Pre-Season 26/07/2025 Oxford United v Bristol Rovers

[Swaby39]

lost to a ten man Indonesian pub team and a league two team, can we please get someone who can score
i know youre supposed to say the results dont matter and it was a run out etc. but they werent even playing very well as a team, thats the bit that worries me

When the results did matter, it was the same thing anyway so I can’t compute why people are disregarding the problem because it was in a friendly.

We should’ve had one, if not two forwards in before pre season so that at this point we can be opportunistic. We’re now desperate and I could be wrong, but Prelec looks like a lunge.

Friendlies are just a guide at best, but it’s compounding what we already knew and it’s frustrating as hell to be rapidly chalking off days to the new season wondering where on earth a goal is coming from if it isn’t Helik.

We’re in poor shape for this point and if I’m Rowett I’d be seething with how the club has handled the summer so far. He’s held up his end of the bargain and not enough has been done in return.

I will say though that BDK could be someone that carries us through games. Looks a great player.

 

[Fanatica]

Still, could be worse.

 

[Foley]

People have pretty short memories. Only last week we triumphed at league one Mansfield!

And last season we lost to L1 Mansfield to a meltdown on here!

 

[Foley]

So a positive was that Helik was immense but then a negative is that him and more were untroubled?

They were untroubled because he was immense.

 

[EastStandYellow]

My god you lot are miserable. So reactionary. It's a friendly. They're working on more complex facets than simply trying to blow Rovers away. It's not about that.

It's about patterns of play, of shape with and without the ball.

Chill out everybody, please.

There were no patterns of playlump it long and repeat

 

[Foley]

This friendly doesn’t mean a lot at all, it’s a pre-season game. I think Currie will turn out to be an absolutely huge signing for us, defensively and offensively - I’m really excited to see him play in a competitive game for us. Same for BDK.

If anything though, it has highlighted the same old issue we’re all familiar with - not enough chances created, and the ones that are, go past us. We need attacking players badly, and I think it will cost the club a bit to get ones in that will ‘raise the floor’. One striker and two wingers - two of them would probably need to be around the record-breaking amount imo.


I’m confident in Rowett, but I’m not particularly confident in the players we’ve most recently been linked with, or Tim William’s’ most recent statement about ‘managing expectations’.

Having said that, I’m excited for the rest of the window, let’s see what we can muster.

How bad did Placheta’s injury sound?

It doesn't sound as if Helik/ Shemmy injuries are bad

 

[Sarge]

I still believe we are still 4 or 5 decent additions away from improving on last season and that's not just within view of today's game.

take your point albeit a decent striker, winger - and maybe a CB- would do me

 

[Daviddidcotexile]

Not a 10man Indonesia team as they are from Thailand. If you want to have a go...at least get the facts right

 

[Northernyellow]

I wouldn't even cross the road to watch a pre season friendly. They're basically training sessions. All that matters is how we play against Pompey in two weeks.

 

[OX14]

take your point albeit a decent striker, winger - and maybe a CB- would do me

We do need a decent striker, but also need someone to replace Romeny. Another winger and yes a left sided centre back is needed.

I don't mind if we sign Campbell for the midfield competition especially if Vaulks is struggling for fitness.

Sibley, Kioso, Negru, Dale all need to move out in some capacity.

 

[Royalstandard74]

Christ, you'd think we'd lost 4-0 to Portsmouth.

That’s in a couple weeks time

 

[Leysboy]

I don't think I've seen a single poster on here saying we don't need another striker

I said a week or two ago, I just want a striker that can put the ball in the back of the net. Not one that just runs around a lot, and got shot down by a fair few on here.

I don’t care if he’s the laziest person on the pitch as long as he’s there when the chance comes, and sticks it in the net. That’s all I want from my number 9 a clinical finisher. Not Usain Bolt that runs around all over the place like a blue a**e fly.

 

[West Oxon U’s]

Christ, you'd think we'd lost 4-0 to Portsmouth.

Like Reading did today?

 

[bazzer9461]

Heaven help us if our fall back is Gatlin - suppose he has to show what he can do.

Looking at him today he must be one of our new wingers

 

[JOHN BOY]

You may as well talk a brick wall if you are going to try and get people to not over react on YF!

Don't we need a striker then.Because I was there today and Harris was shocking.

 

[werthersoriginal]

I said a week or two ago, I just want a striker that can put the ball in the back of the net. Not one that just runs around a lot, and got shot down by a fair few on here.

I don’t care if he’s the laziest person on the pitch as long as he’s there when the chance comes, and sticks it in the net. That’s all I want from my number 9 a clinical finisher. Not Usain Bolt that runs around all over the place like a blue a**e fly.

We had one , Dane Scarlett, a better finisher than Matt Taylor, but people still moaned.

 

[Chris on a Bike]

Like Reading did today?

Fu k! They've won the league already and we're doomed!

 

[Whingit]

I said a week or two ago, I just want a striker that can put the ball in the back of the net. Not one that just runs around a lot, and got shot down by a fair few on here.

I don’t care if he’s the laziest person on the pitch as long as he’s there when the chance comes, and sticks it in the net. That’s all I want from my number 9 a clinical finisher. Not Usain Bolt that runs around all over the place like a blue a**e fly.

The manager wants the striker to lead the press and be an outlet, so goalscoring isn't the be all and end all for the system we play.

 

[bazzer9461]

I think it's pretty obvious we're only signing one this window - we only play with one upfront, and Harris & Bradshaw are still in Rowett's plans

God help is then

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Don't we need a striker then.Because I was there today and Harris was shocking.

Who has said we don’t need a striker?

I apologise that I am not worried or upset that we lost 1-0 in a pre season friendly to Bristol Rovers.
I also apologise that I am not too worried about our recruitment given that there are still another 36 days of the transfer window to go.

 

[bazzer9461]

I'd go along with most of that. One exception, not impressed with Dembele. He still frustrates with not picking a pass when it would be easier than attempting to spin past three defenders. I was also impressed with Luke Harris, thought Cambell had something about his tenacity and willingness to get stuck in and Spencer looked the real deal. Spenser made me think of that phrase 'snapping into a tackle'. He was determined and strong.
Shemmy was Shemmy, that said, he was having lumps kicked out of him. Can't say I blame him for kicking off at the Brizzle defender!

The referee was, as he has been in the past, a tosser. When Harris did find the net with a tap in, he was penalised for colliding with the keeper, actually, the keeper had already fallen over his own man and left Harris nowhere to go.

All in all, probably a good work out for the squad. What it did highlight is the absolute need for a striker.

Yes I agree totally but with Dembele I think he could go out on loan as you say it would have been easier to pass than try and be Ronaldo, he lost the ball more than anything positive he did today. Think get two strikers in that Sparky would have a helping job trying to displace. Wingers well I’ve said my piece about Dembele, if that was a league match no matter what was done to Shemmy for him to react but to go after him 10 yards away and react he would have been red carded. Now Mills needs to be looked at more as I do like what I see but what was GoD doing playing right wing in front of Mills.

 

[werthersoriginal]

You could make that into a haiku!

It makes me teary,
Wingers and strikers. Madness.
The bargain bucket

 

[battman]

I said a week or two ago, I just want a striker that can put the ball in the back of the net. Not one that just runs around a lot, and got shot down by a fair few on here.

I don’t care if he’s the laziest person on the pitch as long as he’s there when the chance comes, and sticks it in the net. That’s all I want from my number 9 a clinical finisher. Not Usain Bolt that runs around all over the place like a blue a**e fly.

We’re looking for a striker who can do both, and getting it right is so important which is why the club is still trying to bring one in.

Scarlett proved last season that putting the ball in the back of the net isn’t enough for the way we play. We need scrappers, fighters and forwards that can counter-press. We’ll be out of possession a lot of the time, so we can’t carry someone who ‘just scores goals’ and can’t lead the press, as we’ll never win the ball in the first place to score those goals.

And it’s also worth reminding that our biggest problem last season wasn’t missing chances, it was creating them in the first place, so if we have a poacher but don’t give them quality service, we’d effectively be playing with ten men

 

[Londox]

I never quite know how much to look into pre season friendlies but if you look for the positives:

Maybe the result means more pressure is applied to recruit before the season begins?

As one of the users above said they're basically glorified training sessions. There must be examples of us having great pre seasons and a bad actual season and vice versa.

 

[Brahma]

My god you lot are miserable. So reactionary. It's a friendly. They're working on more complex facets than simply trying to blow Rovers away. It's not about that.

It's about patterns of play, of shape with and without the ball.

Chill out everybody, please.

Absolutely agree. I drove home thinking more of what the coach was wanting the players to do rather than the scoreline.

I'm just not sure what it was. We've set up exactly like last season, albeit with a better outlet at left back (in transition and positionally).

BDK was the deep lying playmaker and ball player.

As for other patterns, bar Currie and Tyler first half, not much to write about.

Thought Mark Harris did OK believe it or not and some potential with LH12, more agile and mobile than Reubs.

Yet we lack squad depth, quality wise.

Sibley should be sent on his way.

 

[JerryL]

I know theres a long way to go in the window, but weve needed someone who can finish a chance for at least 4 windows now, or enough windows at least to make me get that you buy one you get one free advert stuck in my head, at any rate!

Not a 10man Indonesia team as they are from Thailand. If you want to have a go...at least get the facts right

Oopsie, now i feel alot better about it

 

[uptheus]

My god you lot are miserable. So reactionary. It's a friendly. They're working on more complex facets than simply trying to blow Rovers away. It's not about that.

It's about patterns of play, of shape with and without the ball.

Chill out everybody, please.

Same for Rovers, not great for confidence building.

And I thought it was a very poor Rovers team!

Technically we looked good at times, especially the first half, but still lack that final bit e.g. final pass, cross, shot or ultimately scoring goals!

 

[uptheus]

Anyway how were the new guys?

De Keersmaecker looked very good, Luke Harris looked good for 30mins, Campbell (I’d say no as we need players elsewhere).

Currie was very good too, really liked him.

Thought Kioso’s not good enough, nor O’Donkor (fouled virtually every time he went for the ball) or Sibley. Offload if we can, sorry!

 

[JOHN BOY]

De Keersmaecker looked very good, Luke Harris looked good for 30mins, Campbell (I’d say no as we need players elsewhere).

Currie was very good too, really liked him.

Thought Kioso’s not good enough, nor O’Donkor (fouled virtually every time he went for the ball) or Sibley. Offload if we can, sorry!

Agree with all of that Shaun.

 

[vandelay]

The game today left me deeply concerned for the season proper. A few observations ...

Mark Harris was totally absent (again). He missed a one-on-one with their keeper and barely won a ball. It was easy to forget he was playing for a lot of the game. Kioso is a liability, he leaves acres of space for attackers and doesn't have the pace to catch them when they exploit it. Dembele showed a couple of sparks of ingenuity, but is too easily brushed off the ball. De Keersmaecker gives away too many fouls. I watched Campbell carefully, he made some good runs and got into open positions - but nobody would pass to him despite him constantly calling for the ball. Placheta created some decent chances, but he panics when he nears the box. On a more positive note, Currie had an excellent game and worked hard. Sibley also made some decent efforts. O'Donkor showed some promise, I'd certainly start him over M Harris.