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

[Northstandboy]

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[Swaby39]

I wouldn’t drop McGuane away from home to Bolton and go with a midfield of Brannagan, Matete and Rodrigues, I think you are looking at letting in more than our customary 1 or 2 a game if we leave the middle of the pitch that open.

Personally would put Rodrigues on the bench and go with McGuane holding with Brannagan and Matete in front of him.

Hard to disagree but have to admit to a fear of leaving Rodrigues out as I just can’t see who else would see the pass that gets you on the front foot. I also think his work rate and ability to duck and weave is understated. It depends how comfortable we are playing the first hour or so in our own half because I don’t see us getting forward with any precision without him playing. Are we good enough to sit and absorb? No.

You’d think this were a game for Matete but something is amiss. At 2-1 up on Saturday having already squandered a lead once, Des throws Bodin on instead. He also didn’t appear at Portsmouth. Odd given the type of player he is, hopefully just fitness(!).

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Hard to disagree but have to admit to a fear of leaving Rodrigues out as I just can’t see who else would see the pass that gets you on the front foot. I also think his work rate and ability to duck and weave is understated. It depends how comfortable we are playing the first hour or so in our own half because I don’t see us getting forward with any precision without him playing. Are we good enough to sit and absorb? No.

You’d think this were a game for Matete but something is amiss. At 2-1 up on Saturday having already squandered a lead once, Des throws Bodin on instead. He also didn’t appear at Portsmouth. Odd given the type of player he is, hopefully just fitness(!).

I agree about Rodrigues, he might be quiet during the game but he has the ability to unlock a defence with one clever pass.
I also think if we set up defensively against Bolton then we will get picked off. Attack is the best form of defence which moves me onto why I think Bodin has been used as it gives the other team more to worry about, rather than bringing on someone like Matete who will sit in and protect the back 4 but it invites more pressure.

 

[Followtheox1]

Matete might well be a holding midfielder but he is rubbish at it, for arguments sake stick with McGuane and be done with it.

Leave Matete at home for the game, Smith can hold.

I don't think he is rubbish at it. His history demonstrates that. Unfortunately he is coming back from a serious and long term injury. As excited as some were when we signed him, he was never ready to go in terms of match sharpness.

 

[holdsteady]

Hard to disagree but have to admit to a fear of leaving Rodrigues out as I just can’t see who else would see the pass that gets you on the front foot. I also think his work rate and ability to duck and weave is understated. It depends how comfortable we are playing the first hour or so in our own half because I don’t see us getting forward with any precision without him playing. Are we good enough to sit and absorb? No.

You’d think this were a game for Matete but something is amiss. At 2-1 up on Saturday having already squandered a lead once, Des throws Bodin on instead. He also didn’t appear at Portsmouth. Odd given the type of player he is, hopefully just fitness(!).

Has Rodrigues been that good recently? I don’t think missing a start will hurt him or us, plus it could give him something to prove against Port Vale where he will be more useful.
We are going to spend a chunk of the game defending against Bolton, if we can stay in the game for the first hour and get their fans on at them though we might be able to nick something.

 

[CCYellow]

Is the "Luke Southwood is from Oxford" thing definitely true?

He was born in Oxford but the fact he was at Ding suggests he may have grown up in Berks?

Yes.

Him and Dom Hyam were in the Reading academy. They both went to Carterton Community College, at the same time Niall McWilliams was headteacher.

No, I'm not a pedo. I went to the same school.

 

[Swaby39]

Has Rodrigues been that good recently? I don’t think missing a start will hurt him or us, plus it could give him something to prove against Port Vale where he will be more useful.
We are going to spend a chunk of the game defending against Bolton, if we can stay in the game for the first hour and get their fans on at them though we might be able to nick something.

No he hasn’t been great, but I think he’s been better in the last few while still nowhere near his best. I don’t think we play to his strengths but in theory a game like this might suit him - it’s a bit of a catch 22. He’ll get the space, but will he be too shackled to the defensive duties to make use of it? But at least you can count on him to put a shift in which we can’t be certain of with Matete who looks ponderous.

All depends on the game plan. Like Steve says I think if we sit back and try to frustrate, we’ll be well beaten as we’re just not that team. On the other hands, over commit and the same could happen. I think Rodrigues offers some balance.

 

[sideshowrob]

You’re a cockney

You have to be born within the sound of Bow bells to claim that.

 

[Followtheox1]

Has Rodrigues been that good recently? I don’t think missing a start will hurt him or us, plus it could give him something to prove against Port Vale where he will be more useful.
We are going to spend a chunk of the game defending against Bolton, if we can stay in the game for the first hour and get their fans on at them though we might be able to nick something.

I thought he was generally poor on Saturday. I think Bodin's best position is the same as Rodrigues and think Bodin should come in for him.

 

[bazzer9461]

He didn't say whether he was born within the sound of Bow Bells!!

Cor blimey guv maybe he ought to get on his plates get down the frog and toad skip going on the rub and dub save himself a lady and getting brahmsed and have a gander at whether he can hear the peel of the bell of Bow

 

[uptheus]

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!

Yet!!

 

[Followtheox1]

Cor blimey guv maybe he ought to get on his plates get down the frog and toad skip going on the run and din save himself a lady and getting brahmsed and have a gander at whether he can hear the peel of the bell of Bow

Dick Van Dyke!!!

 

[Front Post]

The last time RR got benched, he came on and scored.

 

[BrockBuster]

I wouldn’t drop McGuane away from home to Bolton and go with a midfield of Brannagan, Matete and Rodrigues, I think you are looking at letting in more than our customary 1 or 2 a game if we leave the middle of the pitch that open.

Personally would put Rodrigues on the bench and go with McGuane holding with Brannagan and Matete in front of him.

People forget how much good work RR does off the ball. He presses and harasses the opposition, so replacing him with a more 'defensive' midfielder doesn't necessarily always help. Yes in theory they should be deeper and more disciplined, but they've rarely played together so won't necessarily be on the same wavelength.

Where Rodrigues has really struggled is that the two deeper CMs rarely try and find him, given they're devoid of any kind penetrative pass aside from Brannagan's diagonal pings. When he does come deep and receives the ball, he's actually the player that's best suited and most likely to open up the opposition.

Dropping him for Bolton would put us more on the back foot, which as we've proven this season when we've taken the lead in games - we're crap at.

 

[billyturleyscurlywurly]

The problem with McGuane & Rodrigues is that Manning had them playing at a level in which they were 2 of the better midfielders in the division.

Since he left for Bristol City, they’ve both dropped off massively. They aren’t playing poorly, they’re playing average.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

The problem with McGuane & Rodrigues is that Manning had them playing at a level in which they were 2 of the better midfielders in the division.

Since he left for Bristol City, they’ve both dropped off massively. They aren’t playing poorly, they’re playing average.

Probably because Ruben didn’t get his mate as a manger…

 

[uptheus]

Poor performance yesterday, and if we hadn’t scored just before half time I think the team would have left the field to boos, but luckily that wasn’t the case.

Hoped we’d play more on the front foot 2nd half, but again we lacked ideas which wasn’t helped by the statuesque figures of McGuane and Rodrigues. How they stayed on the field is beyond me.

We only came alive again in the 2nd half once they had scored.

Des doesn’t seem to have an influence over the team as he was constantly encouraging his players to get further up the pitch, but to no avail. When I watch him do this it looks so weak and without conviction, so no wonder the players don’t respond.

Once we started to attack after their goal, the crowd noise rose and it actually felt there was a football game being played rather than us just going through the emotions.

After last week’s performance I was hoping for so much better, but even with the 2 full weeks of being on the training ground seemed to amount to nothing other than words. Like Ben Purkiss said on the Dub, the real test would be against Cheltenham e.g. not against Pompey away who are top of the league in front of 20k+ fans, but back at the Kassam against a lowly Cheltenham etc. Yes, we got the win in the end, but the performance and direction just wasn’t there snd seems to be more of the norm under Des’ leadership.

Got to entertain your fanbase, especially at home, but I’ll take a 1-0 scrappy away wins against Bolton & Port Vale games away!!

 

[Scotchegg]

Des doesn’t seem to have an influence over the team as he was constantly encouraging his players to get further up the pitch, but to no avail. When I watch him do this it looks so weak and without conviction, so no wonder the players don’t respond.

Body language experts are back!!

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Poor performance yesterday, and if we hadn’t scored just before half time I think the team would have left the field to boos, but luckily that wasn’t the case.

Hoped we’d play more on the front foot 2nd half, but again we lacked ideas which wasn’t helped by the statuesque figures of McGuane and Rodrigues. How they stayed on the field is beyond me.

We only came alive again in the 2nd half once they had scored.

Des doesn’t seem to have an influence over the team as he was constantly encouraging his players to get further up the pitch, but to no avail. When I watch him do this it looks so weak and without conviction, so no wonder the players don’t respond.

Once we started to attack after their goal, the crowd noise rose and it actually felt there was a football game being played rather than us just going through the emotions.

After last week’s performance I was hoping for so much better, but even with the 2 full weeks of being on the training ground seemed to amount to nothing other than words. Like Ben Purkiss said on the Dub, the real test would be against Cheltenham e.g. not against Pompey away who are top of the league in front of 20k+ fans, but back at the Kassam against a lowly Cheltenham etc. Yes, we got the win in the end, but the performance and direction just wasn’t there snd seems to be more of the norm under Des’ leadership.

Got to entertain your fanbase, especially at home, but I’ll take a 1-0 scrappy away wins against Bolton & Port Vale games away!!

I’ll take a 11 scrappy wins if we end up at Wembley.

 

[uptheus]

I’ll take a 11 scrappy wins if we end up at Wembley.

You’re Ian Atkins and I claim my £10!

 

[MustardYellow]

We won which is the most important thing, but it was another poor performance. Bar 6/7 minutes in the second half, it was still so flat. Play like that against better opposition (Cheltenham were dreadful btw) and we get nothing from that game.

Was nice to see Leigh back on the scoresheet, though.