Home Match Day Thread +++ 26/12/2018 OUFC V Southend United Matchday Thread +++

I thought today's performance was very (worryingly enough) reminiscent of some of the early season ones. Against a relatively poor team, we spent ages passing the ball about sideways and backwards - putting ourselves under pressure - and refusing to make any forward moves. The passing was truly abysmal - I couldn't believe what I was seeing at times. Balls whacked at a team mate from a few yards away, longer passes tens of yards wide or over hit by a similar amount. A reluctance to get the ball into the middle, even when we were in injury time and one behind. A strange re-emergence of the 'hoof it long to Mackie' tactic that has never worked. Where was our midfield? Did they have today off as well? I took my grown-up son as has become our Boxing Day tradition. After today's 'entertainment', it;s going to be a struggle to get him there next year - tradition or not!

Let's hope it was a bad day at the office rather than a reversion to type.

Oh and trumpeting the LOAN signing of Jordan Graham (who somehow seems to have acquired a status I am not entirely sure is deserved for a chap who played five games for us some years ago and was quite decent but no more) as a 'Christmas present for the supporters' was more than a bit toe-curling. As is playing 'Eye of the effing Tiger'.
Totally agree. Extremely embarrassing: why DOES Graham have superhero status? Were we supposed to swoon with excitement? Yes, he was good, but THAT good?!
 
I thought today's performance was very (worryingly enough) reminiscent of some of the early season ones. Against a relatively poor team, we spent ages passing the ball about sideways and backwards - putting ourselves under pressure - and refusing to make any forward moves. The passing was truly abysmal - I couldn't believe what I was seeing at times. Balls whacked at a team mate from a few yards away, longer passes tens of yards wide or over hit by a similar amount. A reluctance to get the ball into the middle, even when we were in injury time and one behind. A strange re-emergence of the 'hoof it long to Mackie' tactic that has never worked. Where was our midfield? Did they have today off as well? I took my grown-up son as has become our Boxing Day tradition. After today's 'entertainment', it;s going to be a struggle to get him there next year - tradition or not!

Let's hope it was a bad day at the office rather than a reversion to type.

Oh and trumpeting the LOAN signing of Jordan Graham (who somehow seems to have acquired a status I am not entirely sure is deserved for a chap who played five games for us some years ago and was quite decent but no more) as a 'Christmas present for the supporters' was more than a bit toe-curling. As is playing 'Eye of the effing Tiger'.


Fair enough he only played 5 games for us, but he was long way over decent, if you watched him play you knew he was a bit good.
 
Totally agree. Extremely embarrassing: why DOES Graham have superhero status? Were we supposed to swoon with excitement? Yes, he was good, but THAT good?!
For me it goes against all of KR’s talk about us needing to change our perceptions and think of ourselves as a big club. In short, all a bit tinpot.

This talk of the homecoming hero, happy to be in yellow again, is nice but I don’t think it’s really fooling anyone. Let’s not forget why he’s here. I assume - would hope - he’s still an ambitious young man. He’s had a taste of life at the top and I would think is desperate to get back there. Nobody should be under any illusions, he’ll use the next 4 months as a steppingstone and use us as a shop window. Nothing wrong with that, it’s all well and good if he helps us avoid relegation, but he’s not ours, so the ticker tape welcome is unnecessary.

Edit: I just want to make clear this isn’t a dig at the player, I just think the overhyping by the club is a little disingenuous
 
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Moan, moan, moan
Maybe a fair comment Oxford84, I do feel like I’m being negative. I just have an uneasy feeling about things at the club at the moment. The result today has done nothing to change my mood. Maybe I should just bite my tongue for a bit and see how things unfold.
 
Fair enough he only played 5 games for us, but he was long way over decent, if you watched him play you knew he was a bit good.
Yes, I watched him play. In L2, he was OK. Since then, the poor bloke has played 7 games due to injury. He has scored one goal in his career of 29 games. And he is a loanee. The whole thing is being overhyped. Not good for us and certainly not good for him. I hope he gives us a good four or five months for both his sake and ours.
 
Thought Southend played very well and did a number on us. Browne and Mackie and Henry were useless. If 3 of your key players don’t perform you will lose; it’s such a competitive division. Robinson’s post match comments were for once pertinent.

Browne has a foot out of the door. Zero interest.
 
Sign a striker we might just stay up and play Reading next season.
If not it's Swindon
We’ll lose to Bristol. Sorry, but we will.

In some way it feels that the clubs spin machine is trying to make out, with all the pomp and ceremony, that this is the pinnacle of our transfer activity this month, and it’s down hill from here, transfer wise.
 
In some way it feels that the clubs spin machine is trying to make out, with all the pomp and ceremony, that this is the pinnacle of our transfer activity this month, and it’s down hill from here, transfer wise.
Only in your deluded mind.Give me 1 bit of evidence this is the pinnacle.
While we are at it lets all tell Graham to f**k off because he got a bit of half time welcome.
 
Thought Southend played very well and did a number on us. Browne and Mackie and Henry were useless. If 3 of your key players don’t perform you will lose; it’s such a competitive division. Robinson’s post match comments were for once pertinent.

They were a very direct team, and unfortunately we sank to their level rather than continuing to play football.

And why oh why did be not try and load their box in the final few minutes is beyond me.

Markus Browne was carrying an injury following fist half challenge, so not sure he’l. Be going anywhere fast.

Such a poor performance today, shame we didn’t lose Saturday and win today.
 
We’ve a youth team flying at the moment. You’ve Spasov and James who are playing with so much confidence and are both in very good form. Add in Lofthouse and Bradbury and that’s 4 players (al on pro deals) who could and imo, should be in and around the first team bench. Robinson built this squad so he’s no right to be moaning about the lack of depth in certain areas.
 
Yes, I watched him play. In L2, he was OK. Since then, the poor bloke has played 7 games due to injury. He has scored one goal in his career of 29 games. And he is a loanee. The whole thing is being overhyped. Not good for us and certainly not good for him. I hope he gives us a good four or five months for both his sake and ours.
Ok?! Only played 7 games since? Come off it.
 
Only in your deluded mind.Give me 1 bit of evidence this is the pinnacle.
While we are at it lets all tell Graham to f**k off because he got a bit of half time welcome.
To be fair, you’re missing the point completely
 
Hype or not hype, don't really care however, if that is what Tiger thinks is all that is needed to have the supporters in raptures and totally satisfied with his chairmanship, we are in big trouble.

Moreover, if the club staff are playing along then things have sunk to a silly level of incompetence. Is there no one at the club willing to challenge this nonsense? OxVox were (apparently?) brushed aside with a few notes in the programme, the MD merely ignores all contacts and the rest of the board are invisible.

January will be an interesting time.
 
Precious little in defence if Nelson is off. We will see what the management are made of in January.

We have two midfielders playing left and right back. (Three allegedly proper full backs on the bench) A centre half in midfield but to be fair that seems to work. One centre half who looks iffy at times and another who is very good but will be gone in January.
Our goal difference has improved massively in the last months but it could just as easily go to pot as well.
Trouble is based on KR signings so far he hasn’t done very well. I hope that we at least get enough quality in the side to keep us up and build for next season.
 
We have two midfielders playing left and right back. (Three allegedly proper full backs on the bench) A centre half in midfield but to be fair that seems to work. One centre half who looks iffy at times and another who is very good but will be gone in January.
Our goal difference has improved massively in the last months but it could just as easily go to pot as well.
Trouble is based on KR signings so far he hasn’t done very well. I hope that we at least get enough quality in the side to keep us up and build for next season.
I think it’s pretty obvious to all that at least three GOOD players are required to get us away from the trap door, if Nelson does leave, a good experienced centerback along with a good experienced centre forward are the priorities. Not gambles on young players. I don’t think we’re allowed to have more than a one or two more loans anyway. There’s going to be no hiding place for Tiger over the next few weeks, his ability to run the club is going to be exposed for all to see.
 
Didn't see the point of bringing Smith on. Should have made a sub that enabled Nelson to go up top.
 
Not too down-hearted. We have a very thin squad and will have to wait for some of the U23’s to develop some more to begin to address this. Our current loan signings do more to fill the treatment table than the bench, so I’m encouraged by the progress shown by our own younger players, such as Whyte and Hanson. We have been on a good run but a busy fixture list will test us. Overall I would like to have a few more points in the bag so our cup games might give us momentum rather than becoming a trial for our squad that clearly could do with refreshing. With that in mind, welcome back Jordan.
 
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