Manager/Coach Des Buckingham

Not entirely it isn’t. This is the second time a lot of players have seemingly downed tools, regardless of whether it’s malicious or merely a psychological weakness, in 12 months. They’re now developing form for this. I happen to believe it’s the case that too many players have been here too long, and have gone stale after what happened last season.

I understood it with Robinson because of the utter chaos behind the scenes, and the fact that he was burning the entire club down around him, but for any player to do it a second time is unforgivable. Especially when they proved in between that they can actually perform and put a shift in, providing they fancy it.

Buckingham has made mistakes and it’s looking like he’s doomed at this point, but it’s a disgrace that so many players seem to require their bottoms being stroked in exactly the right way, by exactly the right person, in order to perform adequately, let alone well.

The culture is rotten and, frankly, there are a good few players who need showing the door ASAP, because too many of them have proven they’re losers and layabouts.

Why is Des still picking players that supposedly downed tools months ago ? If he can't identify a player that's downing tools five days a week in training and again on match day then he's more clueless than we think.
 
It's also very convenient to name players who's form has dropped off and use this to justify the allegations that they want Buckingham out.

McGuane has been consistently inconsistent since arriving at Oxford, and that's why he's in league one rather than Arsenal/Barca/Forest. His excellent starts then fades have happened for years before Des rocked up.

Rodrigues was also in and out of games at the beginning of the season. When he was in, he was on fire, but he had a few ineffective games too. He also thrives on playing in the space between attack and midfield or playing balls in to space for the forward to run on to. We've barely created that space or opportunity for him to shine.

Bodin? That man has played for a dozen more dysfunctional managers during his career. Why down tools now?

And just as importantly, does anyone think that these players have rushed over to slag Buckingham off to the fans between signing autographs and hi fiving Ollie the Ox? McGuane? The quietest man in the squad?


It's all a load of B*****s.
I agree with you here, so is it safe to say they are being badly coached if it's given that these league one players were second in the table when Manning departed?
 
Why is Des still picking players that supposedly downed tools months ago ? If he can't identify a player that's downing tools five days a week in training and again on match day then he's more clueless than we think.
So what would you have said 3-5 games ago if Des had rested McGuane and Rodrigues?
 
There is a reason Rodrigues has been a non league player for most of his career before making the step up this summer.

Same applies with McGuane and why he’s failed to make it at countless other better clubs.

They need constant coaching & management by a good coach.

That is why they’re League One footballers.

Talented but with major flaws. But that is why they’re at Oxford..

It’s mostly on the manager why they aren’t performing now.
 
I agree with you here, so is it safe to say they are being badly coached if it's given that these league one players were second in the table when Manning departed?
No, just that McGuane starts off a season well, but tend to deteriorate as the season goes on. I actually think he’s a fair weather, lovely flat pitch type of player, so once we get into the winter/heavier pitch months he goes off the boil. May be because it was all nice and warm in Barça!!

And as said, Rodrigues is on & off and pretty lazy/mobile in my eyes. He prances about like a show horse and seems more concerned about himself rather than the team overall. Yes, he has ability, but he’s not someone I’d want next to me in the trenches, unlike Brannagan!
 
Let's blame all the other managers who signed them couldn't improve them and let them go
Or KR for signing them.
 
So what would you have said 3-5 games ago if Des had rested McGuane and Rodrigues?

Three or four games ago we were losing to Orient, drawing with Northampton, losing to Pompey - I don't think any fan could have questioned him dropping players. The first player I'd drop would be Cumming and then, in no particular order, Brown, McGuane, Harris, Rodrigues, Long. Murphy was awful the other night too, he's hardly cementing a place but he's done alright in spells.
 
There is a reason Rodrigues has been a non league player for most of his career before making the step up this summer.

Same applies with McGuane and why he’s failed to make it at countless other better clubs.

They need constant coaching & management by a good coach.

That is why they’re League One footballers.

Talented but with major flaws. But that is why they’re at Oxford..

It’s mostly on the manager why they aren’t performing now.
Agree, some of it may be, but they’ve got to take some accountability for themselves.

Take Dale for example. He left Blackpool because things weren’t quite right, but has come here and not sulked and has shown more leadership qualities than McGuane & Rodrigues have shown together.
 
We are a bit like a s**t Man U, staring to become obvious why we have never pushed on any further than league one with this core of players.

Like you say Buckingham is probably gone, but so should most of this group, they have to much quit in them, they are to quick to look or the easy way out.

Probably doesn't help that the club peddles bullshit about lack of atmosphere effecting the players, this squad don't need more excuses.
The players apparently moaning at Ferguson about the lack of atmosphere was pretty outrageous, IMO. It’s hugely unlikely to be true. What likely happened is that he went up to a couple of them, asked them a leading question about the atmosphere being rubbish, and they’ve gone, “Yeah, it’s a bit flat at the moment innit.” He’s most probably seen his chance to dress it up and has taken it.

Ferguson allegedly wanted to put a statement out a few months back, telling people they need to do more because they’re letting the club down with the lack of noise, and had to be talked down by several senior members of staff. If that’s true, and I have very little doubt, I would imagine that’s why he was so keen to have something to say at the forum on the matter, because it’s been swirling around in his head since last year.

I feel sorry for players like Dale and Goodwin who have only recently arrived. A few more months of being in a losing culture and it could knock the tenacity right out of them. Even if (when, IMO) Buckingham is sacked, there will still be too many players with losing mindsets, and too many senior figures who haven’t got a clue how to run a football club outside of a spreadsheet.

As I say, Buckingham is far from blameless, but there are fundamental problems beyond him that aren’t going anywhere.
 
It's also very convenient to name players who's form has dropped off and use this to justify the allegations that they want Buckingham out.

McGuane has been consistently inconsistent since arriving at Oxford, and that's why he's in league one rather than Arsenal/Barca/Forest. His excellent starts then fades have happened for years before Des rocked up.

Rodrigues was also in and out of games at the beginning of the season. When he was in, he was on fire, but he had a few ineffective games too. He also thrives on playing in the space between attack and midfield or playing balls in to space for the forward to run on to. We've barely created that space or opportunity for him to shine.

Bodin? That man has played for a dozen more dysfunctional managers during his career. Why down tools now?

And just as importantly, does anyone think that these players have rushed over to slag Buckingham off to the fans between signing autographs and hi fiving Ollie the Ox? McGuane? The quietest man in the squad?


It's all a load of B*****s.

Care to name the dozen or more dysfunctional managers than Buckingham that Bodin has played under.
 
Three or four games ago we were losing to Orient, drawing with Northampton, losing to Pompey - I don't think any fan could have questioned him dropping players. The first player I'd drop would be Cumming and then, in no particular order, Brown, McGuane, Harris, Rodrigues, Long. Murphy was awful the other night too, he's hardly cementing a place but he's done alright in spells.
But these are the two that have apparently downed tools, so if he had dropped them would you have accepted that and said that was good management?
 
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Not going because you don’t like someone or something at an establishment you previously frequented loyally is the right of every customer.

If the cap fits.
 
The players apparently moaning at Ferguson about the lack of atmosphere was pretty outrageous, IMO. It’s hugely unlikely to be true. What likely happened is that he went up to a couple of them, asked them a leading question about the atmosphere being rubbish, and they’ve gone, “Yeah, it’s a bit flat at the moment innit.” He’s most probably seen his chance to dress it up and has taken it.

Ferguson allegedly wanted to put a statement out a few months back, telling people they need to do more because they’re letting the club down with the lack of noise, and had to be talked down by several senior members of staff. If that’s true, and I have very little doubt, I would imagine that’s why he was so keen to have something to say at the forum on the matter, because it’s been swirling around in his head since last year.

I feel sorry for players like Dale and Goodwin who have only recently arrived. A few more months of being in a losing culture and it could knock the tenacity right out of them. Even if (when, IMO) Buckingham is sacked, there will still be too many players with losing mindsets, and too many senior figures who haven’t got a clue how to run a football club outside of a spreadsheet.

As I say, Buckingham is far from blameless, but there are fundamental problems beyond him that aren’t going anywhere.

But these players have developed a losing mindset since November. They had a largely winning one prior to that - the exact same players. Why might that be ?
 
The players apparently moaning at Ferguson about the lack of atmosphere was pretty outrageous, IMO. It’s hugely unlikely to be true. What likely happened is that he went up to a couple of them, asked them a leading question about the atmosphere being rubbish, and they’ve gone, “Yeah, it’s a bit flat at the moment innit.” He’s most probably seen his chance to dress it up and has taken it.

Ferguson allegedly wanted to put a statement out a few months back, telling people they need to do more because they’re letting the club down with the lack of noise, and had to be talked down by several senior members of staff. If that’s true, and I have very little doubt, I would imagine that’s why he was so keen to have something to say at the forum on the matter, because it’s been swirling around in his head since last year.

I feel sorry for players like Dale and Goodwin who have only recently arrived. A few more months of being in a losing culture and it could knock the tenacity right out of them. Even if (when, IMO) Buckingham is sacked, there will still be too many players with losing mindsets, and too many senior figures who haven’t got a clue how to run a football club outside of a spreadsheet.

As I say, Buckingham is far from blameless, but there are fundamental problems beyond him that aren’t going anywhere.
Ryan, what are these and how do you think these can be rectified? And how do you think these issues are impacting the playing side?
 
But these are the two that have apparently downed too, so if he had dropped them would you have accepted that and said that was good management?

Yes, definitely, I'm sceptical of the downing tools accusation but can't deny they - with others - both look horribly out of form.
 
But these players have developed a losing mindset since November. They had a largely winning one prior to that - the exact same players. Why might that be ?
They had a winning one in between two losing ones. This is the second manager in three that they’ve decided can’t motivate them. At some point they have to motivate themselves. They’ve proven they can do it, so why are they entirely blameless when they stop?

I keep saying Buckingham is not blameless, far from it, but to suggest it’s 100% him would be pretty rich.
 
Well let’s hope he drops them tomorrow

Yes. I think tomorrow will be the most telling team selection of his reign. Let's be honest, he could justifiably drop eleven after Tuesday. Of course that wont happen but did he say there's only one injury ? If so, then this team will tell us a lot about his ability to change it around and be ruthless in his selection.
 
But these players have developed a losing mindset since November. They had a largely winning one prior to that - the exact same players. Why might that be ?

Ummm no. They developed it when we didn't get in the play off positions at the end of KR's last full season, they further enhanced it between October and March of last year, culminating in Robinson getting sacked and then again from November onwards of this year, form has nose dived. What you're saying is a large part of this squad have put together roughly one quarter of a season, wedged in between two or three bad spells.

This isn't a couple of players either that have played a large part in this period, this is:

Eastwood
Brannagan
McGuane
Long
Moore
Thorniley (part of the 21/22 season)
Bodin
Brown
Henry
Murphy

The witch hunt for the manager really needs to be re-directed to a certain extent. People like Brannagan and Moore, two of the players held in highest regard by the supporters are perennial failures at OUFC. We awarded Brannagan with a 12k a week salary, too! Madness.
 
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