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Really?! He has been one of the best performers behind Dale and Murphy every week. In fact if we didn’t have Brannagan in the side then I’d say we wouldn’t be still in the mix right now.
I was all for Des being given the summer to build his own squad, in the same way MApp was given a chance to after his first season here initially using a squad that wasn’t his.So you’re not willing to give the manager an opportunity to build his own squad of players in the summer?
I really must have been at a different game yesterday with so many people saying it was boring.
It was end to end attacking football with plenty of balls going into the box and chances created.
If we had been able to finish better then we would have won comfortably. That isn’t Des’s fault that players couldn’t finish yesterday.
They switched off towards the end and got punished but that what happens if you don’t take your chances, again though Des wouldn’t have told the team to switch off and not to close players down on the edge of the box.
It’s become a lazy comment from many when they say there is no style of play from a DB team when there is a clear style and has been for weeks now.
The issue is, he doesn’t have a squad of players who fully fit into this way of playing so for me maybe he should be given a chance to put his own squad together.
Play from the back to bring opposition out which creates space in behind for the ball to be played to the wingers who then put balls into the box, you have multiple players now making various runs/holding back for those crosses.Fine. What is the style?
If the style of play is: move the ball about at the back to try and create space, and then either try to pass the ball all the way through the opposition or put the ball through/over for the wingers to chase, then yes, that is a style of play of sorts. But it is incredibly basic. It is also (evidently) not working. All too often the ball gets bogged down in midfield or lost, the movement of both the ball and the players is much too slow and it all looks very disjointed at times - the players themselves are visibly frustrated. I worry for Brannagan's blood pressure!It’s become a lazy comment from many when they say there is no style of play from a DB team when there is a clear style and has been for weeks now.
The issue is, he doesn’t have a squad of players who fully fit into this way of playing so for me maybe he should be given a chance to put his own squad together.
Appleton had 1 way of setting up, so did Manning, so did Robinson. Most managers stick to one core style.If the style of play is: move the ball about at the back to try and create space, and then either try to pass the ball all the way through the opposition or put the ball through/over for the wingers to chase, then yes, that is a style of play of sorts. But it is incredibly basic. It is also (evidently) not working. All too often the ball gets bogged down in midfield or lost, the movement of both the ball and the players is much too slow and it all looks very disjointed at times - the players themselves are visibly frustrated. I worry for Brannagan's blood pressure!
You may be right in that we don't have the players to play the way Buckingham wants. If that is the case, then surely trying to make them play that way is ridiculous. By all means recruit in the summer specifically for that style, but a decent manager should be looking to maximise the potential of the players he actually has, rather than playing them in a system to which they are unsuited? It sort of suggests that the manager has one way of setting up a team and one way only - which in itself would be a worry. He's had enough games to know the capabilities of the players.
The first 20 seconds of that are incredible.
- Shrewsbury player picks it up on the left, strides forward (no real pace), with the time and space to constantly look up, brings it inside to the edge of the area, and crosses - without a yellow shirt in the frame.
- Ball comes back out, another Shrewsbury player has time to control, look up, have another touch, deliver another cross - once again without a yellow shirt in the frame (let alone attempting to tackle/block).
Anyone watching that could reasonably conclude that we were, at that time, playing with 9 men - and most certainly without a Right Back.
Woeful.
With respect that’s Buckingham’s job to make sure they don’t switch of and on other occasions back on a 1-0 lead.I really must have been at a different game yesterday with so many people saying it was boring.
It was end to end attacking football with plenty of balls going into the box and chances created.
If we had been able to finish better then we would have won comfortably. That isn’t Des’s fault that players couldn’t finish yesterday.
They switched off towards the end and got punished but that what happens if you don’t take your chances, again though Des wouldn’t have told the team to switch off and not to close players down on the edge of the box.
It’s become a lazy comment from many when they say there is no style of play from a DB team when there is a clear style and has been for weeks now.
The issue is, he doesn’t have a squad of players who fully fit into this way of playing so for me maybe he should be given a chance to put his own squad together.
To a degree yes but he can’t physically close players down on the pitch.With respect that’s Buckingham’s job to make sure they don’t switch of and on other occasions back on a 1-0 lead.
With respect that’s Buckingham’s job to make sure they don’t switch of and on other occasions back on a 1-0 lead.
I agree with some of that. The squad is unbalanced, and badly composed. We have had a whole load of dodgy signings and injuries (some of which were fairly predictable) - although we now actually have most players in the squad available for selection.Appleton had 1 way of setting up, so did Manning, so did Robinson. Most managers stick to one core style.
He has finally started to utilise the players we have, an example of this is Bennett over Leigh, sticking with Dale and Murphy as the out and out wingers, dropping Brannagan deeper to bring in another attacking midfielder to play along side Rodrigues.
There are 2 issues though, Des has done this too late and should have made these chances a good while ago. Secondly we have 2 right backs that aren’t up to it, Bodin and Henry who are aging players and while both have had great careers, are no longer up to the required standard, McEachran who is at the back end of his career (although I wouldn’t mind seeing him get a bit more game time in the next 6 games), Browne who is coming back from a long term injury, Goodwin who seems to be struggling to get fit and looks like he needs a proper recovery period and a full preson, and Edwards who is out long term.
The squad just doesn’t have the depth or talent needed at this moment in time.
What winger ever put in consistent 90 minute performances?? LolAgree re Brannagan, although great as he is, I do sometimes wonder whether cashing in and pressing the reset button and starting afresh in midfield might not be the worse thing. He’s been great for us though.
Re Dale and Murphy, I think they’ve both been excellent in spells of games but probably still awaiting consistent 90 minute performances from them both. Murphy did well yesterday for the goal but one other run aside it was a bit airy fairy from him I thought. Dale is a bundle of energy, decent technically, but needs a better delivery and needs to get past his man more. The byline cross for Leigh’s goal was excellent wing play but got to produce it more.
I know, he’s borderline at best right nowRodrigues?
I wish you’d post like this more oftenLovely day out with my Salopian friend & his wife in their posh seats.
Thought it was a cracking game of football, lovely weather with our away following making a good old racket.
We had moments of really sharp, technical football that lacked the end result and, as ever, were the merchants of our own downfall.
The defending, as highlighted for their equaliser, was woeful and looked even worse from higher up.
We stood of them so far at least 3 players could take as much time as they wanted to pick a pass and finish.
I was left looking for players closing down or chasing the ball...........think they had all switched off at the same time!
My friend thought they were lucky to get a point but I had told him before the game we always concede at least 1!
Onwards and upwards on the roller coaster.
They were. They all wanted dropping. That was my turning point on Des too. I can’t remember seeing so many unhappy disinterested Oxford players.More than 2 were shocking in that game.