Onto next season

[battman]

Re. Full backs. There’s nothing particularly wrong with Long and Ruffels having those positions but we do lack dynamism in those positions when they both play. Neither really race forward and swing crosses in. Preferably either side or at the very least down one side we need a Cadden type - someone who can push teams back by direct running.

In fact, Cadden could be the man. Maybe a bit fed up in Corona-ridden US and fancies a return? Who knows!

We survived almost half a season with only two senior fullbacks, so I reckon we probably only need one more. I think had we have gotten into the Championship we would've needed to upgrade on Ruffs, but he's been solid enough this season and there's no reason why he can't maintain that. I think he offers a decent enough attacking contribution and chips in with the odd goal.

I think we do need a Cadden/Baldock/Kenny/Kane type on the other flank. Because Long offers nothing going forward, it's very easy to see the irregular contributions from Ruffels and rope him into the same group. So we should sign an attacking RB, keep Ruffs at LB, have Long as a backup for both of those positions and be prepared to use Atkinson at LB on occasion (he's good on the ball apparently and has regularly played on the left side of a back three).

 

[Robie]

Thankfully I am confident our recruitment team are able to broaden their horizons wider than former Oxford players and strikers with a cool tune to sing about them from the stands.?

 

[battman]

Thankfully I am confident our recruitment team are able to broaden their horizons wider than former Oxford players and strikers with a cool tune to sing about them from the stands.?

No chance, what's Jude Stirling up to nowadays?

 

[Wallop]

Bring back Brian ’wwwiiilllllllllllll’ Wilsterman.

 

[tonto]

Who was the french(I think) centre half a few years ago who was a brilliant passer out from the back but then got a serious injury and we never saw him again probably a loan.

 

[m]

Pre-season showed the youth team aren't up to first division football at the moment, as all of the preseason games showed.

Erm, we haven't had preseason yet, no matter how many times you use the word.

 

[Berliner]

Who was the french(I think) centre half a few years ago who was a brilliant passer out from the back but then got a serious injury and we never saw him again probably a loan.

Kashi?
He didn't get a serious injury though...

 

[m]

Who was the french(I think) centre half a few years ago who was a brilliant passer out from the back but then got a serious injury and we never saw him again probably a loan.

Leo Roget?

 

[nick68]

Reading a lot of these comments you'd think we'd just survived a relegation scrap and need a complete overhaul of the squad.

We've got the best squad we've had for some years so ripping it up and starting from scratch is crazy., some of the comments about players who've performed great all season is pretty disappointing.

 

[Big Ronaldo]

So what do we need?
Another Keeper?
A right wing back?
A new centre back?
A Speedy winger
Centre Mid.
A goal scoring striker or two.
Loans will of course take up some of the slack and we may have one or two youngsters ready to step up but although it is likely, there is no guarantee that both Dickie and Brannagan will be gone. These are uncertain times for everyone.

Looking on as a fan, that is what I see is needed If we are to truly push for promotion. Hopefully we will retain some of the loanees who have largely been pretty decent, but there is a fair amount of work to do if we are to give it a go next season.

 

[Left Wing Cross]

Last season in the summer we brought in 9 first team/squad players and ended up in the play-offs (5 contracted, 4 loans). Most "shopping lists" on here have been of a similar length.

We have a decent squad that we will be adding to and change is not always a bad thing.

 

[Daviddidcotexile]

We all know Eastwood wants to head North so no brainer needs replacing. Karl has always been on about the lack of pace on the flanks so he will sort that out as a priority (probably through loans). One good quality midfielder to replace Cameron assuming he leaves. Hopefully we have belief Atkinson is the future or why did we sign him so no need to replace Dickie. Then a resolution of centre forward. Taylor is chasing a final tasty contract and don't believe we will deliver. Mackie is not a goalscorer anymore. I bet a few options will materialise once the dust settles on our disappointment. Karl staying is vital. I thought we had enough for automatic promotion last year and with a couple of tweaks we will be looking down on the rest of the league come the end of the upcoming season. Let's keep positive.

 

[ttg17]

I think the point about Long isn't that he was poor, but he made our attack lopsided. In the first half of the season, with Fosu on the left, we had an out-and-out winger that Ruffels could kind of support, while on the other side, in Henry, we had someone who came inside more as an inside forward/#10, with the pace of Cadden overlapping providing the width on that side. This worked because Henry is more of a technical player than someone whose raw athleticism is going to frighten defenders. Long is a great defender and has improved going forward but the Cadden angle added another couple of dimensions to our attack, and without that penetration on the right wing we often looked slightly isolated and ineffective down that side.

On striker, people are saying we need two 'goalscoring' strikers, and while that would obviously be ideal, I would rather we went for two strikers who gave us different options, something to change the point of attack. With Taylor this year, we had a classic poacher, but not really any other 'type' of striker on the bench if the game plan wasn't working and needed changing (Agyei was I suppose, but obviously wasn't trusted as a lone striker, and Mackie arguably did offer something originally but, as has been observed many times on here, tailed off dramatically over the course of the year). If we'd had, say, a Ryan Taylor available, we'd have had an effective target man to launch balls into, which completely changes the game for the defence. We've had a great season and none of the players let themselves down at all, but I think a fair criticism to make of the year as a whole is that we didn't really have much of a 'Plan B' if things weren't going to plan, and I think a variety of striking options solves that. They don't even need to be that good - just able to provide some variation to keep oppos guessing.

CBs I would think we're fine. Atkinson and Moore, with Mous who can do a job and Jones who impressed at the end of 18/19. There's not going to be that much cash to throw about in the next few months, so, while it would obviously be great to get in another established L1 CB, I think that position is fine.

 

[Thomas/Brock/Jones]

One interesting thought it is Rob Atkinson is meant to be an attacking centre back ....dribbles out of defence as a real feature of his game ....could he be covered by Ruffs or Long ??

 

[Sarge]

I think the point about Long isn't that he was poor, but he made our attack lopsided. In the first half of the season, with Fosu on the left, we had an out-and-out winger that Ruffels could kind of support, while on the other side, in Henry, we had someone who came inside more as an inside forward/#10, with the pace of Cadden overlapping providing the width on that side. This worked because Henry is more of a technical player than someone whose raw athleticism is going to frighten defenders. Long is a great defender and has improved going forward but the Cadden angle added another couple of dimensions to our attack, and without that penetration on the right wing we often looked slightly isolated and ineffective down that side.

On striker, people are saying we need two 'goalscoring' strikers, and while that would obviously be ideal, I would rather we went for two strikers who gave us different options, something to change the point of attack. With Taylor this year, we had a classic poacher, but not really any other 'type' of striker on the bench if the game plan wasn't working and needed changing (Agyei was I suppose, but obviously wasn't trusted as a lone striker, and Mackie arguably did offer something originally but, as has been observed many times on here, tailed off dramatically over the course of the year). If we'd had, say, a Ryan Taylor available, we'd have had an effective target man to launch balls into, which completely changes the game for the defence. We've had a great season and none of the players let themselves down at all, but I think a fair criticism to make of the year as a whole is that we didn't really have much of a 'Plan B' if things weren't going to plan, and I think a variety of striking options solves that. They don't even need to be that good - just able to provide some variation to keep oppos guessing.

CBs I would think we're fine. Atkinson and Moore, with Mous who can do a job and Jones who impressed at the end of 18/19. There's not going to be that much cash to throw about in the next few months, so, while it would obviously be great to get in another established L1 CB, I think that position is fine.

Think quite a few on here have forgotten or actually are unaware that Ruffles is a midfielder & Sam Long is a CB , however can play any position across the back four. Players, local lads at that, who can operate in several positions are, for me better for the squad than a one trick pony, who can only play in one position.
Robbo has had them as his choice for full backs for the second( almost) half of the season

 

[Left Wing Cross]

Think quite a few on here have forgotten or actually are unaware that Ruffles is a midfielder & Sam Long is a CB , however can play any position across the back four. Players, local lads at that, who can operate in several positions are, for me better for the squad than a one trick pony, who can only play in one position.
Robbo has had them as his choice for full backs for the second( almost) half of the season

TBF Robbo was pretty keen on getting a new RB back in January.

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

Cadden was absolutely brilliant for us and was a massive part of our attacking play. So yes, if we could have him back or someone very similar it would be amazing. Having said that, if money is limited and given we have Sam Long who at worst can do a reasonable job for us there, why would be spend limited funds on a right back when we need a left winger and a striker?

 

[yellowbow]

Anyone else still struggling to move on from Monday night? Im still finding myself running through the game in my head and having to stop myself from thinking ‘what might have been’. Im 53 years old and Im struggling to think of a time, in all the years that I’ve been a supporter, that has hurt more than Monday night. Its probably been compounded by all the uncertainty surrounding the situation and also because, as Tiger himself pointed out, we had several months of lockdown knowing that the playoffs were coming, with little else to think about (if youre as sad as me!) I guess as soon as news of fixtures, and new signings start coming through we can start looking forward again with anticipation and, hopefully, optimism, but as we dont even know when next season is going to start, these are not easy times.

 

[Peterdev]

I share your anguish, having supported Oxford for over fifty years seeing all the highs and lows. I can’t recall having got so close and then having shot ourselves in both feet at the final hurdle.
The consolation is that we still play big clubs in this league. Had we gone up we would have faced Wigan, Millwall and Rotherham.
it will be difficult next season especially if there are no fans. The problem we face is losing our favourite players. Eastwood has been a real favourite but we clearly have to look beyond him. Brannagan my favourite player and his best pal Dickie will surely be off as they’re different class. In Henry we have a goal scorer who may well stay. At times he hasn’t earned the credit he deserves. I’d like to think Matty Taylor will stay.
Ben Woodburn will probably go and we may have seen the last of Browne. Surely Mackie will be gone even though he is Robinson’s favourite.
That might well be six players going. They will be hard to replace if we are to get to the top two next season.
Much depends on what is available at this difficult time, and also if course if Robinson stays

 

[yellowbow]

I share your anguish, having supported Oxford for over fifty years seeing all the highs and lows. I can’t recall having got so close and then having shot ourselves in both feet at the final hurdle.
The consolation is that we still play big clubs in this league. Had we gone up we would have faced Wigan, Millwall and Rotherham.
it will be difficult next season especially if there are no fans. The problem we face is losing our favourite players. Eastwood has been a real favourite but we clearly have to look beyond him. Brannagan my favourite player and his best pal Dickie will surely be off as they’re different class. In Henry we have a goal scorer who may well stay. At times he hasn’t earned the credit he deserves. I’d like to think Matty Taylor will stay.
Ben Woodburn will probably go and we may have seen the last of Browne. Surely Mackie will be gone even though he is Robinson’s favourite.
That might well be six players going. They will be hard to replace if we are to get to the top two next season.
Much depends on what is available at this difficult time, and also if course if Robinson stays

So many unknowns at the moment. The sooner we get clarification regarding the landscape moving forward the better! It would be great if it starts in the next couple of days with an optimistic, upbeat and unified message from Karl, Tiger and Zaki on the plans for next season. Just to give us all something else to think about!