Away Match Day Thread 30/09/2023 L1: Stevenage v OUFC

[MJB]

I've just watched the extended highlights. Leigh was definately pushed by the Stevanage no. 4 before his attempted header in the box, the first chance of the game. It should have been a penalty.

Absolutely.

The only real surprise is that Leigh didn’t remonstrate.

 

[Marked Ox]

+ a few folks pre match say evans teams can play football. I’m going to contest that. Horrible to watch. But the mastery of the blocking off the ball is impressive. The referee literally appeared to think that was too hard to manage so let them get on with it.

+ our general sense of calm as a squad. We seem to be very immune to shithousery. Moore is incredibly calm as a leader. Sometimes it annoys me we don’t get more aggro…but boy today if I’d have been playing my mindset would have been way off as I reacted to everything. Our guys just suck it all up. We won’t get huge numbers of suspensions this year. Who wants to be suspended on a squad where it’s so hard to win a place on the team . Only Tyler looked properly agitated today

Good post.

On the top point, if you haven't already, I'm sure Sarge requests your comments on the Ref thread.

On the latter point, whilst I agree in general we still have our moments such as Mark Harris getting wound up by Port Vale's Nathan Smith.

 

[Mad Dog]

Another great win, and big 3 points. It's been a fantastic first couple of months of the season!

It's very reassuring that after seeing how we struggle against teams who try to stifle us, Manning and Co have the tactical awareness and flexibility to figure out a way to deal with such teams, even if it means changing personal and formation to make it happen.

Unlike the tactically naive fool we previously had in charge, they don't just set us up to play one way, with no Plan B, and then whinge and blame everyone else when it doesn't work, they do their homework, and have contingency plans in place for certain situations, with the players clearly aware of their roles and onboard.

It's great to see, and we feel like a really professional and efficient club again. We're the real deal this season!

Well done Liam and the lads

Bring on Shrewsbury

 

[outsidethebox]

Nah f**k him.

Greg’s taller, musclier, is a better singer, has a nicer smile, plus he signed for us on a permanent deal.

I want to draw a picture of Greg.

So fickle @RyanioBirdio . After all Matty has done for you the past few years. Absolute rotter

 

[Grumpy Git]

Nah f**k him.

Greg’s taller, musclier, is a better singer, has a nicer smile, plus he signed for us on a permanent deal.

I want to draw a picture of Greg.

Sing ? He can sing, where’s the proof?

 

[RyanioBirdio]

Sing ? He can sing, where’s the proof?

Greg Leigh on TikTok

New years ✨🎹 #fyp #covermashup #pianocover #piano #justthetwoofus

t.co

 

[oufc1991]

I think Leigh might need to get a restraining order against @RyanioBirdio he appears to stalking him

 

[RyanioBirdio]

I think Leigh might need to get a restraining order against @RyanioBirdio he appears to stalking him

Too late.

 

[Salaghaf]

Sky sports highlights..... Don't look for us in lg 1.... They've put us in lg 2

Well that’s a coincidence, yesterday’s paper tickets had “League 2” printed on them too. A bit Mickey Mouse of Stevenage to have not noticed/changed that from last season.

 

[werthersoriginal]

I’m going for 1-3, think we might concede 1 goal today.

Very glad you were right about this!

 

[Marked Ox]

Just starting watching the replay of the game. I did laugh with them doing the handshakes as Tyler Goodrham looked like another mascot stood next to the actual mascot.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

My thoughts on yesterday:

I thought Stevenage started pretty well. They won a stream of corners and looked threatening. Their very high tempo press (sometimes with multiple players on one of ours) didn't really allow us any time on the ball. Even at the time though, the thought was 'they won't keep this up for 90 minutes'. Moore made a great defensive header off the line in this period.

When they scored, the surprise wasn't that they had done so, rather that it was from open play rather than from a dead ball. While you can moan about our defending here (and I did!) you have to credit the speed of the attack as well. Blaming Brown is IMO not really fair, he's just been taking the throw in, way up the pitch, but it did expose the lack of pace in our central defenders.

After they'd scored, their press eased off - perhaps they thought they could defend for the next 70 minutes - and we had a whole lot more comfortable possession. It wasn't a shock when we equalised and they never re-established any lasting dominance for the rest of the game. We were worthy winners.

There were two shocking misses. Bodin's was terrible - he had time, space and the whole goal to aim at. The Stevenage header was, if anything, worse.

Leigh was excellent and not just for his goals. He won header after header and tackle after tackle - but the thing I like best about him is that he offers us some acceleration. Our passing game is very pretty on the eye, but can be a bit one-paced at times - he adds some real incisiveness. Much like Mills can on the other side.

Beadle made at least one excellent save, and also went walkabout miles outside his area at one point - I thought that was going to cause trouble but we managed to get back into shape.

Most of our players had good games, I thought, and Murphy's assist for goal 3 showed what he can do. More please! McGuane sometimes looks a cut above any other midfielder on the pitch.

When you consider that Edwards, Harris, Mills, Thorniley, Henry, Browne and Negru (and more!) weren't even on the pitch, it looks like we have the strength in depth needed for the long season ahead

 

[Bacon]

What’s the crack with Perkins then?

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

 

[bazzer9461]

What’s the crack with Perkins then?

He hasn’t shown anything yet to get a start of even be on the bench

 

[m]

I think Leigh might need to get a restraining order against @RyanioBirdio he appears to stalking him

Pretty sure it's not just @RyanioBirdio , this could be a very lucrative time for the restraining order industry.

 

[behindthegoal]

What’s the crack with Perkins then?

Good question

 

[tonyw]

+ I don’t ever recall seeing such a direct team . They apparently have approx less than two passes on average for each attack that creates a chance which is lowest in division . I can see why. I can also see how it’s effective. I’m baffled that they don’t have a massive bulldozer up top. My memory of kane h is that he was a fox in the box.

Must confess that I was one of those that looked at their squad in the week, saw their forwards were Hemmings, Reid & Roberts and thought "they can't be that route one with that front three"

How wrong I was - though a lot of the long balls were into the channels; it was effective at times, but you would have thought that they would be even better with a central striker like the one Cambridge had. Their second good spell in the game (after the first 15) coincided with them bringing a monster off the bench.

 

[Foley]

Must confess that I was one of those that looked at their squad in the week, saw their forwards were Hemmings, Reid & Roberts and thought "they can't be that route one with that front three"

How wrong I was - though a lot of the long balls were into the channels; it was effective at times, but you would have thought that they would be even better with a central striker like the one Cambridge had. Their second good spell in the game (after the first 15) coincided with them bringing a monster off the bench.

All of the write ups in previous games is that they 'bypassed' the midfield. So incredibly direct.

Agree however that having a big target man upfront wouod likely be a good option for them.

They seem to have relied on Piergianni and other CBs to cause the havoc on long throw ins and other dead ball deliveries.

Fair play to our deference in avoiding any goals through deadbolts ( we conceded strangely on the break)

 

[RyanioBirdio]

What’s the crack with Perkins then?

I assume you’re asking if anything has gone on, to which the answer is ‘no’. He’s a nice lad who is no trouble. He simply isn’t currently doing enough to oust a number of squad regulars who have got us second in the league, with the best PPG in the division (2.33).

Basically, we’re just too good