him play in an Oxford shirt. I'm genuinely baffled why Agyei seems to be the only player that people seem to have concern for when it comes to KR dishing out some home truths. FWIW I think his comments are bang on in that article.

 

[West Oxon U’s]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1366372649459281921

 

[Manorlounger]

By all accounts Agyei needed a kick up the backside to buck his ideas up. KR has done that, and if Saturday is anything to go by, it's worked. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that's the best I've seen him play in an Oxford shirt. I'm genuinely baffled why Agyei seems to be the only player that people seem to have concern for when it comes to KR dishing out some home truths. FWIW I think his comments are bang on in that article.

What he needed was to be played in the right position, centre forward.
What he needed was for KR to stop demeaning his efforts in public.

He showed on Saturday that, played in the centre he is a capable and fit player.

"all accounts" Just the one from KR.

 

[ttg17]

What he needed was to be played in the right position, centre forward.
What he needed was for KR to stop demeaning his efforts in public.

He showed on Saturday that, played in the centre he is a capable and fit player.

"all accounts" Just the one from KR.

When before the Fleetwood game had he done this?

 

[Oufcrealist]

By all accounts Agyei needed a kick up the backside to buck his ideas up. KR has done that, and if Saturday is anything to go by, it's worked. I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that's the best I've seen him play in an Oxford shirt. I'm genuinely baffled why Agyei seems to be the only player that people seem to have concern for when it comes to KR dishing out some home truths. FWIW I think his comments are bang on in that article.

Well if he needed a 'kick up the backside' then KR should do it in private then keep all his derogatory comments out of the public domain!! Positive and encouraging comments would be better.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

Agyei off the bench through the middle for the last 20/30 depending how the game is going. Shouldn’t start IMO as Taylor is the main man by a country mile, and despite his barren spell is one of the top three centre forwards in the division. Nobody is close to him, but Agyei has a role to play as an impact player providing he gets to do it in his natural position only, when the time is right. So long as he isn’t punted around the pitch to the detriment of the team, and then used as a scapegoat. He’s got no more of a place on the wing than Brannagan or Sykes has playing left back.

With the Swindon game being both a derby and one of the ‘easiest’ games we face between now and April in terms of opposition league standings, and thus presenting one of our best chances at three points during a difficult run, the next couple of games should have a hint of squad management about them with that fixture in mind. Robinson should have his team for that game laid out and be working backwards from there, so as to essentially reverse engineer the team over the next week. I’m not saying he should be making sweeping wholesale changes or throwing in the towel on the next two what so ever - the squad is big and deep enough that it should be able to give any L1 side a proper game. I’m just pointing out that he needs to be aware of the percentages and try to ensure that Swindon sees his best side lining up. If that means a small handful need a rest or to come off the bench for one game before then rather than starting the next two from the off, or if one or two players need subbing on 60 minutes in both fixtures rather going the distance, that’s perfectly logical. That would be smart management.

What we don’t need to see is a mad panic and for the next couple of games to see one half of the squad run into the ground in desperation, leaving us with a B Team or a team running on fumes going out against Swindon. Putting aside what that game means to the fan base (especially after the embarrassing capitulation in the first match), it’s the one we need to make sure we win in terms of its difficulty as part of the upcoming pack.

 

[wolvercoteyellow]

Agyei
Agyei Agyei Agyei Agyei
Agyei Agyei Agyei
Not Agyei Agyei Not Agyei​

The only problem is that makes thirteen. Is Not a new signing?

 

[m]

Looks like 12 to me

Just testing....

 

[OX14]

Agyei off the bench through the middle for the last 20/30 depending how the game is going. Shouldn’t start IMO as Taylor is the main man by a country mile, and despite his barren spell is one of the top three centre forwards in the division.

Taylor doesn't deserve to start on current form though, Agyei done more in 10 mins up front on Saturday than Taylor has for 3 games. Go with form players from the start not when we are losing and chasing the game.

 

[ttg17]

Well if he needed a 'kick up the backside' then KR should do it in private then keep all his derogatory comments out of the public domain!! Positive and encouraging comments would be better.

Fair enough, maybe. I just think KR has, whatever else you may think of him, an excellent record when it comes to bringing through youth players. Agyei is the most glaring exception, I can think of, to that general trend in the last couple of years. You can say 'play him through the middle', but he has had chances there before and failed to impress (people keep mentioning the Pompey game, but he hardly pulled up any trees there for me). This strikes me as a last-ditch effort to coax performances out of him, and if Saturday is anything to go by, it's worked a treat. He was brilliant, turned the game on its head. If KR has tried the softer touch approach you're advocating, which he may well have done, and it hasn't worked, surely this hard-line approach is justified if it's effective? Which, on Saturday's performance, it has been?

I'm not going to die on this hill and will be more than willing to concede that KR has got it wrong if that's how it turns out. It's just annoying to me that less than two weeks after going on a run of winning 11 in 12, people are using the Agyei situation to start getting the knives out for our manager again, and unhelpful, childish s**t like 'Gobbo' is starting to resurface. I think there are legitimate grounds we could be criticising him on at the minute - struggling to get the best out of a very talented attacking squad despite being well backed on deadline day, for example. I just don't think Agyei is the one.