Home Match Day Thread 10/02/2026 - MDT: Oxford United v Norwich City

[Carpy]

 

[Sarge]

Quaking in their boots I should think.

theyll put out their youth team on sunday

 

[Billyox]

In the absence of

In the absence of another explanation, I can only assume that the four CBs was in the how of adding some defensive stability behind a relatively attacking front 6.

Listening to him talking after the game, I also assume it's the last we'll see of any kind of back four for a while.

We signed a left back to sit on the bench we had a right back sat on the bench
You want to play makosso than have the balls to drop helik or brown

You want to be more secure at the back play with 3 in midfield one sitting instead of 2 and getting over run

 

[Under The Cuckoo Lane]

What really worries me is that I believe I could have performed better than Bloomfields last 2 days at work.

 

[90syeIlow]

In the absence of

In the absence of another explanation, I can only assume that the four CBs was in the how of adding some defensive stability behind a relatively attacking front 6.

Listening to him talking after the game, I also assume it's the last we'll see of any kind of back four for a while.

It's not even the back four that's the problem - it's the players playing completely in their wrong positions and MB trying to coach this in a day that's the big problem.

I would have started with Roosken, Davies, Helik and Spencer.

 

[38yearsofpain]

Nearly 4 hours since the team sheet come out and I still cant work the thinking behind it and if I cant work it what hope have the players got

All well and good bloomfield coming out and saying we got some things wrong
It was wrong from the start and the time to change it was after 15 minutes before it got worse if he wanted to own his mistake you make that change you dig in to half time go in 1 nil down and then really change it

But its ok cos there are a honest bunch

I suspect Thohir is beginning to think exactly the same thing.
Admitting to mistakes I can just about accept as honesty but to say we came up with the idea on Sunday is just stupidity on so many levels. It smacks of desperation, a lack of reality and worryingly a lack of understanding of managing people.
It took Rowett a few months to lose the plot looks like Bloomfield has managed it in 2 months.

 

[southcoastyellow]

Just when I look forward to the summer when one of our worst ever wingers Placheta leaves, Ed Waldron says hold my pint and signs Emakhu……t

 

[Common Villager]

That match was an accurate representation of our entire season: ill-considered and poorly executed.

The less said about the starting lineup the better, but I am already fed up with the constant tinkering.

Our only hope of staying up is settling on a simple, consistent formation, playing our best players in their strongest positions, instilling belief in them and encouraging them to do the basics right.

We are going down with a whimper (including the fans. If you didn't go tonight cause it's a bit wet or your Mrs wanted to go out for an early Valentines meal, then you don't deserve to have your football club play in the Championship).

The SMT should all be having a long hard look at themselves because this season has been an absolute shambles. They got so lucky, so many times in the past but unfortunately their luck has ran out and their incompetencies exposed. If we do go down, I hope ET looks at all of them first.

 

[Oufccraig45]

I wonder what any Sunderland scouts made of us tonight!?

Proberly send down their academy team

 

[unification]

Were you there tonight and did you start any of this?

I was and gave as much noise as I could from the SSL.

I wasn’t the one taking a drum in and not bothering to hit it. Those chants have always come from the East Stand and there was precious little from them tonight to get the other stands going.

 

[Billyox]

theyll put out their youth team on sunday

So should we the showed more fight down the road at ox city tonight

 

[werthersoriginal]

What really worries me is that I believe I could have performed better than Bloomfields last 2 days at work.

A sensible 4-3-3, go out and enjoy yourselves lads, watch out for that nippy little fast guy.

 

[Chippy]

It's not even the back four that's the problem - it's the players playing completely in their wrong positions and MB trying to coach this in a day that's the big problem.

I would have started with Roosken, Davies, Helik and Spencer.

In all honestly Davies must have sh*t in the shoes of the entire backroom team, otherwise how is he not in the team in the current form we are in. He always seems to have a reasonable game and hasn’t let us down when he’s been selected. Baffling how he doesn’t get more game time under either manager this season.

 

[90syeIlow]

I was and gave as much noise as I could from the SSL.

I wasn’t the one taking a drum in and not bothering to hit it. Those chants have always come from the East Stand and there was precious little from them tonight to get the other stands going.

I heard the drum up until we conceded after the first minute but it was such a calamitous goal to concede that I'm not surprised we didn't use it afterward.

It wouldn't have changed the performance unless the players were casting in a Lord of the Rings film.

 

[werthersoriginal]

I suspect Thohir is beginning to think exactly the same thing.
Admitting to mistakes I can just about accept as honesty but to say we came up with the idea on Sunday is just stupidity on so many levels. It smacks of desperation, a lack of reality and worryingly a lack of understanding of managing people.
It took Rowett a few months to lose the plot looks like Bloomfield has managed it in 2 months.

I heard his contorted explanation, but why did he need to make it all so complicated? He didn’t need to invent some cutting edge new approach. He seems to feel that he’s sone kind of footballing intellectual.

 

[Jaboysmith]

What will it take to see a team of
Cumming
Spencer Makosso Davies Currie
BDK McDonnell Brannagan
Mills Lankshear MPH

To me that is so obviously our strongest 11, and while players are injured, you should tweak around that, not change it all the time

 

[m]

Oh deary deary me.

That starting XI was pants. We nearly got relegated with Brown at left back when we were in League 1. What possessed anyone to think it was worth a go at this level? They were all in the wrong place too.

GR’s nine games saw him play two midfielders because that’s all he had. Stating two midfielders meant there was no outlet.

The game was done immediately. It should never start a game again.

It’s looking over. I’ve always been sanguine about a return to League 1 since we are small at this level (you can whinge about that all you like) but it’s a long and drawn out process for it to occur

Also the crowd were pathetic today. No noise, only getting animated about pointless things, no positive chants at all, most had gone by 85 minutes. We have a drum and it’s not even used.

Gary Rowett doesn’t lose that game 3-0 with the players Bloomfield has at his disposal.

Harsh on the crowd.

We were 'treated' to an utter shitfest, and responded with admirable restraint.

 

[RgYellows]

Just when I look forward to the summer when one of our worst ever wingers Placheta leaves

Can’t imagine Placheta ever turning in a performance as terrible as that opinion.

 

[90syeIlow]

In all honestly Davies must have sh*t in the shoes of the entire backroom team, otherwise how is he not in the team in the current form we are in. He always seems to have a reasonable game and hasn’t let us down when he’s been selected. Baffling how he doesn’t get more game time under either manager this season.

I've thought this often and don't know why it isn't discussed more.

Neither head coach has had the balls this season to drop Helik and Brown for some bizarre reason, yet we have a solid ex Rangers CB left on the bench. Baffling.

 

[SamLongSlidingTackle]

At least we know what's required for next time we're in the champ.

 

[38yearsofpain]

You know, if Bloomfield had gone with that same XI, but played Sam Long at RB (where he's played a couple of hundred times before) and slotted Makosso in at CB alongside Helik, I could just about have understood it. The four CBs across the backline approach has worked for us in the past on occasions. It's not sexy, but it can be effective as long as the opposition doesn't have too much pace on the flanks (and Norwich really didn't)

But slotting Makosso out on the right side where he looked like a fish out of water, and then having Sam Long play LCB and push up rather aggressively.....well that led directly to the first two goals, and meant the game was over within twenty minutes.

And then the second gargantuan problem was the fact that our entire attacking strategy, for the first half at least, seemed to be lobbing balls down the channels for our forwards to chase against much bigger and more athletic opposition defenders. We displayed zero ability to play the ball through the middle of the park.

Sigh. Hard to see where we go from here. With the squad we have, and the form we're in......feels like we're just rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic at the moment.....

The complete lack of creativity is worrying. We appear to be hoping and praying that Donley will provide it.
But our ability to find gems is not exactly working. We needed leaders and warriors and we have brought in a few more show ponies. They are not players for a relegation battle, only McDonnell and Makosso look battle ready

 

[m]

Can’t believe the manager said the fans want wingers. And he picked his team around that.
If his selections are going to be a reflection of things that are said on here. We’re in big trouble.

That comment pissed me off massively.

 

[trainingcone]

Next season is a whole new game, we’ll have a new manager and a largely new team.

You reckon that we will have new manager at the start of next season?.

Im must admit i was surprised on bloomfield joining us, as i know someone who is a luton fan and he was slating off bloomfield last season and as you know Luton got relegated. Remember seeing them play against us at home last season and they were poor.

 

[Shosho]

I have no problem with three at the back, but playing 4 centre backs in the back 4 and asking long to do some sort of roaming Rob Atkinson role because someone has done it elsewhere seems weird.

I suspect Bloomfield now will ditch a back 4, despite deploying it hideously, and will resort back to wing backs.

Rowett at the back end of last season consulted the senior players with how they wanted to go about survival. Tonight looked like no one had a clue what to do. I assume that comes from the manager.

Maybe Bloomfield has had some clarity (to use a phrase from a previous manager!) in which direction he needs to go.

Tonight was a big opportunity that we don’t even show up for. There is now evidence that we will get results vs those around us or pick up points at home.

 

[uptheus]

What really worries me is that I believe I could have performed better than Bloomfields last 2 days at work.

That bar’s not very high either!!

 

[Mad Dog]

Haven't felt this despondent in years if I'm honest.

Very poor players.
Very poor manager.
Very poor coaching staff.
Very poor recruitment team.
Very poor Chairman.
Very poor CEO
Very poor season.

We had our chance to have a real shot at becoming established at this level, and we've made an absolute pigs ear of it.
No fight, no quality, no desire, no inspiration, no clue. It's been nothing short of embarrassing.
With the current approach to recruitment and managerial appointments, and with a couple of half-wit clowns steering the ship, this won't be improving any time soon.
We're in free fall.

We're utter dog shite, and there's only one way this ends now, just enjoy this final two months in The Championship, because we won't be back for a very long time.

 

[Billyox]

Did cam come back to the bench after he walked down the tunnel??

 

[Big Ronaldo]

Well that was a numbing experience.
Where do you start?
Large gaps in the home ends before a ball was kicked and very shortly after it was, we were 0-1 down. Poor all round.
I wish I could say that we raised ourselves but we looked totally out of ideas going forward as Norwich toyed with us down each wing.
Time and again they passed the ball through us and it was no surprise that they got another. We seemed to be confused over who was supposed to be where.
Sorry to say that we looked totally flat.
Half-time came with a Chorus of boos. About as loud as anything that we sang all half.
Second-half, two subs came on but within two minutes of the restart, we were three down.
TBF, the midfield were working hard enough but we were anonymous in the final third.
Really angered to hear boos ring out when Brannagan came off. He worked his bollocjs off. Some of our so called fans eh?
With Mills on, at least we had someone prepared to try and run it forward although the final ball left something to be desired .
We are so very short of anyone half decent up front. While I feel for Mharris, he doesn’t even try to win the ball anymore, just shove the defenders.
Towards the end, we got our first look at Jin Woo, who I must say did okay.
Quite honestly though, we don’t score enough goals to stay up. Chances are so few and far between despite our best efforts and if you are going to give the ball away and concede soft goals like tonight. We’re done.
Perhaps that’s why so many didn’t bother to come tonight?

 

[Jaboysmith]

Did cam come back to the bench after he walked down the tunnel??

Yes

 

[BS32]

T

What will it take to see a team of
Cumming
Spencer Makosso Davies Currie
BDK McDonnell Brannagan
Mills Lankshear MPH

To me that is so obviously our strongest 11, and while players are injured, you should tweak around that, not change it all the time

I,ve been hugely disappointed with Brannnagan this season, would put Konak in his place, we desperately need athleticism but agree with rest.

 

[uptheus]

Makosso was still our best player, but to play Long and Brown in those positions completely fucked up the balance.

Anyway, we’ve got a left back/wingback in Leigh, but let’s wait until ter Avest is back for one game before getting injured again when we’ve got 3 or 4 players who can play there.

Stop accommodating players Bloomfield and put players in their rightful positions and keep a settled side to enable partnerships to grow!!

I also think we’re missing something in the midfield. Brannagan & McDonnell seem too similar. There’s no creativity!

And where was MPH tonight?

And our fans singing ‘we’ve had a shot’ have a word with yourselves! Nearly as bad as the ones singing ‘we’re winning away, how s**t must you be’ at Leicester, pathetic!