Away Match Day Thread 12/12/2023 L1: Reading v OUFC

[Bath Yellow]

84. First game.
Headington United v Chelmsford City,
Southern League ( Now Conference ) Won 2-0.
Boxing Day 1949. 75yrs ago

The last 6 games v Reading:

W: 1
L: 6

07 Nov 1999	Reading v Oxford United	W	1-2	League Division 2
07 Mar 2000	Oxford United v Reading	L	1-3	League Division 2
28 Oct 2000	Reading v Oxford United	L	4-3	League Division 2
17 Apr 2001	Oxford United v Reading	L	0-2	League Division 2
24 Sep 2003	Oxford United v Reading	L	1-3	League Cup
25 Aug 2004	Oxford United v Reading	L	0-2	League Cup

 

[Eric Blair]

I must be the only one who thought we were pretty good second half. That’s as good as we’ve moved the ball in weeks and if people want to deny that’s progress then we’re in for a long season. Murphy and Mills our only real threats on the field, one got an assist and Murphy did plenty but he can’t do it all.

Rodrigues has a field day in a game like that but again, it’s ifs and buts. We need depth and 2 or 3 that can do what he can do and ultimately someone in the 18 yard box who knows where the ball will be bouncing.

Poor result but that’s the first time since Des joined that I’ve come away with optimism. We’re missing so much individual quality at the top end of the park, I don’t know how people expect us to churn out these attacking assaults on teams.

Total control second half. The back 4 that closed the game out is the best we have available and needs a run from here on.

I agree with you. As you say we’re missing individual quality but that is to be expected with some of the injuries and the fact we’ve only had one window to turn around the KR mess.

Josh Murphy gets better each game and Ruben would have filled his boots in that game. We lack a striker who gambles in the six yard box but I thought the whole thing was decent.

 

[Eric Blair]

Murphy the standout, but he must be wondering why there was never anyone in a goal scoring position in the box on the numerous times he beat his man and played the ball in.

My point exactly - we need the player willing to gamble in the six yard box

 

[Swaby39]

I agree with you. As you say we’re missing individual quality but that is to be expected with some of the injuries and the fact we’ve only had one window to turn around the KR mess.

Josh Murphy gets better each game and Ruben would have filled his boots in that game. We lack a striker who gambles in the six yard box but I thought the whole thing was decent.

Harris a yard short around the box again but by now we know that’s just in his DNA. Look at the difference in Sam Smith; busy, alert, found space, good touch, goal.

Murphy was excellent, deserved a goal.

I’m not suggesting that was a masterclass. We were very dodgy first half but second half, what more could we have done besides put the ball in the net? And if you don’t have the players available who know how to do that then guess what… you probably won’t score!! But it wasn’t through lack of trying or poor play.

 

[Sarge]

I agree with you. As you say we’re missing individual quality but that is to be expected with some of the injuries and the fact we’ve only had one window to turn around the KR mess.

Josh Murphy gets better each game and Ruben would have filled his boots in that game. We lack a striker who gambles in the six yard box but I thought the whole thing was decent.

fair comment ... though we owed them reading wankers , and we were fuckedover by the snail like lino - as I said earlier supporters turned up loud n proud, shame the team was in reality toothless

 

[chromeyellow]

Oh yes, the seductive, mystical city group. Put me in charge of one of their sides with their budget and I'll win the f*****g Indian Super League

no you wouldn't, You wouldn't win the Orkney island reserve league

 

[Snoopsnoop]

Another car crash of a performance other teams in the league lapped up.
Man City Group, nutured, worked with the best. It means nothing unless you have experience of the workplace you are going into.

Difficult for any manager to have experience of the league if every club in the league required it. But yes he needs an assistant ASAP.

 

[werthersoriginal]

What I want to know is, were there handbags in John Lewis?

 

[Tinman]

Wonder if DB has got control of/got to know the players. They don't seem to have any inspiration since Manning left, I know we are missing a few, but other than Murphy no one of late has actually looked like they are putting in a shift, good player or not you can tell if they are really trying.

 

[Eric Blair]

fair comment ... though we owed them reading wankers , and we were fuckedover by the snail like lino - as I said earlier supporters turned up loud n proud, shame the team was in reality toothless

Yep, supporters were first class. And that linesman was yards off it.

 

[chromeyellow]

Unlucky overall- we lost because of a blatantly offside goal. We dominated the second half.

How embarrassing to see some apparently loyal supporters keen to work off their anger by fulminating about the City Group rather than paying attention to what was happening on the pitch.

Our most exciting attacking players are all injured. (Leigh, Edwards, Rodrigues) and yet we dominated the second half and were unlucky not t ogo away with all three points.

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

Wonder if DB has got control of/got to know the players. They don't seem to have any inspiration since Manning left, I know we are missing a few, but other than Murphy no one of late has actually looked like they are putting in a shift, good player or not you can tell if they are really trying.

That's nonsense. Say what you want about structure or tactics, but there was no lack of desire from that team tonight.

 

[greatunclekip]

Unlucky overall- we lost because of a blatantly offside goal. We dominated the second half.

How embarrassing to see some apparently loyal supporters keen to work off their anger by fulminating about the City Group rather than paying attention to what was happening on the pitch.

Our most exciting attacking players are all injured. (Leigh, Edwards, Rodrigues) and yet we dominated the second half and were unlucky not t ogo away with all three points.

Unlucky?! We had 1 shot on goal.

 

[OX14]

The strange thing is that if you read up on Buckingham teams (I haven't watched them in person) they are known for fast, exciting, attacking.

I have concerns of course, growing each week, but the huge issue, and every passing week it is clear as day as I said it would be in the summer (negative Kip) was that we play without a striker. Without Leigh and Edwards who can make s**t happen, we are bloody boring and hoping for miracles. It's simply not possible at League 1 level to do well consistently without a striker.

The player we are missing beyond belief is Greg Leigh. Our left back. That's nuts.

He's come from the Indian superleague though. We don't exactly know the comparable standard league in this country but from the highlights I've seen it looks a very poor standard in comparison to the championship/league one.

 

[Jster]

There's a lot of over-reaction here. It was neither great nor terrible. Given that we have a new manager, a load of injured players, and it was away at a sort of local rival, I don't think it was a disastrous result at all.

 

[Deanroger]

Let's face facts. For whatever reasons we have become not very good. 1 point against Cheltenham and Reading suggests we are not in the race anymore.

 

[chromeyellow]

We need some new players- most evidently a striker. We need some players to return from injury

And we need to ship out some "fans" who after 4 games seem already hoping for Buckingham to fail

 

[BrockBuster]

What world do we live in where a manager gets judged after less than half a dozen games with only one of his own signings?

It's easy to say a manager is the wrong one given pretty much EVERY manager gets sacked eventually. Even when you're wrong for a while eventually you'll be right, so it's not big or clever to say 'I told you so' - even less so this soon.

 

[forevayella]

I’m yet to be convinced by Des but we are 2 points off second. I’m pretty sure we all would have taken that at the start of the season.

Things can turn quickly, we just need to stay within touching distance into January. Then we can sign a striker or two and get the injured players back.

 

[BicesterU]

Anyone here who wouldn’t have taken 5th at close to the halfway point of the season back in July?

To me it looks like Buckingham is still kind of dipping his toe in - persevering with the players and line-up that Manning used and got us to where we were, but slowly adding what he sees as his first choices in some positions. Bennett being eased in at left back despite Brown and Moore comfortably being our best centre back pairing, and Bodin getting the best chance part of half an hour up top are prime examples. I wouldn’t be surprised to see both start there on Saturday

I didn’t actually mind the midfield trio of McEachran behind Maguane and Brannaghan. In theory it gives us a more attacking shape, but I suspect it’s the first time they’ve all played together this season. Wouldn’t mind seeing Maguane behind Brannaghan and Rodrigues in that shape. I really hope RR’s injury isn’t too bad…

I’d also give Tyler a run in the side in front of Mills. Despite it being one of Mills’s better games, his positioning leaves a lot to be desired, and his decision-making is ponderous. Tyler is such a threat and is one of the few players we have fit who can beat a man, and turn defenders toward their own goal.

Wouldn’t be too surprised if the side we finished with tonight is closer to Saturday’s line-up than the side we started with.

Sides very rarely maintain the same standard of performance throughout a whole season, we’ve got lots of injuries to key players, and we’ve got a new manager at the helm.

It’s a marathon not a sprint.

 

[greatunclekip]

We need some new players- most evidently a striker. We need some players to return from injury

And we need to ship out some "fans" who after 4 games seem already hoping for Buckingham to fail

I think more so than any other manager in recent history, the fans are wanting Des to succeed.

But fans have eyes and can see that tactically, we are not quite there.