Home Match Day Thread +++ 15/02/20 OUFC v Sunderland +++

[Jon-ioualways]

But we didn’t have any luck....... so that bit of your statement is a bit pointless.
We lost we couldn’t score, so now we move on and be prepared for L1 next season.

Just trying to be like our team, I suppose...making some strong arguments but coming away a bit pointless. Curses!

 

[holdsteady]

Strange game, we didn’t play badly, especially considering the conditions but got caught cold from a very early set piece and just don’t have the cutting edge at the moment to get back from that. Still depressing to lose on a miserable day like this and you can see our season slipping away this month, before we pick up and just miss out on the play offs at the end.

 

[Concretebob]

Frustrating. Definitely deserved a point

 

[bazzer9461]

Reading a lot of positive comments on here after what must have been a demoralising game, really good to see. Whilst I am kind of resigned to the playoffs, and certainly promotion, probably being out of our reach at this point, the positivity is giving me a bit of optimism!

Sorry to be pessimistic but I think the play offs are out of reach now, and yes I would love you to come back on here and lambast me saying “what do you know when we’re now at Wembley in the Olay off final”

 

[uptheus]

Agree, might aswell throw are youngsters out that are wanting to prove they can make it, atleast they will give it their all.

Not whilst there’s still a chance of the play offs. Yes, they’re a long shot now, but win Tuesday and we’re only 5 points off the play offs.

 

[werthersoriginal]

I feel oddly cheered after that. Basically it was a fair 0-0 draw with an annoying goal scored before we’d got ourselves sorted out. It was good to get a proper look at Agyei and he will hopefully play a lot more now. Seeing Branagan and Henry getting back to their normal selves was even better. Not sure about the five at the back but I hope we stick with it on Tuesday and next week - it could be effective away.

 

[uptheus]

Don’t think that we played terribly today, but we looked pretty toothless up front. The exception to this was Dan Agyei who played pretty well I thought - he has pace to burn and he looks like he may have a lot to offer. Some decent performances despite the weather.
The ball just failed to run for the team but it wasn’t for the lack of energy, we just lacked that killer ball and shot.
Chances were at a premium for both sides but we really needed to create more if we are to get through this lean patch.

Really unimpressed with Sunderland - I thought they would be better than that but all that money seems to have bought average players at best.

Agree with these comments, but just felt Agyei went quiet just after half time which is to be expected I guess, but like you and others have said, just don’t seem to create the chances now so not sure where the goals are going to come from at the moment.

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

I’m really surprised at people saying Forde was good. His corners were ok but I thought he was one of our worst players, offered nothing going forwards. In fact both wingbacks were poor, may have been the system but they were totally ineffective.

 

[NorthWestOx]

Agree with these comments, but just felt Agyei went quiet just after half time which is to be expected I guess, but like you and others have said, just don’t seem to create the chances now so not sure where the goals are going to come from at the moment.

I thought Agyei was killing them 2nd half with his pace.
Can only think that the sports science guys said he could only last 60 minutes.

 

[Bigfella72]

I feel oddly cheered after that. Basically it was a fair 0-0 draw with an annoying goal scored before we’d got ourselves sorted out. It was good to get a proper look at Agyei and he will hopefully play a lot more now. Seeing Branagan and Henry getting back to their normal selves was even better. Not sure about the five at the back but I hope we stick with it on Tuesday and next week - it could be effective away.

It was never 5 at the back, both wingbacks were basically on the half way line or further forward all game! Sunderland were pretty awful tbh.

 

[makv]

We were robbed. Why take Agyei off, he was terrorisin their defence. Sykes played great why take him off.

Should’ve have taken Forde and Taylor off

Sykes clearly lost it in the last 20 minutes. He was making mistakes and looking very frustrated with himself.

 

[windmill]

A masterclass from Brannagan, closely followed by Dickie. Playoff place definitely in reach. Sunderland offered very little. Not in the least despondent tonight.

 

[Teddydee1980]

After the Peterborough game I felt that we needed to get a good return from these two games and that was a big ask, and 1 from 6 shows that it was a very big ask.

Still figuring out how to play without three of our most creative players, I thought we started figuring it out as the match went on and Sunderland didn't offer a great deal of threat at all.

Just have to face up to the fact that we are just not the team we were before Jan. All of that spark has faded, and games feel like a scrap again.

Disappointing results against almost all of our promotion/play off rivals has put us in the spot we'll most likely finish now.

Who knows, maybe a convincing win against Wimbledon, followed by another at Ipswich could turn the tide.

But it's another big ask.

 

[PQ]

thought we were much better in the 2nd half..some positives from the game..Dickie was excellent. hardly made a mistake?.Brannagan..and Agyei..also thought Moore did ok. Really thought we'd nick a goal 2nd half.. so that was disappointing. Not overly impressed with Sunderland..& you'd think they'd won the cup final at the end.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

I thought Agyei was killing them 2nd half with his pace.
Can only think that the sports science guys said he could only last 60 minutes.

I thought he was a bright spark but is still raw. He needs to be a bit more dynamic with his runs - his goal at Burton came because he took off and told Taylor exactly where to play it. Felt he could’ve done that a bit more today, but at least he stretched them and wanted to go forwards. I thought that after half time his hold up play really started to click and he was putting himself about well, but I don’t think there was a chance of him lasting beyond an hour, for various reasons.

Again, it is not about him being the messiah, it is about him not being the worst forward we have to the point where he’s lucky to get on the bench. Taylor isn’t our player (and is 30 next month) and Mackie is on the verge of retirement - he needs opportunities not just for his own development but for the good of the team beyond this season.

 

[moomooland]

While we remain unable to defend set pieces we will always lose games like this.

 

[Blox21]

Can anyone confirm if Tiger attended today’s game ?

 

[Frankie]

Can anyone confirm if Tiger attended today’s game ?

Yes he was at the game

 

[Scotchegg]

When you consider the money Sunderland have spent in the last 2 years and we have a goal and a penalty shoot out between us over the 5 games. I thought we played as well as we have this year today without a little luck, and also a little sharpness upfront. The ball didn't fall right on a few occasions, but really good teams antiscipate that a little better and make these count. We are not far off being that team, and have some more friendly fixtures coming to hopefully make up ground.

Disappointing today as Sunderland were definitely beatable, but think we have the opportunity to step up a couple of gears where they were virtually at their best. Hopefully we will win the next meeting at Wembley in May.

 

[moomooland]

When you consider the money Sunderland have spent in the last 2 years and we have a goal and a penalty shoot out between us over the 5 games. I thought we played as well as we have this year today without a little luck, and also a little sharpness upfront. The ball didn't fall right on a few occasions, but really good teams antiscipate that a little better and make these count. We are not far off being that team, and have some more friendly fixtures coming to hopefully make up ground.

Disappointing today as Sunderland were definitely beatable, but think we have the opportunity to step up a couple of gears where they were virtually at their best. Hopefully we will win the next meeting at Wembley in May.

I think we will be playing them twice next season. (In league 1)