Away Match Build-Up 08/11/24 - Championship: Watford v OUFC

[PottersRightBoot]

never mind the respective home team ( they're unbeaten)and away team ( we've not won) form books, Ive a feeling this could be our first away win of the season, 1-2 Scarlett and Long

You predict an away win every time. I admire your optimism.

 

[SSO]

Looking at the table tonight and although we won Tuesday we are still only 2 points off the 3rd relegation spot. But a win v Watford Friday night and we are 2 points off a play off place.

As it stands Portsmouth and QPR are quickly getting cut off and there are 4 points separating 14 teams from 22nd upwards. A win could take us to 9th and probably see us 5 points clear of 22nd even after everyone else has played. So many teams on 15 points.

 

[dickwalton1964]

Resting players ahead of an international break??!! Good job we've got a full squad to choose from!!!

I'd go with the same side that we started with, only swapping Nelson for Long. We will need to be at our best from the off, and once we settled into the formation, I thought that the back 5 and two holding midfielders looked much more solid.

The only difference is that I would look to push Tyler and El Miz a little wider to give our full backs at outlet down the line and give Scarlett more space to come deep and get involved.

If players are tiring then I'd rather look at making changes on the hour rather than weakening ourselves from the start.

As @Sarge has said, I fancy us to get something from this game and there's no reason why that can't be 3 points if we take any of the chances we get.

I cannot see McEachran starting after 98 minutes on Tuesday, even if we are down to the bare bones. I think Kioso will start with Brown partnering Moore and Leigh in at left back. RR back in and up front I think we might go with Harris wide again, as we did at Sunderland. It didn’t work up there, nothing did, but it might be worth another go. The brave call would be to go with Ebiowei and just say ‘show us what your can do’ but going with a more tried and trusted player like Harris is more likely and probably right. Heart says 1-1, head probably saying another narrow defeat, 2-1.

 

[holdsteady]

The only time we have got anything away this season has been the draws against bottom club Pompey and down the bottom Luton, so it’s hard to get hopeful against a side in the top half who have been good at home. We got a vital win on Tuesday but didn’t really play well and the amount of players out is hurting us. So head says another defeat, but first season back at this level for 25 years isn’t really the one to listen to your head so I will go for a battling draw under the cosh to get a handy point going into a mini break and hopefully a few players coming back.

 

[Nadi-]

Why wouldn’t we start Long at rch.
He was unfortunate to be left out early season, during our better results. And was again impressive when coming on the other night.

 

[Symp59]

3-5-2 only real wat at the minute ,sadly can't see anything but a defeat i always hope not. I said at the start of these games 4points would be very good. We do battle and the midfield have got to be very good to get anything. Our away form is going to be massive and that's how it looks. Would take 1-1 now

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

Resting players ahead of an international break??!! Good job we've got a full squad to choose from!!!

Rotating players for this fixture would have nothing to do with what’s to come, and everything to do with the fact that an already tired looking team is being asked to play Saturday-Tuesday-Friday, an unusually short turnaround. We have a squad for a reason and the players suggested won’t significantly weaken the team, but instead offer fresh legs and energy.

Still, you were against going to 3 at the back and look how that turned out so we’ll see what Des does and if you’ll have egg on your face (no pun intended) once again!

 

[Scotchegg]

Why wouldn’t we start Long at rch.
He was unfortunate to be left out early season, during our better results. And was again impressive when coming on the other night.

Because some think managing a football club is like fantasy football. We have just had a battling win, our first since 14th September, with a threadbare squad, and there is talk of making 4 or 5 changes!

Bringing in Long for Nelson is the only logical change. The wing backs will need to be more controlled, and Tyler and El Miz will be our initial outlets and should set up slightly wider than they did on Tuesday. This will make us harder to beat but will still provide plenty of opportunities for fast breaks without massively losing our shape. We can make changes on the hour if players are getting tired, but some might just have to get through this knowing that we've got a two week break until the next game.

 

[Snoopsnoop]

Very much agree. International break coming up doesn't mean a player running on near empty doesn't risk damaging something just because he's got a week off coming up.

 

[Yellowmania]

Obviously, no one sits in their seats away from home.

So where would you sit/stand if you wanted to get the best view for your 8 year old's first away game? Towards the side and halfway back?

Been a while!

Probably best to see where the singers are situated and go to opposite side for a more gentler watch. Also avoid an aisle seat as often they’re full up of people standing (aka Luton but there didn’t seem enough seats free anyway with the micro standing rail seats!).
Hope they enjoy it.

 

[BicesterU]

Looking at the table tonight and although we won Tuesday we are still only 2 points off the 3rd relegation spot. But a win v Watford Friday night and we are 2 points off a play off place.

As it stands Portsmouth and QPR are quickly getting cut off and there are 4 points separating 14 teams from 22nd upwards. A win could take us to 9th and probably see us 5 points clear of 22nd even after everyone else has played. So many teams on 15 points.

It's going to be a really, really tight league I think. We're nearly a third of the way through the season, and there's only 4 points between 22nd and 9th, and apart from maybe the top three (and the bottom 2?), you could make a decent case for just about all the other sides beating each other.

I wonder how telling this coming weekend might be going into the international break, with a lot of sides in the top 10 playing against teams in the bottom half:

Watford (6th) v Oxford (16th)
Cardiff (21st) v Blackburn (10th)
Middlesborough (8th) v Luton (19th)
Leeds (3rd) v QPR (23rd)
Sunderland (1st) v Coventry (17th)
Sheffield United (2nd) v Sheffield Weds (15)
Hull (18th) v West Brom (7th)

If all the lower placed sides apart from us could kindly lose...!

 

[BicesterU]

Obviously, no one sits in their seats away from home.

So where would you sit/stand if you wanted to get the best view for your 8 year old's first away game? Towards the side and halfway back?

Been a while!

Would be interested to hear how this goes for you - bit nervous about taking my lad away from home as I'm not quite sure what to expect for him.

 

[ECYellow]

Weirdly, i have a sneaky feeling for us tomorrow night. It would be so Oxford United for us to turn Watford over, wouldn't it?

Back's against the wall with what will most probably a near full house at Vicarage Road. As long as our lads fight and press and show enormous heart, then i think we will have a squeak in this one. Especially considering that the boys will have vociferous backing from a packed out away end of 2,100 yellows.

2-1 Ox with Tyler popping one in the top corner with 15 minutes to go.

Come on yellows!

 

[Northstand grandad]

Wasn't it chesterfield...quite a while ago....unbeaten at home?
We went there and won.

 

[Mad Dog]

Either of these works for me:


OR:

 

[Bigdwoolly]

Would be interested to hear how this goes for you - bit nervous about taking my lad away from home as I'm not quite sure what to expect for him.

I would prepare him for some bad language and bad behaviour! They generally enjoy that side of the entertainment I think.

The big issue in my experience with taking 8/9/10 year olds is finding somewhere they can actually see the game. Other fans are not usually very thoughtful or sympathetic (we have our fair share of "football lads overexcited on a day out", especially I imagine on a friday night).

Be prepared to move. I think as close to the front as you can get and at the side is generally best as people are more likely to sit there so they can see. Crap view usually, but better than no view.

 

[Lost Marbles]

Would be interested to hear how this goes for you - bit nervous about taking my lad away from home as I'm not quite sure what to expect for him.

I took my then 4/5 year old to 8 or 9 away games last season. Sunderland was his first game this season. It's usually fine, I try to get a place at the front of the standees and he stands on his seat if he can't see. Sometimes (Sunderland) it's already full when we get in the ground, so we just find a couple of spare seats at the front. A good tip is to try to get seats behind other children, then he'll not have his view blocked even if they stand up.

It was quite funny because his first Oxford game was Cambridge away on the first day of last season. Beforehand, I was telling everyone I'd need to completely change my matchday routine and get in the ground early. We were still in a pub in the city centre at 20 to 3!

There's actually some positives to going with a kid, the main one being you can always get food and drink in: the stewards look in your bag, say something like "very sensible" or "you're well prepared" and wave you through.

The worst bit is when Oxford have just conceded a second and you want to have a few moments of silent misery: the boy's like "what are those flags for?", "why did he fall over?", "I'm hungry, when's half time?" and you want to say "shutthefuckup, shutthefuckup" but have to keep calm and polite...

Another tip is to go early and do something fun in the morning to make a day of it: we usually go for one in the pub, then visit a museum, then back to the pub! I'm planning on having a round of crazy golf or bowling with him before the next home game.

 

[Big Ron]

You predict an away win every time. I admire your optimism.

Was that not you on the phone-in on Tuesday saying 'uncharitably speaking, that might be our last win of the season'? I think I'd rather Sarge's eternal optimism.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

I cannot see McEachran starting after 98 minutes on Tuesday, even if we are down to the bare bones. I think Kioso will start with Brown partnering Moore and Leigh in at left back. RR back in and up front I think we might go with Harris wide again, as we did at Sunderland. It didn’t work up there, nothing did, but it might be worth another go. The brave call would be to go with Ebiowei and just say ‘show us what your can do’ but going with a more tried and trusted player like Harris is more likely and probably right. Heart says 1-1, head probably saying another narrow defeat, 2-1.

So you want to change the formation and drop 4 players after a hard fought victory?

 

[Sarge]

to add a bit of pseudo spice to tomorrow nights game - a certain 'StuartS' on NextDoor ( who is strongly suspected to be a multi of IM ?), has previously claimed to be a Watford supporter

Maybe the stadium planning team should do the pre match motivational talk?