Home Match Day Thread 13/04/2024: L1: OUFC v Peterborough

[Northstandboy]

COYY

 

[Marked Ox]

Anyone else unconvinced by Harris' penalty?! It went in but didn't feel me with confidence for future spot kicks!

At the time I was unconvinced but watching the highlights, he cracked it so hard (not quite Paul Moody-esque though) that it was in before the keeper could react.

 

[Marked Ox]

Worth putting in a word for James Henry. Forced off injured today, and could possibly be his last appearance in an Oxford shirt. Legend.

Absolutely. It will be a sad way for it to end if that is his last appearance for us.

 

[Jon-ioualways]

I want you all to know that my prediction for this game was just about perfect.

I said, "Well, we're not going to win this one four nil"

It's nice to be right once in a while.

What an unbelievably fabulous game to watch. No point repeating what others have said, but they were all immense.

 

[chuckbert]

Anyone else unconvinced by Harris' penalty?! It went in but didn't feel me with confidence for future spot kicks!

Looked to me like he belted low down the middle. What was wrong with that?

 

[Barbadosyellow]

It was beautiful to see a goal scored with a diving header, they seem so much rarer now. That cross was just perfection.

He scored a similar goal home to Exeter. One of his particular skills.

 

[Oxford84]

It shows what an incredible team performance that was when Josh Murphy puts in an absolute attacking masterclass, wins a penalty pretty much solo, scores a goal and gets an assist, runs their defence ragged and put it on a plate for Dale (yes, on a plate) and generally looks like the best winger in the league and yet still only gets 63% of the votes for MOTM! (Although I can’t see how anyone could be described as playing ‘better’ than he did!)

Rodrigues gets 2 goals and only gets 1 vote as well.

 

[chuckbert]

Rodrigues gets 2 goals and only gets 1 vote as well.

And long plays out of his skin and gets 4! What an amazing game.

 

[Oxford84]

Don't see why they can't both play, McEachran can sit and allow Brannagan to play as one of the 8's where he can get at teams more. Sign me up for some of that.

That then changes the formation weve been using so well with two number 10s.

 

[Oxford Aesthete]

He was John Lennon on here and has done a lot to create a better atmosphere at the ground.

That's him, he's done a lot over the years to improve the atmosphere and promote the club. I'm LoveandPride under a new name and I worked with Joe on the design for 'Bring the Noise' I also came up with 'Keep the Faith' and would love to know what happened to the banner!

 

[PottersRightBoot]

Had been confident that we’d win . Boro were always going to be leggy.

Then I saw the team sheet . Star player out, captain and defensive rock out; we’re in a lot of trouble. 4-3 defeat predicted.

More fool me.

That was probably the best performance in a big game since April 1986. Pace, energy, invention, bish bosh defending, screamingly high quality goals. Plus a press that was tailored on individuals, that goalkeeper had melted by the end.

All on 30% possession, Peterborough totally suckered. Please tell me why Ronnie Edwards is the best player in L1 , he looked like he’d struggle to get into Marston Saints first team by the second half.

Don’t think there’s much more to say about Murphy. He’s putting in a bid to be our best ever player, even though he’s had less than 50 starts.

The psychology of football is amazing. From a rabble on Match 15th to near perfection by April 13th.

Moore and Brannagan can’t start on Tuesday if they’re fit. No one deserves to make way, that was ambrosia for the gods yesterday.

Topped off by an amazing goal from a 33 year old squad player which took your breath away.

COYY - this is our year.

 

[sonofivan]

Wow! I couldn’t get to the game yesterday but listened on ifollow and I am still buzzing!

Having slept on it, I feel like the important thing is that we stay United until the end of the season, whether that is in three games time or six.

Even if we don’t make the playoffs for some reason now, I think we can all see what Des is building here and that the players can play his system well. Let’s show the world what a great fan base we are by being patient with Des and the boys and supporting our team towards success, even when we hit bumps in the road.

Yesterday was a great day to be a U’s fan. We need to bottle that atmosphere and attitude and take it with us for the next (hopefully) 6 matches.

COYY!!

 

[West Oxon U’s]

The major upturn in goals and performances - and Posh Gaffer Darren Ferguson mentioned this last night - is due to Oxford being currently outstanding in transitions.

When Peterborough turned the ball over as Oxford pressed, Goodrham finds space in the pocket and is able to feed the outlet (Murphy/Dale) with quality
passes. Goodrham is looking a real threat in a free role behind Harris. To play in this way regards the sitting/holding midfielder whether it is JMac
or Brannagan to get through a prodigious amount of work to firstly read the situation , then win the ball and distribute it.

I was worried in the past couple of weeks with us playing Brannagan and two number tens - Bodin/Goodrham and Rodrigues but in transitions
we look so fluid and full of goals. Murphy on current form is a machine. His pace and power is terrifying defences and he’s a real match winner.
Posh ‘keeper Jed Steer, CB Jason Knight and RB Jadel Katongo in particular had very difficult moments as Oxford ruthlessly pressed and exposed them.

Video - Darren Ferguson:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1779192860702605402

 

[Gregortheox]

The major upturn in goals and performances - and Posh Gaffer Darren Ferguson mentioned this last night - is due to Oxford being currently outstanding in transitions.

When Peterborough turned the ball over as Oxford pressed, Goodrham finds space in the pocket and is able to feed the outlet (Murphy/Dale) with quality
passes. Goodrham is looking a real threat in a free role behind Harris. To play in this way regards the sitting/holding midfielder whether it is JMac
or Brannagan to get through a prodigious amount of work to firstly read the situation , then win the ball and distribute it.

I was worried in the past couple of weeks with us playing Brannagan and two number tens - Bodin/Goodrham and Rodrigues but in transitions
we look so fluid and full of goals. Murphy on current form is a machine. His pace and power is terrifying defences and he’s a real match winner.
Posh ‘keeper Jed Steer, CB Jason Knight and RB Jadel Katongo in particular had very difficult moments as Oxford ruthlessly pressed and exposed them.

Video - Darren Ferguson:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1779192860702605402

Great interview to be fair.

 

[ThatSlopesATwelfthMan]

When Peterborough turned the ball over as Oxford pressed, Goodrham finds space in the pocket and is able to feed the outlet (Murphy/Dale) with quality
passes. Goodrham is looking a real threat in a free role behind Harris. To play in this way regards the sitting/holding midfielder whether it is JMac
or Brannagan to get through a prodigious amount of work to firstly read the situation , then win the ball and distribute it.

Absolutely. McEachran masterclass yesterday. Picking up the ball, finding space and *quickly* distributing to Rodrigues or Goodrham rather than spraying straight to the wingers elevated everything. The midfield suddenly operated as a unit in transition and made life hell for posh. Exceptional positional discipline too - even when the odd loose ball could have tempted him to stray he trusted his teammates to deal with it.

 

[Osleroad]

Wasn’t in the corner but it was low and hit like a rocket. I’d be happy to see him take another.

Maguire would hit them hard and low if I remember so the ball was in the net before the goalie bent their knees.

 

[Osleroad]

If you watch Rodrigues for the whole 90, you realise how good he actually is. Manipulates the ball so well, moves players out of position, works his B*****s off, always looks to play forward. Hard to believe there are some questioning his performance today. Been a wonderful signing.

Nice to see Mceachran get some well deserved credit. Have been flying the flag for him for most of the season, and today really showed what he is about. The importance of playing quick, one touch passes is incredibly valuable to a team and he's our best player at it, and it's really something that Cam/MM lack. Obvious concerns about his fitness and would get Cam back in for Tuesday if fit, but JMc has barely played at this level (always above) and you could really tell that today.

Couldn't agree with you more - my son said in our friendly against QPR that RR was what we had been missing - a link between midfield and attack.

 

[MC Yellow]

Anyone else unconvinced by Harris' penalty?! It went in but didn't feel me with confidence for future spot kicks!

Tin Hat on…

It would have been interesting to see how we would have reacted to missing that penalty and then Borough not hitting the crossbar from 2 yards out.

 

[Made-in-Jericho]

After this run of scintillating form we’ll no doubt have the snake and Bristol City with envious eyes looking longingly over at us. They can f*ck right off.

 

[Osleroad]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1779178413120434435

Well Des is a City Group alumini

 

[MC Yellow]

Let it go Steve.

If they didn’t, there were other reasons they weren’t playing anything like they did today and a number of the performances were beyond abject. They certainly didn’t look like they had tools firmly in hand and the reasons lie somewhere amongst Des and the players but anything anyone suggests you dismiss.

Nobody is anything other than delighted today. The point scoring is boring.

I think in hindsight it was perhaps very much a case of WIP, with Des trying to get his ideas across and the players trying to work it out. Could have been a mixture of a lack of understanding by the players, Des struggling to clearly explain what it was that he wanted out of them and just the passage of time to get things to click.

Either way, yes totally agree it is time to move on from the whole episode.

Yesterday’s demolition showed us that we have all the tools in the box, and not only have we learned how to use them, but we are prepared to use them.