Away Match Day Thread 22/10/2025 - MDT: Wrexham V Oxford United

[Northstandboy]

 

[Bretch Hill]

There’s plenty of young, talented, modern managers out there, we just need to be brave and go for one of them.

A few that spring to mind straight away are:

Carrick? Did good things at Middlesbrough with Woodgate, they were devastating to watch when they came to the Kassam, and it was ludicrous he got the sack, simply because they had one bad end to the season and missed out on the playoffs, when the previous season’s he’d got them to the playoffs.
Would they want to come to us? Who knows, but they’re not popping up anywhere else yet, so why not us? We’re in the Championship, where they’d want to manage

Bellamy? He’s showing the signs of being a good up and coming manager, and he must know by now that international football is a waste of everyone’s time, especially Wales! Might he fancy getting into club management?

Roy Keane? He’s said a few times recently he’d like to get back into management, and has been promoted out of this league before. Let’s give him a call!!

In all seriousness though, if we want to not only survive at this level, but actually progress, and make our club an attractive proposition for players, Rowett clearly isn’t gonna be the one to do that, he’s had long enough now, and the football is just as shite, boring, dull, unimaginative, negative and uninspiring as it was when he first arrived.

Some might be happy to keep slithering along like this, until we inevitably slip back down to league one, but I want to see some proactive out of the box thinking from the club, and bring in a new manager and couching setup, to get us moving up the league, not slowly back down, which is where this is heading under Rowett.

Time to change it up, if we wanna stay up.

Food for thought. And thanks Bellamy would be interesting for sure.

 

[Berliner]

I’ll no doubt get clobbered for daring to say this, but if we want to stay at this level, and progress, then we need a new manager and entire coaching setup.

I await the abuse…

But which one is it then, because those two are completely different. For the first, you need a manager like Rowett. But if the board say we want to be challenging for the playoffs, then someone else needs to come in.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

There’s plenty of young, talented, modern managers out there, we just need to be brave and go for one of them.

A few that spring to mind straight away are:

Carrick? Did good things at Middlesbrough with Woodgate, they were devastating to watch when they came to the Kassam, and it was ludicrous he got the sack, simply because they had one bad end to the season and missed out on the playoffs, when the previous season’s he’d got them to the playoffs.
Would they want to come to us? Who knows, but they’re not popping up anywhere else yet, so why not us? We’re in the Championship, where they’d want to manage

Bellamy? He’s showing the signs of being a good up and coming manager, and he must know by now that international football is a waste of everyone’s time, especially Wales! Might he fancy getting into club management?

Roy Keane? He’s said a few times recently he’d like to get back into management, and has been promoted out of this league before. Let’s give him a call!!

In all seriousness though, if we want to not only survive at this level, but actually progress, and make our club an attractive proposition for players, Rowett clearly isn’t gonna be the one to do that, he’s had long enough now, and the football is just as shite, boring, dull, unimaginative, negative and uninspiring as it was when he first arrived.

Some might be happy to keep slithering along like this, until we inevitably slip back down to league one, but I want to see some proactive out of the box thinking from the club, and bring in a new manager and couching setup, to get us moving up the league, not slowly back down, which is where this is heading under Rowett.

Time to change it up, if we wanna stay up.

He has had long enough? He has been here less than a year and just 2 transfer windows to turn a league 1 squad into a Championship squad.
Right now Rowett is exactly the type of manager we need.
Carrick did well at Boro but he had an established Championship squad to work with and money to strengthen it. We have a mix of league 1 and championship players right now and I can’t see someone like Carrick coming in and being able to do what he did at Boro with us.

 

[OUFC1983]

Saturday is going to be a very tough game, and won't be the cake walk some may believe it to be. Despite everything that Sheff Wed have going on they're playing with some real heart and desire, and gave Middlesbrough a proper game last night. Their fans will be back in the stadium as well after their boycott last night. If Rowett doesn't set us up positively to go at them to get a win, then we will end up on the end of a bad result. The intent has to be there right from the off.

 

[Mad Dog]

He has had long enough? He has been here less than a year and just 2 transfer windows

That’s a lot longer than most with his record during that time would’ve got.

At what point do we start questioning his place then? Once we’ve been cut adrift? When we’re going into the final week needing a miracle to stay up? Once we’ve lost for the umpteenth time having created absolutely nothing and looked absolutely pathetic yet again?

Do we just sleep walk through the season with a “we’re lucky to have Gary bloody Rowett as our manager” attitude?

Or do we accept that we’re not progressing at all with him at the helm, and look to make a change, before we end up with too a big a mountain to climb?

 

[pommy80]

He has had long enough? He has been here less than a year and just 2 transfer windows to turn a league 1 squad into a Championship squad.
Right now Rowett is exactly the type of manager we need.
Carrick did well at Boro but he had an established Championship squad to work with and money to strengthen it. We have a mix of league 1 and championship players right now and I can’t see someone like Carrick coming in and being able to do what he did at Boro with us.

Des had the same, if not less time, especially in the championship. I think we’ve all seen enough from Rowett to decide whether he is the man or not now.

 

[tomoufc]

Des had the same, if not less time, especially in the championship. I think we’ve all seen enough from Rowett to decide whether he is the man or not now.

Yes, and in that time he saved us from relegation and we are currently out of the relegation zone. Surely that’s what we hired him for?

 

[Bretch Hill]

“It’s very difficult as a manager to be able to predict. You could be so good in one game and then so poor in the first 30 minutes in the next game.

“I think we’ve got a good mentality as a group. I would never question that, I would never question our energy, but we just didn’t run enough with any urgency, really, to stop them doing what they wanted to do for the first 30 minutes.”
That’s Gary after last nights non performance
It’s difficult for him as a manager to predict what team is going to turn up when he sends them on to the pitch.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Des had the same, if not less time, especially in the championship. I think we’ve all seen enough from Rowett to decide whether he is the man or not now.

We were going to get relegated under Des. That was quite clear to see. Rowett has kept us up and will do the same again this season.

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

Let’s be realistic and try to enjoy the ride.

1. Have Charlton been at this level longer than us?
2. Do Charlton have a greater budget than us?
3. Do Charlton have a better squad than us?
4. Can you imagine Gary Rowett's Oxford United smashing three goals in 12 second half minutes at Portman Road to go 5th in the table?

Spoiler: Answers

1. No.
2. No.
3. No.
4. Absolutely not.

 

[Coffin Dodger]

Start wearing the yellow kit away from home especially in night games the black makes it difficult to see the players, highlighted even more so at Wrexham due to the missing stand and a pretty much black backdrop.

 

[pommy80]

We were going to get relegated under Des. That was quite clear to see. Rowett has kept us up and will do the same again this season.

I guess we’ll wait and see. That’s if he lasts that long.

 

[tatabanya]

1. Have Charlton been at this level longer than us?
2. Do Charlton have a greater budget than us?
3. Do Charlton have a better squad than us?
4. Can you imagine Gary Rowett's Oxford United smashing three goals in 12 second half minutes at Portman Road to go 5th in the table?

Spoiler: Answers

1. No.
2. No.
3. No.
4. Absolutely not.

I'm sure I saw his Oxford United smash in three goals at the team who are 4th in the table, 10 places above Ipswich

 

[pommy80]

Yes, and in that time he saved us from relegation and we are currently out of the relegation zone. Surely that’s what we hired him for?

So we should just settle for that then? scraping for survival? What about showing a bit ambition like Charlton currently have done?

 

[90syeIlow]

The Rowett defenders that say he needs more time and transfer windows make me laugh.

He’s just been tactically outsmarted by Phil Parkinson ffs.

 

[JOHN BOY]

We were going to get relegated under Des. That was quite clear to see. Rowett has kept us up and will do the same again this season.

Exactly

 

[tatabanya]

The Rowett defenders that say he needs more time and transfer windows make me laugh.

He’s just been tactically outsmarted by Phil Parkinson ffs.

I don't think he needs more time or transfers to keep us up, which is the task. I think he's got us out of the bottom three at the moment and is our best chance of staying there.

 

[Mad Dog]

Start wearing the yellow kit away from home especially in night games the black makes it difficult to see the players, highlighted even more so at Wrexham due to the missing stand and a pretty much black backdrop.

Yep, that’s the problem

 

[DenbighYellow]

I'm not Rowett's biggest fan, BUT I think it's a bigger risk in terms of relegation to get rid of him than to stick with him. I think he'll keep us up this season, just.

IF we do stay up I think the summer will be the time for a change, giving a new coach a full summer to implement his ideas. Coming in now with this squad I fear would be very difficult to change the system/style successfully.

 

[Mad Dog]

We were going to get relegated under Des. That was quite clear to see. Rowett has kept us up and will do the same again this season.

Des was too inexperienced and out of his depth at this level, and yes, we were in free fall.

Then Rowett came in and used his experience to steady the ship, we went 9 unbeaten and climbed up the table, but it wasn’t pretty. But credit where it’s due.

We then went on an abysmal run of games without a win, almost as bad as when we were in free fall under Des, it was ugly and horrible to watch, but we just about managed to get some traction towards the end of the season, and pull away from the relegation zone.

Again, it wasn’t pretty, but credit where it’s due.

This season, we needed to kick on. We haven’t. And with Rowett at the helm I don’t think we ever will, we’ll just keep scraping by and hanging on.

I don’t pay over £500 per season to watch that, I pay to see us fight and attack and try to compete and play attractive football, and progress, not cower away from the opposition, hoping we do just enough to stay in the league.

How many more performances like last night do we all really want to have to watch?

 

[battman]

As frustrating as last night was, the talk of Rowett getting the sack is premature in my opinion. Of course he's not immune from criticism, and I've been a complainant about his tactical setups, team selections and poor performances against sides around us; but it's a fact that we've got the lowest budget in the division, and despite that, we've not lost a game by more than a single goal this season, and nor are we in the relegation spots having played 11 games. And what's more, we've already played a number of sides in the top half of the table, and are still yet to play Norwich, Blackburn and Sheffield Wednesday; who are at least on paper looking like worse sides than us this season.

At this point my question would be: who would get more out of this squad given the budget constraints we're working with? Any names mentioned so far just don't have the experience in dealing with this type of scenario, and in truth if we needed a manager tomorrow and forgot Rowett was ever with us, his name would be top of the list. Changing the coach won't make our wingers more consistent, nor will it magic up more options in midfield.

No doubt Saturday is crucial given the opposition, but I don't think it's helpful to be calling for the manager's head when we follow one really good performance with a bad one. We knew we'd be inconsistent in this league, because if we weren't then we'd either be at the top of the table or sitting on 0 points being pummelled every week. Sure, we have to improve, but our best chance of doing that is with this current setup and not with a magic bullet.

 

[tomoufc]

1. Have Charlton been at this level longer than us?
2. Do Charlton have a greater budget than us?
3. Do Charlton have a better squad than us?
4. Can you imagine Gary Rowett's Oxford United smashing three goals in 12 second half minutes at Portman Road to go 5th in the table?

Spoiler: Answers

1. No.
2. No.
3. No.
4. Absolutely not.

So how are we going to get Charlton’s manager?

 

[tomoufc]

So we should just settle for that then? scraping for survival? What about showing a bit ambition like Charlton currently have done?

You don’t think the club’s being ambitious?

 

[battman]

This season, we needed to kick on. We haven’t. And with Rowett at the helm I don’t think we ever will, we’ll just keep scraping by and hanging on.

Question, did we really NEED to kick on? With Wrexham and Birmingham replacing the relegated sides, and our budget still being the lowest in the division, why is there an expectation that we have to be finishing mid-table, and that merely survival isn't good enough? Second season syndrome is a thing, and when we've waited 25 years to get back into this division, I'd take another season of scraping by if it means we're consolidating ourselves as a Championship side for the long term.

 

[Upthecowboys]

So we should just settle for that then? scraping for survival? What about showing a bit ambition like Charlton currently have done?

I think Rowett has spent the money he has been given wisely. Charlton have spent far more than us, if you have an issue with that then that's a question for the board (or FFP rules?)..

If we stay up then I'll be happy, just think that is the reality of the Championship at the moment. I'd be happier if we end up 55 points plus, but yes I'd be a happy punter if we stay up. I think we need 3 seasons + (6 transfer windows +) to become an established Championship club before our expectations should change.

Each to their own and all that, but I think we need to be realistic about things. I'd be interested to know Charlton's turnover compared to ours, with a 3 sided rented ground we're well behind other clubs financially.

 

[ECYellow]

Oh come on.... Saturday wasn't that brilliant, we only won 1-0. That say's it all we can't or won't put teams to the sword..
Derby was just shite that day, & they had chance's of coming back...

Hang on, so by your logic we must win games more than 1-0 to be convincing (we only won 1-0), but if we lose a game 1-0 then the goalposts are shifted to a point where the manager needs the sack?

Don't talk such wet.

 

[BrockBuster]

Can't handle the fickle nature of this place sometimes. The extremes from the Bristol City game to this one.

For me the same frustrations I've got with the current setup are the same as they were after ten or so games under Rowett. We tend to lack ambition away from home or against teams considered significantly 'better' than us when we're at home. This appears to be tactical.

That's my biggest frustration.

With that in mind, we're still capable of better performances and regardless will pick up points and keep things tight. The exception is, so far this season at least, we've given away sloppy goals (dodgy backpasses, crap marking from set pieces) too frequently.

The Bristol City game was an exception and not the norm (for an away performance).

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

There’s plenty of young, talented, modern managers out there, we just need to be brave and go for one of them.

A few that spring to mind straight away are:

Carrick? Did good things at Middlesbrough with Woodgate, they were devastating to watch when they came to the Kassam, and it was ludicrous he got the sack, simply because they had one bad end to the season and missed out on the playoffs, when the previous season’s he’d got them to the playoffs.
Would they want to come to us? Who knows, but they’re not popping up anywhere else yet, so why not us? We’re in the Championship, where they’d want to manage

Bellamy? He’s showing the signs of being a good up and coming manager, and he must know by now that international football is a waste of everyone’s time, especially Wales! Might he fancy getting into club management?

Roy Keane? He’s said a few times recently he’d like to get back into management, and has been promoted out of this league before. Let’s give him a call!!

In all seriousness though, if we want to not only survive at this level, but actually progress, and make our club an attractive proposition for players, Rowett clearly isn’t gonna be the one to do that, he’s had long enough now, and the football is just as shite, boring, dull, unimaginative, negative and uninspiring as it was when he first arrived.

Some might be happy to keep slithering along like this, until we inevitably slip back down to league one, but I want to see some proactive out of the box thinking from the club, and bring in a new manager and couching setup, to get us moving up the league, not slowly back down, which is where this is heading under Rowett.

Time to change it up, if we wanna stay up.

Would Gary O'Neil benefit from a Championship job to rebuild things?

 

[Mad Dog]

Question, did we really NEED to kick on? With Wrexham and Birmingham replacing the relegated sides, and our budget still being the lowest in the division, why is there an expectation that we have to be finishing mid-table, and that merely survival isn't good enough? Second season syndrome is a thing, and when we've waited 25 years to get back into this division, I'd take another season of scraping by if it means we're consolidating ourselves as a Championship side for the long term.

Scraping by and merely surviving every season, means watching a huge amount of appalling games like last night, with the most we can hope for being an occasional half decent, solid performance against a team as bad as Derby were on Saturday.

The rest of the time will be spent watching poor performances and being outplayed.

That’s what merely surviving and scraping by every season looks like.

Do you want to be paying £500-600 each season to watch that?

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

So how are we going to get Charlton’s manager?

No need to be obtuse.

It's not about Charlton, or QPR, or Hull (all 5 wins apiece despite relatively low budgets and/or financial question marks) - or anyone else for that matter.

It's about the patronising insistence that we must all be 'realistic' - which in this context feels like being told to 'suck it up and be grateful, whatever the results or performances'.

Of course, we don't have to be ungrateful - I love being at this level regardless.

But I believe we can still expect more than we are currently enjoying - i.e. going into each game with a specific, tailored approach to try and win the match and displaying tactical flexibility to try and remedy it when it isn't working.

I don't think that's unreasonable.