-
****Join the YF Fantasy EFL League: HERE. ****
Fan's View Fan's View - MK Dons at home
- Thread starter Paul B
- Start date
Sarge
God like member
top FV as always Paul..... have a similar view re fitness of OUFC players, quite a few times this season our players have looked lethargic compared to their opponents. Is the sports science regime (etc) ,brought in by IL , still in use and being utilised properly under the current set up?
iambungle
Active member
I think the worst 2 sides we've seen at our place this season are Wimbledon & MK - I think they'd struggle to put a decent side out between the pair of them.
A positive for me was that all 3 "forwards" scored and the forth, Mehmeti, really should have done also.
A negative - I thought we were poor at defending set pieces.
I find it hard to believe the stat that we are 2nd top home scorers but then I find it harder to believe that we've conceded so few goals direct from set pieces. It's a funny old game.
Happy New Year btw Paul, keep up the good work!
A positive for me was that all 3 "forwards" scored and the forth, Mehmeti, really should have done also.
A negative - I thought we were poor at defending set pieces.
I find it hard to believe the stat that we are 2nd top home scorers but then I find it harder to believe that we've conceded so few goals direct from set pieces. It's a funny old game.
Happy New Year btw Paul, keep up the good work!
Paul B
Well-known member
Cheers. And if it wasn't a funny old game it wouldn't quite be the game we love and know so well.
Manorlounger
Well-known member
While correctly admonishing Ricardino for his challenge, I was impressed that he went back to the player fouled (despite the ref indicating to the contrary) to apologise.
I too still worry about defending set pieces. Conceding a goal with two attackers allowed the freedom to head the ball is not very good!
I too still worry about defending set pieces. Conceding a goal with two attackers allowed the freedom to head the ball is not very good!
Paul B
Well-known member
I too was impressed by the way he apologised. I thought about mentioning it but didn't.
NottsYellow
Well-known member
I make it we have now scored 3 goals in 5 home games this season. Must be long time since we have scored goals so freely at home. So something is right amongst a lot that is wrong! Last year we only managed 3 or more twice (in league) Coventry & Bury.
Hopefully this level of goals scored can continue as we still have to welcome the teams with the worst away records - Bury W0D4L9; Rochdale W0D5L8; Oldham258; Southend 229; Bristol Rovers 229;
Hopefully this level of goals scored can continue as we still have to welcome the teams with the worst away records - Bury W0D4L9; Rochdale W0D5L8; Oldham258; Southend 229; Bristol Rovers 229;
NottsYellow
Well-known member
Paul B
Well-known member
As we only let in just the one I didn't highlight the fact that we have let in more goals at home than any other L1 team. We've let in over twice as many at the Kassam ass Rochdale have done at Spotland.
Sarge
God like member
11 in two games (Blackburn 4& Wigan 7)
Usual excellent perspective Paul.
Like you I was really pleased with how the game went after we went down to 10 men. A friend suggested that we had professionally seen ouhe game which is a little in Oxford like!
Richardinho showed class in ensuring that their player was OK after that stupid tackle. He had been sent off but went out of his way to apologise.
As we all know confidence is so important in sport. Our attacking play at times on new years day was very good. Despite Aaron Martin's excellent performance, we still rocked at times. IF we can start defending more solidly then we will be fine. We have done very well generally against the bottom half (Bury and Northampton being exceptions) and the MK game showed that as most of us knew, we are a halfway team- better than most of the bottom half, but well behind the top few. We need to be more solid and concede fewer if we are going to move back up the table.
Like you I was really pleased with how the game went after we went down to 10 men. A friend suggested that we had professionally seen ouhe game which is a little in Oxford like!
Richardinho showed class in ensuring that their player was OK after that stupid tackle. He had been sent off but went out of his way to apologise.
As we all know confidence is so important in sport. Our attacking play at times on new years day was very good. Despite Aaron Martin's excellent performance, we still rocked at times. IF we can start defending more solidly then we will be fine. We have done very well generally against the bottom half (Bury and Northampton being exceptions) and the MK game showed that as most of us knew, we are a halfway team- better than most of the bottom half, but well behind the top few. We need to be more solid and concede fewer if we are going to move back up the table.
D
Deleted member 222
Guest
Very good fans view Paul. It is interesting point to highlight that we are 1 point ahead of the same stage last season. The way things have been recently you would think we would be miles behind but I think it shows that even though we are still a work in progress we have a team that are more than good enough to push on next season if we add an extra bit of quality to it.
This season will always be very much a transitional one with a new manager coming in and making his mark on the club after Appleton turned the whole club around from top to bottom. Any new man will want to make it his own but that takes time. I do hope he gets given that time and maybe as fans we need to be more patient for him to do so as currently stats show he is doing no worse than the previous manager.
I also think that we need to remember that under Eales and MApp as manager we progressed very very quickly to where we are now so to expect the same level of progression at the same rate could be seen as unrealistic. The only down side for me is the lack of cup runs as if you are just plodding along in the league it is the cup runs that adds the excitement factor.
This season will always be very much a transitional one with a new manager coming in and making his mark on the club after Appleton turned the whole club around from top to bottom. Any new man will want to make it his own but that takes time. I do hope he gets given that time and maybe as fans we need to be more patient for him to do so as currently stats show he is doing no worse than the previous manager.
I also think that we need to remember that under Eales and MApp as manager we progressed very very quickly to where we are now so to expect the same level of progression at the same rate could be seen as unrealistic. The only down side for me is the lack of cup runs as if you are just plodding along in the league it is the cup runs that adds the excitement factor.
oldabingdonian
Active member
Thank you for an excellent report as ever, Paul.
In relation to Malachai Napa, it was also good man management for Pep to introduce him into a winning situation. Better to remember this one as your debut rather than being thrown on against Wigan!
In relation to Malachai Napa, it was also good man management for Pep to introduce him into a winning situation. Better to remember this one as your debut rather than being thrown on against Wigan!
StEbbesYellows
Active member
Thank you Paul as ever for the report and happy New Year to you. Lots to be optimistic about in that result. I also thought Martin's performance was a standout, the best I've seen him play for us, he made some very important blocks in the second half. Going forward here's hoping for much better consistency in the team's performance overall. I fear we will miss Richardinho and trust Tiendalli will prove an adequate replacement, assuming Pep won't play someone else at left back? We'll find out soon enough.
Putting it into perspective Denis we started really poorly under MAPP and people were calling for his head in the first season.
Then last season in November some on here were suggesting that we were in a 'relegation dogfight'.
So I agree that under MAPP we made significant progress in his time here but there were some poor times.
The key for me with Pep will be whether he can sort out the defensive frailties. After the Cambridge shocker under MAPP we were rarely beaten easily (maybe Bolton and Sheffield U at home last season, Fleetwood away)
But at times we have a weak underbelly at the moment and are leaking goals (especially from set pieces). Hopefully Pep with DF can start sorting this issue.
