Away Match Day Thread +++ L1 29/12/2019 AFC Wimbledon v OUFC +++

[Ox4Eva]

2.0 away win for the U's!

 

[TailsWeWin]

1-0 loss. Horrible place. Horrible view. Sorry.

 

[Berliner]

This one screams 0-0. Not that I'd mind another 30-yard netbuster to win it mind.

 

[gingerox]

Archer
Long Dickie Moore Ruffels
Sykes Gorrin Baptiste
Cadden Taylor Agyei

0-1, Taylor

 

[Mellowyellow]

Absolutely disagree with the old fashioned notion that the best way to combat a physical team is to fight them. If that’s their strength you probably won’t be as good at it as them, so it’s a false economy to sink to their level as you lose your own skill set and walk straight into their yard - they’re used to scrapping and you aren’t so you’re immediately at a disadvantage. It makes no sense. You have to expose their weaknesses and try to exploit and counter them. The idea that the best way to beat somebody tougher than you is to have a fist fight and see who drops first is absurd. It’s another hangover from the days of putting skilful players on the wing instead of in the middle of the pitch, because that’s for hard men and not twirly wirly sissies. We went to Southend and battered them because we are better than them, and played our own game. We then went to MK and inexplicably tried to counter them and lost while turning in a dreadful performance. There’s no need to get caught up constantly trying to outsmart the opposition when it’s often no more complex than ‘our players are quite a lot better than yours’.

Play our own game and we win. Get bogged down in trying to scrap them and we stand far less of a chance. I fear that’s what we will do, but I hope that we keep the ball moving and do what we do on our way to a nice 2-0 victory.

You are so right, worry how we play, not the opposition. We should always play to our strengths. Mackie will huff and puff, get booked, but with no goal threat.
To drop Taylors goal threat is a risk that may come back to bite KR.

 

[Cyork99]

Long shot ! Does any one have any spare tickets available for tomorrow’s game ?!? Thanks

 

[radicalox]

They've lost once at home in last 8.
Gonna be a tough game.
Would be content with a point.

 

[West Oxon U’s]

A very young Dons team won at Bristol Rovers:

Trott 21
Guinness-Walker 20
McLoughlin 22
Forss 20
Rudoni 19
Sanders 20

 

[Common Villager]

I'm still not 100% convinced Cadden is going. I find it strange that the local media aren't questioning it more thoroughly. Either way, start him tomorrow as he's comfortably our best full back.

 

[Ocracokeox]

Hope you're right about him staying. Would it be his last game for us if he goes?

I'm still not 100% convinced Cadden is going. I find it strange that the local media aren't questioning it more thoroughly. Either way, start him tomorrow as he's comfortably our best full back.

 

[Mellowyellow]

Hope you're right about him staying. Would it be his last game for us if he goes?

He would want to play in the FA Cup I would think.

 

[Scotchegg]

Although it will be a scrappy game, I at least think Wimbledon will do more than just park the bus and settle for a point. That will give us the opportunity to get behind them and make chances.

Fosu, Brannagan and Taylor are all due goals, and we've not scored from set pieces for a while. It would be good to cash in on these to get a couple of goals to ease the pressure. I think Mackie will probably start, and can see him getting an ugly goal before Mous scores from a corner. Fosu running from the halfway line and scoring a late 3rd before a token consolation from Wimbledon.

3-1 Oxford!

 

[PottersRightBoot]

We will win this one if the weather is decent. I’d rest Branagan and play Cadden and Long. Also Agyei, Sykes Moore and Mackie to start please.

 

[uptheus]

With KR making noises about making 5 out field changes I hope he doesn’t start Hall as I don’t think this is the type of game for him to start, but can see KR putting him in to rest others.

 

[ljs]

With KR making noises about making 5 out field changes I hope he doesn’t start Hall as I don’t think this is the type of game for him to start, but can see KR putting him in to rest others.

Hopefully, he will start Agyei, not Hall.

 

[battman]

I'm still not 100% convinced Cadden is going. I find it strange that the local media aren't questioning it more thoroughly. Either way, start him tomorrow as he's comfortably our best full back.

What is there to question? It was a six month loan, we had a bid rejected and the club have publicly said we're not putting in a new bid so he's returning to Columbus Crew, all of which has been reported in the local media.

 

[Scotchegg]

What is there to question? It was a six month loan, we had a bid rejected and the club have publicly said we're not putting in a new bid so he's returning to Columbus Crew, all of which has been reported in the local media.

I guess the only difference is that there may still be a deal to be done if either side budge. My understanding was that we valued Cadden at around £350-400k but Columbus wanted more. I didn't expect it to be £1m as was reported, and we should not even entertain that kind of figure. But if they dropped their valuation to £500k, would we do a deal?

But we have other options and should never be held to ransom over a player, no matter how good they are. I'm not sure that the media have any reason to question the deal as you rightly say, but nothing surprises me in this game any more!

 

[Paul Cannell]

That would be robbing Motherwell of their development fee, good show.

 

[Jon-ioualways]

I'll be sorry to see Cadden go, but if I were Columbus I'd definitely value him at a million. We value the likes of Brannagan and Dickie at more than double that, but would prefer not to lose them. Columbus must be thinking pretty much the same way. So I doubt very much that they'd drop their asking figure. Hope I'm wrong, though!

 

[Big Ronaldo]

Is this the one fixture beyond for us?

We have certainly looked to be jaded recently, but have still had just about enough to get the job done.

To come through this one with a positive result when so drained is going to gauge how much heart and desire we have for the fight.

If we truly have ambition to win this league, then it will be won in blood and sweat at shitty grounds like this.

Take it to them, pass them to death and take a few of the rake of chances that we create and we can fashion a win.
These are indeed the hard yards guys.