Away Match Day Thread 17/02/2024 L1: Wycombe Wanderers v OUFC

[Northstandboy]

POST MATCH PACK:

Post Match Discussion

Interview - Des Buckingham

Interview - Stephan Negru

Interview - Matt Bloomfield

Match Highlights

Match Report

Ref Watch

Fans View

 

[Golden Dr Otto]

I wonder with Findlay if it would economically be cheaper to offload Thorniley and have Findlay as third choice

Eg kilmarnocks contribution is less than Thorniley wage?

 

[Wandering Yellow]

What's changed in the coaching or style of play? The same players are pretty much playing in the same positions as under Manning. The difference is that we've had other key players out, or those that we have got are knackered. McGuane hasn't suddenly been coached differently, he's just been over played because there have been no alternatives. Ciaron Brown has looked jaded recently, Elliott Moore playing with an injury. Leigh has struggled since his injury. We've had no consistency with the wide players.

If you can't see that this is down to fatigue and a weakened squad then that's on you.

You are the definition of an Ostrich, Egg.

The squad has arguably strengthened with the January signings.

. We pressed totally differently under Manning. Under Manning the combinations in midfield were so much quicker. Under Manning we played far less than half of the long hoofs forward. Compare the possession stats of us under Manning vs under Buckingham.

Other teams have fatigued players and injuries too and don't serve us the dross we do. Do you seriously think this is all on the players?

I'll let other posters decide if they agree with you, because I think you are talking utter waffle.

 

[Scotchegg]

How many supporters will dig deep into their pockets to buy season tickets next season if we keep serving up this utter dross?

Most of them I should think! Considering they all bought a season ticket after last season (which was actually dross) I should think that most rational fans look at us in 6th and think we're doing just a little better. They also probably realise that this wouldn't ever be a quick fix and even Manning would have needed another summer window at least.

"Good point on the road", "still in the mix!"

Both totally true by the way!

Not everyone is a die-hard.

No, but most of us have a little more resilience than you appear to have.

 

[Scotchegg]

Other teams have fatigued players and injuries too and don't serve us the dross we do. Do you seriously think this is all on the players?

You're right, that's why we're seeing teams like Peterborough picking up 1pt in 5 games. Blackpool 5pts in the same period. Northampton and Stevenage 4pts. Barnsley have only 1pt more than us in the same period, Bolton 2 more.

A number of teams who have looked very string a different points in the season are struggling now, and guess what, it won't be down to managers all collectively having confusing game plans!

 

[billyturleyscurlywurly]

You are the definition of an Ostrich, Egg.

The squad has arguably strengthened with the January signings.

. We pressed totally differently under Manning. Under Manning the combinations in midfield were so much quicker. Under Manning we played far less than half of the long hoofs forward. Compare the possession stats of us under Manning vs under Buckingham.

Other teams have fatigued players and injuries too and don't serve us the dross we do. Do you seriously think this is all on the players?

I'll let other posters decide if they agree with you, because I think you are talking utter waffle.

I disagree.

I think there is a serious issue with our medical department/recruitment here.

Other clubs have had long term injuries etc & the odd knock but we seem to picking them up at a far higher level.

It needs addressing in the summer.

 

[Nox]

We have got 7 points in the last 5 games at 1.4 points per game. Roll that over the next 13 games and we finish with 72.2 points which would keep us 6th.

Do the same ppg over the last 5 for other teams around and this is how they'd finish;

5th Lincoln 73.6
6th Oxford 72.2
7th Leyton Orient 71.4
8th Stevenage 64.2
9th Blackpool 63
10th Peterborough 58.8

Of course the season wont play out this way, and Lincoln wont average 2.2ppg for the rest of the season anymore than Peterborough will only get 0.8ppg either. But the idea that the recent form table proves we won't make the playoffs is clearly wrong.

We need to get another 21/22 points in my view, which will need a ppg of 1.7, so we have to improve but absolutely no reason why we can't do that, and winning on Tuesday will be a good start.

So we are in agreement that 1.4 ppg won't be enough to reach the playoffs unless 2 or 3 teams implode around us.
I agree with you nearer to 1.7 ppg should be enough.
Will we see that improvement over the last 13 games. As I said I'm hopeful that will happen with more players available, giving Buckingham more options out on the pitch.

 

[Scotchegg]

So we are in agreement that 1.4 ppg won't be enough to reach the playoffs unless 2 or 3 teams implode around us.
I agree with you nearer to 1.7 ppg should be enough.
Will we see that improvement over the last 13 games. As I said I'm hopeful that will happen with more players available, giving Buckingham more options out on the pitch.

I'm saying that our current form is enough if other teams also maintain their current form. However, I'm sure that we'll improve, as will others, and Lincoln and Leyton Orient may well drop off a little.

Either way, 21/22 points from 13 games should be plenty. A couple of wins will quickly change thar picture, and win the next two (entirely possible) and our current 1.4 ppg for the rest of the season would be enough.

 

[Chris on a Bike]

No doubt in my mind that Eastwood would have given away a penalty at this point if he had been playing!

Gordon Bennett!!! I know it's fashionable for some to slag off Easty at any opportunity but this is desperate!

 

[Foley]

If you want.

Or we could all keep burying our heads in the sand and pretend performances like yesterday are acceptable.

Who has said that put of interest?
Some might have a slightly more nuanced view of it though.

 

[chromeyellow]

trying to imagine fans of any other club, who after having avoided relegation by the skin of its teeth the previous season, and now are firmly in the play-off places would be quite so full of misery and loathing.

perhaps people prefer life that way.

 

[Wandering Yellow]

Most of them I should think! Considering they all bought a season ticket after last season (which was actually dross) I should think that most rational fans look at us in 6th and think we're doing just a little better. They also probably realise that this wouldn't ever be a quick fix and even Manning would have needed another summer window at least.



Both totally true by the way!



No, but most of us have a little more resilience than you appear to have.

I'll ignore your last point. I travelled 3x as far as the majority of our fans to be there yesterday, was there in the conference. My only point was I wouldn't blame fans who want to be entertained for choosing to not buy season tickets based on what they've seen under Buckingham.

We have a highly highly competitive playing budget and we are mismanaged on and off the pitch. It is frustrating, if you don't put any of our performances on the manager that's your choice. I'm not saying des is the only factor in our performances but he is a major one.

You and I will never agree on anything it seems so ill leave it there. Forum for different opinions and all that.

I'll be at the orient game, forever hopeful.

 

[Upthecowboys]

Not sure if this has been mentioned already but..

It looks to me that there has been a change in how we ease players back in, and it looks like we are being far more careful (cautious?) which is probably a good thing. However it creates frustrations when you see Murphy playing 45 instead of 70 mins, or Goodwin really being eased in gently.

It's one of the reasons I think I'm being more patient than others. It's frustrating but if we can hang in in there for the next 3 to 4 games and not pick up any big injuries then I think we'll be in a good position to finish strongly.

We're not at the stage where we need to take risks with returning players coming back too early, I have a feeling this patient approach will pay dividends. But we desperately need a minimum of 4 points in the next 2 games

 

[Swaby39]

We have got 7 points in the last 5 games at 1.4 points per game. Roll that over the next 13 games and we finish with 72.2 points which would keep us 6th.

Do the same ppg over the last 5 for other teams around and this is how they'd finish;

5th Lincoln 73.6
6th Oxford 72.2
7th Leyton Orient 71.4
8th Stevenage 64.2
9th Blackpool 63
10th Peterborough 58.8

Of course the season wont play out this way, and Lincoln wont average 2.2ppg for the rest of the season anymore than Peterborough will only get 0.8ppg either. But the idea that the recent form table proves we won't make the playoffs is clearly wrong.

We need to get another 21/22 points in my view, which will need a ppg of 1.7, so we have to improve but absolutely no reason why we can't do that, and winning on Tuesday will be a good start.

I don’t think you needed to make a major case for getting in the top 6. I think most can see that it looks more than doable on a PPG basis and the squad excuses are long gone. The much more alarming problem is that we haven’t at any stage under Des looked like a side that will be competitive and win them. I’d have expected much more after 20 games, months on the training ground and a transfer window despite him not having a good advisor to his side. At least an idea of our best team and some identity in our play. It’s a good enough amount of time to expect a bit more than we’re getting. We can’t afford many more showings like yesterday if we’re in any way serious and we’ve had some good fortunate with results both ours and elsewhere. We need to assert ourselves on the race, starting with two ideal home games.

Who in the top 8 do we think we’d beat over 2 legs if the play offs were this weekend? Des has to do a huge amount with these next 10 games.

 

[QuietYeller]

You are the definition of an Ostrich, Egg.

The squad has arguably strengthened with the January signings.

. We pressed totally differently under Manning. Under Manning the combinations in midfield were so much quicker. Under Manning we played far less than half of the long hoofs forward. Compare the possession stats of us under Manning vs under Buckingham.

Other teams have fatigued players and injuries too and don't serve us the dross we do. Do you seriously think this is all on the players?

I'll let other posters decide if they agree with you, because I think you are talking utter waffle.

Yes the squad on paper is stronger but it’s still obvious there are some rusty players out there of the new recruits and recently injured. Goodwin Long Matete and Murphy
( is it true he’ll never ever play a full game??) The most glaring was Goodwin, i had flashbacks of George Waring!! You say other teams don’t serve up this kind of dross, but every team around us aren’t faring any better. If our results wer like Peterboroughs then a meltdown wouid be justified.

 

[Wandering Yellow]

I disagree.

I think there is a serious issue with our medical department/recruitment here.

Other clubs have had long term injuries etc & the odd knock but we seem to picking them up at a far higher level.

It needs addressing in the summer.

I don't know enough about the quality of our sports science/medical department to be able to comment but maybe you're right.

I do think we tried to address the recruitment this summer, moving away from Robinson bringing in his mates even if they have terrible injury records. It is possible the fact the squad has been so injury ravaged this season is terrible luck, or it's possible we are doing too much gym work, overtraining? I have no idea. I can't argue with you we seem to pick up injuries at an alarming rate compared to other l1 clubs.

But that said, we should still be doing better with the talent we have available in my view.

 

[maidenheadox]

We most certainly are spending on a similar level to those two.

You'll have to trust me on how I know, but my information is that we have a higher playing budget than Portsmouth and lower than Derby, and are in the very top group of clubs in League One.

The playing budget, though, does include some high earners who are not contributing. Findlay and Seddon are out on loan, with only a small percentage of their wages being paid by Kilmarnock and Burton respectively. We also have six players, all among our highest earners, who have been here all season (and are still here) who between them have contributed 81% of our total minutes played. In other words, each of those six has played on average only 16% of the available minutes. This is where much of our budget is going. These six, plus Findlay and Seddon, are costing us in the region of £35,000 per week. That's over £1.8m per annum for the equivalent of less than one player who plays all minutes available!

It's wrong to say that we're not spending at the same level of the aforementioned clubs, we most certainly are. That we have not spent that money wisely is the issue.

Fair enough, I am not in any way ITK. As the OP said, these are not Des Buckingham problems.

 

[Chippy]

Yes the squad on paper is stronger but it’s still obvious there are some rusty players out there of the new recruits and recently injured. Goodwin Long Matete and Murphy
( is it true he’ll never ever play a full game??) The most glaring was Goodwin, i had flashbacks of George Waring!! You say other teams don’t serve up this kind of dross, but every team around us aren’t faring any better. If our performances wer like Peterboroughs then a meltdown wouid be justified.

The issue with rusty players is the thing that irks me the most. In January, badly needing fit and ready to go players to help in a promotion push we signed Edwards (not fit for another month or two yet), Goodwin, Matete and Burey, all of whom are clearly not match fit or match sharp and carrying niggles and minor problems.

Not sure how much of this is down to the recruitment team or how much say the manager had, but as a club we just don’t help ourselves enough. We keep mainly relying on the same players week in week out, it’s no wonder some of these are now struggling (eg Moore, McGuane), and why our performances are lethargic, slow and someway below par.

We had a great bench against Wigan that changed the game. Next match at Wycombe due to injuries and unfit players the bench was again straight back to one offering little excitement or fit and firing players who could come on and change the game.

 

[QuietYeller]

The issue with rusty players is the thing that irks me the most. In January, badly needing fit and ready to go players to help in a promotion push we signed Edwards (not fit for another month or two yet), Goodwin, Matete and Burey, all of whom are clearly not match fit or match sharp and carrying niggles and minor problems.

Not sure how much of this is down to the recruitment team or how much say the manager had, but as a club we just don’t help ourselves enough. We keep mainly relying on the same players week in week out, it’s no wonder some of these are now struggling (eg Moore, McGuane), and why our performances are lethargic, slow and someway below par.

We had a great bench against Wigan that changed the game. Next match at Wycombe due to injuries and unfit players the bench was again straight back to one offering little excitement or fit and firing players who could come on and change the game.

Even with them all match fit I still feel like our squad is not quite there yet.
The following players(some awesome servants) need moving on.
They either hold us back financially and/or they are no longer good enough imo
Upgrade these and we have a promotion winning squad.


Thornily
Findlay
Seddon
Murphy
Henry
Bodin
Long
Eastwood
Odonkor

 

[Wandering Yellow]

Even with them all match fit I still feel like our squad is not quite there yet.
The following players(some awesome servants) need moving on.
They either hold us back financially and/or they are no longer good enough imo
Upgrade these and we have a promotion winning squad.


Thornily
Findlay
Seddon
Murphy
Henry
Bodin
Long
Eastwood
Odonkor

Offloading some of those (other than on loan to clubs paying a tiny % of their wages) is near impossible for the reasons @RyanioBirdio and @Colin B have already brought up.

That is a recruitment issue and certainly something that isn't Des's fault. A legacy of Robinson.

 

[QuietYeller]

Offloading some of those (other than on loan to clubs paying a tiny % of their wages) is near impossible for the reasons @RyanioBirdio and @Colin B have already brought up.

That is a recruitment issue and certainly something that isn't Des's fault. A legacy of Robinson.

True
Fact remains the squad isn’t there yet