Away Match Day Thread 20/12/2025 - MDT: Charlton Athletic vs OUFC

[Northstandboy]

 

[FalmouthOx]

Every year the challenge is to get the best out of the new group of players who are OUFC. In patches, this lot are more than capable, but just not consistent enough. Two weeks ago I thought Pompey might sack Mous and he be a natural replacement. That now seems unlikely - but whoever the manager is needs to be honest and quickly mix things up when its clear the players can't play to his style - keep trying to fit a square peg into a round hole will send us down. Keep trying to play out from the back when we aren't good enough to will send us down. My one question, as Chairman, would be "what are you going to change - NOW?" - and if he refuses to change anything then let him go. But he surely isnt a one trip pony though in terms of managemenet and tactics? - getting another new manager worries me - dear God not a "Steve Bruce" type - and if we sack every year we are considered a basket case. Better to have an honest meeting with GR and demand immediate tactical change and (with this group of players at least) give up on the current style. Adopt a more attacking stance and high press and if we still go down then lets do so fighting. They don't need to fire him. Just crack the whip and say "no more" to the current style of play?

 

[bazzer9461]

Just listened to the GR interview again and if what he says is true, and I have no reason to disbelieve him, the senior management team are equally at fault.

He says he hasn’t heard from them about what might be available in January. Williams and Ferguson should be at the ground talking to him and the team and asking what he needs and who he wants gone.
He may not get what he wants but with us in this position plans should have been made by now.

Williams is not good for this club and Ferguson isn’t here often enough.

If I was Erik Thohir it wouldn’t just be GR under the microscope

What bugs me is it was said that out budget wasn’t as good as the previous season, sorry but this is the championship and you’ve got to keep the momentum going. Yes it make take 3/4 years of struggling before we can start to see the return to the championship is fruitful.
I don’t want premiership football we would never be good enough for that level. Tragically this isn’t the old division 2 where we would have been able to compete the championship is a cash cow for those teams that the EFL and sky want to see.
I think over Xmas Derby have two matches on tv a nice bit of extra income, I don’t think we’re on tv.
The board, Rowatt and the recruitment team have to go if as expected we’re relegated we certainly won’t be coming back up for a long time and even longer with those I’ve mentioned still being here.

 

[maccydee]

We’re entitled to ‘slag off’ a player who’s employed to score goals, but who doesn’t score goals, and for as long as I have to pay to see that, I’ll slag him off.

My Mrs says can she have your address as she is very protective of Harris and wants to fight you. (Tongue in cheek for the mods)

lol emoji

 

[stokeu]

Not if he's going to be sold in January and preventing injury a commercial imperative.

Staying up is the commercial imperative.

He must have a very low, possibly zero value, unless you consider shedding his wage a priority. Maybe coming on and showing he can actually deliver something would change that.

 

[Rach]

I've generally been pro-Rowett (based on the fact I think he is a competent operator at this level and showed last season he can keep us in the division), but I now reluctantly concede that a change is probably our best chance of survival.

I am very frustrated with his overly negative approach and weird team selections. Can someone, anyone on here explain to me how Harris starts over Lankshear? And why are players repeatedly brought in from the cold or thrown straight back in to the starting lineup after long term injuries? It all feels desperate.

Through a combination of poor planning, incompetence and, I now think, frustration and a smidge of disinterest on Rowett's part, our best chance of survival is a Hail Mary and a hope that a change of manager will produce enough of bounce that the other issues are masked. I can't help but feel it needn't be this desperate but that's for another thread, I guess.

Just a note on the fans today. The bunch of kids behind the goal (backed up by a few older mindless idiots) were absolutely gagging to have a go at Rowett. You could almost feel the excitement they got from us going 1-0 down so they could reel out the anti-Rowett songs. With half an hour still to go they'd thrown in the towel. Bunch of wimps. I'd rather they f**k off, to be honest.

Nonetheless, it was a hugely disappointing performance and result, that I think will be the final nail in Rowett's coffin. He can rightfully point to failings of others but he has not covered himself in glory either.

Someone who really wants to be here and whose enthusiasm has not been dampened by our p**s-poor summer is our best hope now.

^^ Exactly this.

The lads in front of us weren't that young - probably early 20s - but they were singing Rowett out from about the 30 minute mark, and urging the team "Backwards, backwards!" which wasn't really helping. I have seen them at multiple away games this season though.

I don't like the negative chants during the game as I really don't think it helps anyone.

Have been to every away game this season except for Blackburn and Norwich, as I work in Bristol. Does missing those make me a bad person?

 

[Oldman159]

For what it’s worth…..

Another disappointing game. I wasn’t expecting any other result TBF, but I was hoping for a gritty draw. When I saw the team selection I still couldn’t understand the logic of leaving a potentially good attacking duo on the bench.
I hope that this awful period does not hamper Will’s development too much…he really doesn’t deserve it…

hey, I know nothing of management nor football, but I know what I like…and I’m not seeing anything likeable at all at the moment

Add to that, my B team is Spurs… but at least they gave it a go, played better with 9 men than some teams I could mention with 11. Just sayin!

 

[Osleroad]

That was weird yes. Unless the senior management are getting on with things and not involving him?

I think that you could read it that he hadn't had an ultimatum regarding his job or the dreaded confidence vote of we trust you Gary with the transfer window. People will extrapolate whatever. It is a bit of a gauntlet throwing exercise on a rubbish afternoon when innumerable factors led us to that conclusion. I'd say the Lge is more even this season but the level is higher across all squads with ours obvs being the one not having enough depth to it.

 

[Oldman159]

As a matter of interest…how many of our penalty appeals were ignored yesterday?

(I know, getting into the box is a prerequisite for having a shout…)

 

[Shosho]

Where is Dembele, i would rather him on than Tyler is he injured or fallen out with Gary ?

Something seemingly happened during the international break.

 

[ThatSlopesATwelfthMan]

Staying up is the commercial imperative.

He must have a very low, possibly zero value, unless you consider shedding his wage a priority. Maybe coming on and showing he can actually deliver something would change that.

Am not saying I agree but the discussion on here often assumes our head coach has freedom to make decisions he simply doesn't in many cases. I'm not privvy to details here but rowett has been pretty clear that almost everything related to recruitment, contracts and commercials is now handled by the wider exec team. That goes for the players and backroom team (bar his assistant, naturally). It could be that Sibley is being 'frozen out', it could be he's not realistically available for selection

 

[dabigfella]

To me Rowatt is doing the best he can with what he has. It's just that what he has isn't good enough. He needs six or seven quality players to survive. He ain't gonna get them.

 

[uptheus]

Ridiculous. So you’re criticising fans for backing the manager and players in a time of adversity ? So as not to cause a ‘divide’ (divide!!!!!) what should we have all done, joined in with the pathetic anti Rowett stuff ? What should the proper fans who were there to support have done, just keep quiet, roll over and let a few muppets have their say ? B*llocks to that, I’d rather they were drowned out by real supporters.

If you read my post you’d know what I suggested we did/sang e.g. songs for the team rather than an in fighting as to who wants Rowett or not. Not sure singing about Rowett is really backing the players! but I sort of get it, whereas, singing about the team/club is definitely both. Just wasn’t the time to be having those kind of battles in the stands! e.g. it’s counter productive.

Edit; Oh, just realised it was you, so I should have known better!!

 

[uptheus]

To me Rowatt is doing the best he can with what he has. It's just that what he has isn't good enough. He needs six or seven quality players to survive. He ain't gonna get them.

I don’t think his is, and his team selections and set-up sort of shows that.

 

[uptheus]

So what will have given us the best chance of an equaliser - a united fan base urging the team on or a split one with some fans telling the manager to go and at the same time telling the players they’re s**t while they’re striving for an equaliser. It’s not so much his opinion I was questioning, more his assertion that the rest of us should have shut up and not backed Rowett so we didn’t become divided - that’s just a laughable view.

Support the f*****g team rather than the debate as to whether we want Rowett or not, it’s not that hard to understand, but I guess some of our fans struggle to understand the basics.

 

[uptheus]

I agree about trying Romeny up front. Why would you put Prelec ‘in behind’? He’s a burly centre forward, not a fancy midfielder

I just feel with him (Prelec) in behind Lankshear (tends to give the central defenders a tough game, pushing on the last man), but WITH pacy wingers on each flank (Mills & Placheta) needed too etc, he’s shown that he’s strong and tricky enough to pick-up the loose balls etc

 

[Bicester Yellow]

You just worry about betting on the team you apparently ‘support’ to lose and tell everyone who will listen that you are refusing to go to away games.

And yes, it is all down to ‘people like me’ why we are in the relegation zone

You said in an earlier post that we have some ‘wet wipes’ supporting the club, I can only assume you were talking about yourself.

I was there yesterday and saw an absolute shower of s**t again so I’ll call it out for what it is whether people like you like it or not.

 

[Stranger]

The board, Rowatt and the recruitment team have to go

Presumably you want the recruitment team and Rowett sacked before Thohir sacks himself?

 

[Bicester Yellow]

Totally true but they did it when there were no fair play regulations. We cannot do what they did that boat has gone, well we can but we will get a huge points deduction or an automatic relegation.

Still surviving in the premier league on 12,500 crowds.

I know they get the tv money but what they do season on season is they’ve actually had managers who have a philosophy and they’ve recruited to that.

We’ve done neither of those things, there’s a reason every club rowett has been at their fans say the same thing

 

[Blox21]

Presumably you want the recruitment team and Rowett sacked before Thohir sacks himself?

And to think we was SO close to getting our new stadium

 

[OX14]

Presumably you want the recruitment team and Rowett sacked before Thohir sacks himself?

He means Tim nice but dim and golf Grant. Not Thohir who is the owner.

 

[Jster]

I was there yesterday and saw an absolute shower of s**t again so I’ll call it out for what it is whether people like you like it or not.

Dont worry, I suspect most people in the ground yesterday were glad to hear it. I'm thinking especially of those in the home end.

 

[Bicester Yellow]

Dont worry, I suspect most people in the ground yesterday were glad to hear it. I'm thinking especially of those in the home end.

I’d imagine they were glad to see us barely bother to attack.

That game yesterday would have been like us against Bolton at Wembley for the Charlton fans.

Never a moments worry we were going to score

 

[FalmouthOx]

I think we also shoudn't get hung up on the fact that a change in manager kept us up last year. Someone starting fresh versus someone starting with Plan B, I'm just not convinced will solve things. We are good enough - the set-ups he choses dont suggest we believe it - attack attack attack

 

[BigAlan]

I think we also shoudn't get hung up on the fact that a change in manager kept us up last year. Someone starting fresh versus someone starting with Plan B, I'm just not convinced will solve things. We are good enough - the set-ups he choses dont suggest we believe it - attack attack attack

Attack, I think Rowett has no idea what your on about.

Fire him.

 

[90syeIlow]

The really sad thing is that we have shown we can attack efficiently and create from open play against the higher teams in this division for at least a half.

Yes, it didn’t work against Stoke and that’s fine by me because we won’t compete in every game against the better sides, but the way we just seem to capitulate against the weaker sides is catastrophic and unacceptable.

 

[sox]

I do not want to see any of the starting front three again. They were abominably bad.

Charlton were very poor, a souped up league 1 side. Too much energy for us though.

Davies was very good . Best player on pitch in fact. Tyler tried hard. That’s about it.

Still not really a Rowett out merchant but I don’t own rhe club.

Would not be surprised if there were some long distance calls tomorrow morning.

And for those lively lads I met on the train, Richard and Dave; Kassam has never had any interest in Ally Pally.

COYY I guess but it’s a bit fainter than it was at 3pm.

Was a painful watch. I feel for Rowett - he’s trying to polish a turd, he knows this and also that it’s a step too far - even with his ability to get teams punching above their weight.

I think if we get rid of him we are down. If we keep him … 50/50 we stay up … I trust him to keep us up before ANOther … but he does need investment in the window.

‘if’ he gets the chance to keep us up - and does - it will, by necessity, require Rowett Ball. Yep he could set us up to be more expansive, but with our squad we’ll end up losing by two, three and four (whilst scoring the odd goal). I’d rather play his way and have a chance of surviving…

… and if we do survive, or even if we don’t, thens that’s the time to rip it up and start again. Not now.

Interesting times. See you for the home win against Southampton

 

[bazzer9461]

Presumably you want the recruitment team and Rowett sacked before Thohir sacks himself?

Stick with your friends and we’re fucked

 

[PottersRightBoot]

Was a painful watch. I feel for Rowett - he’s trying to polish a turd, he knows this and also that it’s a step too far - even with his ability to get teams punching above their weight.

I think if we get rid of him we are down. If we keep him … 50/50 we stay up … I trust him to keep us up before ANOther … but he does need investment in the window.

‘if’ he gets the chance to keep us up - and does - it will, by necessity, require Rowett Ball. Yep he could set us up to be more expansive, but with our squad we’ll end up losing by two, three and four (whilst scoring the odd goal). I’d rather play his way and have a chance of surviving…

… and if we do survive, or even if we don’t, thens that’s the time to rip it up and start again. Not now.

Interesting times. See you for the home win against Southampton

Nice one Sox. (At least he’s not Robbo )

Reckon we’ll do Saints. It’s the’ Oxford way ‘.

 

[Bath Yellow]

Whats going to come first, our next penalty or a goal from a corner which are a complete waste of time, cleared everytime.

 

[dickwalton1964]

The other day your were saying players shouldn’t need motivation from the manager but now it’s critical the fans motivate them from the terraces so they can better strive for an equaliser

Who said anything about fans motivating them ? I’m saying support them. If you don’t know the difference between support and motivate that’s your problem and I’m not going to bother explaining something so simple.