Home Match Day Thread 15/03/25: Championship - OUFC v Watford FC

[Northstandboy]

 

[Malc]

For the last 5 minutes even I was shouting the lads on. Could you hear me? I'm only 380 miles away!

 

[TheDukeOfBanburyshire]

That is desperate.

Good god.

 

[windmill]

Battling performance from the lads today & honestly not one I thought they had in them.

It wasn’t pretty and at times looked very disjointed but we were lucky we were playing the worst side I’ve seen come to us this season.

3 massive points that we’ve got to aim to replicate against both Sheffield United & QPR at home.

Go to Middlesborough and give it our best shot but try and take 4 from the two home games.

Results weren’t great for us but we did what we had to do.

Thought Brown & Helik were both absolute man mountains with Nelson adding that bit of ball playing ability.

Worst side? You clearly did not attend Cardiff and Plymouth over Christmas.

 

[SSO]

And racist

It’s more stupid and ignorant than anything else. Players are athletes these days and have to manage their intake based around training and match times. All clubs have nutrition experts on hand to help.

For what it is worth I thought first half Watford were the worst team I had seen this season and although they passed it about a bit more second half their shots on goal were awful.

 

[Wallop]

And racist

I understand why you say that but it’s religious discrimination rather than racism that the Watford supporter was demonstrating when he suggested that Muslim players should not be selected during Ramadan.

 

[Gregortheox]

Got some special treatment yesterday and from where I was sat…a really good atmosphere.
It certainly felt that everyone has got the message.
If we replicate that fight a few more times in the weeks ahead, we will be playing second tier football next season.
That constant wall of noise that was pretty damn loud from about the 88 th minute put the team on a solid autopilot to 3 points. I know we say it a lot but the difference it makes is greater than any one player can make.
Absolutely chuffed this morning.

 

[HillBilly]

It could be racism dressed up as religious discrimination. Pretty desperate-sounding either way.

On an another (less) controversial point.

The red card stopped them making the attacking subs who were waiting to come on. It definitely helped us protect the lead. But I don't think it really affected the cushioned ball over the top which Dembele ran on to. That one could have come off in the 10th minute.

I'm expecting a back 3 against Middlesbrough (and possibly even Sheffield), and I'd say that goal should also encourage us to go with a 'box'-type set up in midfield rather than the 3-2 we tried against Norwich. It gives us one more attacker on the pitch and pushes us further up.

It's hard to see how Placheta, Dembele or Goodrham are effective for us with 3 CBs otherwise.

 

[Marked Ox]

Middlesbrough were terrible yesterday and Luton should have won.

They missed some crackers, lots of them based on highlights.

 

[BicesterU]

I remarked at half time that I didn't understand why we didn't give Romeny the ball. Everything went to Harris or (especially) to the wings, and he seemed to be ignored, despite making some decent runs at times. It's almost as if we expect as a team that the player in that role comes deep and looks for the ball, rather than makes runs that we can use to actually get a decent attack going.

I think you’ve hit the nail on the head here. When we play with Dembele and Placheta, they’re the out balls. And unless Harris is going to start dominating aerial challenges, someone like Romeny is unlikely to get in the games as he wants - picking up second balls, facing the opposition goal.

I know it coincided with their sending off, but that’s what impressed me so much about Tyler’s little cameo. He’s so mobile and tenacious, and he seems to be dripping closer to Vaulks and cam to get the ball, which could potentially isolate Harris, but Placheta and Dembele did well t get close to him - epitomised by Dembele picking up the ball right behind Harris for the goal.

 

[SSO]

Shout out to the lovely lad and his family I met along the way to the ground. Apparently It was his first game and he was getting very excited. He saw my scarf and was pointing at it to show it was the same as his. He clearly had a disability but was loving his day out and meeting new people. He gave me a smile and insisted on a fist bump. I told him to cheer the team on especially when we scored. I hope you enjoyed the game Dexter.

Football isn’t it ?

 

[BicesterU]

It could be racism dressed up as religious discrimination. Pretty desperate-sounding either way.

On an another (less) controversial point.

The red card stopped them making the attacking subs who were waiting to come on. It definitely helped us protect the lead. But I don't think it really affected the cushioned ball over the top which Dembele ran on to. That one could have come off in the 10th minute.

I'm expecting a back 3 against Middlesbrough (and possibly even Sheffield), and I'd say that goal should also encourage us to go with a 'box'-type set up in midfield rather than the 3-2 we tried against Norwich. It gives us one more attacker on the pitch and pushes us further up.

It's hard to see how Placheta, Dembele or Goodrham are effective for us with 3 CBs otherwise.

I agree re: the 3 CBs, and that might mean Shemmy doesn’t start. If we’ve got Leigh and Ter Avest fit, they’re more natural wing backs than Placheta.

The loss of Placheta’s pace would be somewhat mitigated by the prospect of another attacking player on the pitch, and I’d like to see the box you mention with Cam and Vaulks at the base, and Tyler and Romeny at the top, behind Harris.

To my mind, they’re probably four or our technically better players, and could help us get a foothold in midfield.

 

[BicesterU]

Worst side? You clearly did not attend Cardiff and Plymouth over Christmas.

YF lore: The most recent side we’ve beaten is the worst we’ve ever seen.

 

[ThatSlopesATwelfthMan]

It was a game that passed him by, but not through any fault of his own, but because both sides were very direct, bypassing the midfield, and because we couldn’t retain possession in our midfield. He spent quite a lot of the game watching the ball go over his head on one direction or another.

Our inability to keep the ball in the middle of the team is one of the main reasons we’re opened up so easily, and find it so tricky to create chances on open play.

Completely agree. We just don't have the midfield quality (yet). Although Romeny barely figured in an attacking sense I thought he did some good work forcing Watford to play long. He also held position much better than Rodriques allowing Harris and the CDMs to focus on their jobs.

 

[Oufccraig45]

A good battle yesterday and hopefully they replicate that for the rest of the season hopefully dembele will kick start his scoring now well taken finish but good advantage by the Ref aswell thought he had a very good game and looks like we are starting to get some decent refs aswell just a shame that the international break has kicked in just hope we still have the bit of momentum when we start back against Middlesbrough. Listened to the luton reporter just a few minutes ago and he stated that Middlesbrough were so poor hopefully against us aswell i hope COYY'S

 

[HillBilly]

I agree re: the 3 CBs, and that might mean Shemmy doesn’t start. If we’ve got Leigh and Ter Avest fit, they’re more natural wing backs than Placheta.

The loss of Placheta’s pace would be somewhat mitigated by the prospect of another attacking player on the pitch, and I’d like to see the box you mention with Cam and Vaulks at the base, and Tyler and Romeny at the top, behind Harris.

To my mind, they’re probably four or our technically better players, and could help us get a foothold in midfield.

Yea, I like that.

-----------------Cumming-----------------

---------Nelson----Helik----Brown--------

ter Avest-----Vaulks----Brannagan---Leigh

----------Goodrham------Romeny---------

--------------------Harris--------------------

Romeny might be a a bit jet-lagged in two weeks, and I'd like Dembele to build on his goal, but who knows. You can see Ruben, Placheta or Matos playing there. It's more about the system really, and who's going to support Harris/Bradshaw best.

 

[Paul Cannell]

Did we need that, or what??

etc

Nelson and Moore were excellent, and yet again, Cumming made another game changing save to keep it level at the end of the first half.

Moore's best game of the season imo [smile]

 

[Eric Blair]

The two big non pitch related moments for me yesterday:

I went to the South Stand Upper for the first time yesterday. It’s a pale imitation of the the glories and atmosphere of the South Stand Lower.

According to the programme Peter Kioso lives alone with a husky. I worry that lad might get lonely watching Graham Norton repeats with his dog so next time I see him I’ll invite him round for a game of FIFA.

 

[Eric Blair]

Thought the back4/5 were terrific again especially after Nelson went off and we had to shuffle things around.
Feared the worst especially losing Moore on Wednesday.
Ter Avest was superb and Nelson gives us that rarity of a player who is comfortable bringing the ball out of defence.

Apart from a couple of blips, our defence has been outstanding all season especially when we don’t have anyone up front who can hold the ball. They are under constant pressure especially so in away games.

Now if we can beat QPR at home and get maybe a point from Leeds Sheffield Utd and Sunderland which won’t be easy that will get us to 46 points. We then need to get four more draws away maybe 3 but the main thing is our last away games is at Swansea who will be safe by then and if we need to beat anyone away that will be our best chance

Agree on Ter being MOM. Nelson absolutely superb but he should have nailed that header on goal.

 

[ECYellow]

Moore's best game of the season imo [smile]

corrected

 

[Bicester Yellow]

Worst side? You clearly did not attend Cardiff and Plymouth over Christmas.

Yes I did.

For what money they will be paying those players, they were pound for pound the worst side I’ve seen come here.

Offered nothing.

Cardiff scored twice, Watford didn’t look like scoring yesterday.

 

[NorthernExile]

I still think QPR were the worst side we played this year. The fact we lost 2-0 was neither here nor there — it was our worst performance.

 

[OX14]

Yes I did.

For what money they will be paying those players, they were pound for pound the worst side I’ve seen come here.

Offered nothing.

Cardiff scored twice, Watford didn’t look like scoring yesterday.

Disagree with that. The worse sides I've seen at the Kassam were Cardiff, Plymouth and Stoke. I know Cardiff scored two goals late on but they were real gifts like on Wednesday night against Hull.

Yesterday until we scored it could of went either way with chances for both sides. The difference between yesterday and Wednesday is that we managed the game better once we took the lead.

 

[OX14]

I still think QPR were the worst side we played this year. The fact we lost 2-0 was neither here nor there — it was our worst performance.

Definitely the worse side I've seen us play away then followed by Hull on Wednesday.

 

[Vancouver Yellow]

Definitely the worse side I've seen us play away then followed by Hull on Wednesday.

And Stoke away pretty close behind that. They were absolutely woeful.

 

[MiddleBartonYellow]

Worst side? You clearly did not attend Cardiff and Plymouth over Christmas.

Also Preston Stoke and even Norwich.

 

[90syeIlow]

Watford weren’t the worst side to come to the Kassam this season.

As mentioned above - Stoke, Cardiff and Plymouth were all worse and I’m tempted to add Derby under Warne to that list aswell.

 

[Oxford84]

Maybe.

I don't think you can play Placheta in a five-at-the-back system. He's a proper winger, but not a wingback (as he showed in the first five minutes at Norwich!). It's two from Tyler/Dembele/Romeny/RR/Matos (depending how aggressive you want to be) behind Harris.

Rowett may do that, but I think it would be a shame as I still think Cheese is our 'most likely' to create something against the good defenses in this division (even if his major contribution today was getting their guy sent off.....Dembele should probably have scored from his cross early in the second half though too)

Could play Placheta as part of a front 2 in a 5 3 2 formation?

 

[McXal]

I also don’t agree Watford were anything like the worst team we’ve played this season.

Some of their tactics/decision making was bizarre, such as persisting with knocking it back and forth to the keeper for the majority of the game even though it was clearly hurting them, allowing us much higher up the pitch than we’ve been able to get recently.

But some of their attacking play was lovely. The move to get Cissoko in on Cumming in the first half was great. Chakvetadze and Cissoko were both incredibly gifted footballers (I couldn’t actually believe it when they both got hooked, although Cleverly seemed to suggest after the game that Chakvetadze was carrying a knock).

Off the top of my head Luton, QPR, Stoke, Cardiff, Plymouth (probably missing a few) all looked far worse than Watford - who in both games against us have looked like an exciting attacking outfit with defensive frailties and a lack of clinical decision making which will see them miss out on the playoffs

 

[vcool]

It never be a problem. It only them with negative perspective that made it as problem

 

[Oxford84]

Where has that fighting spirit been all season, each and every one of them played with their hearts. For the club. For the badge. For the fans who were absolutely brilliant, the place was rocking. 8 more big ones to go lads, same again please

I think not having to play for 2 weeks helped.