Ref Watch +++ 13/07/20 L1 Play Off FINAL - OUFC v Wycombe+++

[horseman]

For what it’s worth my ratings for the players. First rating for the game, second rating for the season over all.

Eastwood
4/10 Really poor with the two situations he had to deal with
6/10 Not been his commanding self this season. I know we dont have a huge budget but he really needs a good experienced No. 2 to push him.

Long
6/10 Ok nothing else to add.
7/10 He's really come On this season and probably deserves his new contract but I think we need better if we mean to push on. Cadden showed us what we really require. This ridiculous situation with the lack of specialist fullbacks in the squad needs to be addressed

Dickie
7/10 For me the stand out player, not only last night but for the whole mediocre play off campaign. For as long as I live I’ll never know how he wasnt celebrating a goal last night
9/10 Has been nothing short of a colossus for us this season. Will be a massive loss when he goes

Moore
6/10. The schoolboy error for the second goal will haunt him for a long time. 9 times out of 10 he clears that ball
7/10 Over all a good season where he’s established himself in the first team. Will be one of the first names on the team sheet from now on

Ruffels
5/10. A disappointing game. He was anonymous and as one of our senior players now needed to be more influential
6.5/10 Overall a decent season but, as with the RB position, surely we need more. Liverpool have shown that in the modern game, FB is one of the most influential positions in an attacking sense.

Goran
4/10. Robinson had no choice but to hoik him after yet another reckless challenge. He needs to learn. Poor before he went off anyway.
7/10. Last night shouldnt cloud what has been, over all a good season, considering its his first in english football. There are things that he needs to improve on though, especially the needless dangerous tackles. Refs will soon be influenced by a bad reputation

Brannagan
4/10 Another player who didnt step up when we needed him to show his undoubted talent. A real disappointment
8/10 Over all a great season. Yet another midfielder that has come from academy football, prepared to roll his sleeves up and graft and will goon to bigger and better things. Forgetting last night, thanks for the memories Cam.

Sykes
7/10 A shining light on an otherwise gloomy evening.
7/10 He’s starting showing glimpses of what we can hopefully look forward to seeing more regularly going forward. Applause again for the recruitment department. Pleas keep finding these gems!

Browne
4/10 A real disappointment, just didnt look up for it. I was really hoping the game would be the perfect stage for him to showcase his talent. Flat as a pancake. The lack of effort that lead to Wycombes second goal cannot be ignored or forgotten
7/10 Has shown on several occasions his undoubted ability and improved on his first spell. Needs to learn that success doesnt come with ablity alone though. I think we've probably blown any chance of seeing him in yellow again.

Taylor
6/10 Worked hard but with no reward. Not his fault that he lacked support
7/10 His goals have been invaluable but there are question marks over his fitness. I’ll be happy if he signs permanently but I think we need a striker thats, fitter, stronger, more robust and more mobile.At least to share the workload

Henry
3/10 Really disappointing, in all three play off games for me. That miss will be etched on my memory for years to come.
8/10 Another who’s contribution to what has been a great season shouldnt be forgotten. How he comes back next season will be interesting - if he’s still with us. We might have to go with more economical (younger) alternatives

Kelly
7/10 Finally got his chance and clearly improved us. His fitness levels still concern me though. He looked knackered within 25 mins of coming on.
6/10 Is there a decent player though or does he flatter to deceive? A possible signing for us now but will need to knuckle down and deliver consistently next season.

Other subs didnt play long enough for me to want to assess but of the subs, Agyei and Atkinson will hopefully come to the fore next season. For Agyei in particular, its a make or break season. Forde leaves me feeling meh.. yes he had a bad injury for some of the season but has he really done enough when given a chance. Mackie should now be consigned to a coaching role only.

Robinson
5/10 Ainsworth out foxed him on all counts last night. He was more pumped and left no stone unturned with all the tricks to get the win, including getting the non-playing staff to create an atmosphere. Yes it could be said it was distasteful but Ainsworth realised this was a one off shot and a massive opportunity. He didnt care who he upset and I doubt hes giving it much thought this morning! Robinson seemed so determined to promote an image of dignity and calmness that his body language almost came across as flat and unmotivated.

For what it’s worth my ratings for the players. First rating for the game, second rating for the season over all.

Eastwood
4/10 Really poor with the two situations he had to deal with
6/10 Not been his commanding self this season. I know we dont have a huge budget but he really needs a good experienced No. 2 to push him.

Long
6/10 Ok nothing else to add.
7/10 He's really come On this season and probably deserves his new contract but I think we need better if we mean to push on. Cadden showed us what we really require. This ridiculous situation with the lack of specialist fullbacks in the squad needs to be addressed

Dickie
7/10 For me the stand out player, not only last night but for the whole mediocre play off campaign. For as long as I live I’ll never know how he wasnt celebrating a goal last night
9/10 Has been nothing short of a colossus for us this season. Will be a massive loss when he goes

Moore
6/10. The schoolboy error for the second goal will haunt him for a long time. 9 times out of 10 he clears that ball
7/10 Over all a good season where he’s established himself in the first team. Will be one of the first names on the team sheet from now on

Ruffels
5/10. A disappointing game. He was anonymous and as one of our senior players now needed to be more influential
6.5/10 Overall a decent season but, as with the RB position, surely we need more. Liverpool have shown that in the modern game, FB is one of the most influential positions in an attacking sense.

Goran
4/10. Robinson had no choice but to hoik him after yet another reckless challenge. He needs to learn. Poor before he went off anyway.
7/10. Last night shouldnt cloud what has been, over all a good season, considering its his first in english football. There are things that he needs to improve on though, especially the needless dangerous tackles. Refs will soon be influenced by a bad reputation

Brannagan
4/10 Another player who didnt step up when we needed him to show his undoubted talent. A real disappointment
8/10 Over all a great season. Yet another midfielder that has come from academy football, prepared to roll his sleeves up and graft and will goon to bigger and better things. Forgetting last night, thanks for the memories Cam.

Sykes
7/10 A shining light on an otherwise gloomy evening.
7/10 He’s starting showing glimpses of what we can hopefully look forward to seeing more regularly going forward. Applause again for the recruitment department. Pleas keep finding these gems!

Browne
4/10 A real disappointment, just didnt look up for it. I was really hoping the game would be the perfect stage for him to showcase his talent. Flat as a pancake. The lack of effort that lead to Wycombes second goal cannot be ignored or forgotten
7/10 Has shown on several occasions his undoubted ability and improved on his first spell. Needs to learn that success doesnt come with ablity alone though. I think we've probably blown any chance of seeing him in yellow again.

Taylor
6/10 Worked hard but with no reward. Not his fault that he lacked support
7/10 His goals have been invaluable but there are question marks over his fitness. I’ll be happy if he signs permanently but I think we need a striker thats, fitter, stronger, more robust and more mobile.At least to share the workload

Henry
3/10 Really disappointing, in all three play off games for me. That miss will be etched on my memory for years to come.
8/10 Another who’s contribution to what has been a great season shouldnt be forgotten. How he comes back next season will be interesting - if he’s still with us. We might have to go with more economical (younger) alternatives

Kelly
7/10 Finally got his chance and clearly improved us. His fitness levels still concern me though. He looked knackered within 25 mins of coming on.
6/10 Is there a decent player though or does he flatter to deceive? A possible signing for us now but will need to knuckle down and deliver consistently next season.

Other subs didnt play long enough for me to want to assess but of the subs, Agyei and Atkinson will hopefully come to the fore next season. For Agyei in particular, its a make or break season. Forde leaves me feeling meh.. yes he had a bad injury for some of the season but has he really done enough when given a chance. Mackie should now be consigned to a coaching role only.

Robinson
5/10 Ainsworth out foxed him on all counts last night. He was more pumped and left no stone unturned with all the tricks to get the win, including getting the non-playing staff to create an atmosphere. Yes it could be said it was distasteful but Ainsworth realised this was a one off shot and a massive opportunity. He didnt care who he upset and I doubt hes giving it much thought this morning! Robinson seemed so determined to promote an image of dignity and calmness that his body language almost came across as flat and unmotivated. There was one image that sticks in my mind of him standing on the touchline supping a take-away coffee. In a game of such importance, that struck me as odd
9/10 I wont forget what a great season weve had this year, despite last night. It will live with me for a long time.Thank you Karl for everything and please stay to try again next season.

. In a game of such importance, that struck me as odd
9/10 I wont forget what a great season weve had this year, despite last night. It will live with me for a long time.Thank you Karl for everything and please stay to try again next season.

that cup of coffee was as the players had walked back onto the pitch

 

[Shaun Rice]

Indeed.... but in all fairness our goal against Portsmouth wasn’t particularly different to theirs.

You win some, you lose some.

Gutted and still struggling to understand how we blew it.

Yeah we weren’t great in either Pompy game and we’re lucky even to get to the final spose.
But like you still can’t understand quite how we lost, I think we could play them 10 more times and we’d win 9.

 

[OX14]

Yeah we weren’t great in either Pompy game and we’re lucky even to get to the final spose.
But like you still can’t understand quite how we lost, I think we could play them 10 more times and we’d win 9.

That's exactly what joey Barton said about Fleetwood. I'm not sure how they've done it but Wycombe have done it to nearly every team in this league. Everyone thought the wheels would fall off when we beat them at home. But they never quite did they have been around top 6 all season. Not pretty football but effective yes, reminds me of Ian Atkins style we use to play.

 

[bazzer9461]

Commeth the ambitions of the board.

Hope so

 

[Shaun Rice]

That's exactly what joey Barton said about Fleetwood. I'm not sure how they've done it but Wycombe have done it to nearly every team in this league. Everyone thought the wheels would fall off when we beat them at home. But they never quite did they have been around top 6 all season. Not pretty football but effective yes, reminds me of Ian Atkins style we use to play.

arrrrrh Atkins ! Why you have to say that name. I’m still in therapy you know

 

[OX14]

arrrrrh Atkins ! Why you have to say that name. I’m still in therapy you know

To be honest when he was at the helm we were punching way above expectations. Didn't we beat Hull City at home and they were the big spenders. We also were top two for a while. Then kassam pissed him of and he ended up going to rovers and we slid down missing the play offs on the last game of the season.

 

[greatunclekip]

Slept on it (well, barely) and still gutted. Actually worse this morning, last night was just numb.

Seeing f*****g Akinfenwa on every media this morning just makes it worse.

We utterly blew it unfortunately. No other word for it.

 

[lerekdilley]

Slept on it (well, barely) and still gutted. Actually worse this morning, last night was just numb.

Seeing f*****g Akinfenwa on every media this morning just makes it worse.

We utterly blew it unfortunately. No other word for it.

Pissing me off to, the blokes everywhere, yet didn’t do anything in the match. I’d be pissed if if I was a Wycombe player watching him get all the plaudits.

 

[yellowbow]

That's exactly what joey Barton said about Fleetwood. I'm not sure how they've done it but Wycombe have done it to nearly every team in this league. Everyone thought the wheels would fall off when we beat them at home. But they never quite did they have been around top 6 all season. Not pretty football but effective yes, reminds me of Ian Atkins style we use to play.

If there was ever a story to make you superstitious this is it. I know you make your own luck to a point but, literally everything seemed to fall in their favour this year. It must be the chinese year of the swan. I’m pretty sure the EFL will bring out new ‘virus‘ legislation that says that every team with a W, a Y and an M in their name will start on +24 points in the coming season.

 

[uptheus]

Agreed. In fact, waking up just makes everything come flooding back. And I woke up several times last night.

Same here, just frustrated that we missed out on such a great opportunity. Feeling pretty low today..who said it was only a game?!!

They say don’t have any regrets, but I’m afraid we have quite a few after that performance, such a shame and wasted opportunity that might not come about for another 10 years!

The other frustrating thing is, Wycombe were poor in their all round play which makes this pill even more bitter to swallow.

I was actually thinking before the game that they would have been better than they were which makes it even more frustrating.

We basically dominated the game and lost to a really sloppy goal after get back into the game. At that point there only looked one winner to the point I actually felt less nervous!!

Oxford why do you do this to me?

 

[werthersoriginal]

Pissing me off to, the blokes everywhere, yet didn’t do anything in the match. I’d be pissed if if I was a Wycombe player watching him get all the plaudits.

He used to be a player but now he's just a comedy act. He can't take any credit for their win. It was funny when Long jumped on his back to head the ball though.

 

[carefreeoufc]

I actually thought Wycombe looked poorer when Akinfenwa came on. Absolutely zero speed or agility. I think we’d have benefited with him starting the game to be honest.

We were poor though, as we have been in all of the play off matches. The first goal was an absolute howler and goalkeeping error. Im not sure why Eastwood even contemplated going for the ball for their second one. He was so far away that it was going to be tough to get to it.

Disappointed and I’d have loved to have seen us in the Championship but one consolation is that I’m not sure I could watch OUFC week in week out on the TV in an empty ground. For that to be possibly our only time in the Championship would have been rubbish.

Concern moves to the playing squad now haha which is going to need a rebuild after players are sold or returned to their parent clubs. Also surrounding the future of Robinson. We need an experienced manager to steer the ship in a competitive league next season.

I think in 12 months we will reflect and see that defeat as being so much more important than just Championship football.

 

[Junior_1]

Worst thing is, him coming on really benefited us as he did absolutely nothing and allowed us to get a firm hold of the game.

We blew it big-time and it’ll cost the club and take us years to recover in terms of money.

Oh what could have been...

 

[uptheus]

When will we get this chance again? Looking at the teams that are already in L1 and the three potential from L1 it ls going to be very tough and if bloody bias sky are correct we had the 13th biggest budget, what will this seasons be 15th 16th or maybe 17th.

Well Wycombe has one of the lowest revenues and they managed to get promoted!!

 

[werthersoriginal]

Worst thing is, him coming on really benefited us as he did absolutely nothing and allowed us to get a firm hold of the game.

We blew it big-time and it’ll cost the club and take us years to recover in terms of money.

Oh what could have been...

Meh, I dunno. Promotion would have been great but Burton had a couple of years up there and they're no more than a middling L1 club now, with financial problems. Yeovil had a year and look at them now. Sustainability and continued gradual progress are what matters.

 

[derek]

Worst thing is, him coming on really benefited us as he did absolutely nothing and allowed us to get a firm hold of the game.

We blew it big-time and it’ll cost the club and take us years to recover in terms of money.

Oh what could have been...

Yep - he didn't win a single header against Dickie or Moore that I can remember.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

Simple fact is that we threw that game away at both ends of the pitch. Browne pays attention to the football and we probably go 2-1 up, or at least don’t go 2-1 down as that ball is never smashed up the park. Henry slots the ball into the gaping left hand side of the goal and it’s probably over. Wycombe were flat out from chasing the ball and their entire demeanour changed after the equaliser and the fact that we kept coming. They were rocking and had nearly gone - at the drinks break they had gone from looking steely and puffing their chests out to looking weary and several inches shorter, and Ainsworth was having to gee them up. Once Akinfenwa came on that was it, such is the burden he actually is for them. His arrival was the end of any real threat they posed, and his lack of fitness and mobility combined with how tired the rest already were from chasing the ball meant that the end was nigh. If the winner didn’t come in normal time then there’s no way they would’ve survived an extra half hour. They were spent, as evidenced from that awful back pass that Browne turned his back on, which was the pass of an exhausted man whose legs were turning to jelly. But they were gifted a calamitous penalty, and that was that. They had a slight second wind for the final 10 minutes knowing they were on the verge of winning if they could just stay strong and keep running, and on top of that we lost our heads and began to panic, realising that time was running out. Calmly bringing the ball out of defence and playing balls into feet gave way to slight hesitation and a number of clipped balls forward that were either cleared or ran out of touch.

The second half was a perfect example of how the pendulum swings during a game, and I think that unfortunately the playoffs exposed that we didn’t have the mental strength required. Lots of technically good footballers, very little in the way of balls and no real sign of nastiness that absolutely every team needs. Every successful team at every level has a mixture of ability and nastiness. Even Man City are stroppy, grumpy, dirty gits when things don’t go their way. Ditto Wenger’s invincibles - Bergkamp and Vieira were superb technical footballers but my god they were nasty sods who kicked lumps when it was needed. Liverpool didn’t win the league until Van Dijk was signed and spent 90 minutes barking like a dog and taking no prisoners, and they immediately went on to two consecutive CL finals, finished second in the PL with 97 points and then followed it up by winning it. Even our L2 promotion winners were a mixture of ability and s**t housing. Baldock, Wright, Mullins, Hylton, Maguire, MacDonald: all players who had the nasty side of the game in their locker and took responsibility, and who drove each other and those around them on. I do believe that this is an area where we need to improve and where we fell short this season - having players with the ability and willingness to almost manage themselves and grab games by the scruff when they’re not going for us. We lacked those two or three warriors that you simply need to be successful at any level. Mackie liked to moan at refs rather than gee up those around him, and his legs had gone for good measure, but he was the only real character approaching anything near what I’m talking about. There needed to be a couple of others, who were in turn likely to be on the pitch most of the time, who had that in their game. I think we got too focussed on this idea of humility and respect meaning that you’re quiet and don’t say boo to a goose, and that staying calm will solve every scenario when actually sometimes you need to lose your rag and have a bit of a scrap. One of the Radio Oxford team referred to Wycombe as “more adult” last night and I do think that’s fair and is saying basically exactly the same thing I have. We need to add that 10-20% of grit and steel, because you can’t just swashbuckle your way to success. You will nearly always fall short if you don’t have that second layer which is built on pulling your socks up, and having players who want to manage each other during a battle. I do think it’s something we need to add.

It’ll definitely be a summer of “what if” for a lot of people. We just have to hope that there are plans and that there is a willingness at the club’s end to pull themselves up and go again. The fans will be there as we always are.

 

[TL@69]

we have had a fantastic season, only just missing out on the cherry on the top. Some of the football has been sublime. We always play better football against a team willing & able to play the same sort of football. Equally we have occasionally come unstuck against teams set up to play the long ball or the physical game. Last night was a prime example of that.
we play out from the back with what I call tippy tappy football. Very pleasing on the eye But at times a little frustrating.
support the team, role on when we can go back to watching live football agai.

 

[itsoneofthem]

I’ll add to the contingent who had a s**t night’s sleep. Woke up about 3:30 with what felt like a similar jolt to the one I did when Moore ducked out of the header and I could instantly see their player was going to get there ahead of Eastwood. Brought back memories of David James taking out Thierry Henry in Euro 2004, which was sickening enough but not to same level as this. The more I think about it the more I’m convinced their player shouted leave it. Eastwood hasn’t played to his best in the playoffs, or indeed this season, but I consider him to be an honest pro and am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. And it’s pretty clear that Moore heard a shout.
Caught up with some of the comments on here when I should’ve been in the land of nod and it’s quite understandable, if not exactly fair, to vent the frustrations on some of the players. Certainly better to get it out of the system on an internet forum than other potential methods. But also more than understandable those who want to defend those same players who’ve in general performed very well this season, entertained us and given us something to be proud about.
Finally, and I’ll hold me hands up as a potential jinx last night - did anyone else have the dreaded thought of Graham Westley when we had that God awful drinks break midway through the second half, which killed our momentum when we were absolutely slaughtering them?

 

[Junior_1]

Simple fact is that we threw that game away at both ends of the pitch. Browne pays attention to the football and we probably go 2-1 up, or at least don’t go 2-1 down as that ball is never smashed up the park. Henry slots the ball into the gaping left hand side of the goal and it’s probably over. Wycombe were flat out from chasing the ball and their entire demeanour changed after the equaliser and the fact that we kept coming. They were rocking and had nearly gone - at the drinks break they had gone from looking steely and puffing their chests out to looking weary and several inches shorter, and Ainsworth was having to gee them up. Once Akinfenwa came on that was it, such is the burden he actually is for them. His arrival was the end of any real threat they posed, and his lack of fitness and mobility combined with how tired the rest already were from chasing the ball meant that the end was nigh. If the winner didn’t come in normal time then there’s no way they would’ve survived an extra half hour. They were spent, as evidenced from that awful back pass that Browne turned his back on, which was the pass of an exhausted man whose legs were turning to jelly. But they were gifted a calamitous penalty, and that was that. They had a slight second wind for the final 10 minutes knowing they were on the verge of winning if they could just stay strong and keep running, and on top of that we lost our heads and began to panic, realising that time was running out. Calmly bringing the ball out of defence and playing balls into feet gave way to slight hesitation and a number of clipped balls forward that were either cleared or ran out of touch.

The second half was a perfect example of how the pendulum swings during a game, and I think that unfortunately the playoffs exposed that we didn’t have the mental strength required. Lots of technically good footballers, very little in the way of balls and no real sign of nastiness that absolutely every team needs. Every successful team at every level has a mixture of ability and nastiness. Even Man City are stroppy, grumpy, dirty gits when things don’t go their way. Ditto Wenger’s invincibles - Bergkamp and Vieira were superb technical footballers but my god they were nasty sods who kicked lumps when it was needed. Liverpool didn’t win the league until Van Dijk was signed and spent 90 minutes barking like a dog and taking no prisoners, and they immediately went on to two consecutive CL finals, finished second in the PL with 97 points and then followed it up by winning it. Even our L2 promotion winners were a mixture of ability and s**t housing. Baldock, Wright, Mullins, Hylton, Maguire, MacDonald: all players who had the nasty side of the game in their locker and took responsibility, and who drove each other and those around them on. I do believe that this is an area where we need to improve and where we fell short this season - having players with the ability and willingness to almost manage themselves and grab games by the scruff when they’re not going for us. We lacked those two or three warriors that you simply need to be successful at any level. Mackie liked to moan at refs rather than gee up those around him, and his legs had gone for good measure, but he was the only real character approaching anything near what I’m talking about. There needed to be a couple of others, who were in turn likely to be on the pitch most of the time, who had that in their game. I think we got too focussed on this idea of humility and respect meaning that you’re quiet and don’t say boo to a goose, and that staying calm will solve every scenario when actually sometimes you need to lose your rag and have a bit of a scrap. One of the Radio Oxford team referred to Wycombe as “more adult” last night and I do think that’s fair and is saying basically exactly the same thing I have. We need to add that 10-20% of grit and steel, because you can’t just swashbuckle your way to success. You will nearly always fall short if you don’t have that second layer which is built on pulling your socks up, and having players who want to manage each other during a battle. I do think it’s something we need to add.

It’ll definitely be a summer of “what if” for a lot of people. We just have to hope that there are plans and that there is a willingness at the club’s end to pull themselves up and go again. The fans will be there as we always are.

Thanks Ryan. That’s really helped ;/(

Spot bloody on though.

We will never get a chance like that again against such a poor opponent. We beat ourselves, Wycombe got lucky and I’d they are honest, they’ll admit that.

Rather be a lucky team than a good one?