13/08/22 - L1: Bristol Rovers v OUFC

[The mighty Aldo]

Fine if you think my post is hilarious but do tell us why?

 

[The mighty Aldo]

Would have been a strange switch, as Henry was actually good in the first half.

First 20 minutes yes but not after that

 

[battman]

First 20 minutes yes but not after that

I think Henry did ok, crossing aside. When you stick him on the right you need to combine him with a pacy, athletic, overlapping full-back who can make up for what Henry lacks. Long ain't that player. He might be quick as some have claimed on this forum, but he's not energetic enough to get back and forth like Seddon does, and no longer offers any attacking threat.

We have a lot of individually good players at this club, but if you play them in the wrong positions or don't combine them with the right teammates (it's a team game after all), then you won't get the best out of them.

 

[Symp59]

If we blow the opportunity of a good start with favorable fixtures I think It will be such a shame. The team look badly balanced with personally to many older players where it matters. But its early we need 9 points from them the next 3 games which is very achievable. And a bit of luck with injuries .

 

[bazzer9461]

Oh for a couple of wingbacks like Cadden or gorgeous George to get up and flank the midfield.

Two hopes there I’m afraid Bob and No

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

Great post; absolutely spot on. Add to this that KR gets regularly out-thought and out-manoeuvred by (apparently) poorer coaches in matches we clearly should win, and you have a worrying scenario.

Coaches coach. They are 'people people'. They are great on the training ground and build good relationships with players on a personal level.

Managers manage. They are tacticians. They have football brains. When they see something isn't working they have the nouse to know how to adapt. They can see how to win games against a variety of opposition.

KR is the former. Yesterday we needed the latter - as we so often do particularly away from home and against poor sides. At no stage during the 2nd half yesterday did I think we'd turn it around - I hoped, but had no expectation. I kept glancing at the scoreboard and watching the minutes run down - token substitutions, slight tweaks - and hoping for a moment of inspiration from a player, but had no confidence that KR would make a telling and clever tactical switch (going 2 up top perhaps) or that he'll see the issues and deal with them.

When we go behind away from home and are being outfought I am almost resigned to dropping points. I believe we conceded first in 7 League away games last season - and went on to get a result in just 2 of these. The 5 we didnt were Cheltenham, Lincoln, Plymouth, Accrington and Wycombe - many of the lesser footballing types - and all all 5 shut us out - comfortably.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

Coaches coach. They are 'people people'. They are great on the training ground and build good relationships with players on a personal level.

Managers manage. They are tacticians. They have football brains. When they see something isn't working they have the nouse to know how to adapt. They can see how to win games against a variety of opposition.

KR is the former.

He’s pretty much the best salesman you could ask for. He would be a good laugh at the office party and make people giggle by the coffee machine, but you wouldn’t want him anywhere near the boardroom.

Unless it was to set up another one of his classic pranks, of course.

 

[5aside]

Glaring miss by Henry . All forwards are taught to header down and the ball wasn’t to high .Not his fault we lost but still a terrible header

 

[Leysboy]

Karl Robinson your fired

 

[jambon46]

Karl Robinson your fired View attachment 9795

 

[Shaun Rice]

They weren't good enough last year,& this year they seem worse already.

Thanks and thanks to others that replied. On reflection I think I was being overly dramatic in a moment of annoyance. In comparison, the s**t I'm shovelling is minor compared to the health and family issues so many members refer to on here.

We bought a house in 2017 which has turned out to be a nightmare trying to extend and refurb. All sorts of issues and didn't make a good choice of builder. Upshot is it's uninhabitable at present. A sort of OUFC at the wind tunnel with Clotet in charge situation.

I'm very slowly unravelling the issues (at KR pace ) but it's scratching at the surface until I get new full backs and a striker (small wood beam, stud walls and last knock through) sorted.

Hate seeing my family crammed into a rental while this drags on. Again, insignificant to the problems of many but it does play on the mind to keep me awake at night.

See you all on Tuesday. COYY

I feel your pain! We had a builder quote us 6 months for a job and it was nearly 2 years of hell! Hope it’s getting sorted now.
can I ask who is / was your builder?

 

[Paul Cannell]

I'm shocked and dismayed that we should see violent comments about a man who has given up all hope of a future career in football management to selflessly care for the people and football club of our city.

Some of you forget that without his leadership we'd still be languishing in the conference.

You cunts.

 

[Cass63]

Thanks and thanks to others that replied. On reflection I think I was being overly dramatic in a moment of annoyance. In comparison, the s**t I'm shovelling is minor compared to the health and family issues so many members refer to on here.

We bought a house in 2017 which has turned out to be a nightmare trying to extend and refurb. All sorts of issues and didn't make a good choice of builder. Upshot is it's uninhabitable at present. A sort of OUFC at the wind tunnel with Clotet in charge situation.

I'm very slowly unravelling the issues (at KR pace ) but it's scratching at the surface until I get new full backs and a striker (small wood beam, stud walls and last knock through) sorted.

Hate seeing my family crammed into a rental while this drags on. Again, insignificant to the problems of many but it does play on the mind to keep me awake at night.

See you all on Tuesday. COYY

We’ve got one of those, we call it can of worms cottage.

 

[Joey]

Considering forest were bottom after 8 games and 5 pts what's the panic it's a marathon?. Granted dint look good and favourites are at top if you can't reach it play offs it is and make sure you win it. Still 2 weeks of players potential coming in and also wi ter window to help push on if needed. I still struggle at moment who could we bring in to replace KR if not going well or poach as again it will mean players being moved on etc??. I would wait until at least 10 games and how the leagues shaping up before we throw toys out of pram if not going well in relation to where we think we should be.

Always find this an odd argument. Yes, there are teams who turn it around massively but usually the team who go up have been in and around the top all season and are consistent, it's pretty obvious that getting off to a decent start gives you a much better chance of success. I don't think anyone is "panicking" and dismissing some of the negative comments as panic implies that people are being hysterical, over the top and their views aren't to be taken entirely seriously. We've played three league games and only played well for about 45 minutes, and I suspect that Cambridge and Bristol Rovers won't be particularly close to being in the shake up for promotion at the end of the season. We've currently got a weaker starting 11 than last season despite what by all accounts is a massive budget, we've signed injury probe players who are injured (again), seem to be wilfully ignoring problem areas such as fullbacks (again) and already look like we'll have trouble breaking down physical, well organised sides (again). These are all repeating patterns over the last four years or so and indicate a manager not learning from their mistakes which is why people are concerned. Of course there are people who like to vent after a loss and will over react but I think the majority have pretty valid concerns.

Also Forest sacked their manager after only seven games which turned their season around.

 

[ubermeistervonmeat]

He is a good man. But he’s not a great manager.

This is very true - direct contrast with CW who of course brought us success but we were a stepping stone (nothing wrong with that) - so which would you prefer ?

 

[ubermeistervonmeat]

Coaches coach. They are 'people people'. They are great on the training ground and build good relationships with players on a personal level.

Managers manage. They are tacticians. They have football brains. When they see something isn't working they have the nouse to know how to adapt. They can see how to win games against a variety of opposition.

KR is the former. Yesterday we needed the latter - as we so often do particularly away from home and against poor sides. At no stage during the 2nd half yesterday did I think we'd turn it around - I hoped, but had no expectation. I kept glancing at the scoreboard and watching the minutes run down - token substitutions, slight tweaks - and hoping for a moment of inspiration from a player, but had no confidence that KR would make a telling and clever tactical switch (going 2 up top perhaps) or that he'll see the issues and deal with them.

When we go behind away from home and are being outfought I am almost resigned to dropping points. I believe we conceded first in 7 League away games last season - and went on to get a result in just 2 of these. The 5 we didnt were Cheltenham, Lincoln, Plymouth, Accrington and Wycombe - many of the lesser footballing types - and all all 5 shut us out - comfortably.

Plymouth & Wycombe both finished above us last season

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

Always find this an odd argument. Yes, there are teams who turn it around massively but usually the team who go up have been in and around the top all season and are consistent, it's pretty obvious that getting off to a decent start gives you a much better chance of success.

Over the last 5 seasons in League One:
- The average points tally after 10 games for the eventual Champions - 19.6 points.
- The average points tally after 10 games for the eventual Runner-Up - 18.0 points.

So, for us to be 'on course' for automatic promotion we'd need 15-17 points from the next 7 games (at least 5 wins - or at a push 4 wins and 3 draws).

Our average points tally after 10 games under KR is 9.5 points.
We're always playing catch-up, half the time it's been enough to make the play-offs, half the time not.
Never enough to get close to automatics.

 

[ThatSlopesATwelfthMan]

Over the last 5 seasons in League One:
- The average points tally after 10 games for the eventual Champions - 19.6 points.
- The average points tally after 10 games for the eventual Runner-Up - 18.0 points.

So, for us to be 'on course' for automatic promotion we'd need 15-17 points from the next 7 games (at least 5 wins - or at a push 4 wins and 3 draws).

Our average points tally after 10 games under KR is 9.5 points.
We're always playing catch-up, half the time it's been enough to make the play-offs, half the time not.
Never enough to get close to automatics.

Absolutely the right way to look at it though automatics are maybe a bit overambitious given strength of the league. Under KR we have had a couple of unusually tough starts which no doubt took the average down but this year's fixtures skew completely the other way - its about the 'easiest' start anyone could hope for and makes our now traditional points splurge later in the season less likely. Before a ball had been kicked my fear was that a slow start this year would be disproportionately damaging and was thinking 20pts might need to be the target even for a playoff push. 12pts from the next 7 is the absolute minimum I'd say but even 15 will hardly be a buffer. That's all based on the past though - maybe this year we'll suddenly find a way to be more solid, regain some attacking flow and pick up more points against top six teams.

 

[Joey]

Absolutely the right way to look at it though automatics are maybe a bit overambitious given strength of the league. Under KR we have had a couple of unusually tough starts which no doubt took the average down but this year's fixtures skew completely the other way - its about the 'easiest' start anyone could hope for and makes our now traditional points splurge later in the season less likely. Before a ball had been kicked my fear was that a slow start this year would be disproportionately damaging and was thinking 20pts might need to be the target even for a playoff push. 12pts from the next 7 is the absolute minimum I'd say but even 15 will hardly be a buffer. That's all based on the past though - maybe this year we'll suddenly find a way to be more solid, regain some attacking flow and pick up more points against top six teams.

Despite picking up 15 points from 10 last season I think we had a poor start then as well. 1.5 point per game would only have been enough for 11th, we were also fortunate to play 6 home games and only 4 away and we only played 2 teams who finished in the top half of the table (Wycombe home and Bolton away, we managed 1 point in these games). Before the end of September we had already dropped 5 points to teams who ended up getting relegated, the general ease of fixtures I think skews people's thinking as it wasn't the disastrous start we've seen previously. We missed the playoffs by 8 points, if we're generous then I'd like to think we could have put Doncaster away last game of the season if we had something riding on it meaning we may have only needed another 6. With the start we had opponent-wise we could have made these up in the first 10 games had we hit the ground running. Every single year our start has hurt us under Robbo.

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

Under KR we have had a couple of unusually tough starts which no doubt took the average down but this year's fixtures skew completely the other way - its about the 'easiest' start anyone could hope for and makes our now traditional points splurge later in the season less likely.

The average finishing position of our first 10 opponents each of the last 4 seasons - the 'average average' being 12.5:

2018/19 - 11.2 (-1.3)
2019/20 - 12.1 (-0.4)
2020/21 - 10.0 (-2.5)
2021/22 - 15.4 (+2.9)

So - the first two seasons pretty close to average.
20/21 you could certainly argue as a tougher than average start.
However, last season was unequivocally a tidy first 10 games (and 6 of which were at home). We dropped far too many points - that much is clear.

I've had a stab at this season (guessing where our first 10 opponents will finish), and it looks as though it's comparable with last season - quite possibly a little 'easier' even.*

Like I say, we want to be looking at 18 points to be in contention after 10 games - so that's a further 15 from the next 7 games - still very much do-able.

*If anyone is as fun as me you can try and get a measure for our first 10 games by guessing the finishng position of the opponents - Derby, Cambridge, Bristol Rovers, Lincoln, Morecambe, Cheltenham, Burton, Shrewsbury, Plymouth, MK Dons and then average it out (so 6+12+15 etc - divided by 10).