Home Match Day Thread +++ 11/1/2020 OUFC V Rotherham United L1 +++

[Bornyellow]

KR is totally to blame for this defeat, My first thought when I saw the team on my way to the ground was "does he not want to win this game". Taylor one of our top scorers
on the bench and Mackie who I believe has scored twice this season up front. All the new players that he has made such a fuss about signing on the bench. As for Eastwood
who many on here say had a bad game I believe that he has had a bad season and has gone downhill since the start. We should have got rid and kept Archer.

finally I’m not the only one who thinks Eastwood looks a very weak link. I said today he cost us more goals in one game then Archer did in two months. Even if you cut him some slack for today as it was his first game back in a while, he has cost us to many goals this season. Once in a while he pulls of wonder save and this massively clouds people’s perspective of him I think.

 

[MiddleBartonYellow]

KR is totally to blame for this defeat, My first thought when I saw the team on my way to the ground was "does he not want to win this game". Taylor one of our top scorers
on the bench and Mackie who I believe has scored twice this season up front. All the new players that he has made such a fuss about signing on the bench. As for Eastwood
who many on here say had a bad game I believe that he has had a bad season and has gone downhill since the start. We should have got rid and kept Archer.

f**k sake.

 

[Browny]

I'm not so sure it showed weaknesses in our squad, just that we got it wrong today against a side who worked us out.

Eastwood was back maybe a week earlier than he would have liked, and in addition to Mous being out, it made our whole defence look nervous. But Moore has played well when in the team and I'm not sure Stevens would have been any better in goal.

Midfield was where we were caught out, but few would have changed Gorrin, Bran and Bap in the middle. Brannagan wasn't fit enough, but it was maybe worth a gamble. Gorrin got an early booking and that affected his normal game, and Baptiste was trying to do too much.

Then you look at the front three, and we know that Taylor, Browne and Holland were better but you can at least understand the reasoning for starting Mackie, Fosu and Sykes even if it didn't work.

We will play much better than that, and will win more than we lose. We beat Ipswich and Gillingham and we're right back in the mix for the autos.

Tend to agree. I thought our 1st goal kick was interesting. We had 3 defenders waiting just outside the area for a short kick and sure enough they had players tight to each of them.

Clearly a.manager who had done his homework (surprisingly it seems not all do) and that set the pattern of then closing is down, starving us of space and working extremely hard for the while game

Problem for then their pitiful last two attempts at staying in the Championship highlight that the physical approach and a team of 6 footers does not cut it at the higher level

 

[uptheus]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing however KR showed loyalty today to players which backfired, you have to pick your best team possible to win the game from the start, not trying to salvage something it it all goes wrong, if players are fit and ready to go you must play them.....
Mackie over Taylor........ NO
Moore over Mous........NO
Fosu over Browne or Holland....... Fosu been out of form for over a month........ NO
Long over ??????...... no competition for RB at present
Cam obviously not 100%........ other midfielders raring to go...
.
Get your money on the yellows scoring a goal in the first 20 minutes against Ipswich because the starting 11 on the pitch and KR will want to prove so much to put this performance to bed and get in front as early as possible. Tuesday now has the potential to one of those nights under lights at the Kassam... I also expect the starting line up to be more like the team that finished the game today with Mous also coming in.............!

Yeah, but no one would have moaned if he started Mousinho and Taylor, and substituted Brannagan early on when it was clear he was struggling.

 

[uptheus]

KR is totally to blame for this defeat, My first thought when I saw the team on my way to the ground was "does he not want to win this game". Taylor one of our top scorers
on the bench and Mackie who I believe has scored twice this season up front. All the new players that he has made such a fuss about signing on the bench. As for Eastwood
who many on here say had a bad game I believe that he has had a bad season and has gone downhill since the start. We should have got rid and kept Archer.

I think KR’s plan was to keep it tight for 60-65mins, then blast them with Taylor, Browne and Holland, but obviously didn’t go that way.

 

[Northstandboy]

I've seen the second goal again, what is Eastwood doing! Where is he going?!

 

[Thomas/Brock/Jones]

I've seen the second goal again, what is Eastwood doing! Where is he going?!

Made it easy , would have had to have been a great strike if he had stayed on line ...poor decision from rusty keeper

 

[NorthWestOx]

Yet we will still be in the last 4 segment of quest the EFL show ?

You just knew we'd be one of the first games on after that.
Nice comment from Colin Murray though, apologising for having 2 scummers in, but saying that at least we're in the league above the scum.

 

[MC Yellow]

Did anyone else think the atmosphere was really poor today? I remember 5k crowds in the conference making more noise. Think the club really need to look at the overall match day experience. There is nothing to get the crowd going before the match, play some uplifting music and turn the volume up, we are not all in the south stand upper and in are retirement. We need a singing section preferably the east stand as half in the east stand half in North doesn't work at the wind tunnel. Someone have a word or give me the contact details to someone at the club,

I wish people would stop giving the SSU so much criticism. Starting to get on my tits now.

Try giving OUFC a google.. you never know, you might find a website with contact details ?.

Do you own a drum?

 

[PottersRightBoot]

Agree. Constant anti SSU ageist drivel irritating.

 

[MC Yellow]

I think KR’s plan was to keep it tight for 60-65mins, then blast them with Taylor, Browne and Holland, but obviously didn’t go that way.

My thoughts exactly.

But I just think Mous was the right person to help achieve this.

 

[MC Yellow]

Agree. Constant anti SSU ageist drivel irritating.

They just don’t like the fact that we pay more for our tickets and keep the club afloat ?.

 

[OX18]

finally I’m not the only one who thinks Eastwood looks a very weak link. I said today he cost us more goals in one game then Archer did in two months. Even if you cut him some slack for today as it was his first game back in a while, he has cost us to many goals this season. Once in a while he pulls of wonder save and this massively clouds people’s perspective of him I think.

He has not been the same since he lost his favourite sofa

 

[Kiewhite]

We were always gonna have a sweaty patch and a few off games in a row. Don’t sweat it but I might change my mind Tuesday? my opinion at full time I avoided the forum because I’m at my most negative for a couple hours and wanted to avoid spreading it to others (although others are doing it any way) but now after a couple of hours to get over it I realised this was always gonna happen and I fully expect us to bounce back soon. Stay positive

 

[OUFC Jo]

Shocked to hear so many people complaining about Eastwood. His positioning was all wrong for at least 2 of the goals, but he was punished by an effective and clinical Rotherham side. Archer looked equally shaky at times, and people forget he barely had to make a save against Wycombe and Lincoln. It is besides the point in any case, since today's defeat was caused by key players (particularly in midfield) not being at it which allowed Rotherham to dominate the first half. If we avoid that problem against Ipswich, then we'll be in with a decent chance of getting a good result, regardless of who is in goal.

 

[werthersoriginal]

Shocked to hear so many people complaining about Eastwood. His positioning was all wrong for at least 2 of the goals, but he was punished by an effective and clinical Rotherham side. Archer looked equally shaky at times, and people forget he barely had to make a save against Wycombe and Lincoln. It is besides the point in any case, since today's defeat was caused by key players (particularly in midfield) not being at it which allowed Rotherham to dominate the first half. If we avoid that problem against Ipswich, then we'll be in with a decent chance of getting a good result, regardless of who is in goal.

People always want a scapegoat, and the weaker people follow those who are assertive or confident. At the moment it seems to be Eastwood and Long, while recently it was Hall. Really, as you say, it was a poor team performance with the midfield out of sorts.

 

[ECYellow]

Did anyone else think the atmosphere was really poor today? I remember 5k crowds in the conference making more noise. Think the club really need to look at the overall match day experience. There is nothing to get the crowd going before the match, play some uplifting music and turn the volume up, we are not all in the south stand upper and in are retirement. We need a singing section preferably the east stand as half in the east stand half in North doesn't work at the wind tunnel. Someone have a word or give me the contact details to someone at the club,

What it needs is more singers in the North stand near the netting to have a bit of banter with the away supporters. The acoustics are such that the noise would bounce off the South Stand more instead of disappearing over the fence as it does from the Mail stand.

Sat next to the netting today I could count on one hand how many times the Oxford Mail Stand sounded loud.

It’s not a criticism, it’s just the way it was (probably due to the team failing to turn up for 45 minutes).

FWIW there now appears to be a complete lack of enthusiasm for atmosphere from those sat in the North Stand. Has the family stand had a negative impact on that? Also, only one kiosk for the whole stand is certainly why a significant number of my group who would sing, have now moved to the SSU. When there is a reasonable crowd, it’s nigh on impossible to get a drink and drink it in the allotted 15 minutes for half time.

 

[OX14]

What it needs is more singers in the North stand near the netting to have a bit of banter with the away supporters. The acoustics are such that the noise would bounce off the South Stand more instead of disappearing over the fence as it does from the Mail stand.

Sat next to the netting today I could count on one hand how many times the Oxford Mail Stand sounded loud.

It’s not a criticism, it’s just the way it was (probably due to the team failing to turn up for 45 minutes).

FWIW there now appears to be a complete lack of enthusiasm for atmosphere from those sat in the North Stand. Has the family stand had a negative impact on that? Also, only one kiosk for the whole stand is certainly why a significant number of my group who would sing, have now moved to the SSU. When there is a reasonable crowd, it’s nigh on impossible to get a drink and drink it in the allotted 15 minutes for half time.

Wouldn't it be better to move the away fans to the east stand and us to have the whole of the north stand. Atleast that way we don't lose any seating to segregation and the North stand can revert so the family section is the other end of the North where the away fans are currently. Think this is the way to go if we get up to the championship so can maximise the stadium in its current state.

 

[ECYellow]

Wouldn't it be better to move the away fans to the east stand and us to have the whole of the north stand. Atleast that way we don't lose any seating to segregation and the North stand can revert so the family section is the other end of the North where the away fans are currently. Think this is the way to go if we get up to the championship so can maximise the stadium in its current state.

Whilst I wouldn’t be adverse to that. I think a significant number of supporters would be as they like to sit behind the goal (ala The London Road).
If we are able to get promoted, hopefully Uncle Firoz will let us have a temporary structure at the West End of the ground which could be for away fans and then all the singers/Cheerleaders (Pom poms required) and hooligans can congregate in the North stand in the existing away area and the family stand can remain where it is. Win win

 

[Northernyellow]

If there is such a thing as a good defeat, then that was it. Rotherham were very good, but we rattled them in the second half, and had Taylor put away that chance, we could well have got a third. Eastwood was rusty, but he's still a very competent keeper at this level. Brannigan was just not fit. The first half showed exactly why Mackie should only ever be used for the last 15-20 minutes, if at all. He can indeed run all day long, but not at any sort of pace to worry better defenders in this league. He would not start in any other top 6 team and shouldn't be starting in ours. Ditto Sam Long. You could immediately see what a loss Cadden was. Holland looked excellent and so did Browne. I'm not too down about this. Had we played the 'right' team from the start, we'd have got something out of this. Ipswich is crucial. Win and we're back on track. I still think we'll be one of 4-5 teams in the mix at the end of the season. And as predicted, Wycombe won't be one of them.