Away Match Build-Up 03/05/25: Championship: Swansea City v OUFC

[dickwalton1964]

Respectfully disagree with the general consensus here.

Pressure is off, yes - but I still want us to secure a 3rd away win (14th in total) and finish as high as possible.

I think the optics for recruitment of finishing 14th would be very different from 20th too.

Obviously rest Brannagan, Vaulks - anyone who is a risk or has been playing with injury.

But other than that, best foot forward. There are 2,600 of us making the trip and it would be nice to sign off a fantastic season in the best way possible.

Completely agree.

I hope we put a team out that’s capable of winning this game. As you say, to any prospective signings - especially if foreign and not overly familiar with the English Championship - then finishing 14th just looks a whole lot more comfortable than 20th. By all means get Marcelino on the pitch at some point but let’s secure the win first and foremost.

 

[stokeu]

“Left bach”..Wales.. very droll.. or fat fingers?

Glad someone got it…

 

[ECYellow]

Respectfully disagree with the general consensus here.

Pressure is off, yes - but I still want us to secure a 3rd away win (14th in total) and finish as high as possible.

I think the optics for recruitment of finishing 14th would be very different from 20th too.

Obviously rest Brannagan, Vaulks - anyone who is a risk or has been playing with injury.

But other than that, best foot forward. There are 2,600 of us making the trip and it would be nice to sign off a fantastic season in the best way possible.

You’re bang on here.

The difference in prize money for finishing 14th rather than 20th will not be insignificant to a club that’s losing £10’s of millions a year, too.

Also, from a personal perspective I’ve not spent £30 on a ticket and another £40 in train travel to see us turn it in, for the sake of satisfying the Indonesian ‘supporters’ amongst us.

We’re a professional football club who’ve had a great year. End it the right way and do everything we can to win the game, by playing the players who are fit and available, that will give us the best chance.

Snowden and Marselino for the bench, with a view to getting them on later IF the game situation allows it.

 

[Eric Blair]

Otherwise - don't really care who plays. Give a game to whoever fancies it!

If I’m not elected Pope by that point, I’m in. I’ll bring my boots.

Me on one wing, Lino on the other and @Big Ron going through the middle. @Scotchegg can pair up with Josh McEachran in the midfield. @RyanioBirdio in goal.

I’m happy to be replaced by @QR at half time as I need to pop down go B&Q later in the day.

 

[Front Post]

You’re bang on here.

The difference in prize money for finishing 14th rather than 20th will not be insignificant to a club that’s losing £10’s of millions a year, too.

Also, from a personal perspective I’ve not spent £30 on a ticket and another £40 in train travel to see us turn it in, for the sake of satisfying the Indonesian ‘supporters’ amongst us.

We’re a professional football club who’ve had a great year. End it the right way and do everything we can to win the game, by playing the players who are fit and available, that will give us the best chance.

Snowden and Marselino for the bench, with a view to getting them on later IF the game situation allows it.

The breakdown in terms of prize money per position is negligible since the new TV deal. It used to be only about 60k difference between 20th and 14th, believe it's less now.

 

[ECYellow]

The breakdown in terms of prize money per position is negligible since the new TV deal. It used to be only about 60k difference between 20th and 14th, believe it's less now.

Yeah fair point. I still don’t think we should be treating the game as some kind of testimonial to get clicks and likes in Indonesia.

 

[dickwalton1964]

Yeah fair point. I still don’t think we should be treating the game as some kind of testimonial to get clicks and likes in Indonesia.

It’s been great at various times earlier this season seeing us sitting around mid table or just below and I think we should always be striving for that much talked about top 30. Let’s not just be content with sitting 20th and surviving. I’m a great believer that after 46 games you deserve to be exactly where you finish and if we are to finish 14th then we will be the 14th best club in this league on merit - might not be the 14th best on attacking prowess but we’ll obviously have other qualities that will mean we are better across a full season than the 10 teams finishing below us. There is no truer saying in football than the table doesn’t lie and 46 games is the undeniable benchmark.

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

Respectfully disagree with the general consensus here.

Pressure is off, yes - but I still want us to secure a 3rd away win (14th in total) and finish as high as possible.

I think the optics for recruitment of finishing 14th would be very different from 20th too.

Obviously rest Brannagan, Vaulks - anyone who is a risk or has been playing with injury.

But other than that, best foot forward. There are 2,600 of us making the trip and it would be nice to sign off a fantastic season in the best way possible.

Agree. I'd like to be the highest placed promoted team.

Pompey are at home against Hull who are scrapping for their championship lives.

Derby home versus Stoke. Derby are three points behind us but have a better goal difference.

An exciting final day afterall!

 

[Foley]

You’re bang on here.

The difference in prize money for finishing 14th rather than 20th will not be insignificant to a club that’s losing £10’s of millions a year, too.

Also, from a personal perspective I’ve not spent £30 on a ticket and another £40 in train travel to see us turn it in, for the sake of satisfying the Indonesian ‘supporters’ amongst us.

We’re a professional football club who’ve had a great year. End it the right way and do everything we can to win the game, by playing the players who are fit and available, that will give us the best chance.

Snowden and Marselino for the bench, with a view to getting them on later IF the game situation allows it.

Not sure that there is prize money in.the Championship?

 

[Foley]

It’s been great at various times earlier this season seeing us sitting around mid table or just below and I think we should always be striving for that much talked about top 30. Let’s not just be content with sitting 20th and surviving. I’m a great believer that after 46 games you deserve to be exactly where you finish and if we are to finish 14th then we will be the 14th best club in this league on merit - might not be the 14th best on attacking prowess but we’ll obviously have other qualities that will mean we are better across a full season than the 10 teams finishing below us. There is no truer saying in football than the table doesn’t lie and 46 games is the undeniable benchmark.

I agree but.....
We will presumably not risk Cam, Vaulks maybe Helek ( we would if points were needed).
So we will have a few back up players on the pitch. Our midfield will be lightweight ( obviously excluding Matos).
I do agree that starting with Snowden, Marcelino may not be a good idea, but why not bring on Marcelino especially and give him 30 minutes?

 

[ECYellow]

I agree but.....
We will presumably not risk Cam, Vaulks maybe Helek ( we would if points were needed).
So we will have a few back up players on the pitch. Our midfield will be lightweight ( obviously excluding Matos).
I do agree that starting with Snowden, Marcelino may not be a good idea, but why not bring on Marcelino especially and give him 30 minutes?

Marcelino hasn't been the stand out performer (or second best performer) in the U21's this season. Snowden and Griffiths should be getting a game if we are selecting on form for the youth team, before Marcelino.

 

[Teddydee1980]

I must say, I would love us to finish above Pompey and JM/JM. Just for kudos.

 

[Mad Dog]

SUBS: Ingram, Thorniley, Ter Avest, Bradshaw, Bennett, Goodrham, Phillips, Griffiths, Marselino

That's a good enough team and bench to get the win, in what is a complete dead rubber match, giving a chance to rest multiple players who have admirably run themselves into the ground, and played through injuries and knocks for a number of weeks now, and exhausted themselves to get us over the line.

Saturday was the perfect end to the season for those players, and a fitting send off from the fans for their summer break. I'd rather not push them any further, or risk making their injuries any worse by unnecessarily flogging them for one final, meaningless fixture. Let them put their feet up now, they've bloody earned it.

It also gives the chance for some of the fully fit squad players and fringe players to get one last outing, and a couple of youngsters a chance to experience a bit of first team football.

We're going into the final game of the season in the luxurious position of not having a care in the world, so let's protect our wounded soldiers, give the rest of the troops a last hoorah as a thank you for their hard work, and a couple of young lads get a chance to show what they can offer next season.

Win Win!

 

[RyanioBirdio]

Do they have a say in the matter?

I know you can have clauses where a player can't play against his parent club, but you can't recall a player between transfer windows and I didn't think that you could (legally) dictate which games a loanee at another club could or couldn't play?

They might ask us not to play him, and we might p**s them off if we do.....but, y'know, hell with them, really. We'll be competing with them next year so we don't need their goodwill. I'd like to see Nelson in yellow one more time.

He had a major injury this season and the job is now done. Merely speculating. They might not give a toss, or they may have said to us when he was retained after his injury, “We’d appreciate it if once you’re safe you don’t risk him.”

I’m not shaking in my boots about Leicester City, I’m just thinking out loud.

 

[Kernow Yellow]

I know some of the comments are in jest, but we really, really should play Marselino on Saturday. And not just bring him on in injury time - either start him, or get him half an hour. And we should announce that we're doing so a couple of days before the game.

If we're serious about being a Top 30 club, then we need to work out how we're going to generate Top 30 revenues. It isn't going to ever be from our matchday revenues, even if the Triangle gets built. So it's got to be commercial revenues. And what we have, that noone else does, is Indonesia......so let's play into that.
(plus if we keep Erick happy, he's more likely to drop a few mill on another striker for us in the summer)

Otherwise - don't really care who plays. Give a game to whoever fancies it!

With respect, that is clearly the comment of someone who might be bothered to turn the telly on and watch it. Those of us travelling significant distances might hope a little more thought goes in to selection.

If being a top 30 club means picking players based on shirt sales rather than ability, count me out.

(This is not to say I don't want to see Marselino - I'd be quite intrigued having witnessed his few minutes at Exeter. But only if the coaches think he's up to it - not for the Insta clicks 'n' giggles.)

 

[BicesterU]

I can't see Rowett ringing too many unnecessary changes for this one, and I'm pretty sure the players will be relishing the prospect of a game played without pressure, and in a celebratory environment after 45 high-pressure, high stakes matches this season.

I'd expect players who've been managing injuries to be rested, so that probably rules out Cam and Helik. I also think it's an ideal opportunity to include players like Griffiths and Snowdon in a match day squad to both give them a feel for that, but also to see how they react to stepping up to the first team squad on a match day.

I wonder if players like McEachran, who surely must be off in the summer, will be given the chance for a final hurrah or whether Rowett isn't built quite so sentimentally?

I'm not sure how much experimentation there'll be with quite a bit of churn likely over the summer; I just don't know how much value there would be in it in a one-off game.

If it was Championship Manager, I'd go with:

Cumming
Ter Avest Moore Nelson Leigh
Vaulks Matos
Marselino Rodrigues Goodrham
Harris

Mills and Romeny for Marselino and Rodrigues at H/T
Long for Moore on 60 minutes (Long takes the armband)
Bennett and Snowdon for Leigh and Harris on 75 minutes

 

[holdsteady]

I must say, I would love us to finish above Pompey and JM/JM. Just for kudos.

Are you even an Oxford fan if you don't want us to finish second to Mous's Pompey?

 

[dickwalton1964]

I’m really not sure I see the point in playing young lads like Snowden and Griffiths when they will clearly struggle with the physicality at this particular stage in their development. I’m mean look at Harris - he could bully L1 defenders but can’t get a kick or win a header against Championship defences. Play them and they won’t get a kick, barely a touch. It’s no criticism of them, it’s just the reality. Take them and throw them on if we have the game won late on but a total waste of time from the start. More will be gained giving them a half or two in our pre season games.

 

[Ox4Eva]

Nailed on draw and a good day in the sun!

 

[Foley]

I can't see Rowett ringing too many unnecessary changes for this one, and I'm pretty sure the players will be relishing the prospect of a game played without pressure, and in a celebratory environment after 45 high-pressure, high stakes matches this season.

I'd expect players who've been managing injuries to be rested, so that probably rules out Cam and Helik. I also think it's an ideal opportunity to include players like Griffiths and Snowdon in a match day squad to both give them a feel for that, but also to see how they react to stepping up to the first team squad on a match day.

I wonder if players like McEachran, who surely must be off in the summer, will be given the chance for a final hurrah or whether Rowett isn't built quite so sentimentally?

I'm not sure how much experimentation there'll be with quite a bit of churn likely over the summer; I just don't know how much value there would be in it in a one-off game.

If it was Championship Manager, I'd go with:

Cumming
Ter Avest Moore Nelson Leigh
Vaulks Matos
Marselino Rodrigues Goodrham
Harris

Mills and Romeny for Marselino and Rodrigues at H/T
Long for Moore on 60 minutes (Long takes the armband)
Bennett and Snowdon for Leigh and Harris on 75 minutes

Hasn't Vaulks gone for an operation?

 

[OUFCGav]

Not sure that there is prize money in.the Championship?

There is a difference in the solidarity/central fund/core tv payments depending on league position, but it is not massive. It is small enough that the play-off winners end up with more money than the champions.

 

[OUFCGav]

I think the other thing for finishing higher is the help that saying we finished 14th (say) in the Championship, as opposed to 'scraping in' 21st might have when talking to transfer targets.

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

 

[BicesterU]

Hasn't Vaulks gone for an operation?

Didn't know that. Back to the drawing board...

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

 

[CaptainOx]

Looks like Swansea will make Sheehan permanent manager before the weekend.

 

[MJB]

“Gavin And Stacey DJ Set”

 

[NorthWestOx]

Pressure off the ref we finally get a penalty.

Nailed on, especially with Cam possibly being rested.

 

[Left Wing Cross]

Swansea City set to appoint Alan Sheehan as permanent head coach

Swansea City are set to appoint Alan Sheehan as their permanent head coach following his successful spell as caretaker boss.

www.bbc.co.uk

Swansea have decided to stick with their caretaker

 

[BillyTurleys CurlyWurly]

1,526 away fans saw us win at Millwall.

1,438 away fans us win at Sheffield Wednesday.

2,617 away fans are heading to Swansea.

I hope we go all out for the win. None of this on the beach b*****s.