Home Match Day Thread +++ 09/02/2019 OUFC v Sunderland match day thread +++

[AbbeyOx]

We've proved we can do it against the top teams now let's get a winning run going.
What length contract did we give Whyte? Got to keep hold of him in the summer and try and sign Graham

 

[Thehorse777]

Great game, we’re a very decent side. Would be glad if that Sunderland chap came back to give us his views.

No one going on about ‘Tiger’ now

We aren't a very decent side, we are an average aside capable of very decent performances. until these become the norm rather than the odd one you can't claim that OUFC are a "very decent" team, that's those who are at the top of the league.

AFC Wimbledon are a poor side yet they knocked West Ham out of the cup the other day comprehensively, it doesn't make them a good team.

Today, in isolation is a good result..... not losing to a club with considerably greater resources as has been evidenced by their business in January is solid enough, however, the number of draws is a cause for concern as draws don't keep you up, if next weeks game doesn't see us get three points before you know it we only have 2 or 3 points from three games which is relegation form.

We need to start winning games, regardless of who the opposition is, unless we start to win games it won't be enough.

 

[werthersoriginal]

We aren't a very decent side, we are an average aside capable of very decent performances. until these become the norm rather than the odd one you can't claim that OUFC are a "very decent" team, that's those who are at the top of the league.

AFC Wimbledon are a poor side yet they knocked West Ham out of the cup the other day comprehensively, it doesn't make them a good team.

Today, in isolation is a good result..... not losing to a club with considerably greater resources as has been evidenced by their business in January is solid enough, however, the number of draws is a cause for concern as draws don't keep you up, if next weeks game doesn't see us get three points before you know it we only have 2 or 3 points from three games which is relegation form.

We need to start winning games, regardless of who the opposition is, unless we start to win games it won't be enough.

We are a decent side over the last three months both in performances and results, spoiled just by that Christmas stretch. Today wasn’t an outlier in any way. Agree we need a couple of unspectacular wins very soon

 

[Oxfordpete]

I would have been happy with a point before the game but gutted we didn’t take all 3, we should have had at least 1 before half time and not sure how Henry missed the header in the second, from behind the goal it was a poor poor miss, in general he didn’t have a good game, and I’m sure having a child in hospital explains this performance, perhaps being on the bench might have been the answer.

 

[Peterdev]

What was evident today was that other results went our way. Gillingham were hammered at home,Wimbledon lost and are looking poor.
What also struck me is that Accrington are on an absolutely shocking run and could easily end up bottom four.
Plymouth are climbing out of trouble.
Hopefully we can get some results and do,what Plymouth have so far done.
I’m just worried that the games clock is going down.
But I’m optimistic we will escape the dreaded drop.
Well done to Sinclair on a good performance today. Shame their keeper was on top form

 

[Oldman159]

Most enjoyable game to watch. However......

The Ref (again) set himself abysmally low standards which he consistently failed to live up to. Their guy who went down just before equaliser was only doing what the rest of his team were doing all afternoon. Throwing himself to the floor across our player with the strong belief that he would win a free kick. (Most of them did) Unfortunately the ref decided nothing to be had. Perhaps he was regretting his earlier cr*p decisions and this became his best decision all afternoon.

 

[Shaun Rice]

Another excellent performance. I didn’t think much of Sunderland and on that performance I don’t think they’ll go up.
We got lucky with the goal because I think it was a foul. Having said that Eastward hardly had a save to make! We could and should have had 2 or 3.

 

[Johnf]

Thought we were the better side today and deserved to win but would have been a travesty if we lost.
Not sure why Sunderland were whinging about our goal as I don’t think their defender was fouled and I thought there was an offside in the build up that led to the corner from which they scored. I think they had the rub of the green as far as refereeing decisions today.
If we carry on playing anything like today I don’t think come May we will be anywhere near relegation
Well done OUFC

COYY

 

[North Wales Yellow]

Tbf to KR, he has been banging on all season about injuries and not having a strong enough bench etc.

If we had the squad that we had today at the start of the season, absolutely no chance we would be where we are in the league.

 

[Marked Ox]

A few points:

- The players need to settle down and show some composure in front of goal. Jerome Sinclair demonstrated that in setting up Marcus Browne for the deserved equaliser. The coaches need to be talking to the players about showing composure.

- I'm glad the pressure from the crowd finally got the Ref booking their players. They got away with so much, so I have no sympathy whether our goal was a foul or not (having seen it on Sky, it is not as clear-cut as I thought at the time) considering their same player hugging Dickie at virtually every corner.

- We were by far the best team and played some really good football considering the conditions.

- Hanson had a good game and definitely seems to be building a partnership with Gavin Whyte.

- Jordan Graham is a top player. My man of the match.

- That we nullified Sunderland apart from the one corner and made them look very poor, I reckon Luton and Barnsley for the automatic promotion places. I'd err on the side of Pompey to win the play offs.

- Pompey fans helped create a proper atmosphere unlike the Sunderland supporters who were very quiet overall.

- Nelson got caught on the wrong side for their goal unfortunately. Thought Dickie had a good game.

- Liked Samir Carruthers coming on and immediately organising/being a leader. Definitely helped in injury time. Shows something we have missed with his injury.

- Cam Brannagan was like the Energiser Bunny and absolutely everywhere.

- Chris Allen needs to talk to Gavin Whyte about his crossing. Some absolute beauties, like the one that James Henry should have done so much better with; but he needs to drill some low ones to the back post as he had a couple of chances like that. Other than that, he was a constant threat and it is nice to have such an exciting player as part of our squad.

- Finally, if I heard KR correctly, I wish James Henry's little 'un a full and quick recovery.

 

[lerekdilley]

Was just reading their forum and almost all on their fans are saying it was no foul. Really enjoyable match today and deserved more than a point. Graham and Whyte were outstanding.

 

[holdsteady]

Before the game that would of seemed a decent point, as the game ticked on it seemed a very welcome point but in the here and now I can’t help but think we just threw away two points against a poor team, we were a level above them I thought and Graham had there right back all game long. Should of won that. Still it’s 5 points from 3 home games where people said we would get none.

Can’t decide if Sunderland had an off day or are just a poor side who have got by on sides believing they must be better than they really are due to the fan base and recent prem status. They have a lot of draws and haven’t really put many sides away, be very surprised if that team goes up.

 

[foghorn]

Would have taken a point before the game as I was certain we were going to lose. Having read the above and listened to a few minutes of the BBC Newcastle post match show, it sounds as though we could have got all three. They didn't think it was a foul for the equaliser btw - just that their defender needed to have been stronger. Just need to get a couple of wins now (easier said than done, I know) and I reckon we can climb away from the dreaded drop zone.

 

[holdsteady]

A few points:

- The players need to settle down and show some composure in front of goal. Jerome Sinclair demonstrated that in setting up Marcus Browne for the deserved equaliser. The coaches need to be talking to the players about showing composure.

- I'm glad the pressure from the crowd finally got the Ref booking their players. They got away with so much, so I have no sympathy whether our goal was a foul or not (having seen it on Sky, it is not as clear-cut as I thought at the time) considering their same player hugging Dickie at virtually every corner.

- We were by far the best team and played some really good football considering the conditions.

- Hanson had a good game and definitely seems to be building a partnership with Gavin Whyte.

- Jordan Graham is a top player. My man of the match.

- That we nullified Sunderland apart from the one corner and made them look very poor, I reckon Luton and Barnsley for the automatic promotion places. I'd err on the side of Pompey to win the play offs.

- Pompey fans helped create a proper atmosphere unlike the Sunderland supporters who were very quiet overall.

- Nelson got caught on the wrong side for their goal unfortunately. Thought Dickie had a good game.

- Liked Samir Carruthers coming on and immediately organising/being a leader. Definitely helped in injury time. Shows something we have missed with his injury.

- Cam Brannagan was like the Energiser Bunny and absolutely everywhere.

- Chris Allen needs to talk to Gavin Whyte about his crossing. Some absolute beauties, like the one that James Henry should have done so much better with; but he needs to drill some low ones to the back post as he had a couple of chances like that. Other than that, he was a constant threat and it is nice to have such an exciting player as part of our squad.

- Finally, if I heard KR correctly, I wish James Henry's little 'un a full and quick recovery.

Agree with most of that but Chrissy Allen teaching anyone about crossing is an interesting one, the amount of times he used to run out of pitch and not get the ball across, I like to think he was given that stretch of the London road wall he collided with on many occasions.

 

[foghorn]

- Chris Allen needs to talk to Gavin Whyte about his crossing. Some absolute beauties, like the one that James Henry should have done so much better with; but he needs to drill some low ones to the back post as he had a couple of chances like that. Other than that, he was a constant threat and it is nice to have such an exciting player as part of our squad.

That's one thing I've noticed from what I've seen of Jordan Graham on the highlights packages - he mixes his crosses up cleverly. Sometimes when you think he's going to chip it into the box he drills it hard and low, and vice versa. Very good player.

 

[Mellowyellow]

God, it was Burton all over again; dominate the play, but the shots were more akin to a rugby game, 3 points and all that. We should have won it. A group of makems outed by a young lad under the North Stand, who overheard the group talking just after our goal, "They've just equalised." He replied, "What do you mean they've just equalised?"
Followed by them being chased out by about 4 Oxford fans.

 

[Yellow River]

Two evenly matched teams in the first half, they took there only clear chance of the match we missed two good opportunities.

Second half we were clearly the better team and deserved our equaliser.

Apart from Sunderland’s goal Eastwood didn’t have a save to make. Yes they have some good players but we more than matched them. White and Graham made their fullbacks look stupid at times.

Sunderland were timing wasting from the beginning of the second half.

I thought Sunderland’s support although good in numbers was very quiet, a chant after they scored and that was about it.


Our squad looks stronger after the January window and it showed in the bench and the subs that came on. We do need to start winning some matches though. I’m more hopeful after today that we can avoid the drop.

 

[unification]

Before the season started, I think we would have all taken two points from our two games against Sunderland wouldn’t we?

An interesting parallel with our opponents today - we’ve both drawn 12 games each this season - more than any other side in the league. They’ve only lost two all season too so getting so close to beating them should be commended.

 

[Teddydee1980]

I think today really confirmed the scale of underachievement this season. With about twenty 'ifs' this side should be far higher up the league.

Went nuts on the equalizer partly because we should have been out of sight. Some woeful finishing and final touches until that point had me thinking the most likely next goal would come for them from a corner.

As much as we were better in the second, Sunderland seemed dead after the break, had absolutely nothing and looked pedestrian, until they were able to bring on a bit of spark. On that form, they look the opposite of us, a side at the top that should be much lower. Barnsley are the best side I've seen us against this season.

Anyway, good defensive performance, Hanson was steadier as was Dickie and Nelse worked hard to handle both Grigg then Wyke. Ruffel is developing a good partnership with Graham and even overlaps a bit.

In the middle, Mous needed time to get up to speed but was better in the second, Henry seemed to be the crux of our best play but seemed to lose his touch once or twice. Graham was a constant threat and Whyte was the best player on the pitch. Such a sharp player and has been consistently threatening.

Nice to have some actual subs to call on too, and I thought they were the right switches at the right time. To field Whyte, Brown, Sinclair and Graham in the last ten as an attacking unit is something that CBs in this league would not look forward to.

Finally a word for the 'Ref'. You can take the Ref out the Conference but you can't take the Conference out of the Ref. Woeful.

 

[West Oxon U’s]