Away Match Day Thread 4/3/2023 L1: Lincoln City v OUFC

[Mad Dog]

We’re in trouble, we’re not scoring, and we’re conceding goals every game, we’ve got capable players underperforming, crocks forever injured, wimps that don’t fancy playing, or kids that we shouldn’t be relying on so much to save us in games.

It’s time the “big guns” stood up and took control of the situation by the scruff of the neck, to get us over the line.

With that in mind, this is the side I’d be going with moving forward:



There are players in that side (Findlay, Browne, Bodin) who haven’t played well this season, but they do have the ability and experience to get us out of this mess, but they simply have to pull themselves together and switch it on, and if they can, there would be enough quality in that side to get us over the line.

People will moan about a lack of width, but even though our moron of a former manager was obsessed with wingers, we don’t have the players available to suit a formation that favours wingers, without having to compromise in other positions.

It’s too late to keep trying different ideas with kids, or these useless loan players we brought in in January, it’s time to get the “big guns” to step up to the plate.

And let’s face it, we don’t really have any other options anyway, other than players who are severely injury prone or injured, or too young and inexperienced to be expected to shoulder the responsibility of starting games in such desperate circumstances, Goodrham has been a bright spark off the bench, and could push for a start, maybe on the right with Browne on the left, but we need two strikers on the pitch, with someone in the hole behind them, to better link the attack with midfield.

Our attacking options are so limited, Joseph is crap, and O’Donkor isn’t ready to be a starter, but we know an on form Bodin, Browne and Henry combining can produce the goods, so with no other options, I think we’re gonna have to stick em in, and hope that in a side with Browne, Bodin, Henry, Brannagan, Bate and McGuane, they can turn it on.

It’s time for the big guns in our squad to step up, and get us out of this mess.

Starting on Saturday…

COYY

 

[Northernyellow]

That was a lot better, and we actually saw a team that played with a bit of pace and had structure. The penalty apart, we looked decent at the back . Findlay looked pretty good. Almost as though he'd been benched by KR for no reason. The lack of a goalscorer is the biggest concern. We played in a way yesterday that would have created chances for Taylor. Of all the insane decisions from KR this season, his loaning out wins first prize. There's probably just enough quality in this squad to keep us out of the bottom four, but it's going to be very close.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

Plebs quoted for a reason? Is this something you've heard them refer to a portion of the fans as?

It's not been the best start for TW and Ferguson, and I'd hope they'd be humbled by their role in our current plight. That's not my impression though.

Every time Tim Williams speaks he starts telling people off like a crap deputy headmaster. His “Look, I used the word ‘customers’ once…” rant the other week didn’t exactly display humility, nor did Ferguson giving public approval to Robinson waffling on about being the man for the job after the Cambridge defeat, in the form of a pretty arrogant looking social media action.

I’m still not entirely convinced that they believe we’re in genuine danger, but a hefty chunk of our own fans seemed to be in denial about that until a fortnight ago, and there are still those to be found who think Robinson should never have gone, so I guess singling them out for appearing out of touch with reality may be a bit harsh. They’re not alone in their delusion.

 

[Joey]

Unfortunately our defence is woefully inadequate. At LB Brown is nowhere near good enough, the CB pairing is lower half League One, Long is limited at RB. At best they’re combative, if we saw any of them playing for Accrington (for example) would we want any of them with us any more than a squad option? Just doesn’t feel like a defence a 6m budget (or whatever it is) should get you.

Agree with this bigly and I've made the point a few times. They're all limited League 1 players and simply aren't good enough to get by without any protection from in front of them and we don't have anyone in the squad who can do it properly which is why I think we have to go 3/5 at the back or else were giving at least a goal away per game which isn't great when we also can't score.

Also we typically relied on at least one full back to provide some attacking impetus which Brown and Long can't, so not only are we crap defensively they affect us going forwards. None of the midfield three of Brannagan, Bate or McGuane create a lot either, they all do their best stuff in the middle third so we've got very few ways of progressing the ball forwards.

Thanks a lot, Karl.

 

[Billy Billy]

They obviously didn’t think we were in trouble, when they let our only fit experienced number 9 leave! That looks like one of the most stupid football decisions ever. Tim Williams said this was a collective decision, collectively stupid then!

 

[AbsoluteZero]

It was a lot better as a performance. The way we played we did look to be a side too good to go down. But to not go down you have to score goals and that is our huge sticking point. Joseph was awful he must have one of the worst first touches in football. He can get away with it to a degree playing wider but there have been many times playing there this season that he has given the ball away and left the defence under pressure unnecessarily. You may as well play Moore up front at the moment with two players running on either side to collect flick ons. Not pretty but needs must at the moment.

The goal we conceded was just a whole catalogue of errors again for which we get punished whereas if the opposition make a mistake we aren't able to capitalise. It is fine margins but we are so out of form we just can't steal any luck at all. Eastwood was poor for the corner that led to the penalty. If he comes out he has to punch it. If he doesn't come out he doesn't clatter into Brown so that his clearing header goes shorter than it otherwise would have done.

I can sort of understand giving Brannagan a quarterback role a try like Kane did it last season, but it didn't work and it takes away the one player we have who is capable of shooting from 30 yards. I disagree that the defence is inadequate, they seem to be reasonably solid to me but they get no protection in front of them. Anderson looked bright when he came on but where do you play him knowing he is a defensive liability. Despite overall poor form this season we are missing Bodin, he seems to be the only one capable of finding the net and even then he has had some terrible off days.

 

[bazzer9461]

If at the end of this season we are relegated it will be down to 3 men.

Ferguson, Williams and Robinson.

We’ve got rid of one will the owners get rid of the other two?

 

[RyanioBirdio]

Agree with this bigly and I've made the point a few times. They're all limited League 1 players and simply aren't good enough to get by without any protection from in front of them and we don't have anyone in the squad who can do it properly which is why I think we have to go 3/5 at the back or else were giving at least a goal away per game which isn't great when we also can't score.

Also we typically relied on at least one full back to provide some attacking impetus which Brown and Long can't, so not only are we crap defensively they affect us going forwards. None of the midfield three of Brannagan, Bate or McGuane create a lot either, they all do their best stuff in the middle third so we've got very few ways of progressing the ball forwards.

Thanks a lot, Karl.

There isn’t really a formation that suits us best. We played 3412 (we almost never play a flat 352) with wing backs against Cambridge and looked hopeless, although it possibly didn’t help that Robinson chose to use Murphy as one of them that day. Maybe it’s our best bet but it still doesn’t look quite right, IMO.

My main concern with the idea of playing a diamond is that it wouldn’t work unless we played Fleming and possibly even Anderson. You need your full backs to give you the width in that formation but that would mean leaving ourselves pretty exposed defensively as there isn’t a specialist CDM to fill in. Smyth maybe, but we don’t know where he’s at. He might be capable, he might be awful. That we don’t know 14 months after he was signed is pretty laughable. Brown isn’t a wing back and doesn’t have the type of athletic engine required to excel at it (although he will run until he can barely breathe - it’s nothing to do with his effort) and Long just isn’t as good as a lot of people think he is.

Briefly re Long - nobody should’ve been getting a new contract until the summer, when we know which division we’re in as well as who the manager is. You don’t go dishing out new contracts to anyone in the middle of a relegation fight, especially when a player still has nearly 18 months to go on their existing deal. That’s really basic stuff. Nothing personal at all, you just don’t give people new long-term contracts and be seen to rewarding failure in the middle of a nosedive.

 

[ChamonixOx]

Just listened to Chris Short's interview on iFollow. I actually understood what he was talking about, and he came across well. I should not be surprised by this, but after five years of listening to Robinson, I was!

 

[West Oxon U’s]

This was the defensive set up at Cambridge for their corner kick winner. Bear in mind the Cambridge scorer Lloyd Jones is 6ft 3”

 

[Nadi-]

This was the defensive set up at Cambridge for their corner kick winner. Bear in mind the Cambridge scorer Lloyd Jones is 6ft 3”

Pretty smart set piece by Cambridge
We mark zonal with our tallest player centrally along the 6 yard box.
Cut them out with blocks and play it shorter, where we’re not so strong.

 

[Theox07]

People on here who are blaming the defence have 0 ball knowledge you can’t win games when u forward line just loses the ball everytime you pass forward and can’t score to save there lives and midfield gets run over are defence is actually the best thing about this team a back four of Anderson Moore Findlay Brown is a top 6 defence blaming the defence is so confusing when all the goals aswell have been mostly are attackers and midfielders not following there markers

 

[JOHN BOY]

Fleming, Konate, Smith.
Combined minutes yesterday = 0.

Matty Taylor, Jodi Jones.
Combined minutes yesterday = 167.

Another stunning January window.

Yes Robinson has really fucked us up .

 

[TailsWeWin]

Unfortunately our defence is woefully inadequate. At LB Brown is nowhere near good enough, the CB pairing is lower half League One, Long is limited at RB. At best they’re combative, if we saw any of them playing for Accrington (for example) would we want any of them with us any more than a squad option? Just doesn’t feel like a defence a 6m budget (or whatever it is) should get you.

Any manager incoming will just have to cobble something together, it’s just poor coaching, recruiting the wrong ‘type’ and relying on individuals to fancy it.

The fact Kounate wasn’t in the squad but Goodrham was a starter probably tells us everything we need to know about our season.

To add, if the club, management and players had woken up to the reality when the fans did at the turn of the year and as a result put in yesterdays performance consistently then we wouldn’t be in this situation. I think it will be the blue print going forward, but at least everyone is pulling in the same direction.

I don’t think many fans did “wake up” at the turn of the year. There have been a few mentions of the signs being wrong early in the season, but only a few of us were calling for a change BEFORE the January window. And it’s more than incredible that some STILL feel we will probably avoid relegation.
NO. We are LIKELY to be relegated unless something very very drastic shifts. A new manager will help of course, but, boy, will they face the mammoth of all struggles to get us the points we need.

 

[Jaxon]

People on here who are blaming the defence have 0 ball knowledge you can’t win games when u forward line just loses the ball everytime you pass forward and can’t score to save there lives and midfield gets run over are defence is actually the best thing about this team a back four of Anderson Moore Findlay Brown is a top 6 defence blaming the defence is so confusing when all the goals aswell have been mostly are attackers and midfielders not following there markers

Agree

 

[The mighty Aldo]

I don’t think many fans did “wake up” at the turn of the year. There have been a few mentions of the signs being wrong early in the season, but only a few of us were calling for a change BEFORE the January window. And it’s more than incredible that some STILL feel we will probably avoid relegation.
NO. We are LIKELY to be relegated unless something very very drastic shifts. A new manager will help of course, but, boy, will they face the mammoth of all struggles to get us the points we need.

I actually said we could be in relegation trouble if we didn’t get rid of KR back in November and was laughed at on here.
The main reason was our inability to keep clean sheets and apart from the odd occasion scoring two or more goals.
I said if he was here for the transfer window it would be a mistake

 

[Shosho]

Based on opta, and I realise some will immediately discredit, but….

Open play xG for: 23.98
Open play goals: 22

Set piece xG for: 11.38
Set piece goals: 12

Open play xG against: 22.84
Open play goals against: 34

Set piece xG against: 6.97
Set piece goals against: 7

Our attack is functioning largely as expected, we don’t create chances in volume which is clearly an issue, but compared to as expected we aren’t hugely off it (as an aside, we are/were(!) one of the best for set pieces in the league).

The obvious number that stands out is open play xG against and goals against…our xG conceded is the 8th lowest in the league, so an argument we have locked teams out to a degree this season, however 34 goals conceded is only worse than Burton, Morecambe, FGR, Accrington and Cambridge.

Does this mean our defence is any good? Well no…we don’t concede huge chances, but do concede from those opportunities - those goals scored against us from outside the box (in the 18yard D) a clear sign of this. If we were to ‘blame’ anyone is that on the GK? Defence? Midfield? Who knows, but ultimately it’s our defence that is hugely underperforming.

We certainly aren’t creating plentiful big chances, but conceding from few low quality opportunities against looks to be a larger issue.

 

[behindthegoal]

Just listened to Chris Short's interview on iFollow. I actually understood what he was talking about, and he came across well. I should not be surprised by this, but after five years of listening to Robinson, I was!

I thought Craig short talked better.

 

[Paul Cannell]

a back four of Anderson Moore Findlay Brown is a top 6 defence

very good

 

[Paul Cannell]

Based on opta, and I realise some will immediately discredit, but….

......

Open play xG against: 22.84
Open play goals against: 34

...

We certainly aren’t creating plentiful big chances, but conceding from few low quality opportunities against looks to be a larger issue.

Seems like some astrological coincidence to me, but since the midfield player are pathetic at closing down space around the box and closing incoming players, and since our defenders like to watch the game pass them by rather than intervene I would say the stats have it right.

Since 20-20 hindsight is becoming a thing, I've been asking for about 2 seasons whether we train defending at all; with no answer forthcoming I concluded we don't. We should try it - any remedy is worth trying when you're desperate.