Away Match Day Thread +++ 19:10/19 L1 Rotherham United v OUFC +++

[IsleofWightYellow]

An chance of keeping Cadden? He will be more of a loss than Taylor imo.

I really like Cadden but not sure he’ll be more of a loss than Taylor, the guy basically gets a goal a game!

 

[Big Ronaldo]

Oh what it is to have a goal scorer in the building.
To think Appleton nearly signed him and we ended up with Obika!!!???

 

[ljs]

Is he serious ?

Rochdale will bring their usual 250.
6,400 home fans against Doncaster.

Does anyone seriously think an extra 3,300+ extra fans will turn up for ROCHDALE ?

To put it into context,the last time we played the scum,the home fans attendance was 9,342.
Coventry this season less than 6,500 home fans.
Have we ever had 9,750 home fans for a Football league game at the Breeze block ?

Sorry, but the gate wont be 8k.

He probably isn't, but no problem in trying to big up the game and get some additional numbers through the gate.

 

[Scotchegg]

He probably isn't, but no problem in trying to big up the game and get some additional numbers through the gate.

Exactly. It's all about building interest and getting 7 or 8k against Rochdale followed by 10k against Sunderland should hopefully give us a bit of momentum. Sadly we might not have home games in November so these next 2 games could really set the mark for a big December.

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

Did the ref have something personal against Matt Taylor or something?!

 

[Scotchegg]

An chance of keeping Cadden? He will be more of a loss than Taylor imo.

Talks are ongoing with Cadden and Columbus, and a deal to keep him to the end of our season is still very much on the table. It was a fairly complex deal first time around so don't expect anything simple in January, but I'd say the chances of him staying are better than 50/50.

Also, I'm 90% sure that Cameron Brannagan and Rob Dickie will be going nowhere in January. The club is very much focused on promotion and players genuinely believe that they can get to the Championship with Oxford so there is no point in gambling on an early move.

Fosu is attracting a lot of interest, but his best football at Charlton and Oxford has come under Robinson and many underestimate just how important KR is to everything within the club. Equally, Baptiste knows that he will get games but also time to recover and develop. I believe a PL team has expressed interest but he doesn't want to get lost in a big youth system.

Possibly, the most likely departure in January will be Eastwood. Whilst there was talk of him going in the summer, I was convinced he would stay. But he is struggling being away from the family and could go. My understanding was that Rotherham were one option, although on yesterday's performance they're probably happy with what they have. I would guess that we would have a couple of options lined up should he leave, but no one wants disruption in January if it can be avoided. That's why Eastwood is being allowed home as often as possible.

Of course, anything can happen in the next couple of months and this is entirely the view of mine and not the club! @LondonRoader

 

[Big Ronaldo]

Another player in this team who doesn’t get the plaudits that he totally deserves is Josh Ruffels.
Adaptable, dependable totally professional. He has, in the past had to wait patiently for a place in the side, but it is testament to his determination and no little skill, that he finds himself a regular in one of the most talented Oxford teams in a generation.

 

[West Oxon U’s]

Easty unconvincing for the Millers goal but redeemed himself with a smart save low down to his right late on.

 

[Davox]

Stevens made 2 against Wimbledon U23s.

Yes you’re agreeing with me. I said he ‘Wouldn’t’ make less errors! A double negative I realise but that means he’s a worse option than Eastwood

 

[West Oxon U’s]

FOSU the stand-out player for Oxford says Paul Warne.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1185832816669614080

 

[ttg17]

Sorry but this is really grinding me, it's 'fewer errors', not 'less errors'!

Starting to really believe now. This team is special. I think the parallels with 15/16 are eerily apparent - beating Prem teams in the Cup, a real feeling of goodwill around the club, goals from everywhere, consistent battering of teams in our division, even a fan favourite product from the academy being seriously looked at by teams higher up the pyramid (COD / Baptiste). I bet Whyte and Nelson are sick to be missing it!

 

[Shosho]

We pretty much have the best centre back and best midfielder in the league. Add in Cadden (who is up as one of the best wing backs in the league) and we have a pretty decent team.

January will be a tough month - but I trust the recruitment. Hopefully we pick out of the premiership academies again. Players like Herbie Kane and Greg Docherty both had huge seasons on loan in league 1 last year and now sat in U23s

 

[Oxford Aesthete]

That kit is bloody lovely

 

[Oxford Aesthete]

Is he serious ?

Rochdale will bring their usual 250.
6,400 home fans against Doncaster.

Does anyone seriously think an extra 3,300+ extra fans will turn up for ROCHDALE ?

To put it into context,the last time we played the scum,the home fans attendance was 9,342.
Coventry this season less than 6,500 home fans.
Have we ever had 9,750 home fans for a Football league game at the Breeze block ?

Sorry, but the gate wont be 8k.

No, KR was getting a bit carried away at that point in the interview. Uou cant fault his passion though and if it brings in another few hundred then hats off to him

 

[Big Ronaldo]

We pretty much have the best centre back and best midfielder in the league. Add in Cadden (who is up as one of the best wing backs in the league) and we have a pretty decent team.

January will be a tough month - but I trust the recruitment. Hopefully we pick out of the premiership academies again. Players like Herbie Kane and Greg Docherty both had huge seasons on loan in league 1 last year and now sat in U23s

Which midfielder? Brannagan or Fosu????

 

[ttg17]

We pretty much have the best centre back and best midfielder in the league. Add in Cadden (who is up as one of the best wing backs in the league) and we have a pretty decent team.

January will be a tough month - but I trust the recruitment. Hopefully we pick out of the premiership academies again. Players like Herbie Kane and Greg Docherty both had huge seasons on loan in league 1 last year and now sat in U23s

This is a key point for me. We were all, I think, panicking in the summer, especially in that week when we lost Whyte. But really, have ANY of our signings turned out to be flops? Moore has arguably failed to live up to expectations a bit, but I'd like to see what our coaching staff can do with him after the dramatic transformation we've seen in Dickie. Cadden, Gorrin, Taylor have all improved the team, and Fosu, while a slightly different type of winger to Whyte, has more than replaced him, and even perhaps adds more in terms of end product. Forde and Berkoe have looked useful, it's too early to tell with Agyei but he looks quick and strong, and Thorne was a calculated risk that it doesnt seem will pay off, but also looked superb when he played against West Ham. I trust more of the same in January.

 

[bazzer9461]

Absolutely Baz! Found myself having to grab strangers to get my balance when going downhill! Shame because otherwise it's a lovely stadium.

The New York and the keepmoat stadium are two very tidy stadiums and having spoken to NMW pre Man City game its a model they want to build OUFC’s stadium on

 

[bazzer9461]

We pretty much have the best centre back and best midfielder in the league. Add in Cadden (who is up as one of the best wing backs in the league) and we have a pretty decent team.

January will be a tough month - but I trust the recruitment. Hopefully we pick out of the premiership academies again. Players like Herbie Kane and Greg Docherty both had huge seasons on loan in league 1 last year and now sat in U23s

We may not need to pick out any of the young prem players

 

[Shosho]

This is a key point for me. We were all, I think, panicking in the summer, especially in that week when we lost Whyte. But really, have ANY of our signings turned out to be flops? Moore has arguably failed to live up to expectations a bit, but I'd like to see what our coaching staff can do with him after the dramatic transformation we've seen in Dickie. Cadden, Gorrin, Taylor have all improved the team, and Fosu, while a slightly different type of winger to Whyte, has more than replaced him, and even perhaps adds more in terms of end product. Forde and Berkoe have looked useful, it's too early to tell with Agyei but he looks quick and strong, and Thorne was a calculated risk that it doesnt seem will pay off, but also looked superb when he played against West Ham. I trust more of the same in January.

On Moore, he looks more than capable from the minutes he has had.

I had a recruitment guy ask me about Dickie - he reckons he is now worth 1.5mill upwards...but his passing and ball carrying has gone through the roof. Moore, in some respects will be the Dickie replacement in 12months (if he goes) however I understand we had been after Moore for a while.

The additions we made in the summer have all had an impact on the squad - along with bringing out the best of those we already had. Gorrin makes Dickie and Brannagan look great, Henry’s link up with Cadden is invaluable and Fosu (in terms of output) is beyond Whyte.

The obvious challenge is maintaining this through the season, however I’m sure we will already have players lined up for most scenarios. Even spend some ££££ on league 2 talent?

 

[Shosho]

We may not need to pick out any of the young prem players

We have a reputation for it now. We have a blueprint of players dropping out of the premiership academies, getting big minutes for us then working their way back up the ladder. If they are good enough they will reach their level. We have so many examples now that it must be pretty tempting for 18-21yo stuck in reserve football.

Herbie Kane was one of the best midfielders in the league last year for Doncaster. He played 40 matches...in the summer he went back to Liverpool, hasn’t been loaned out again and has now played 4 matches for the U23s this season. There is a swathe of these players