Away Match Day Thread +++ 17/09/19 L1: Bolton Wanderers v OUFC +++

[MC Yellow]

This, 100%.

Amongst the most ridiculous bollocksy cliches in football. It literally means....nothing.

We have no consistency.

 

[Thomas/Brock/Jones]

this team hasn't really been built over w years though as most quality players leave each season

the one thing that is now sure is that this is now KRs team so his excuses wear a bit thin now

Yes I meant that he has been at the helm, knows our strengths /weaknesses and should have an idea if a player does leave a similar type is on the recruitment list . Our scouts should have 3/4 for every postion .

 

[DannyW]

No he said the 4th official, it’s a new tactic from Robinson we’ve worked out his blame the ref rant

I thought he said about the linesman being arrogant at half time when he tried to speak to him, then said linesman gave two offsides which were not according to KR. He seems surprised that if you have a go at some one they may take some kind of revenge. As I've long suspected the ranting at officials has a negative effect in the game being played and future games. Officials don't live in their own isolated world they talk to each other surely.

 

[Oufcad30]

I watched on ifollow, we was dire!
I turned it off when the final whistle went so missed KR post match.

 

[Big Ronaldo]

Can’t bring myself to watch it tbh.
We didn’t lose, but...!?

 

[AbbeyOx]

Can’t bring myself to watch it tbh.
We didn’t lose, but...!?

I don't know, didn't look too bad.
oh wait a minute, we weren't playing in white shirts were we

 

[bazzer9461]

A bit of P**s taking on social media on our lack of ability to turn over Bolton.
We’re an embarrassment and how I wish Robinson would address that.

 

[Northernyellow]

Toothless - tippy tappy - so many corners and zero penetration - we must score about 1 in 100 goals from corners and our free kicks aren't much better - but hasn't that been the trouble for the last three years? - We are too reliant on the midfield and I honestly don't know how the "coaches" have kept their jobs because we never try anything a bit different - just hoofing it aimlessly on to the back of heads. We are too predictable and that is worrying and so easy to play against. Dickie looked class at times, Fosu started well but went out like a candle in the wind, Easty had a good game and earned us a point but there was never a moment when we looked dangerous up front and when Agyai came on he played way too deep. The rest were anonymous and were dancing on ice. Studs lads? We could have got hammered and the closest we came was deflected shot from Henry - when Brannagan doesn't fire neither do we. Sack the coaching staff. Freshen it up with some new ideas to at least make us less predictable, and tell KR to hold his hands up to his own failures and not spew bollox with a pre-prepared script blaming officials, throw in decisions and then applauding poor teams. New contract or not, Tiger needs to set 5 game targets like we had under MaPP and act swiftly when we under achieve - if his real ambition matches his words - I'm not sure any knowledgeable fans on here would have less points if they were managing this team. Bolton are poor but they wanted it more. On paper we should be right up there but it takes leaders and we don't seem to have any. The fans are getting short changed week after week. Painful.

Tiger doesn't have any 'real ambition'... renting a training ground from the council and warbling on about a new ground do not equal ambition. We'll end up lower mid table or so. And as long as he's here, Tiger will keep up the relentless stream of chat with limited/zero delivery....

 

[MiddleBartonYellow]

f*****g EFL. Made a complete cock up of this Bolton situation. How is it a fair competition when some teams get to play against there youth team and teams like us don’t.
That is not an excuse for playing rubbish though.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

Mid Table all day long in my opinion.
Not acceptable for most people but I think that’s where our budget puts us.

There is no way our budget is mid table. Just look at the players we’ve got, the wages a lot of them will be on, the fact that we’ve paid fees for multiple permanent deals. Will Fosu be on average wages? Taylor? Will we be paying sod all for Woodburn? Are Moore and Agyei on average wages having left PL sides on three year deals? Is Cadden on peanuts? George ‘The Benchwarmer’ Thorne? Forde? Are existing players like Henry on average wages? Mackie? Eastwood’s new three year deal he signed last summer, is that likely to be average? What about Hanson’s mega deal that we’re stuck with for the next 3 years?

Looking at all of this logically and simply using our eyes, it’s looking pretty likely that our budget is not mid table. Perhaps this talk of a decreased budget at the end of last season was simply to lower expectation, or perhaps the Whyte money was all ploughed into an increased budget late doors to have a proper go at promotion, but there’s no way this is an average budget. Just look at those players. If last season’s budget was openly described as top eight, I refuse to accept based on the above - plus the fact that we also have a bigger squad of pros than last season to boot - that our budget has now slipped a good four or five places. No chance.

 

[PottersRightBoot]

There is no way our budget is mid table. Just look at the players we’ve got, the wages a lot of them will be on, the fact that we’ve paid fees for multiple permanent deals. Will Fosu be on average wages? Taylor? Will we be paying sod all for Woodburn? Are Moore and Agyei on average wages having left PL sides on three year deals? Is Cadden on peanuts? George ‘The Benchwarmer’ Thorne? Forde? Are existing players like Henry on average wages? Mackie? Eastwood’s new three year deal he signed last summer, is that likely to be average? What about Hanson’s mega deal that we’re stuck with for the next 3 years?

Looking at all of this logically and simply using our eyes, it’s looking pretty likely that our budget is not mid table. Perhaps this talk of a decreased budget at the end of last season was simply to lower expectation, or perhaps the Whyte money was all ploughed into an increased budget late doors to have a proper go at promotion, but there’s no way this is an average budget. Just look at those players. If last season’s budget was openly described as top eight, I refuse to accept based on the above - plus the fact that we also have a bigger squad of pros than last season to boot - that our budget has now slipped a good four or five places. No chance.

Our crowds are midranking in the league. I wouldn’t actually be surprised if we’ve slipped a little comparatively in budget terms.

I’m most disappointed that we’ve spent money on crocks and near crocks. Why did we acquire Thorne if he’s never going to play? Why is Hall being preferred to Sykes? Why was Aygei bought with an injury? Fractured foot wasn’t it ?

 

[Mad Dog]

It really is an emotional rollercoaster being an Oxford fan at the moment isn’t it?!?

There was the excitement and optimism after Pep’s first few games, and the introduction of super Gino, to despair for the rest of the season, until Robbo took over, and then relief that we stayed up, to optimism over the following summer, to despair for the first half of the season, to relief for the 2nd half of the season, to hope and optimism at the end of the season and start of the summer transfer window, to despair for over half the transfer window, to hope and optimism for the last quarter of the window and the start of the season, to despair again for the last few weeks, a chink of hope on Saturday, to despair again today!

I’m started to lose the plot!

The only thing we can do, is look at it as 4 points from the last 2 games, a home win, and away draw, take heart from that, and strap ourselves in for another go on the “Robbocoaster” on Saturday!

 

[WuTang]

So KR admitted we "ran out of ideas", yet he didn't change anything during the game. Didn't change the formation, the pressing (more like depressing!), all changes were like for like, and our final sub was in the 89th minute! "We ran out of ideas" translates to "I have no idea!"

 

[Oufcrealist]

KR talking absolute bollox as usual.....just shut the f**k up PLEASE!!

So KR admitted we "ran out of ideas", yet he didn't change anything during the game. Didn't change the formation, the pressing (more like depressing!), all changes were like for like, and our final sub was in the 89th minute! "We ran out of ideas" translates to "I have no idea!"

Yes, a clear admission for a poor performance.

 

[Shosho]

So KR admitted we "ran out of ideas", yet he didn't change anything during the game. Didn't change the formation, the pressing (more like depressing!), all changes were like for like, and our final sub was in the 89th minute! "We ran out of ideas" translates to "I have no idea!"

Concerning when the only plan is to set up 4231, cross relentlessly and us the same players each week.

We all know the formation and team for Lincoln aside from maybe the striker. We must be so easy to scout and set up against

 

[Marked Ox]

Fosu spent half his time on the grass and Taylor looks disinterested!

Taylor, for me, looked rusty and tired a bit before coming off rather than disinterested. He nearly got through a view times and if he hadn't stood on the ball in the 1st half, he'd have been clean through.

Fosu was the opposite to his Saturday performance. We were warned he is like this though and can be inconsistent.

 

[Marked Ox]

All these top players Bolton have are rejects f**k off robbo your talking s**t

A fair number of those rejects played 20+ games in the Championship last season. And have been in the Championship for at least a few years. Also we know how good Jake Wright can be.

 

[Marked Ox]

A clean sheet yes, but the gods were smiling on us. Mouse is defending himself as much as defending the team. We were poor in possession. Our sideways passing often led to our own downfall.

Agreed, our passing was awful yesterday.

 

[Marked Ox]

Tonight’s performance does highlight how unbalanced the squad is. What can Robinson do to shake things up for Saturday? Taylor looks way off the pace at the moment, hopefully he can play himself into form - a goal will hopefully do wonders, because Mackie is by all accounts struggling with his back and Agyei looks nowhere near ready. Hall also looks a million miles from being able to influence a game. Sykes hasn’t had a look in, Thorne? Who knows the state of his fitness.. Baptiste - struggling with his knee.

At the back Dickie is one yellow away from a one game ban and Moore is also struggling with his back. So Nico or Sam Long are the only options to partner Mous.

I know things always look a bit bleak after a poor performance and we’re just as likely thump Lincoln knowing us, but things do seem a bit ‘wing and a prayer’ at the moment.

Small point on yellows. According to Jerome last night, 1 of Dickie's yellows was in the Abomination Trophy which only counts in that competition. Gorrin, however is 1 caution away from suspension.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

Concerning when the only plan is to set up 4231, cross relentlessly and us the same players each week.

We all know the formation and team for Lincoln aside from maybe the striker. We must be so easy to scout and set up against

This is why I don't personally buy the "we produce some wonderful build up play". No we don't. We pass the ball along the back line, pop it into midfield, back to the defence, centre half has a jog out with the ball, plays it up field to a forward / winger, lays it back to a centre mid, moves it out wide, and then a full back crosses it into the box aimlessly where it's cleared away. There's no cutting edge what so ever. We don't go past people to break the line in the final third, don't move the ball quickly around the box in central areas, and don't look to play balls in behind or down the channels. Our build up play is ineffective - people can say it's as lovely to look at as they like, but it doesn't do anything threatening and it's completely predictable to boot.

Where are the clear cut chances over the last month? Three goals v Coventry: two own goals and a wonder strike from 20+ yards. Three goals v Tranmere: two penalties and a deflection. Goal against Fleetwood: early ball back in from a clearance and a good header from a 6'5" centre back, fair enough. Two goals v Millwall: a deflected shot from 20 yards and a penalty. One goal v Bristol Rovers: a 25 yard curler. For the last month or so we have been relying on penalties, lucky nicks and moments of individual brilliance - we don't create good quality chances and we don't create them frequently. We're badly lacking in pace, and I think it's clear to see just how much we miss Whyte's ability to simply shuffle the ball and go past somebody. Just that simple ability to break a line by nudging the ball forward and running faster than somebody else can cause panic and open up gaps. Now we seem to be stuck in a situation where we need time and space, and if a team backs off us we will keep the ball for fun, have lots of possession etc, but can't actually break a team down, get in behind them and score simple goals from inside the penalty area.

The question I have is what do we do to change it? Would a formation shift help, and if so what formation do we change to? Who plays where? If we go 4-3-3, who is on the right wing? Henry is ineffective unless he's more central and Forde looks a bit like a younger version of him who plays a similar way. Hall... who knows what's going on with him. So we've got Fosu on the left if he's actually fit to start every week, but no right wing option with any pace or real threat, and no real left wing option either if Fosu is out. 4-4-2... do we have two fit strikers? And you still need two wide players like you do in 4-3-3. Three at the back... we only have three centre halves and one of them is currently injured.

What are our options? I would genuinely be curious to see ideas for a team / formation based on what we have.