I resisted the temptation to post last night after getting back for fear of not being constructive. Having slept on it, i feel no less annoyed and frankly dumbfounded about yesterday’s performance.
First and foremost, who are these Oxford supporters that have this self righteous attitude towards teams like Cheltenham, AFC and Wycombe? What in gods name gives us a divine right to beat any one of them? Is it because we play 4 square passes across our backline before the inevitable, hopeful ball up to Taylor’s head/shoulders/ chest (which he never wins btw!)? Newsflash: Square passes do not make you a good footballing team nor do they make you an effective one!
I said it after last week and i’ll say it again, KR has not addressed the midfield physical ability issues he spoke about after Blackpool. We are powder puff at best and downright soft at worst.
Maybe at 33 i’m old fashioned (surely not!) but i do not care for a pretty footballing team and the comments i heard in the away end yesterday and the derogatory way in which people spoke of Cheltenham was bizarre. They deserved to beat us with their style. Just like AFC deserved to beat us and just like Wycombe were worthy of a point last week. It is not up to these teams to bow to our ‘superior’ footballing philosophy, it is up to KR and Co to find a way to break these teams down and find a way to win. right now, playing a bloke who’s 5’10” up top, on his own, with a right footed winger playing from the left and no focal point to our attack i just cannot see how the tide will change against these teams.
KR is inflexible and downright stubborn in his approach, or so it would seem. Unless he has a willingness to accept a change of system is required against the more direct oppositions, a mid-table (at best) season awaits.
Fingers crossed Erik and Co are willing to plough more money into us in Jan as for the love of god, we will require a CF not in the mould of Taylor and Winnall and we will require a CM who has the ability to impose himself. Stay in touch until then, get those players in and you just never know.
Final point, travelling numbers were again outstanding - more variety of song and prolonged spells of singing required. That said, the fare on the pitch could really help with that!