Home Match Day Thread 13/12/2025 - MDT: Oxford United vs Preston North End

[Carpy]

 

[karakoram]

I thought that it might have been his moment Saturday, but he never really got on the ball around the box. We are getting his weaknesses rather than his strengths at the moment, its getting harder to not conclude that he just doesn't have the physicality for this level.

Agree about Harris and Bradshaw, if either have a role its not chasing a deficit.

neither has any role to play as far as I can see

 

[holdsteady]

Staggeringly incompetent substitutions.
So bad I suspect Rowett was making a point.

Would rather we had gone full out to get a point than him make a point so hope that's not true.

 

[greatunclekip]

Staggeringly incompetent substitutions.
So bad I suspect Rowett was making a point.

I have felt this for a long time. There is simply no way a manager trying to win a game of football brings on Harris and Bradshaw, especially when the latter hasn’t played fully for a good while. You do that to see out a game.

 

[yellowbow]

Out of interest, does anyone have Sparky’s average rating since we’ve been in the Championship? It must be less than 5

 

[Stranger]

All those bemoaning vaulks's long throws, it was from one of them that Lankshear hit the bar in the second half, so there is some value to them still

 

[Victor1986]

During this week I reckon GR will learn a) how much dosh he has to spend on the b) list that Waldron has assembled. Things might start to move (one way or the other!) after the final whistle at the Valley.

 

[OUFCGav]

Out of interest, does anyone have Sparky’s average rating since we’ve been in the Championship? It must be less than 5

Not sure for here. The independent FotMob results/stats site has him at 6.13/10 this season, and 6.4 last season. The 6.13 is lowest of the 18 players with average ratings.

 

[BrockBuster]

Not sure for here. The independent FotMob results/stats site has him at 6.13/10 this season, and 6.4 last season. The 6.13 is lowest of the 18 players with average ratings.

Yeah whoscored has him on a 6.06 which is only higher than Bradshaw and Sibley.

 

[tonyw]

All those bemoaning vaulks's long throws, it was from one of them that Lankshear hit the bar in the second half, so there is some value to them still

Errrr.....Lankshear hit the bar after a gorgeous move involving a BDK raking ball out to the right wing, and a perfect touch and cross from Mills.

Definitely wasn't a long throw.

 

[werthersoriginal]

Errrr.....Lankshear hit the bar after a gorgeous move involving a BDK raking ball out to the right wing, and a perfect touch and cross from Mills.

Definitely wasn't a long throw.

Wasn't it Prelec who hit the bar? It was a great move and header anyway, we needed to do a lot more of that.

 

[tonyw]

Wasn't it Prelec who hit the bar? It was a great move and header anyway, we needed to do a lot more of that.

Definitely Lankshear - move starts about 1:40:



Although I had the benefit of watching it on TV and hearing Rosie wax lyrical about it......

 

[werthersoriginal]

Definitely Lankshear - move starts about 1:40:



Although I had the benefit of watching it on TV and hearing Rosie wax lyrical about it......

That was proper centre forward play, and Prelec also did his share of that.

 

[Joey]

Errrr.....Lankshear hit the bar after a gorgeous move involving a BDK raking ball out to the right wing, and a perfect touch and cross from Mills.

Definitely wasn't a long throw.

The highlights don't show it but from I remember the BDK pass was preceeded by him winning the ball down by our left side corner flag before carrying it to halfway, it would be almost impossible for it to have started further away than a long throw.

That said I don't hate the long throws but we need to execute them better, having someone somewhere near where the ball reaches would be as good a start as any. Also it was nice when we mixed it up once, everyone crowded the box and Vaulks threw it sideways to BDK and it worked it's way back out to Mills on the right side and a much better crossing position. I'd like to see some creativity around our set pieces in general, I thought Preston had a few o Saturday, whether it was short, edge of the box or drilled in low to a runner at the near post and it kept us guessing. Also interesting to see they left several players forwards and it should have given them a goal had Davies not stopped a three on one breakaway in the first half.

 

[The Mighty Aldo]

All we need to do is finish above third from bottom. That is it. It isn’t rocket science, Magic pokery, witchcraft or remotely beyond this team.
I look at us and I see a side that are by and large competing. The generally narrow margins of the games played so far this season surely means that we are close to finding a way to pick up more points.
Our place in this league will not be blown in December but we have to be less shot shy and harder to score against.
This is a dog fight people… and if you, the fans are not up for it, then how can you expect the players to be?
These players are the ones who we must entrust to put themselves on the line for the immediate time and get us the results we need.
This manager is the guy who saved us from a free fall into league 1 last year.
This is what we’ve got. It’s a task but it is not undoable. You’d think from some of the reactions on here that we have already been relegated. Just when we need heart and desire from fans, players and the manager we get this seeping defeatist attitude pouring out.

The all pervading stench of negativity and blind white flag waving is just… just so f*****g tinpot.
Put your f*****g man pants on and support the f*****g shirt you quitters. Either that or f**k off and support Arsenal or the f*****g Scum.
As for the rest of us, we’ll get on with digging in for the fight of our lives.
Rant over!

What we saw on Saturday was almost a repeat of the Coventry game
If Brown's header goes in just before half time I think we see a similar game.
We played exceptionally well for 30 minutes in the second half.
Fans got behind the team we hit the bar then conceded but got right back into it and their keeper makes some great saves. Don’t think Cumming did much second half other than pick the ball out of the net
Unfortunately we can see where we are at our weakest and that is in attack after Prelec and Lankshear went off
If we can get another midfielder in and one decentish striker I believe our fortunes may change.
Get Branagan and Spencer fit and we look much stronger
We aren’t half way through the season yet
Let’s get behind the team

 

[Stranger]

Errrr.....Lankshear hit the bar after a gorgeous move involving a BDK raking ball out to the right wing, and a perfect touch and cross from Mills.

Definitely wasn't a long throw.

My bad, must have been hallucinating again. How many did we win by?

 

[Osleroad]

Ingram has looked awful every game he has played.

Yes I know I was stretching misapprehension re JC name as often spelt wrongly

 

[Bicester Yellow]

I would have put Krastev (Leigh)on the left and possibly Goodrham for Romeny.

All better options than Bradshaw, I agree baffling decisions that look no better a few days later

 

[Bicester Yellow]

I thought Bradshaw did more than M Harris! but having said that, neither of them were going to be the answer.

Yes, as someone mentioned after the game, I don’t think Harris touched the ball.

 

[Bicester Yellow]

You did leave in the 48th minute against Stoke at home though when it went 3-0. That’s pretty poor.

You are correct I did.

Damn right as well. I’d rather get home at a decent time rather than watch that any longer when we are getting hammered, why would I stay? To clap them for trying their best

You going to have a go at the others that did the exact same thing that night .

I’m guessing you’ll know I stayed Saturday at 2-0 though chief.

 

[werthersoriginal]

You are correct I did.

Damn right as well. I’d rather get home at a decent time rather than watch that any longer when we are getting hammered, why would I stay? To clap them for trying their best

You going to have a go at the others that did the exact same thing that night .

I’m guessing you’ll know I stayed Saturday at 2-0 though chief.

Hmmm, you sound like a great supporter. I always go down and give them a clap at the end, even if they lose 3-0.

 

[Bicester Yellow]

Hmmm, you sound like a great supporter. I always go down and give them a clap at the end, even if they lose 3-0.

Which is your right, it’s my right not to applaud us getting hammered.

I’m not the first & won’t be the last.

I’ve done 183 league games over the last 5 years following us home & away. I’d say that qualifies me as an above average supporter of my team.

If you clap everything then nothing will ever change.

 

[Wallop]

Yes, as someone mentioned after the game, I don’t think Harris touched the ball.

That's unfair - he did keep retrieving the ball and giving it back to their keeper when it went out of play - the criticality of such actions is not to be underestimated - crucial.

 

[Stranger]

Which is your right, it’s my right not to applaud us getting hammered.

I’m not the first & won’t be the last.

I’ve done 183 league games over the last 5 years following us home & away. I’d say that qualifies me as an above average supporter of my team.

If you clap everything then nothing will ever change.

Not having a go because I accept that you've paid your money and can leave when you want, but personally I'd never leave a game early - not even when we're 6-0 down to Brighton, for example, because you just never know. You might miss something that later goes down in club folklore: an unlikely comeback, a wonder goal, a 22-man brawl... By illustration, we once had a pre-season game against Brighton and I just couldn't be arsed. Turns out I missed the best goal ever scored at the Kassam, as Matt Robinson dribbled round the whole oppo team before scoring - sadly no video footage exists of the goal and I have ever since rued not goint.

 

[werthersoriginal]

Which is your right, it’s my right not to applaud us getting hammered.

I’m not the first & won’t be the last.

I’ve done 183 league games over the last 5 years following us home & away. I’d say that qualifies me as an above average supporter of my team.

If you clap everything then nothing will ever change.

Yes if they lose stand there looking cross, that'll make them do better. They didn't realize they were supposed to win.

Or be a supporter and show your appreciation for their efforts and your backing of them.

 

[RgYellows]

why would I stay? To clap them for trying their best

Yeah.

 

[Bicester Yellow]

Not having a go because I accept that you've paid your money and can leave when you want, but personally I'd never leave a game early - not even when we're 6-0 down to Brighton, for example, because you just never know. You might miss something that later goes down in club folklore: an unlikely comeback, a wonder goal, a 22-man brawl... By illustration, we once had a pre-season game against Brighton and I just couldn't be arsed. Turns out I missed the best goal ever scored at the Kassam, as Matt Robinson dribbled round the whole oppo team before scoring - sadly no video footage exists of the goal and I have ever since rued not goint.

Which is fair enough, we are all old enough and big enough to make our own choices though.

If I miss something then that’s my own fault at the end of the day but I’ll make a decision and stand by it.

Doesn’t mean I don’t support the club any less.

 

[Bicester Yellow]

Yeah.

Each to their own.

 

[Bicester Yellow]

Yes if they lose stand there looking cross, that'll make them do better. They didn't realize they were supposed to win.

Or be a supporter and show your appreciation for their efforts and your backing of them.

Depends what they produce, if it’s consistently poor then the players will get booed.

The manager is too much of a coward to front up to the fans at games anyway, that’s another reason I don’t really want him in charge.

 

[RgYellows]

Each to their own.

Genuinely mad to me that you can be the sort of person to storm off when your team loses and land on supporting Oxford as the best way to achieve happiness.

Each to their own for sure, but if you see a man trying to catch a fish with his bare hands then the decent thing to do is point out the obvious.

 

[m]

That's unfair - he did keep retrieving the ball and giving it back to their keeper when it went out of play - the criticality of such actions is not to be underestimated - crucial.

I think I might have seen him doing some of the things that you don't see Liam Kelly doing.