Fan's View - Charlton away

Interesting point about the (players’) celebrations. They all seemed genuinely thrilled to be celebrating the goals. So often in the premiership I see players hardly bothered to congratulate the scorer or bother to run ten metres to say Well done.
And yes, Eales. After a great transfer window (some youthful talent in, and no talent out) the Eales-is-selling-up-and-pocketing-the-cash moaners have gone quiet, haven’t they?! No humble pie evident there!
 
Great read Paul,

I know somebody who went who had to move as some Oxford fans spent the whole game slagging off the players. I find it all a little odd and it sure isn't fun sitting/ standing anybody like that.

I must admit that I thought that MAPP came directly with DE/ MA and I am not sure that there was an interview process (there certainly was with CW)
 
I know somebody who went who had to move as some Oxford fans spent the whole game slagging off the players. I find it all a little odd and it sure isn't fun sitting/ standing anybody like that.

It's amazing, some of the closer away games you get knob jockeys like them, why bother going if you don't like your own f*****g players? I understand a bit of anger when your team are playing shite, but ten or twenty minutes into a game, really?
 
I know somebody who went who had to move as some Oxford fans spent the whole game slagging off the players. I find it all a little odd and it sure isn't fun sitting/ standing anybody like that.

It's amazing, some of the closer away games you get knob jockeys like them, why bother going if you don't like your own f*****g players? I understand a bit of anger when your team are playing shite, but ten or twenty minutes into a game, really?

And when we are playing well too.

But overall the noise and singing is a big plus.
 
Great read Paul,

I know somebody who went who had to move as some Oxford fans spent the whole game slagging off the players. I find it all a little odd and it sure isn't fun sitting/ standing anybody like that.

I must admit that I thought that MAPP came directly with DE/ MA and I am not sure that there was an interview process (there certainly was with CW)

Yes. I got that wrong.
 
So well done to Darryl Eales then for having the guts to make the decision which I’m sure he didn’t take lightly at all. I agree it’s not like him or the Oxford United of recent times to part with a manager after such a short space of time...

I'm not so sure DE would not have pulled the trigger during the first half of MApp's first season (pretty sure we can thank MA for believing in the manager and the project). MA was the one in charge back then, he had faith in MApp to turn things around and the calls for MApp's head back then were far louder than they were for Pep's. The position back then was far more perilous with relegation back to the Conference a very real possibility. The stakes were far higher then, but as you say the right decision was made. Had DE been more "hands on" during that time, he may have decided to take a different path.
 
From the kick off the demeanour of the team was just so different. It was not just where Todd was to score his goal but for the other goals where the likes of Josh and Ryan were, we have not seen them in such offensive positions for some time. The first touches from Napa so pleasing and although Mous had his error again the rest of his match was pretty good, I thought anyway. The moaners were probably leaving with ten minutes to go, I don't know too enthralled with the game to notice, if they did karma!
 
From the kick off the demeanour of the team was just so different. It was not just where Todd was to score his goal but for the other goals where the likes of Josh and Ryan were, we have not seen them in such offensive positions for some time. The first touches from Napa so pleasing and although Mous had his error again the rest of his match was pretty good, I thought anyway. The moaners were probably leaving with ten minutes to go, I don't know too enthralled with the game to notice, if they did karma!

I agree with you on Mous. Plenty have made up their minds though and that's that.
I didn't notice anyone leave but like you I was too caught up in the game to notice.
A lot of the moaners do celebrate like mad when we score though. (There will always be those with a scowl on their faces though when someone they've been slagging off all game does something brilliant and wins or saves the three points for us.)
 
"All of a sudden it feels really good to be an Oxford fan again even if that was only one game."

How true. Saturday felt like the first game of the season that could almost have been a 'MApp game' - comparable to the Swindon, Swansea or Middlesborough matches of recent years. That intangible X-factor of good feeling seems to have returned.

Thanks too for pointing out how Rothwell and other subs joined in the celebration for the last goal. I hadn't noticed and, as you say, it speaks volumes.
 
"What I think we need now though is a purely pragmatic coach, one that will get us enough points to remain in League One."

I think a lot of fans think the same, but I don't think this is the way DE's mind works at all. Your surprise at Pep being sacked after Bury is the clue, since we weren't in imminent danger of falling into the releation zone, which is the usual trigger for a managerial change.

I think that DE sacked Clotet because the loss to Bury was the moment when he realised that under Pep we were definitely not going to get promoted.

DE, I believe, is a very driven man who sincerely believes that promotion is still at this stage of the season a realistic possibility.

So don't expect a pragmatic coach. Expect someone who DE believes shares his drive and determination to gain promotion to the Championship.

From this perspective I'm not sure if you would expect Faz to fit the bill, but it seems at the very least as though DE is in no rush while the players are buzzing from their Charlton miracle.
 
I know somebody who went who had to move as some Oxford fans spent the whole game slagging off the players. I find it all a little odd and it sure isn't fun sitting/ standing anybody like that.

It's amazing, some of the closer away games you get knob jockeys like them, why bother going if you don't like your own f*****g players? I understand a bit of anger when your team are playing shite, but ten or twenty minutes into a game, really?
I'm really starting to get annoyed now with the negative behaviour of some fans. In his report, Paul states he turned round and challenged someone on it. I did at the Bury game as well and others chimed in and supported me.

I think there's nothing wrong with calmly asking someone to get behind their team and support it, and maybe if more of us spoke up and challenged abusive supporters (deliberate contradiction there) then this behaviour might change.
 
I'm really starting to get annoyed now with the negative behaviour of some fans. In his report, Paul states he turned round and challenged someone on it. I did at the Bury game as well and others chimed in and supported me.

I think there's nothing wrong with calmly asking someone to get behind their team and support it, and maybe if more of us spoke up and challenged abusive supporters (deliberate contradiction there) then this behaviour might change.

In this case it wasn't abusive just negative. No encouragement or appreciation of the good stuff just moaning when a mistake was made. That said I think everyone around us was celebrating like whirling dervishes as goals two and three went in.
 
Thanks for a great report Paul. You're correct that such results don't come around that often. For me the intensity of our play and the way the players celebrated was very similar to our 4 - 2 win at Notts County in the New Year 2016. A real sense of togetherness (relief?) within the team that matched the passion from the fans. The win at Charlton however was for me the more remarkable as the team on Saturday had never played together before. Not wanting to count chickens of course but this augers well for the rest of the season, I hope!
 
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I know somebody who went who had to move as some Oxford fans spent the whole game slagging off the players. I find it all a little odd and it sure isn't fun sitting/ standing anybody like that.

It's amazing, some of the closer away games you get knob jockeys like them, why bother going if you don't like your own f*****g players? I understand a bit of anger when your team are playing shite, but ten or twenty minutes into a game, really?

On Saturday , just behind where we were standing two yards to the right of the goal Mousinho was called ‘ a c##t’ in the first minute. I don’t even think the yob in question had even been drinking. A little gaggle of foul mouthed goblins then spewed constant bile for the rest of the first half. Topped off by Obika being described as a ‘sick note c##t ‘ as he limped off. A lot of people were getting upset.

Yes, we have some passionate away days and this one ranked in the top 2 or 3 over the last 10 years, but , let’s face it, we have more than our fair share of anger management candidates. Really depressing.
 
On Saturday , just behind where we were standing two yards to the right of the goal Mousinho was called ‘ a c##t’ in the first minute. I don’t even think the yob in question had even been drinking. A little gaggle of foul mouthed goblins then spewed constant bile for the rest of the first half. Topped off by Obika being described as a ‘sick note c##t ‘ as he limped off. A lot of people were getting upset.

What I don't understand is how they think they are helping things (if they really are supporters). Is abusing the players during the match actually going to help them play any better? Or are they just showing off to their little mates?

I have my doubts about the abilities of certain players - but they don't walk onto the pitch with the aim of playing deliberately badly and surely applauding them with they do something (or try to do something) positive rather than berating them from the very first moment of the game is more likely to lead to a positive result?

And while we are at it, don't boo the players off at half time when the score is 0-0!!!
 
Excellent read Paul.You Summed up not just the day but all of this season!
Thank you.
Along with Saturday's performance you've probably encouraged me to travel to many more away games this season.
 
On Saturday , just behind where we were standing two yards to the right of the goal Mousinho was called ‘ a c##t’ in the first minute. I don’t even think the yob in question had even been drinking. A little gaggle of foul mouthed goblins then spewed constant bile for the rest of the first half. Topped off by Obika being described as a ‘sick note c##t ‘ as he limped off. A lot of people were getting upset.

Yes, we have some passionate away days and this one ranked in the top 2 or 3 over the last 10 years, but , let’s face it, we have more than our fair share of anger management candidates. Really depressing.

Just out of interest, which ones would you consider to be above this / which ones would you rate saturday as better than? Last weekend was probably the finest moment of my life football supporting career, but I don't get to too many away days, missed e.g. swindon and boro away last year - was this really better than them? Better than the Beano double at the county ground? (Not trying to be confrontational, genuinely curious!)
 
Saturday was what away days are all about.......
Setting off a 9.00am in the morning, thinking you have plenty of time, a few drinks, a bite to eat and before you know it the time is 2.00pm and you realise you are still a train journey away from the match at London Bridge station and in danger of missing the kick off, which is exactly what happened, I expected a good following from the yellows however walking through the small opening to the away end blew my mind, early indications it looked like we had a couple of thousand there (the cold light of day 1400 was about right) however the noise, which got louder as the game went on especially the last 15 minutes was out of this world and as already stated on this thread it could be the match that the players, the club and the supporters turn the corner and have the same attitude we had at the end of last season when we felt we could beat whoever was put in front of us.........
Having a home game this Saturday with one of our dearest rivals over the years who sold out of their 1800 allocation in one day could be the game we need especially if our supporters give as much as they did last week to push us on and hopefully get back on track to make an assault on this league.......
Well done to everyone who played their part at The Valley, I very memorable day in our long list of memorable away days we have had over the years.......
This club and our supporters never cease to amaze me......
COME ON YOU YELLOWS.......
 
Wembley 2010 was better. Notts County 2016 was on a par. Middlesbrough was great - but we lost. Swindon wins were memorable but not as dramatic as Saturday. I would put Carlisle 2016 as a contender for great away game as well.
For pure drama Saturday takes some beating. Perhaps a little more than just three points given the circumstances but no promotion or relegation or turning over of a side from a few divisions higher though.
 
Wembley 2010 was better. Notts County 2016 was on a par. Middlesbrough was great - but we lost. Swindon wins were memorable but not as dramatic as Saturday. I would put Carlisle 2016 as a contender for great away game as well.

I think there's four categories of Oxford goals when watched live:

1) Those that make you cheer
2) Those that make you cheer, and go embarassingly mental
3) Those that make you cheer, go embarassingly mental and then find yourself two rows away from where you're sat/stood, giving a bear hug to a complete stranger
4) Those that make you do all of the above, and then tear up a little at the hugeness of it.

Saturday was firmly in category 3, and there's not been many of those recently (I remember another away day at the Valley - the League Cup penalty shootout under Atkins - that would also qualify. Also a couple of Mark Rawle screamers during that weird month-long patch when he turned into the world's best striker in stoppage time every game)

Alfie at Wembley is the only one that hits category 4, though, since I started watching about 25 years ago.......
 
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