Home Match Day Thread 17/09/2022 - L1: OUFC v MK Dons

[Oxfordpete]

I haven’t yet had time to check through this thread and I’m sure I’m repeating what others may have said, although perhaps not but my thoughts, I sit behind the goal
Eastwood I’m sure he got a slight touch but unlikely the ref etc could have seen this as the ball carried on almost in a straight line
Mous thought he did very well, no pace but uses his head, haven’t yet seen his own goal but an excellent header to score for us
Long made one excellent block, that aside was good bad good bad thought out the game
Findlay awful what a waste of money, our recruitment team have got this one wrong
Mcguane brilliant first half good second half
Cam ran tirelessly
Henry he’s not a wing back
Brown our best centre back but not a wing back. How did he miss that header in the second half
Browne disappointing overall (some good some not so)
Bodin did well to get his contract last season … this season awful overall
Joseph runs around a lot but not much comes if it another good chance in the second half didn’t react quickly enough
We are desperate for someone to score regularly what has happened to Gorrin he’s been on the bench but little or no game time with him back in the team it would release Cam or McGuane to go further up the pitch
2 weeks until the next game, looks like Taylor and Sam will be about by then, but who else might be back ??

 

[ChamonixOx]

Clanger with the pen? Where was you watching from? Was an absolute stone waller, born out from the fact the defence and keeper look Thanks for the memories KR, but your time is up and the club needs fresh impetus and a fresh approach. Do the right thing and leave before you are pushed

Do the right thing? If I was Robinson that would be wait until I am sacked (or agree a severance package), because that way I get a payout for my family. Alternatively, keep on taking the salary, even if it is a bit miserable based on results and the abuse (at the game and online), because a salary pays the bills. After all, what’s next after he leaves us, his record, and particularly the squad he has built here, doesn’t make a great CV. I didn’t watch yesterday’s game, but he sounds desperate and that’s understandable when your career is on the line.

The squad he assembled was the final straw for me. I didn’t agree with the panic in June, but by the Derby game the writing was on the wall, barring a miracle before the transfer deadline (this said, I never expected just one in which was the nightmare scenario).

Finally, whilst I am in the Robinson should go camp, let’s not forget this man has, and still is, giving his all, is a human being, and has a family. So for earlier posters (not the poster quoted), let’s have some dignity and not use petulant, personal attacks such as Gobbo Robbo, et al, as they are not necessary and or helpful, and just reflects poorly on the poster.

 

[Shaun Rice]

Once we have players coming back through from months in the treatment room not only will they have to gel together, but invariably we will also have to change formation to fit them in, taking bets on that being Karls next excuse if he's still around

Time to gel the age old excuse for ‘I’m not really sure what my best team is or how they should play’.
Rush them back in and they’ll get injured again.

Sam and Matty (from previous seasons) are a big loss. But will Anderson and Wildschut really make the difference? Am I missing someone?

 

[dickwalton1964]

We should have broken the bank for a proper striker, not a pretend one who works hard but a born finisher like Taylor. Brannagan needs someone alongside him, not behind or ahead. Kane, over all, was a disappointment but it’s that sort of combination we need - we have no one capable of picking the lock. McGuane playing way too deep, a really disappointing performance from him yesterday with so many backward passes. Admittedly there weren’t enough options ahead of him but I didn’t see him once do his usual marauding forward and take two or three players out of the game and open up space. Browne, where was he meant to be playing ? That was a clueless, headless chicken display from him. Bodin no longer has the appetite for it, he’s a shadow of last seasons player. It looked men v boys at times in that second half, we looked small and lightweight and they, while not a particularly good side, looked bigger and far stronger. Bar the last five minutes, MK strolled through that game.

 

[The mighty Aldo]

Do the right thing? If I was Robinson that would be wait until I am sacked (or agree a severance package), because that way I get a payout for my family. Alternatively, keep on taking the salary, even if it is a bit miserable based on results and the abuse (at the game and online), because a salary pays the bills. After all, what’s next after he leaves us, his record, and particularly the squad he has built here, doesn’t make a great CV. I didn’t watch yesterday’s game, but he sounds desperate and that’s understandable when your career is on the line.

The squad he assembled was the final straw for me. I didn’t agree with the panic in June, but by the Derby game the writing was on the wall, barring a miracle before the transfer deadline (this said, I never expected just one in which was the nightmare scenario).

Finally, whilst I am in the Robinson should go camp, let’s not forget this man has, and still is, giving his all, is a human being, and has a family. So for earlier posters (not the poster quoted), let’s have some dignity and not use petulant, personal attacks such as Gobbo Robbo, et al, as they are not necessary and or helpful, and just reflects poorly on the poster.

Well said
Let’s not forget three years of wonderful attacking football that brought the fans in
I think things started to go wrong after the Blackpool game.
KR alluded to the sort of players we needed but didn’t bring them in. We got a bit lucky because we manage to win because we were still scoring goals but it was obvious we needed to improve defensively
We were top 5 in January and just two good defenders would have seen us comfortably into the playoffs but our goals deserted us and we were always going to concede
We ran out of steam and looked pretty average. I don’t know why but the last two transfer windows have been shocking. It’s as if the players we were after don’t want to come here and after hearing we have an improved budget
Something has gone badly wrong this callender year and I would love to know is it all KR’s fault or is he the one having to face the music

 

[DannyW]

I haven’t yet had time to check through this thread and I’m sure I’m repeating what others may have said, although perhaps not but my thoughts, I sit behind the goal
Eastwood I’m sure he got a slight touch but unlikely the ref etc could have seen this as the ball carried on almost in a straight line
Mous thought he did very well, no pace but uses his head, haven’t yet seen his own goal but an excellent header to score for us
Long made one excellent block, that aside was good bad good bad thought out the game
Findlay awful what a waste of money, our recruitment team have got this one wrong
Mcguane brilliant first half good second half
Cam ran tirelessly
Henry he’s not a wing back
Brown our best centre back but not a wing back. How did he miss that header in the second half
Browne disappointing overall (some good some not so)
Bodin did well to get his contract last season … this season awful overall
Joseph runs around a lot but not much comes if it another good chance in the second half didn’t react quickly enough
We are desperate for someone to score regularly what has happened to Gorrin he’s been on the bench but little or no game time with him back in the team it would release Cam or McGuane to go further up the pitch
2 weeks until the next game, looks like Taylor and Sam will be about by then, but who else might be back ??

It was said last year that Alex G had an illness but that it could be managed. It sounded a bit like diabetes but who knows, if he's still struggling with that as well as his recovery from an ACL it might explain his lack of game time.

 

[Shosho]

In two weeks time the excuses disappear. With players back from injury he has nowhere to go - if performances don’t improve folk will be increasingly restless.

I think we’ve all had enough of ‘I have clarity’, ‘I only have kids on the bench’, ‘the players run around and care’ and yesterday, incredibly ‘we had to play a different way because Moore adds so much on the ball’ when we spent 90mins moving it in a horseshoe across the back 4/5 (whatever it was!).

I hope there’s some pressure coming from above, he needs to be answerable to someone. Even from a pure coaching perspective, there’s no progress from last season. No team identity, I don’t have a clue what we are trying…we are seemingly coasting to until others return. Additionally, no players have progressed aside from McGuane (even he just shuttled the ball wide yesterday).

 

[oufc1991]

You know the sad thing for me yesterday and something I've never done watching OUFC is when we scored I didn't even cheer because quite simply I didn't see the point it's a depressing place at the moment going to watch us and I really wish I hadn't wasted my hard earned money on buying a ST I should have just put the money in the bin

 

[Shaun Rice]

Wow what a shower of 5h1t that was.

For a start MK were bloody terrible. You know you‘re no better when their fans are singing the how s**t must you be song. Celebrating about actually having a single shot on target.

Our football is absolutely awful! Shaky back line, midfield are dull, cumbersome, side to side and toothless up top. God it was soooo boring to watch. Even so some how we managed to have (I’m not saying create) chances. But I think that was more MK being bad than our great football.

How did we go from a team on the verge of the playoffs, needing just a few quality additions to this sorry bunch? I’m really not convinced those coming back in will make much difference.

I also don’t think our board have the balls to do something about it. Even if they did it’d be the end of the season before the eventually sign a replacement.

 

[Nadi-]

Young Irish lad, we’ve been aware of for a least a couple of years.
Best player on the pitch yesterday.

 

[Oxymoron]

when we scored I didn't even cheer

I wouldn't worry. There are people in the East Stand that I don't think have ever cheered a goal in all the time we've been there - at the last game when Joseph nutmeged the keeper, the muttering from behind was "Bloody lucky, should have put it in the corner"....

 

[Bicester Yellow]

Do the right thing? If I was Robinson that would be wait until I am sacked (or agree a severance package), because that way I get a payout for my family. Alternatively, keep on taking the salary, even if it is a bit miserable based on results and the abuse (at the game and online), because a salary pays the bills. After all, what’s next after he leaves us, his record, and particularly the squad he has built here, doesn’t make a great CV. I didn’t watch yesterday’s game, but he sounds desperate and that’s understandable when your career is on the line.

The squad he assembled was the final straw for me. I didn’t agree with the panic in June, but by the Derby game the writing was on the wall, barring a miracle before the transfer deadline (this said, I never expected just one in which was the nightmare scenario).

Finally, whilst I am in the Robinson should go camp, let’s not forget this man has, and still is, giving his all, is a human being, and has a family. So for earlier posters (not the poster quoted), let’s have some dignity and not use petulant, personal attacks such as Gobbo Robbo, et al, as they are not necessary and or helpful, and just reflects poorly on the poster.

I agree, I would never get personal with him or make the attacks personal. It’s based on football and nothing else. He’s built an imbalanced squad for at least 2 seasons now. In any other job if you underperform or show the level of incompetence he has in the transfer window and tactically then you would lose your job in any other walk of life. He should be no different

 

[oufc1991]

also don’t think our board have the balls to do something about it. Even if they did it’d be the end of the season before the eventually sign a replacement.
@Shaun Rice
On this I kinda agree with you I don't think he will get sacked because the only thing the board are interested in is securing our new stadium

 

[oufc1991]

I wouldn't worry. There are people in the East Stand that I don't think have ever cheered a goal in all the time we've been there - at the last game when Joseph nutmeged the keeper, the muttering from behind was "Bloody lucky, should have put it in the corner"....

I always cheer when we score even if we're losing 5-1 just for something to do but I couldn't be bothered yesterday

 

[Bicester Yellow]

There wasn’t a penalty Eastwood got his fingers to the ball but the ref and lino didn’t see it so awarded the penalty but VAR would have given it

Bazzer, that was the most stonewall penalty for them you will ever see. I’m stood right behind it and Eastwood never got any part of the ball. It happened because he and the defence looked like they’ve never played together & he was slow off his line. It was a stonewall pen & if it was for us I would of been screaming for it. We should of had a pen of our own but we didn’t deserve it. Second best against a poor side. Midtable? The way we are going we are in for a relegation battle & that’s down to Robinson & Robinson alone for not even filling out his squad spaces

 

[Sheik djibouti]

We are playing like a mediocre at best League 2 team pretending to be a league 1 team right now.

This all has worrying echoes of the last few seasons at The Manor. In that situation, we didn't have a pot to P**s in OR an owner that gave two hoots about what happened on the pitch. There were far bigger fish to fry for him with "finishing" minchery farm and filling his pockets on an extremely lucrative property deal.

The only thing that seems to have changed is that we are told we now have unbelievably deep pockets as a club and can easily "blow most clubs out of the water" when it comes to transfer funds.

And whilst Robinson has made an absolute pig's ear of this (and to some extent several previous) transfer window, I would really like to see some leadership from the owners and purse string holders.

Just some inkling that they care about what is happening on the field enough to change the management/management structure to put us in the "top 30" footing we all thought they were aiming for.

For KR to think that Eastwood is a better option than Stevens is baffling.

For KR to think Brown is a wing back is baffling

For KR to think Henry has (or ever had) the pace to play out wide is baffling

For us to have a 36 year old CB, who most thought should've retired two seasons ago and many thought would be nowhere near the squad this season', as practically the first name on the team sheet is beyond baffling

And whilst I thought Joseph was Andy Scott but with an end product, I'm now beginning to think he is just an Andy Scott tribute act..... bit too harsh [emoji848]

And whilst we may be in a similar position to previous seasons in terms of slow starts (slow starts that have ultimately cost us, might I add), just take a look at who we have played and who we still have to play. Then take a look at our current available players and those in the treatment room and ask yourself if you really believe we have the right personnel and that they have what it takes to turn this around any time soon.

And let's just entertain the idea that we get players back over the next month and we start to at least hold our own in some games and "steady the ship". Do you honestly think KR can be trusted to address the glaring imbalances in the squad in the next transfer window, given that they are imbalances created by him over several windows to begin with?

Do we even think players want to come here.....the summer dealings suggest otherwise, given the players we supposedly missed out on?

Some long dark days ahead and it is time for the owners to front up and take some responsibility for the mess we're clearly in.

 

[DannyW]

You know the sad thing for me yesterday and something I've never done watching OUFC is when we scored I didn't even cheer because quite simply I didn't see the point it's a depressing place at the moment going to watch us and I really wish I hadn't wasted my hard earned money on buying a ST I should have just put the money in the bin

I was exactly the same, my passion has evaporated

 

[The mighty Aldo]

I am in the KR needs to go camp, I was willing to give it to the end of October but with some really tough game coming up I think a new face is required

But to play devils advocate, yesterday was the equivalent of the 2-1 home defeat to Swindon and we all know what happened after that

Just saying what if he gets a few players back especially Taylor and Moore, we get a battling draw at Charlton and some confidence returns…….who knows

 

[Upthecowboys]

I mean we did make a change - two years ago we realized that he wasn't the player he used to be, and put him out to pasture. It's mad that he's back to being first choice again, whilst still performing at the same level as he was when he got dropped



Yeah.....he works incredibly hard, and actually has the physical attributes that you look for in a League One striker. I'm just not sure he's got much in the way of skill. Doesn't seem to be able to control a ball that's pinged into him, doesn't seem to be able to find his teammates with his flicks and layoffs and - judging from the last two games - doesn't seem to be able to hit an open goal from six yards out either.

I agree re your Eastwood comments.

It was called out at the time by a lot of fans, but he should not have been offered a new contract. He’s with us now until 2024. Rather than offer that extension, we should have parted ways and signed a new keeper.

However one of them had to go out on loan and it was never going to be Eastwood. No way was a keeper with family etc who was towards the end of his career going to go on loan, it was always going to be Stevens.

That contract offer seemed to me to be the sort of decision a DofF might challenge.

Interestingly in the Eastwood interview before Plymouth he said it was this pre-season where he started to practice as a sweeper keeper. I was surprised by that as the sweeper keeper style is not a last 12 months phenomenon.

The whole new contract situation seemed a bit ‘matey’ to me and was called out at the time.

Out of interest are there any other clubs in the pyramid who have loaned out a keeper to a team currently higher in the same division? Are there even any other clubs who have loaned out a keeper to a team in the same division? Surely not many. I’m pleased Stevens has got a good loan but it is a strange situation.

 

[Oufcad30]

Well where to start?!
Having slept on it and watching the Lowlights, KR needs to go, can take Eastwood with him.
Can we recall Stevens or does it have to be in January?
Joseph does alot of running but that's about it.
Bodin is like a shell of last season, Marcus Browne doesn't seem to have his usual swagger either, is he still carrying the injury?
Mous was my motm yesterday.