Away Match Day Thread 23/04/2022 L1: Rotherham United v OUFC

[MiddleBartonYellow]

And I'm sure we would have won the Eurovision Song Contest with more points than anyone else, year on year. It's all about what we do, Oxford United, not hiding behind the fact that we did not making the play offs, diluting the situation by saying how strong the league is.

Just stating the facts, and how tough it’s getting.

 

[Concretebob]

Would have made the playoffs every season for the last 10 years with 78 points. Also that would have been enough to be champions 10 years ago. Doesn’t mean much I know but it’s likely that seven clubs will end up with over 80 points. It’s a strong league.

Exactly. The standard this season in the promotion picture has been ridiculously good.

 

[Manorlounger]

Exactly. The standard this season in the promotion picture has been ridiculously good.

And better than ours.

 

[Mad Dog]

Gutted.

To be totally honest though, although I hoped for victory today, I really didn't expect us to win, Robbo's sides do seem to fall short in the "must win" games, is it tactical naivety, wrong starting lineups, or simply giving the opposition too much respect in big games? Maybe all three.

However, as disappointed as others (and myself) are, I'm not sure if KR actually DESERVES to be sacked, yet.
It's not like we've been flirting with relegation since he's been here, and he's got us right in the mix, in and around the playoffs for three seasons in a row, with a quarter final appearance in the league cup, and we have been exciting to watch in that time.

But one thing's for certain, and that's the same old problems have cost us AGAIN, and it can't continue, we MUST address these issues, and make the necessary adjustments, work on DEFENDING PROPERLY, as a team, not just the backline, and learn to TAKE OUR f*****g CHANCES!!!

That's what the coaches are there for, and if they can't do their job properly, and iron out these awful flaws in our game, then they shouldn't be here.

Robbo will obviously be here next season, and when the season starts, he'll get my support as always, but there needs to be a change in recruitment policy in the summer, such as:

No more injury prone players or crocks.
No more players short of game time and fitness, in need of their own "mini preseason" to "get up to speed"
No more skinny, flimsy players, instead, bring in big strong units, who can outmuscle the opposition, and boss games.
No more square pegs in round holes.
NO MORE OVERLOADING THE SQUAD WITH WINGERS!!
NO MORE NEGLECTING THE NEED FOR DEFENDERS OR OUT AND OUT STRIKERS.
NO MORE BUILDING IMBALANCED SQUADS!!!

I like KR, he's a good guy, a proper decent bloke, who clearly cares about our club and community, and I want him to succeed here, and I've said before that if he could just lose the stubborn arrogance and ego, then I think he could be a great manager, but he's got to make some big changes to his whole approach, as it's currently holding us and him back from taking the next step up.

As far as I'm concerned, one more season, and one more summer of recruitment, but if it's the same old problems again, then I'll be brandishing the pitch forks...

You're almost there Robbo, just a few tweaks here and there, and we'll be in business!

COME ON YOU YELLOWS!!!

Enjoy the summer

 

[Deleted member 808]

Massively disapointed today. The injuries of moore, marcus browne and sam baldock I think cost us promotion this year. Looking back at the home game against Burton with Baldock and matty running riot. When baldock got injured and was replace by winnal which he missed a sitter in the second half, we didn't look right. Since then we just haven't been good enough up front. Hopefully we will learn from this and bolster our squad for next season for another promotion push. COYY

 

[Concretebob]

And better than ours.

Not arguing that one bit. It just shows that the teams in the promotion race have been head and shoulders above the rest. If we had kept a few more clean (ok, a lot more) sheets and not thrown points away against the likes of Cheltenham and Morecambe... But that's if.

Now hoping Whybother don't get in the play offs.

 

[Yellowmania]

Anybody else getting fed up with our new secret weapon, the long throw?
Considering it’s now a rehearsed tactic we rarely seem to win the first ball and never the second ball.
All seems a bit pointless to me and question why we persevere with it every time.

 

[bazzer9461]

Anybody else getting fed up with our new secret weapon, the long throw?
Considering it’s now a rehearsed tactic we rarely seem to win the first ball and never the second ball.
All seems a bit pointless to me and question why we persevere with it every time.

But it works for other clubs

 

[Leysboy]

Ermm trying to think of something positive to say…. But nothing currently springs to mind.

 

[Dubai Yellow]

Anybody else getting fed up with our new secret weapon, the long throw?
Considering it’s now a rehearsed tactic we rarely seem to win the first ball and never the second ball.
All seems a bit pointless to me and question why we persevere with it every time.

In general our throw ins have got worse all
Over the pitch. What’s with all the long throws down the line?. We don’t win any headers then lose the 2nd ball. Puzzling

 

[Horse]

See Robinson has blamed McNally by saying it was him mistake and he’s got to learn from it. It’s ridiculous to say he’s to blame and in the same breath say he’s been magnificent. Poor man management.

 

[Followtheox1]

Disappointing, but as for the season I have been entertained.

We need a couple of players to be better, Gorrin getting injured didn’t help, we need as someone said muscle in front of the defenders, that might give Kane if he stays freedom to play forward with Brannigan if he stays, possibly a big striker to compliment Taylor and Baldock if he stays, Bodin can stay as well.

Holland can go, Brown or Thorniley (one of the other) would be good, goalie, not sure either are Championship standard.

Time for a beer.

Lucky we are not in the Championship then.

 

[Dubai Yellow]

I’m terms of the game. Not much went our way, we can single out individuals but what’s the point. Today isn’t why we fell short this season. Poor squad building, coupled with inevitable injuries crippled us at the wrong time. I’m not in any way wanting KR to go, I like him a lot. But let’s hope he learns from this and it makes the difference next season. Regardless of next weeks result, I’d say we have ended up +1 (above Par) this season, which is a disappointment.

 

[OX14]

Ermm trying to think of something positive to say…. But nothing currently springs to mind.

Only positive is I won't have to dice with going to Wembley and missing the birth of my second son and Oxford's newest fan.

 

[Manorlounger]

In general our throw ins have got worse all
Over the pitch. What’s with all the long throws down the line?. We don’t win any headers then lose the 2nd ball. Puzzling

We don't know how to take throws, full stop. Inevitably we give the ball away. Long hoofs out from goal are not our forte either and yet, we stick to it despite the evidence proving that it has no good effect.
In short, lessons are not learnt contrary to what KR keeps as a mantra.

 

[Oxford1996]

The season was realistically decided in the January window.

Certain positive posters can spin it however they want… but as a club we failed in January.

Fact

 

[ECYellow]

Today was a disappointing way to finish our season.

On reflection, today was a brief synopsis of our season:

1) we concede two goals too often
2) we went in front again but contrived to not win the game
3) Herbie Kane was attempting Cruyff turns on our 18 yard box

As they say, you end up where you deserve to end up. No excuses.

 

[battman]

See Robinson has blamed McNally by saying it was him mistake and he’s got to learn from it. It’s ridiculous to say he’s to blame and in the same breath say he’s been magnificent. Poor man management.

I think for his first season in professional football McNally's done well, and if Karl actually had some defensive cover he wouldn't have had to depend on a rookie as much as he has this season. It's always someone else's fault and never Karl's.

 

[Leysboy]

I think for his first season in professional football McNally's done well, and if Karl actually had some defensive cover he wouldn't have had to depend on a rookie as much as he has this season. It's always someone else's fault and never Karl's.

It would make a nice refreshing change if KR actually came out and said it’s his fault! Not the players, and his fault we failed this season. His fault we didn’t recruit properly in January. Then waited until the final day of the window to bring players in.

But of course he won’t do that. It’s always someone else’s fault, and not his. I really dislike how he throws players under the bus, and deflects blame from himself.

 

[Canadian_Yellow]

Sitting here incredibly frustrated as that game was so very winnable.

Yet again we fail to take advantage of a one goal lead away from home. Rotherham’s confidence was low and they had lost 4 out of the last 5. Another goal would have finished them off and turned their crowd on them. Instead, we sat back and tried to waste time. Bizarre tactics when they were vulnerable and we know we don’t have a defence (or a DM) strong enough to keep a clean sheet.

Then, with less than a minute to go in the half, Kane tries a ridiculous move on the edge of our box instead of lumping it and getting to half time. Leads straight to a corner which leads to another corner and they score. Particularly frustrating as that was about the fourth time in the first half alone that Kane had tried to take additional touches and lost the ball. He doesn’t learn.

With Rotherham’s tails now up, second half turned into men against boys and we were well beaten by the end. But what were our tactics at start of second half? Why was Stevens wasting time at every restart when it was clear that we needed to win the game and we weren’t winning? Don’t think KR got the subs right again and we had lots of aimless balls forward which were meat and drink for their big centre halfs. Incredibly frustrating and disappointing how the game petered out today particularly as I still feel 81 points may be enough.

The game was there to be won after we got a lucky break to go into the lead. Unfortunately, you can add this game to the list of many other away games this season that we’ve clutched defeat from a winning position (Wimbledon, Portsmouth, Morecambe, Bolton). Will take me a while to get over this disastrous April.