Away Match Day Thread 25/11/2023 L1: Cheltenham Town v OUFC

[Northstandboy]

Des has left behind melting Mumbai and starts his English managerial career at cold Cheltenham.

COYY!!!

 

[BrockBuster]

I'm not sure but in this instance if the ref see there was no flick on he wouldn't be looking for an offside as you can't be offside direct from a goal kick.

Believe the feeling was it came off an Oxford player when both sides challenged for a header and it ran through. Lino gave it off assuming it was from a Cheltenham head, when ref clearly felt it was an Oxford one so waved play on.

 

[Common Villager]

Haven't had time to read through the whole thread, buts just wanted to say that some of the berating of Harris in the stands yesterday was ott and unfair. Evidently he has become a bit of a scapegoat. There were other, more experienced players than him who weren't on it yesterday and yet escaped the same barrage of criticism. Get behind the lad ffs.

 

[Thomas/Brock/Jones]

Agree… we’ve just gone to a team 2nd from bottom (due to a points deduction) that have scored 7 goals in 16 games (yes you read that right). And we have lost…. Against 10 men for a 3rd of the game and have gone on to concede 2. Very end of era Robinson.

Last 5 games they have scored them though. 1-1 draws at home to Wigan and Derby .1-0 win at home to Cambridge.
2-1 away win at Port Vale and 2-3 defeat away at Blackpool
Clarke has got them firing and the start of the season has no bearing on how they are playing now.

 

[Joey]

Agree… we’ve just gone to a team 2nd from bottom (due to a points deduction) that have scored 7 goals in 16 games (yes you read that right). And we have lost…. Against 10 men for a 3rd of the game and have gone on to concede 2. Very end of era Robinson.

There's more than a little irony saying the players and management were complacent yesterday while going on to complain that we've lost to a team who are second from bottom and not scored many goals, as if we only had to turn up to win.

I think most people knew that would be a tough game, they've now got 11 points from the last 6 games and are scoring goals under Clarke. To reference goals scored or goal difference is silly when they went 10 games without scoring under the previous manager.

 

[uptheus]

You realise the linesman can raise his flag and the ref over rule him at any time? The players shouldn't stop playing until the whistle is blown.

This isn't the first time this season either, a couple of times players have gone down claiming a foul and all players have completely stopped playing only for the ref to not give it and the game to continue.

They didn’t completely stop, it’s just that mili second. And I don’t recall seeing the ref making any gestures to play in or acknowledge the linesman’s etc either.

 

[uptheus]

And I think Negru’s a great player, definitely an asset for the club.

 

[brassmonkey]

Believe the feeling was it came off an Oxford player when both sides challenged for a header and it ran through. Lino gave it off assuming it was from a Cheltenham head, when ref clearly felt it was an Oxford one so waved play on.

So our player headed it backwards?

 

[OX14]

They didn’t completely stop, it’s just that mili second. And I don’t recall seeing the ref making any gestures to play in or acknowledge the linesman’s etc either.

Well it was s**t defending then and the defence can't use the excuse that the linesman flagged and that's why they stopped.

 

[Golden Dr Otto]

Interested to hear from the high number of players who voted for brown as motm. Big surprised.

We are 0-1 down against 10 men with almost zero attacking threat coming down our right.

The middle of the park is overloaded so cam and mcguane are getting very little joy.

Do you think Brown could have done more to overlap murphy to create more distraction, threat and variation ?

As it was Murphy did great but often received the ball just inside their half with back to goal and a swarm of players descending which left space in behind him. Brown seemed to remain static and was also , in my opinion , conservative.

I did appreciate his couple of forward forays into open space created by two defenders doubling up on murphy and latterly edwards

 

[Golden Dr Otto]

Haven't had time to read through the whole thread, buts just wanted to say that some of the berating of Harris in the stands yesterday was ott and unfair. Evidently he has become a bit of a scapegoat. There were other, more experienced players than him who weren't on it yesterday and yet escaped the same barrage of criticism. Get behind the lad ffs.

Thought he had a lesser game due to how both teams set up yesterday but I absolutely see his value. I’m a fan.

It baffles me that fans think that players will get better if they berate them and it’s disappointing to hear it happened. If they want Oxford to be successful I suggest they go read up on sports psychology .

I think the one opportunity for mr Harris yesterday was to do better when coming towards the ball and protecting it . They nipped in front alot.

And also trying to stretch their defence a little. He caved a little to our lack of success and dropped deeper resultingly. His power his making defenders drop deeper which creates room for Rúben cam and McGuane


Ps the hissy fits on Des need to give their head a wobble, obscene stuff and not very oxfordy.

 

[dickwalton1964]

Thought he had a lesser game due to how both teams set up yesterday but I absolutely see his value. I’m a fan.

It baffles me that fans think that players will get better if they berate them and it’s disappointing to hear it happened. If they want Oxford to be successful I suggest they go read up on sports psychology .

I think the one opportunity for mr Harris yesterday was to do better when coming towards the ball and protecting it . They nipped in front alot.

And also trying to stretch their defence a little. He caved a little to our lack of success and dropped deeper resultingly. His power his making defenders drop deeper which creates room for Rúben cam and McGuane


Ps the hissy fits on Des need to give their head a wobble, obscene stuff and not very oxfordy.

Throwing a hissy fit might be a bit over the top but I think fans have every right to question the fight, the fact that we couldn’t match Cheltenham in that respect. Even Des’s closest allies have to admit that was a terrible performance and not one normally associated with an incoming manager. I was as concerned by the post match interview, there didn’t seem any anger in him whatsoever.

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

Interested to hear from the high number of players who voted for brown as motm. Big surprised.

24 people thought Brown was better than Murphy?

Baffling.

 

[Theox07]

24 people thought Brown was better than Murphy?

Baffling.

Brown was the one literally carrying us forward and the only who defended everything how can u not see that being a football person is quite embarrassing

 

[Theox07]

Interested to hear from the high number of players who voted for brown as motm. Big surprised.

We are 0-1 down against 10 men with almost zero attacking threat coming down our right.

The middle of the park is overloaded so cam and mcguane are getting very little joy.

Do you think Brown could have done more to overlap murphy to create more distraction, threat and variation ?

As it was Murphy did great but often received the ball just inside their half with back to goal and a swarm of players descending which left space in behind him. Brown seemed to remain static and was also , in my opinion , conservative.

I did appreciate his couple of forward forays into open space created by two defenders doubling up on murphy and latterly edwards

Brown was left Centre back second half why would he be overlapping Murphy

 

[OX14]

Brown was the one literally carrying us forward and the only who defended everything how can u not see that being a football person is quite embarrassing

I voted Murphy as I thought he was the best player on the pitch until he was switched to right wing. Brown was the next best for me.

 

[Theox07]

I voted Murphy as I thought he was the best player on the pitch until he was switched to right wing. Brown was the next best for me.

Murphy didn’t get the ball when we switched sides brown literally was feeding him the whole time plus his defending

 

[Mellowyellow]

It’s a real concern some people saying we just didn’t look up for it from the off, whereas Cheltenham did. On the face of it, with our quality and their struggles, it looked one of those games where match their work rate etc and nine times out of ten we pick up the points. With a new manager it shouldn’t have been at all difficult to be up for the battle. Bolton will be out of the traps like lightning on Tuesday and we are unlikely to play a team again this season who will carry the momentum they’ve currently got - nine straight wins, top of the league, scoring for fun, not conceding and 7-0 win three days ago. I’d be astonished if DB hasn’t got the entire squad in today for a debrief, clear the air and come in tomorrow with just Bolton on our minds.

Just a footnote from his post match interview yesterday - quite liked the measured tone and rational response to questions but seemed to have a constant smirk and didn’t really look that gutted. Of course I’m sure he is, as a fan I was in bits at that result and missed opportunity. I suppose you want the manager to look like he’s feeling the same but didn’t see that at all.

Big game for Des on Tuesday. We need something, even a point to stop them will be something. Two defeats in two though will see any honeymoon period well and truly over.

Spot on, from kick off we didnt known what had hit us, which is exactly what Bolton will do.
We desperately need something to prevent all of the hardwork up until now being undone within a week.

 

[uptheus]

Looking back at the highlights for the first time. Yet another referee horribly out of his depth. The Rodrigues sending off was never a red card in a million years. The refs are all rabbits in the headlights. No clue whatsoever

It was a yellow card, Rodrigues’ 2nd which I thought was a yellow card offence. He was silly to moan about the tackle/no free-kick a few mins earlier to get his first yellow card. The only person you can point the finger of blame at is Rodrigues.

 

[Golden Dr Otto]

Brown was the one literally carrying us forward and the only who defended everything how can u not see that being a football person is quite embarrassing

Thank you for the insight.

Say more about your interpretation of the game and why brown outperformed murphy ?

 

[uptheus]

Well it was s**t defending then and the defence can't use the excuse that the linesman flagged and that's why they stopped.

But to me it looked offside! And if it was the player gained an advantage.