Player News Best Team of the Kassam Era

[WRox]

Eastwood was players and fans plsyer of the year his first year (deserved it by a mile) and deserved it his second year too

We were newly promoted then and for 2 straight years he was (imo) clearly our best player over that stretch

I would probably lean towards Cumming, but not sure it’s fair to be so dismissive of Easty

Eastwood was outstanding 2016-2018, could’ve easily played in the Championship at that time. We got lucky that he’d not been able to nail down a starting place at Blackburn (they had Steele who went on to play in the premier league and I think possibly David Raya as well) and Appleton knew him, because we got a top goalkeeper in his prime at 27.

Cumming is an excellent championship goalkeeper, but Eastwood in that period was every bit as good in my opinion.

 

[outsidethebox]

I'd include Corbo for a few games ..... until he got suspended!

 

[holdsteady]

Eastwood was outstanding 2016-2018, could’ve easily played in the Championship at that time. We got lucky that he’d not been able to nail down a starting place at Blackburn (they had Steele who went on to play in the premier league and I think possibly David Raya as well) and Appleton knew him, because we got a top goalkeeper in his prime at 27.

Cumming is an excellent championship goalkeeper, but Eastwood in that period was every bit as good in my opinion.

Cummings has proved he is championship quality this season, that Eastwood might have been is your opinion (as you say) so for me if you have to choose that should give Cummings the nod.

 

[MJB]

Good topic.
GK - Cumming
RB - Baldock
LB - Leigh
CB - Dickie
CB - Helik
CM - Brannagan
CM - Lundstram
RW - Fosu
LW - Murphy
CAM - Maguire
ST - Roofe

Swap Roofe for Fosu, bring in Matty Taylor as the striker, and replace Helik for Brown, and this might well be my eleven.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Ruffels is nowhere near the best 11, IMO.

You could argue Matt Robinson if playing with attacking full backs.
I’m not sure you can include Johnson as a left back since he barely played there for us.

For me it is Ruffles just over Brown for left back.

 

[Common Villager]

You could argue Matt Robinson if playing with attacking full backs.
I’m not sure you can include Johnson as a left back since he barely played there for us.

For me it is Ruffles just over Brown for left back.

I think Ruffels was overrated. Popped up with the odd goal, but technically was so poor. Second touch almost always a tackle.

Bennett, Leigh, Skarz, Ricardinho, Johnson all in front of him in the queue.

 

[Whingit]

Weird how people can have polar opposite opinions because I think Ruffels was underrated.

 

[WRox]

Cummings has proved he is championship quality this season, that Eastwood might have been is your opinion (as you say) so for me if you have to choose that should give Cummings the nod.

Totally fair shout and can’t argue with the logic. Cumming’s only getting better and young enough to get a big move as well, I remember Celtic coming in for Eastwood very late in a January window but his career didn’t really take off until he came to Oxford.

 

[Mintyshoe]

I’m surprised by how little fanfare James Henry is getting - played over 200 games and scored roughly 1 in 4. Great quality and technique - won us many games single handedly.

I think he lacked the excitement and pace factor of a modern winger, but on the flip side he was incredibly consistent.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Weird how people can have polar opposite opinions because I think Ruffels was underrated.

The issue with Ruffles was that he was always seen as square peg in a round hole at left back even though he has played most of his career there.
That for me is why he is underrated.
He allowed players like Baldock to bomb on while he would sit in and make our back line more solid.
It’s a bit like how I always think Martin Gray was underrated rated.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

I’m surprised by how little fanfare James Henry is getting - played over 200 games and scored roughly 1 in 4. Great quality and technique - won us many games single handedly.

I think he lacked the excitement and pace factor of a modern winger, but on the flip side he was incredibly consistent.

Him and Taylor were such a great combo. The problem with Henry was that he didn’t take that shot…

 

[West Oxon U’s]

Hylton has to be in the squad. Joy to watch.

 

[TobyDavis34]

Jamie Brooks season in 01-02 was incredible.

Can't forget James Constable either here lads... I read the opening post and I think it's hard to distinguish best players versus the opposition we were playing at the time.

If it's pure quality... Dean Whitehead anyone?

 

[greatunclekip]

Eastwood - was genuinely sensational for a couple of seasons, and had Champions league interest. Easy to forget how good he was.

Baldock- cheat mode and absolutely beautiful.

Nelson - an England centre back in waiting..

McNally - his ability to bring the ball forwards as well as defend was excellent. Could and probably should have played prem.

Corbo - loved every second of watching him play.

LW - Roofe - another cheat mode.

RW - Josh Murphy motivated

CM - Brannagan

Fw - Jamie Brooks - genuinely could have been the best ex Oxford player. To anyone who never saw him, he was that good..

FW - Beano - another absolute icon whose goal record means he has a place in this team. Plus he turned down Swindon.

Taylor- an incredibly natural striker. Would score a tonne with how many this team would create.

 

[Common Villager]

The issue with Ruffles was that he was always seen as square peg in a round hole at left back even though he has played most of his career there.
That for me is why he is underrated.
He allowed players like Baldock to bomb on while he would sit in and make our back line more solid.
It’s a bit like how I always think Martin Gray was underrated rated.

I don't think Ruffels played much (if at all) at left back whilst Baldock was here. It was Skarz and Jordan Evans mostly during that time, IIRC.

I don't dispute that Ruffels was a solid pro but he was very limited on the ball (especially for someone who had played some of their career at CM). I think it's telling that he could not hold down a place in a poor Huddersfield side.

 

[OUFCwaffle]

Mark Creighton!

 

[EastStandKieran]

Clarke
Baldock
Nelson ( this season’s)
Dickie
Leigh

Lundstram
Brannagan
Roofe
Maguire
Murphy

Taylor ( I wanted to say beano )

 

[SteMerritt]

Whing

Whing
Whing
Whing
Whing

Whing
Whing
Whing

Whing
Whing
Whing

 

[OUFCwaffle]

Whing

Whing
Whing
Whing
Whing

Whing
Whing
Whing

Whing
Whing
Whing

It's all we need

 

[Tomox]

Cumming

Baldock
Dickie
Ben Nelson
Alex Jeannin

Lundstram
Brannagan
Rothwell

O’Dowda
Roofe
Murphy

 

[90syeIlow]

Danny Rose anyone?

 

[Mintyshoe]

Cumming

Baldock
Dickie
Ben Nelson
Alex Jeannin

Lundstram
Brannagan
Rothwell

O’Dowda
Roofe
Murphy

Wow - first mention of Alex Jeannin! If anything, goes to show our issues at LB over the years

Tonkin next…

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Danny Rose anyone?

No

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Wow - first mention of Alex Jeannin! If anything, goes to show our issues at LB over the years

Tonkin next…

Kevin Sandwith...

 

[Tomox]

Wow - first mention of Alex Jeannin! If anything, goes to show our issues at LB over the years

Tonkin next…

Quality player, underrated by many of our fans.

 

[unification]

I think the thing with Rothwell is that, although he may not have hit his prime with us, he’s gone on to have an exceptional career.

He was a key player for a Leeds United squad who were promoted with 100 points, has oozed class and has an exceptional dead ball delivery. He’s also played over 30 games in the Premier League.

Other options (and we’re choosing among the best of the best) such as Maguire arguably peaked before they signed here (at Sheffield Wednesday in the Champ) or haven’t quite hit the heights since (like Ledson who has had a steady career at Preston in comparison to Rothwell).

Even if he'd gone on to bag a hattrick each in the UCL and World Cup finals, he still wouldn't be in my squad. It's what he achieved here that should get him in and there are others who were more influential. He was more than reasonable for us but not in the same league as Brannagan, Ledson and Lundstram.

Hylton has to be in the squad. Joy to watch.

'Chaos' seems to the footballing buzzword (possibly cliché) now but Hylton was pure chaos.

Appleton's get-out-of-jail-free card in 2014-15 (thanks, Gary Waddock, genuinely) and complicit in the fun of 2015-16. Screaming at opposition fans, running around like a headcase, getting in the opposition's faces.

Loved watching him play.

(Somehow he played 32 matches for Northampton across two seasons and scored no goals. How's that possible for a player like him? Did he play as DM or something?)

 

[Jster]

Kevin Sandwith...

Liam Davis?

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Liam Davis?

He was not too bad. Dwight Tiendalli though.

 

[dickwalton1964]

Cumming
Baldock
Dickie
Moore
Johnson
Brannagan
Lundstram
Henry
Murphy
Roofe
O'Dowda

Difficult to leave out Brown and perhaps his versatility has cost him a place in favour of players in their specialist position. I know Johnson played more upfield but he looked pure class when he did play left back. There was a period when Moore and Dickie were just fantastic together and although Brown has perhaps eclipsed Moore lately I still think Moore has been an absolute rock for us. Left Ben Nelson out on the basis he hadn't really played enough to warrant inclusion. Too many honourable mentions to list !

 

[Mintyshoe]

Liam Davis?

Now he was a player, went straight from us in League 2 to first choice at Yeovil in the Championship.

Another I liked was Jordan Obita - arrived in November 2020 but had moved to “Championship” Wycombe by January despite being first choice. This all coincided with a sharp pick up and drop off in form (probably mostly coincidental). I’m not really sure why the club didn’t do more to keep him as he had the ability to hold down that position for the long term.