Home Match Day Thread 22/01/2022 L1: OUFC v Sheffield Wednesday

[bazzer9461]

Been impressed with his last two games. Shower very different side to his game playing deeper that I wasn't sure he could offer. Calm in possession when under pressure and also really improved his physicality where he has all the attributes.

Regular game time and he surely con only improver further. But yes had a quality game

 

[holdsteady]

***Josh Ruffels quietly sobs***

With relief?

 

[Oxford1996]

Been impressed with his last two games. Shower very different side to his game playing deeper that I wasn't sure he could offer. Calm in possession when under pressure and also really improved his physicality where he has all the attributes.

The style he plays with he needs to play week after week. You can’t keep chop and change him.

 

[Leysboy]

Yeah. ‘Eh’.

Also went along with a neutral today and he also thought that McGuane was a total show pony.

He really rated Taylor. And McNally.

We get it! We see you don’t like Mcguane, no need to keep banging the same drum.

What do you suggest? You should be starting at Gillingham… Then we can all say how s**t you are yeah?

We won that’s what matters, and for the record Seddon was the worst player on that pitch, not Mcguane.

 

[Mike_H]

Fantastic advert for Leauge one football, two committed teams and a decent performance from the ref.
First half lots of quick one touch passing from Wednesday and probably should have scored more, but also showed that when pressed, they could be beaten.
Second half, 100% all round committed performance. Sykes, Taylor and Bodin stand out players. McGuane showed in spells his talent. McNally has to start, very strong in the air, brings the ball out confidentially from defence.

McNally: “I’m bringing the ball out, but don’t tell anyone, it’s a secret”

 

[Golden Dr Otto]

Yeah. ‘Eh’.

Also went along with a neutral today and he also thought that McGuane was a total show pony.

He really rated Taylor. And McNally.

I’m not a huge advocate of McGuane, but last few weeks with a bit of a run in the team he’s looked much better.

You’ve been smoking the funny stuff if you don’t think he was good out there today. For league one that was a very good performance

 

[chuckbert]

Team for Gills. 352

Stevens
McNally Long Thorniley
Sykes Brannagan McGuane Seddon
Bodin
Taylor Winnall

Williams for Seddon?

 

[chuckbert]

If we are going to play with wingbacks I want to see Sykes and Williams in those positions.

 

[Canadian_Yellow]

Amazing game today. So many positives - Stevens back in goal, Taylor back in the goals, coming back from a goal down twice and KR showing we have a plan B, which, I hesitate to say, may suit the squad we have better than plan A and 4-3-3. Hope we see it again next Saturday but I won’t hold my breath.

Still, really important not to get carried away though. Seddon seems to have got away with one of the most blatant penalties not given this season - go 2-0 down and it’s a completely different game.

Let’s also talk about the second Wednesday goal. McNally has a free kick near the halfway line. He launches it forward and ref makes him take it again (commentators couldn’t figure out why, nor could I). Instead of launching it forward to the edge of their box again or down the line to Sykes, McNally, for some reason, plays it back to our keeper. Stevens completely messes up the clearance while being pressured and Windass’s shot from the mishit clearance spoons out for a throw in by our corner flag. We immediately lose possession from the throw in and 30 seconds later, it’s in our net.

You can cast blame for this goal against at several players but to me, it all stems from the crazy way we make a deliberate choice to go backwards on set pieces when we have the chance to put pressure on our opponents goal. We do this at least once a game and it drives me bananas. The second goal against today doesn’t come about if we don’t make a ridiculous pass back to our goalkeeper from a free kick on the halfway line. I just don’t understand the mentality of doing this. Best case scenario: Stevens (kicking being the weakest part of his game) kicks it just over the halfway line and we have a 50-50 chance of winning the ball. I think 100% of Oxford fans would take a 50-50 chance of winning the ball on the edge of their penalty area from the free kick instead and then a chance may develop - we could get a shot in or work it out wide for a cross.

There was also a throw in in the first half by the edge of their penalty area which we worked all the way back to either Long or Moore in our half and one of them tried to fizz it across to Seddon and it went straight out of play. Result: instead of us making a chance from a throw in a promising position, we give them the ball on the halfway line without them even touching it.

I get that you have to go backwards to go forwards in open play but you don’t at set pieces!! Funnily enough, these set piece annoyances came on a day when we actually looked dangerous at corners for the first time this season. Lots of credit to Bodin for that but please let’s go forwards and put pressure on the opponents goal from a set piece in their half, not pass backwards for no reason and risk making mistakes that gifts possession back to the other team.

 

[West Oxon U’s]

Sykes ability to slow down our own counter attacks is so frustrating. He is absolutely not championship standard I’m afraid regardless of what opinions he may have of himself. His game play is too labored. He can be impactful at league one but again it’s inconsistent

Let’s hope my words curse me with a standout performance from him today

You WERE cursed.

It was very much a stand out performance from the boy!

 

[Paul Moody's Left Boot]

What a match! It's clear that having Stevens back in goal makes a huge difference, and hopefully he stays in goal so we can maintain our winning run.

 

[West Oxon U’s]

We get it! We see you don’t like Mcguane, no need to keep banging the same drum.

What do you suggest? You should be starting at Gillingham… Then we can all say how s**t you are yeah?

We won that’s what matters, and for the record Seddon was the worst player on that pitch, not Mcguane.

In fairness to Steve Seddon he never hides , never drops his head and always drives forward - it’s abundantly clear though that he’s more of wing-back
and a decent one too.

 

[West Oxon U’s]

A word for young Bedfordshire referee Finnie who contributed to yesterday’s spectacle - he was excellent overall.

 

[West Oxon U’s]

Come on Oxford, get into the game. Again a side comes to the Kassam and knows exactky how to handle kr and his mono tactics. 0-1 down, but ffs after 8 mins come on. Possibly looking at 1 win in 6.

Come Oxford fantastic time to score, COYY, NO REASON AT ALL WE CANT BEAT THESE....

Pure shithousery from Mellowyellow in the space of a couple of minutes.

 

[Golden Dr Otto]

Captain Suicide is back if anyone recalls his video from last time

Bloody hell - Oxford Utd 3 - 2 Sheffield Wednesday - Back to throwing it away-

Bloody hell - Oxford Utd 3 - 2 Sheffield Wednesday - Back to throwing it away-

www.owlstalk.co.uk

 

[Yellowmania]

Anyone else think the Wednesday fans were some of the loudest we’ve heard at the Kasstad? Considering they didn’t have the maximum allocation as well they seemed to be pretty noisy from my seat in the South Stand. Not saying they sang more than others but good volume when they did, also thought they had some decent songs that I’ve not heard before.

 

[dickwalton1964]

Fantastic advert for Leauge one football, two committed teams and a decent performance from the ref.
First half lots of quick one touch passing from Wednesday and probably should have scored more, but also showed that when pressed, they could be beaten.
Second half, 100% all round committed performance. Sykes, Taylor and Bodin stand out players. McGuane showed in spells his talent. McNally has to start, very strong in the air, brings the ball out confidentially from defence.

Agree.

Wednesday’s quick passing, dummying and movement 20 yards from goal was as good as I’ve seen from a L1 side. They reminded me, up front, of Leicester in that pre season game a few years ago when that Japanese lad, Osaki was it, was just too quick, too sharp and too good for our defence. Banham was very good, not just the clinical finish, but his eye for a pass and time on the ball.

Something was clearly said at half time because from the very first kick in the second half our closing down and general tempo went up a level - and we kept it up. Once it went 2-2 we really took control and although having been behind twice I’d have taken a point we really did need the 3 points after recent results.

Sykes, McGuane and McNally were the stand out performances and a mention also for Bodin, finally his arrival as an Oxford player. Winnall was also noticeably sharper with his movement and touch. Robbo takes credit too. A lot of lower league managers aren’t great tactically, relying more on motivation, but he‘s proved a fair few times that he can go toe to toe on the tactics front.

A great day all round and refreshing that a big crowd, with no doubt a fair few first time fans, were treated to a proper performance from us.

 

[uptheus]

Anyone else think the Wednesday fans were some of the loudest we’ve heard at the Kasstad? Considering they didn’t have the maximum allocation as well they seemed to be pretty noisy from my seat in the South Stand. Not saying they sang more than others but good volume when they did, also thought they had some decent songs that I’ve not heard before.

I said to my son that we never sing that loud and together like that, even at Wycombe last week with 600 more fans.

Yes, they were loud when they sang, but for large parts of the game they were quiet. May be equalising 90 seconds after going 2-1 didn’t help!!

 

[dickwalton1964]

A word for young Bedfordshire referee Finnie who contributed to yesterday’s spectacle - he was excellent overall.

Yes he was. I said to my lad that he was in the running for man of the match ! He will go up the leagues, based on that performance yesterday. He kept the game flowing and wasn’t whistle happy and also got the bookings right. Excellent.

 

[uptheus]

Agree.

Wednesday’s quick passing, dummying and movement 20 yards from goal was as good as I’ve seen from a L1 side. They reminded me, up front, of Leicester in that pre season game a few years ago when that Japanese lad, Osaki was it, was just too quick, too sharp and too good for our defence. Banham was very good, not just the clinical finish, but his eye for a pass and time on the ball.

Something was clearly said at half time because from the very first kick in the second half our closing down and general tempo went up a level - and we kept it up. Once it went 2-2 we really took control and although having been behind twice I’d have taken a point we really did need the 3 points after recent results.

Sykes, McGuane and McNally were the stand out performances and a mention also for Bodin, finally his arrival as an Oxford player. Winnall was also noticeably sharper with his movement and touch. Robbo takes credit too. A lot of lower league managers aren’t great tactically, relying more on motivation, but he‘s proved a fair few times that he can go toe to toe on the tactics front.

A great day all round and refreshing that a big crowd, with no doubt a fair few first time fans, were treated to a proper performance from us.

We changed the system to 3-5-2 towards the end of the first half, hence the change in momentum from them to us.

We were being over run in the middle of the park with our defensive players not having options to pass into the midfield areas, so once we reverted to 5 Wednesday lost all knowledge of who was picking up who and all of a sudden we had more time on the ball in the middle.

I thought Moore looked injured (not moving freely) just before half time, hence withdrawing him at HT, but like I said, we’d already revert to 3 at the back before HT with Long, Moore and Thorniley.

Seddon had an awful game yesterday and gets so out of position. He’s costing us a least a goal a game at the moment. He needs to prioritise on his defending first as that is his primary role, anything other than that is a bonus.

Not sure 3-5-2 suits us in the long run with the personnel we have, but we got lucky with it yesterday. Just think that holding midfielder (Gorrin etc) role whoever’s gone in there hasn’t worked in recent games, hence the freedom that the likes of Brannagan/Kane were getting beforehand, so not really happening as much. It’s almost like we need to address this position (central defensive midfielder), you know, the person who breaks up the play and goes unnoticed until they are not there, then pass it to the likes of Brannagan/Kane to make things happen which is why I don’t think we’re ticking over as well at the moment. Gels the team together.