Latest from Tiger

[ZeroTheHero]

I don't buy we've made poor signings.

We have invested in a Championship midfielder (Hanson) and a starlet being chased by Leeds - Whyte and Hanson are not poor signings. We've gone after and secured Holmes and Carruthers. Cameron Norman is actually a good signing too. Garbutt, Browne have come in from the Prem, actually think they are going to be good additions - if he allowed Luke to settle in. Sam Smith was doing OK at Reading before he arrived.

He's made a stinker in Mackie.

As for Mitchell, his agent is the same as Hanson & that signing happened very very quickly.

My last point on Mitchell, he's actually not too bad for a kid keeper, who also has been thrown under the bus at times, we're not conceding big numbers of goals - so even if Eastwood had been playing, would the results have been vastly different? The problem is bar two league game, we've been unable to score more than one goal in a game - we lost one of those fixtures too!

The above makes it even more reason why change should happen.

Re: his signings.
I did say 'on the whole'! The proof of the pudding etc.
Hanson may have potential - but he's hardly tearing up trees at the moment is he? I suspect he was bought as much as some sort of 'investment' as a player to be pivotal immediately. As a midfield lynch pin, he isn't one. I hope I could add the word 'yet' to that sentence, but can't right now.
Mackie - as you say, a stinker. Unfit and quite possibly past it.
McMahon - another poor addition. He's got no speed at all, and gets caught out of position constantly.
Whyte - Yes, a good signing. Has definte potential and is showing some class right now (why he was taken off on Tuesday I have no idea at all!)
Norman - Again he has done well. But now dropped and replaced with McMahon. I'm not sure he and Whyte were expected to be first team regulars (McMahon and Carruthers were, I think, first picks). But fair play, two decent signings.
Browne - a loanee. He's apparently got two bad knees and has shown flashes of talent but 'the best player in L1'? Certainly NOT the most effective and will spend time on and off the treatment table all season.
Carruthers - a loanee. Who knows? Unlucky with the injury certainly, but when I saw him in pre-season at MK he was not very impressive.
Holmes - a loanee. Undoubtedly a talented player, now approaching the latter part of his career. Requires regular times out, injections and is quit obviously getting very frustrated with what is going on around him.
Sam Smith - a loanee. For a player we were 'chasing all summer', he has featured very little and is being kept out of the first team by our very own Ussain Bolt. He's shown bits and pieces again, but hasn't really impressed.
Garbutt - a loanee. He had a horrible start, and has improved from terrible to 'no worse than the rest of them'. Not exactly a stand out player - lord alone knows how much of his ridiculous salary we are paying for a pretty average left back.
Mitchell - a loanee. He wasn't really a summer signing, but as you say for a kid keeper he is OK. The question with him is more what the bloody hell we are doing with Shearer and Stevens on the books if between them they cannot cover for the injury of the first team keeper!

So to summarise,

We have made two good signings, one where the jury is very much out and two very poor ones. (Not counting the likes of Tsun Dai - who along with Lopes, James and Spasov - is listed as a first team player on the OWS!)
Loanees (who you would have to hope made an immediate impact because they are not 'development' players and will be gone in April at the latest, so let's judge them on that): One who has made an impact, three who haven't, one who got injured very early and a young keeper who is presumably only here because of the massive cock-up in the keeper department who has dome 'OK'.

That looks like three successes out of ten, plus Mitchell and the elusive Dai, and qualifies in my book as 'poor on the whole'. What is equally worrying is that some of the players who haven't performed look fairly good on paper. Which has to be a management/training/tactical failure?

 

[Brahma]

Hanson, really Simon? And Holmes is injury prone or an injury waiting to happen, and Garbutt is such a fairy it’s embarrassing. Add to that Mackie and McMahon and it’s not looking good.

Browne is good, but again has limited game time. The two acquisitions I think have been good are Whyte & Norman, but they were supposed to have been fringe players.

Oh, and too early re; Carruthers, but again he’s been unlucky re; injury, so I guess time will tell, but not good that he’s being rushed back and having to play through the pain barrier.

So based on the above I’d say our acquisitions have been poor, but I guess as we heard from OxVox during the summer about wow signings you’ve got to be seen to continue that mantra!!

I'm not on the OxVox committee or have any involvement with them currently. In fact, the Trust need to be paying more attention to the ground/off the field situation than getting excited about new signings. I'd like them to confirm a members meeting PDQ.

Yes Hanson is an impressive signing. Ricky Holmes has been our most lethal attacking outlet and having his injury managed game by game. Garbutt is a Premiership footballer Sean. Don't be silly.

McMahon and Mackie (Mackie as I said) are indeed poor acquisitions to date.

 

[Navegante]

Garbutt is a Premiership footballer

5 appearances in the PL, 2 as sub, last being in the 14/15 season. Most appearances have been in the lower leagues (L2 @ Cheltenham, L1 @ Colchester). Technically a PL player, but let's not kid ourselves - he is far from PL class.

 

[Oufcrealist]

Hanson, really Simon? And Holmes is injury prone or an injury waiting to happen, and Garbutt is such a fairy it’s embarrassing. Add to that Mackie and McMahon and it’s not looking good.

Browne is good, but again has limited game time. The two acquisitions I think have been good are Whyte & Norman, but they were supposed to have been fringe players.

Oh, and too early re; Carruthers, but again he’s been unlucky re; injury, so I guess time will tell, but not good that he’s being rushed back and having to play through the pain barrier.

So based on the above I’d say our acquisitions have been poor, but I guess as we heard from OxVox during the summer about wow signings you’ve got to be seen to continue that mantra!!

Carruthers is also an injury waiting to happen. He broke down injured on his debut for Sheff Utd after about 10 minutes!! Sound familiar?

 

[Sarge]

Carruthers is also an injury waiting to happen. He broke down injured on his debut for Sheff Utd after about 10 minutes!! Sound familiar?

Carruthers, according to rad ox earlier, was due to play in tonights U23 match ( v Swansea U23 at thame 7pm KO) ....but, he's out with a slight injury, apparently will be 'fit' for Southend away on Saturday

 

[unification]

I agree with this question. The players available in January are usually those who have not been performing in the previous four months, youngsters who have not stepped up enough to be in consideration (these are probably loans) or those whose contracts are up at the end of the season and their club wants to make at least a bit of money on them (cough, Nelson, cough!). The chances of their being a hot-shot striker (or two), experienced midfielder or solid as a rock centre back available is pretty low - anyone decent will be expensive (probably over 'market value') and competition will be fierce. And looking at our club from the outside at the moment, we aren't a particularly appealing proposition. Let the situation drift on until Christmas as it is at the moment, and any ambitious player will need his head looking at to plump for us.
On that basis - as well as sheer points required! - we need to steady the ship immediately. We can't change the players, the ground, the support or the fixture list. The only things that can change are a) the ownership (I am a bit sceptical about that happening) or b) the management team. Of course, if a) is actually a reality, b) might have to wait - but otherwise, change the captain and his first officer right now: the iceberg is in front of us and we are going full steam ahead straight at it.

It’s the hope that keeps you clinging on!

There is an opportunity presuming we aren’t too far gone (although that is my main worry – no one will come if we’re sat on 20 points after 24 matches). Our scouting team will have to be right on it though and sounding people out now, not nearing Christmas.

Take 2014-15, after the 24th game of the season on 03/01/2015, we were 16th – a side treading water at best and looking over their shoulder at worst. Between January and February, in came MacDonald, Skarz, Ashdown, Balmy, Brindley, Baldock, Roofe and Rasulo (plus Dunkley permanently) on permanent or loan deals. Naturally, not all were brilliant or made much of a impact but a core formed who would go on to become integral to steadying things and then progressing with the team in the season after.

Also, out went Brown, Raynes, Potter, Newey, Campbell, Crocombe, Marsh and Hunt. Dead wood paid off, loaned out or released. You could make a case for the majority of our current squad getting the boot too.

Quite simply, we need that mid-season spring clean again. We need a window as good as 2014-15 to have any chance of survival. The difference is that Eales dug deep to give MApp the team he wanted and needed - does Tiger have the same deep pockets to do the same?

 

[Witney Wag]

Carruthers, according to rad ox earlier, was due to play in tonights U23 match ( v Swansea U23 at thame 7pm KO) ....but, he's out with a slight injury, apparently will be 'fit' for Southend away on Saturday

He won’t be fit as he has had no game time to speak of since his injury. KR is taking a massive gamble and I’m sure Wilder will have something to say about his player being risked.

 

[Witney Wag]

It’s the hope that keeps you clinging on!

There is an opportunity presuming we aren’t too far gone (although that is my main worry – no one will come if we’re sat on 20 points after 24 matches). Our scouting team will have to be right on it though and sounding people out now, not nearing Christmas.

Take 2014-15, after the 24th game of the season on 03/01/2015, we were 16th – a side treading water at best and looking over their shoulder at worst. Between January and February, in came MacDonald, Skarz, Ashdown, Balmy, Brindley, Baldock, Roofe and Rasulo (plus Dunkley permanently) on permanent or loan deals. Naturally, not all were brilliant or made much of a impact but a core formed who would go on to become integral to steadying things and then progressing with the team in the season after.

Also, out went Brown, Raynes, Potter, Newey, Campbell, Crocombe, Marsh and Hunt. Dead wood paid off, loaned out or released. You could make a case for the majority of our current squad getting the boot too.

Quite simply, we need that mid-season spring clean again. We need a window as good as 2014-15 to have any chance of survival. The difference is that Eales dug deep to give MApp the team he wanted and needed - does Tiger have the same deep pockets to do the same?

We also had a CEO with both knowledge and contacts at the club.

 

[unification]

He won’t be fit as he has had no game time to speak of since his injury. KR is taking a massive gamble and I’m sure Wilder will have something to say about his player being risked.

'And the winner for the Most Ironic Moan of the 2018-19 Season goes to ...'

 

[uptheus]

I was aware that you’re not on the OxVox committee anymore, but thought you were there in the summer when we were hearing sound bites from OxVox about the quality of signings.

Re; Hanson, we’ll beg to differ!

And if Garbutt actually ends up in the Premiership playing consistently I’d be very surprised as he’s been nothing short of being an easy pushover/fairy.

I agree with you re; ground situation, but Niall told me on Tuesday that there should be some news on this in the next few weeks!!

 

[yellowbow]

Tiger's notes in Tuesday's programme (copied below) hint at announcements coming up (which maybe ties in with Italian press talking of Thohir leaving Inter Milan in October). Also indicates support for KR. Don't hold you breath on any imminent manager announcements.
Tigerwrote:
"we are making progress in all areas and there have been some very encouraging meetings in the last week or two with fan groups and with local councillors which we think may open up some very exciting possibilities for us. I am sure that more will come out about that in the next few days but all I can say right now is that we are getting great support and working so hard to build a better Oxford United.

Of course, we live in the present and losing at Wimbledon on Saturday hurt us all. I saw the game in Thailand and although we didn’t play well at the start we definitely deserved something over the 90 minutes. It was the middle of the night for me but I could not sleep for a long time after. I was in touch with Karl, Shaun and Faz and I spoke to a few people around the club; I don’t think my wife appreciated me ringing people at 4.30am actually! But I wanted to talk about the match and just make sure everyone didn’t get too down; these people care passionately about this club and I know that defeats hurt them deeply. That is a great starting point and why I know that results will turn for us. Clearly, we are not in the position we wanted to be, but we will stay positive, keep our heads up and I strongly believe we will turn things around together. With that last word the key one: Together

Tiger is really beginning to worry me now. It’s continually all hot air and hints that he spouts, nothing ever concrete. I remember after his fateful introduction to feeling absolutely gobsmacked at how muddled and unprofessional he came across - late because of using public transport?!? I had visions of him shambling in with his possessions in a Tesco’s carrier bag - I’d hoped after hearing a few things since then that I’d got things wrong about him and that he did in fact have a coherent strategy but what have we achieved as a club under his stewardship? Concrete things I mean, not just promises. We’re a mess on and off the pitch and he still backs Robinson and thinks he’s doing a good job?? When any organisation is in trouble, you have to look at the leadership. That, invariably, is where the root cause lies.

 

[Witney Wag]

'And the winner for the Most Ironic Moan of the 2018-19 Season goes to ...'

You

 

[Colin B]

I was aware that you’re not on the OxVox committee anymore, but thought you were there in the summer when we were hearing sound bites from OxVox about the quality of signings.

Re; Hanson, we’ll beg to differ!

And if Garbutt actually ends up in the Premiership playing consistently I’d be very surprised as he’s been nothing short of being an easy pushover/fairy.

I agree with you re; ground situation, but Niall told me on Tuesday that there should be some news on this in the next few weeks!!

What are you talking about Sean? There have been no "sound bytes" from OxVox regarding signings, in the summer or since.

Criticise OxVox if you must, but don't make things up!

 

[Colin B]

I'm not on the OxVox committee or have any involvement with them currently. In fact, the Trust need to be paying more attention to the ground/off the field situation than getting excited about new signings. I'd like them to confirm a members meeting PDQ.

Yes Hanson is an impressive signing. Ricky Holmes has been our most lethal attacking outlet and having his injury managed game by game. Garbutt is a Premiership footballer Sean. Don't be silly.

McMahon and Mackie (Mackie as I said) are indeed poor acquisitions to date.

Where are the trust "getting excited about new signings" Simon? And what makes you think that we are not "paying more attention" as you call it regarding the off field/stadium stuff? The fact is you don't know that.

We said in our last members notes that we would hold a members meeting sometime after the fans forum, and that is what we will do. A date will be announced in due course. You, of all people, should know that these things take a bit of organising, and also that just because someone is not saying anything all of the time it doesn't mean they aren't doing anything. We will be making a statement shortly.

 

[lodeyellow]

It’s the hope that keeps you clinging on!

There is an opportunity presuming we aren’t too far gone (although that is my main worry – no one will come if we’re sat on 20 points after 24 matches). Our scouting team will have to be right on it though and sounding people out now, not nearing Christmas.

"... 20 points after 24 matches" seems a hell of a big ask to me. That's 15 points from the next 13 games when we've accumulated just 5 from the first 11!

 

[carefreeoufc]

I think a couple of people are referring to a post or posts made by Jem, @Colin B but I can’t remember if he was on the committee at the time.

Basically something along the lines of seen or heard some of the players we were potentially signing. Could be completely wrong but think that’s it.

 

[Witney Wag]

I think a couple of people are referring to a post or posts made by Jem, @Colin B but I can’t remember if he was on the committee at the time.

Basically something along the lines of seen or heard some of the players we were potentially signing. Could be completely wrong but think that’s it.

I think it was the ex vice chairman that indicated that. I may be wrong but I don’t think I am. It was in a post on here.

 

[Brahma]

I think it was the ex vice chairman that indicated that. I may be wrong but I don’t think I am. It was in a post on here.

Never used the word 'WOW'. I've even trawled back through my 71 posts to check for you.

I did say Mackie was a class signing on the 18th July. I did say Garbutt was a quality signing on the 2 July. Hindsight is wonderful isn't it. I apologise for suggesting Mackie was a class signing but I stick by my comments on LG.