Away Match Day Thread 09/12/2025 - MDT: Blackburn Rovers V OUFC

[Carpy]

 

[Northernyellow]

Look, if 50 points in the target to stay up then having around 25 or so going into January is doing ok. We’re on 18 now and slowly getting towards that total. We’re not cut adrift and we’re hanging on in there.

For all the good work from the first half, their subs and our subs changed the game really. Cantwell added a load more energy to a limited Blackburn team. We took off a load of energy and went defensive way too early. We lost the control that we had in the first half.

The penalty was deeply frustrating. It was obviously one but from an upward bounce from a header. A massive lifeline for Blackburn.

All I see is whinging. It’s still a point and one I’d taken before KO.

Yup. I genuinely don't get all the whinging. It's not particularly good to watch but that was a decent point. I can't be bothered to re-hash all the debate from a few days ago, but we're not very good, and our best bet atm is to be organised and aggressive. Which we are.

 

[Northernyellow]

That worked didn't it?

It was a joke

 

[Osleroad]

Let’s see after Saturday.
It was a cold night away at Blackburn. Saturday - I predict will be the Mills and Cheese show.

Shemmy will still be out - not sure about syr (cheese)

 

[Osei Yaw]

then that’s the cavalry for you.

 

[ttg17]

Interesting point on WATG that we’ve played the bulk of our ‘easy’ away games but also played the bulk of our ‘hard’ home games (on paper, based on current league standings). That’s quite positive in the main - lots of chances for winnable home points to come.

I didn’t travel to either, so full sympathy to those who did, but despite the frustration of the performances of games like tonight and Norwich, it may well prove pivotal long term that we denied two teams likely to be right down there with us 3 pts on nights like tonight. May have been s**t to watch and the side could maybe have done more but I think you take these points.

Saturday huge. A win keeps the mood good after a damaging result on the weekend.

 

[werthersoriginal]

I mean that was night and day from the Norwich game. We weren’t great but we were dominant and can feel a bit unfortunate not to win. Could easily have lost at the end though and it was Gary’s call whether to stick or twist.

Tom Bradshaw though, what was that about?

 

[Basham Wonderland]

Just so frustrating to watch us. Disjointed and unimaginative going forward. Nobody looks to want to play. Players not communicating. Fannying about with it. No leaders. Tired legs. Poor subs.

Can't see us finishing above 20th with how utterly inconsistent we are.

Seemingly our only tactic is to just play at 60% and hope the opposition doesn't turn up.

It was frustrating in the first half when we had a corner and basically went direct back to Cumming, without even considering an attack, for literally no reason.

 

[Twiggy85]

I think the bigger issue than the Tom Bradshaw sub (I don’t think he did any worse than Lankshear). We saw the impact of having no CM on the bench/in the squad available to try and pack the midfield. Teams are going to create more chances against use since BDK and Vaulks are running on empty and we have no options to help them out.

 

[ECYellow]

ah it’s a weird one. It’s a good point, but we could have won with a bit more intent.

I thought the fans that travelled were fantastic! We tried our best to back the team In amongst the quietest home crowd we’ll see all year. Credit to everyone!

 

[yellowbow]

My slight worry is that if Rowett is now turning to Bradshaw, that’s one player that possibly won’t be leaving in January. Unless Rowett is putting him in the shop window?

Without too much wiggle room in January, if we lose Prelec and replace him with a much needed midfielder, we’ll be going in to the second half of the season with M Harris, Bradshaw and Romeny as three quarters of our ‘strike force’ and, it has to be said, after a bright start Lankshear is starting to go backwards.

 

[Isle of Wight Yellow]

Not taking off Luke and Mark Harris until the 87th minute is frankly ludicrous. They were clearly knackered and we looked so much better and brighter when Romeny and Goodrham came on. If only they’d had more than 8 minutes to do something we might have scored another.

 

[Northernyellow]

You've ignored my question whilst referring to Luton for some bizarre reason.

To answer your question, I'd probably rather go down to ten men than bring on Bradshaw, whose legs have obviously gone. But actually I don't care because we got a point.

 

[Bicester Yellow]

I mean that was night and day from the Norwich game. We weren’t great but we were dominant and can feel a bit unfortunate not to win. Could easily have lost at the end though and it was Gary’s call whether to stick or twist.

Tom Bradshaw though, what was that about?

Dominant? What game were you watching?

 

[Joey]

I mean that was night and day from the Norwich game. We weren’t great but we were dominant and can feel a bit unfortunate not to win. Could easily have lost at the end though and it was Gary’s call whether to stick or twist.

Tom Bradshaw though, what was that about?

I'll admit I missed all but the last few minutes of the first half, but dominant? We got taken apart easily for large chunks of the second half and they missed a couple of sitters before the penalty whereas we scored our only shot on target all game.

Like I say I didn't see a lot of the first half but the stats of 0.34xg for us and 2.34 for them hint at the having much the better of it, let alone us being dominant.

 

[Londox]

The "Mark Harris scores in batches" theory has sadly turned out not to work.

I think he's simply not at the level.
Bradshaw is miles off the level.

 

[Last_man]

crying out for a midfielder BDK probably cant walk rn

 

[ECYellow]

Dominant? What game were you watching?

Did you part with your money and time for this one?

 

[Oxford84]

Yup. I genuinely don't get all the whinging. It's not particularly good to watch but that was a decent point. I can't be bothered to re-hash all the debate from a few days ago, but we're not very good, and our best bet atm is to be organised and aggressive. Which we are.

What we are not doing is putting the poorer sides to bed though by giving them 3 points or a draw.

 

[Northernyellow]

Rowatt can go prompt.

Bradshaw is rubbish, he’ll I would put on Snowdon from the reserves better than him, Mark Harris wanders around doing nothing, time to go boss.

Presumably you watch Snowden every day in training. As Rowett does.

 

[WE Yellow]

I mean that was night and day from the Norwich game. We weren’t great but we were dominant and can feel a bit unfortunate not to win. Could easily have lost at the end though and it was Gary’s call whether to stick or twist.

Tom Bradshaw though, what was that about?

There is no need to lie to try and prove your point.

 

[carefreeoufc]

I think the bigger issue than the Tom Bradshaw sub (I don’t think he did any worse than Lankshear). We saw the impact of having no CM on the bench/in the squad available to try and pack the midfield. Teams are going to create more chances against use since BDK and Vaulks are running on empty and we have no options to help them out.

I think that’s fair. Today, we’ve relied upon bringing Bradshaw on to defend from the top. Partly because we’ve got absolutely no one that can come into the middle of the park and either shore things up or disrupt opposition play (like Matos).

We really do need an athletic, ball winning defender that can be brought in when we’re leading a game to support Cam and BdK/Vaulks. Swapping the remaining striker for someone who can then be an outlet (Prelec).

There’s a lot of space in the middle when we revert to tactics like tonight. I get it, but it then means our backs are to the wall. You bring on someone like Matos in place of Lankshear and drop him back and I think it’s a different result. Particularly when you then freshen up your 10 with Goodrham or Prelec.

 

[Northernyellow]

What we are not doing is putting the poorer sides to bed though by giving them 3 points or a draw.

Because we're also not very good...

 

[OohJonnyLager]

Another point away from home, in a relegation battle, and it is what it is. A few on here would be happier if we had never gone up in the first place. It’s a long season and we’re chalking up points pretty regularly. The team are hard to beat and we’re in with a good shout of staying up as it stands. By the attitude displayed by many on here it’s like we’re getting battered every week. Short memories.

 

[werthersoriginal]

I'll admit I missed all but the last few minutes of the first half, but dominant? We got taken apart easily for large chunks of the second half and they missed a couple of sitters before the penalty whereas we scored our only shot on target all game.

Like I say I didn't see a lot of the first half but the stats of 0.34xg for us and 2.34 for them hint at the having much the better of it, let alone us being dominant.

I’m a nervous watcher but didn’t feel too anxious most of the time. I thought we won the first half and stood up for ourselves fairly well in the second. They could have won it but so could we if we’d gone for it a bit more.

 

[Bicester Yellow]

Did you part with your money and time for this one?

No I watched it on my TV, EC.

Is that quite alright with you?

Like I said, I’m not going to many if any away games with Rowett in charge as that is exactly the type of s**t we serve up.

 

[Bicester Yellow]

I’m a nervous watcher but didn’t feel too anxious most of the time. I thought we won the first half and stood up for ourselves fairly well in the second. They could have won it but so could we if we’d gone for it a bit more.

We had 2 shots in the second half?

By any stretch that is absolutely awful.

 

[Oxford84]

Because we're also not very good...

Yes but so are they, not very good. Not beating them means we stay down there.

 

[TheDukeOfBanburyshire]

I've seen a lot of Oxford games over the years, but I have to say that Rowett must be the most cowardly of all managers to put out a team to represent our great club.

The negativity and the reluctance to take anything resembling fight, spirit or risk-taking to the opposition beggar's belief. It's almost a p**s-take.

I don't want my club going down like this. Our players aren't as bad as we're led to believe, and they're clearly utterly bereft of confidence and motivation.
Do we want to limp to relegation playing an awful, redactive brand of football, or do we want to go down knowing we've left everything out there in every game? I know what I'd prefer.

There's only one person to blame for this state of affairs.

The man that never seemed to want the job in the first place, and continues to show scant regard for it, for the players, or the fans.

This is so sad.

 

[werthersoriginal]

We had 2 shots in the second half?

By any stretch that is absolutely awful.

It was an away game. Typically the home side will attack more. We aren’t very good but I thought that was a much more solid performance than other midweek away games I’ve seen (on the TV).

 

[ECYellow]

No I watched it on my TV, EC.

Is that quite alright with you?

Like I said, I’m not going to many if any away games with Rowett in charge as that is exactly the type of s**t we serve up.

No worries. It’s good to know so that your opinion can be filed in white noise