Home Match Day Thread 30/11/2024 - Championship: Oxford United vs Millwall

[Northstandboy]

Rate the players:

 

[QR]

Seats.

Wimp.
And what about...

Bertie Mee said to Bill Shankly
Have you heard of the lads from Highbury
Shanks said no I don't think so
But I've heard of the Oxford Agro.

 

[Marked Ox]

Wimp.
And what about...

Bertie Mee said to Bill Shankly
Have you heard of the lads from Highbury
Shanks said no I don't think so
But I've heard of the Oxford Agro.

I like having shins.

 

[Joey]

Disquiet was about Placheta getting hook rather than Phillips. Who was abysmal . Nothing to do with Scarlett/ Harris.

As there was almost no reaction to the Placheta for Rodrigues sub and booing started as soon as it was signalled Harris was coming on for Scarlett I thought it was pretty clearly about Scarlett/Harris. Surprised anyone thought any different.

I thought Placheta and Phillips were both awful yesterday. Phillips has just started to try things when he came off but did nothing before and after the first 5 minutes when Placheta did a couple of good bits he was horrendous. They were my picks to start but were completely ineffective.

 

[chuckbert]

My take on it is that after an hour our fitness and stamina starts to count. Before then the better quality and/or confidence of the opposition dominates, but after an hour their sharpness and pressing weakens. That’s why Phillips had started to be able to carry the ball forwards rather than struggle to control or distribute the ball backwards not long before was subbed.

 

[Oxford84]

Completely outplayed us though for over an hour.

They didnt play, they hoof and they were absolute s**t.

 

[Oxford84]

Poor positioning of the ref led him not seeing blatant holding and obstruction of Cumming which led to their first goal.

View attachment 23798

Did it on every corner and was never spotted.

 

[Northstandboy]

Hey

Having issues with the player ratings data.

I have reported this to our provider.

 

[Oxfordpete]

Wow that reaction to Scarlett coming off was telling….

Fans are starting to turn.

I wanted Phillips off put Tyler on the wing and bring Harris on alongside Dane

 

[Oxfordpete]

He puts in a few defensive headers but not seen a cross yet-perhaps he needs to change position

Or club if that sort of performance continues

 

[Oxfordpete]

You can't be a serious championship team bringing Owen dale on as your last roll of the dice

When he came on I thought well he can’t be worse than what we had on the pitch but actually I thougth he changed the game, passion getting stuck in lots of running I thought he was our best attacking player

 

[Oxford84]

Really important to get that late leveller. Much improved last 20 minutes after the substitutions. We really look like we are lacking the confidence to play forward like we were doing in August/September. As we are playing very deep we are unable to put teams under pressure resulting in us creating the odd chance after a breakaway.

A a few on here have suggested that Millwall were the worst team we’ve played this season. Completely disagree with that…..they outplayed us for 45 minutes and we couldn’t get out if our own half for long periods. I have no problem with their tactics to get the ball forward and push teams back, it seems to be working for them.

Too many teams now feel they have to play out from the back as this is what modern football is now. It’s actually refreshing to see a team differ from this.

Its called football for a reason, not hoof ball and hope to score from a corner when fouling the keeper every time. I bet you wouldnt watch that s**t for more than 1 match.

 

[Oxfordpete]

Fair enough points Tony. However, I feel we’re still finding our feet, even after 18 games, and have had a horrendous amount of key injuries. The obvious one to Brannigan, but also a fit Edwards would have got us more points this season, no two ways about it.

I say let’s still hang on and enjoy the fact that apart from two recent results, we’ve been very close at times and not getting disgraced, far from it.

I think with Des we’re in great hands, and we know he likes attractive winning football just as much as we do, but not all things have been equal.

I’ve been going 43 years and I’m loving being back in the championship, every moment of it, rough or smooth. Let’s get behind them.

Only 43 years …….. lol can beat that lol

 

[Oxfordpete]

Was that Oxford fans? I assumed it was Millwall. Ridiculous if it was ours.

I think Oxford fans wanted Dane to stay on and bring Harris on with him, well I did lol

 

[Oxfordpete]

I boo’ed it. Crap decision imho.
I realize Des might be managing players’ minutes but there’s was a match to be won and - at that stage - Dane was our best offensive threat. Frankly, I think he’s our best offensive player full stop.
Harris was not the answer.

I wanted Dane to stay on and put Harris next to him

 

[Oxford84]

Brannagan has to play that deeper role from now on.

 

[Oxfordpete]

Positives:
Oxford looked so much better with Cam in the pocket.
El Miz coming on and ‘doing a job’
Dale - game changer
Tyler - 2nd half goal and 1st half nearly goal.
Long being a warrior

Not-so-positives
Greg Leigh just punting it to nowhere all game
Phillips - horrible game
Placheta - see above
People on this forum being worried for Mark Harris’ mental state because a bunch of noisy fans made it known that we’d rather have him sit on the bench a bit longer whilst Dane Scarlett actually posed a threat upfront.

I got the impression fans wanted Dane to stay on and bring Harris on with him ( Phillips off Harris on)

 

[Oxfordpete]

I wonder if this could work…

Cumming

Kioso Moore brown Leigh

Brannigan

goodrham el miz Dale

Scarlett Harris

Or even Goodwin with Scarlett

 

[Yellow and blue]

Wimp.
And what about...

Bertie Mee said to Bill Shankly
Have you heard of the lads from Highbury
Shanks said no I don't think so
But I've heard of the Oxford Agro.

Memories of the 70s London road end.

 

[Foley]

If Millwall wanted a second goal enough, they’d have got it.

Odd comment. I totally disagree. Millwall hardly caused Cumming any problems in the first half despite the long throws, corners and free kicks.
I thought that Millwall tired whereas our substitutions gave us energy ( a little surprising as we played midweek and they didn't)

 

[Carpy]

Hey

Having issues with the player ratings data.

I have reported this to our provider.

Why? Works for me?

 

[ECYellow]

A decent point against in-form opposition.

I thought we showed good endeavour to keep plugging away, despite us not looking likely to score for large parts.

I didn’t boo the Scarlett change, but I can understand those that did. For me, it’s not necessarily the change itself, it’s for the apparent pre-planned, predictable nature of it. It seems to be the exact change every game, roughly on an hour, every time.

I really liked the look of Goodwin and he really needs to be afforded some of the chances Des continues to give to Harris. He gives us something different to the other options that we have.

I thought we were second best for large parts and our lack of championship level options is really hurting us. I appreciate that we can’t do it for 90 minutes, but we look so much better when we play with tenacity, and press intently as we did when Dale came on. We looked a different team and much better for it.

Ter Avest or Kioso at RB next week, El Miz for Vaulkes and CB in the quarterback role.

We can go and do a number on Plymouth, they look shot to bits. Would be lovely to have a sold out away end for that one…

 

[Foley]

Although Tyler scored the goal, Dale was man of the match for me. Without his input we'd have lost. Also, Goodwin's physicality definitely gave their centre-backs a new challenge which they didn't like.

Loved the tantrum by their keeper after Tyler's goal.

I don't think either team deserved a win from that game.

Moore was man of the match to me. And Brown.
To concede very few chances/ shots despite the onslaught, suggests that the CBs had very very good first halves.

 

[chuckbert]

Hey

Having issues with the player ratings data.

I have reported this to our provider.

Working for me now

 

[Oxymoron]

I think Oxford fans wanted Dane to stay on and bring Harris on with him, well I did lol

But Scarlett had done little to warrant staying on. He was being monstered by the Millwall midfield - we never got the ball forward for him to see if he could best their defenders. The match had developed into one where he couldn't utilise his skills.

I'd have hooked him at half time as Harris has a bit more physicality and his off the shoulder runs would at least have given them something different to defend.

Hopefully with Goodwin at last getting a go, Des can think about using all three in his match day plans rather than simply rotating the two current incumbents.

 

[Matt W]

Millwall looked very much the established Championship side that they are, some real experience in their ranks and they looked calm on the ball, and were working our lefthand side very hard in the first half, and for me no surprise when they went 1 up.

At halftime I had zero hope we would get anything from the game - We just seem to have been a bit battered and bruised from these past few weeks of injuries/draws/defeats.

My hope is that after that last 20 minutes or so the boys begin to believe in themselves, and remember that we're a Championship side on merit. Millwall looked imperious for most of the game and were certainly rocking by the end of it.

I liked the awkwardness of Will Goodwin once he arrived on the scene, many sides in our division play with a single striker so defenders know patterns and are drilled on what to do with that. Millwall were very much in control at the back against both Dane Scarlett and Mark Harris, but once Goodwin arrived it caused some real confusion. Food for thought.

Matt Phillips looked way off of being ready for a return - How I would love to see Kyle Edwards back, I think he is more effective than Dembele in my opinion.

As others have said Brannagan should stay in that deeper role, He will be firing on all cylinders very soon I'm sure.

I thought Ciaron Brown was excellent he is a master of 'getting a toe in'

Tyler Goodrham - what a strike, so so good to see that smash in and lift the stadium

 

[Swaby39]

Odd comment. I totally disagree. Millwall hardly caused Cumming any problems in the first half despite the long throws, corners and free kicks.
I thought that Millwall tired whereas our substitutions gave us energy ( a little surprising as we played midweek and they didn't)

It’s open to interpretation I suppose but I saw a side that didn’t think we would make a dent in them and felt they could get out at 1-0 fairly comfortably. Can’t say I disagree with them if that was the case.

Bradshaw wasn’t as difficult to deal with as Coburn, but they had plenty of runners in midfield.

Azeez had the freedom of the wing and I think if they’d just continued to feed him like the first half, we were there for the taking.

Agree our substitutions brought some life to us that proved critical in getting a point which is a positive we can take, but on another day (similar to Hull), the game would already be gone by then against decent opposition. See Shef Utd, see Boro, see Sunderland and so on. It’s not right to say ‘well yeah but their team is loads better’… we are where we are on merit, as are they, and the teams that stay up are the ones who can give those sides a game and get unlikely points even if not able to tiki-taka for them.

Yet to win away all season and we’re in dire form which doesn’t give me much hope for Plymouth who will rightly come at us for a win.

 

[Foley]

We're still outside the relegation zone, due to the points we accumulated at the start of the season, when all other teams were finding their feet, and we had momentum with a very much settled side from last season.

Ironically, we did it largely with the side that got us promoted from league one, but we hit the ground running, and got some fantastic results in that period.

Since everything has settled down, the realities of the level we're now at, and the shortcomings of the players who came up with us, and the players we brought in over the summer has been exposed, and we've barely had a sniff since.

If you think 1 win in 15 is competitive, then yes, your definition of competitive is indeed different to mine.

Get your head out the sand, too many players in our squad are not up to this level, and as the season goes on, it's becoming clear just how far off this level they are.

Now that's fine, if we improve on what we've got in January, because what we've got now, as hard as they've worked, and as well as they've done up until now, won't be enough to keep us up.

Most people thought that it would be a tough old season and 21st will be successful.
I reckon that generally we have been competitive.
You mention the last 15 games. In my view we have definitely been competitive against Millwall, Watford, WBA Hull, Burnley, Luton, Pompey Swansea, Derby, Bristol C.
We have been outplayed against Sunderland, Middlesbrough and Sheff U undoubtedly- but this is not a huge surprise.
Players are coming back ( although we will still miss Dembelee/ Nelson/ Bennett).
The next few games and January transfer window are really important of course.

 

[Mad Dog]

Main observation today was just how cockney Millwall are.

I mean, walking round the South Stand to the open end after the game it was so obvious who was an away fan wasn't it?

All of their fans over the age of 40 looked like this...

View attachment 23805

(you'll see fewer flatcaps at a Peaky Blinders convention).

...and all of their fans under the age of 40 looked like this...

View attachment 23802

I must say, the Millwall fans seemed like the biggest bunch of twats that have visited Grenoble Road this season.

Taking this p**s out of our stadium ( we've heard it all before, you dullards)
Singing "let him die" when Sam was clearly badly injured
And that incessant drone

And booing their manager at the end, even though they're sat just outside the playoffs, unbeaten in 9 games

s**t club. s**t fans.

 

[MiddleBartonYellow]

They didnt play, they hoof and they were absolute s**t.

I don’t know what that makes us then. Complete no hopers I suppose.

 

[Made-in-Jericho]

It’s open to interpretation I suppose but I saw a side that didn’t think we would make a dent in them and felt they could get out at 1-0 fairly comfortably. Can’t say I disagree with them if that was the case.

Bradshaw wasn’t as difficult to deal with as Coburn, but they had plenty of runners in midfield.

Azeez had the freedom of the wing and I think if they’d just continued to feed him like the first half, we were there for the taking.

Agree our substitutions brought some life to us that proved critical in getting a point which is a positive we can take, but on another day (similar to Hull), the game would already be gone by then against decent opposition. See Shef Utd, see Boro, see Sunderland and so on. It’s not right to say ‘well yeah but their team is loads better’… we are where we are on merit, as are they, and the teams that stay up are the ones who can give those sides a game and get unlikely points even if not able to tiki-taka for them.

Yet to win away all season and we’re in dire form which doesn’t give me much hope for Plymouth who will rightly come at us for a win.

You may have some valid points but the constant negativity is getting tedious and boring. We are all aware it will be a struggle this season and no surprise after 25 years away and FFP rules applying. Maybe just try to enjoy the ride and what will be, will be.