Owen James and the dearth of strikers....

[Itsthehopethatkillsyou]

I know the title sounds a bit Harry Potteresque - but assuming Thomas is ruled out (again) for a spell, the young lad James must warrant a place on the bench - though it is only youth level (league cup semi final) he grabbed a brace this morning v Exeter. Anyone know anything about the lad? ready to step up?.
(Seems we are unintentionally heading back to that youthful first 11 we have been craving - hopefully Chrissy will bring the best out of the kids like he used to when in charge at youth level)

 

[Osei Yaw]

I believe it's 'Dearth'.

 

[Itsthehopethatkillsyou]

?

 

[Itsthehopethatkillsyou]

Well better late than never, I doubt young Owen will get on the pitch today but great to see a couple more local lads make the step up COYY!

 

[RATC]

Well better late than never, I doubt young Owen will get on the pitch today but great to see a couple more local lads make the step up COYY!

Wouldn't be surprised to see him get on. It'll be Obika leading the line and his injury history means he struggles to get through 90 minutes

 

[Deleted member 462]

Well better late than never, I doubt young Owen will get on the pitch today but great to see a couple more local lads make the step up COYY!

Wouldn't be surprised to see him get on. It'll be Obika leading the line and his injury history means he struggles to get through 90 minutes

90mins [emoji15] He struggled to get through the warm up at Charlton

 

[Ricey]

Did get on and looked lively. Movement looked great just no-one to deliver the right pass - did have one shot blazed over the bar for a split second I thought we might have a new hero!!

Hope he pushes on next season!!

 

[McXal]

I thought he was very impressive given the circumstances. Certainly looked physically far more developed and capable of handling first team football than his other youth team-mate in the squad (and, say it quietly because I thought he worked extremely hard today...maybe even Napa too).

As above - some of his movement, was highly impressive - although admittedly in the latter stages which had started to get significantly less competitive. Well done kid. Hope he hits the gym and works hard in the summer and comes back thinking about pushing on

 

[Corporate_Clive]

I thought he was very impressive given the circumstances. Certainly looked physically far more developed and capable of handling first team football than his other youth team-mate in the squad (and, say it quietly because I thought he worked extremely hard today...maybe even Napa too).

As above - some of his movement, was highly impressive - although admittedly in the latter stages which had started to get significantly less competitive. Well done kid. Hope he hits the gym and works hard in the summer and comes back thinking about pushing on

Owen Jones = the new Joey B?

 

[Whingit]

Owen Jones = the new Joey B?

Well Owen Jones is an annoying little left-winger, so you never know.

 

[Sarge]

The mightly OJ interviewed well on Rad Ox post match

 

[Itsthehopethatkillsyou]

It is fantastic to see local lads get a chance - remember a while back (correct me if I'm wrong) when Chris Wilder had a clause (or something) put in by Lenagan to ensure that a good percentage of the squad had to be youth team products - it had followed a fair few years of very very few youth team players being seen close to the 1st 11, but recently with Appleton and now Robinson we have had managers that appreciate the youth set up and don't need encouraging to include them in the starting 11. And this is vital for us fans - because though Football is a predictable game: we will get promoted and relegated from time to time, but what really makes the fans feel closer to their club (and be compelled to come back through thick and thin.... and to infect their offspring with Yellow and Blue fever) is when you see someone on the pitch who is feeling the elation of promotion or the pain or relegation as much as you do as they are were also fans of the club growing up - I would genuinely prefer to see a team made up primarily of local lads than one of players (I won't say mercenaries - it's a bit unfair as it is generally a footballers lot to be constantly shifted from pillar to post throughout their career) with no personal connection to the club other than as an employee.. EVEN if it meant seeing them relegated...seeing someone in an Oxford shirt going through what you do makes you remember why you started supporting the club - and personally speaking it reminds me of the bond forged when I stood on the London Road and the joy of seeing local boys Joey and Chrissy tearing into defences, and the sadness of seeing when the boys efforts ended in heartache - yes they failed from time to time but that's life, knowing they cared meant a lot.
Anyway enough waffle - enjoy the bank holiday safe in the knowledge that oufc are safe, oufc have a good manager, oufc have culled a lot of Clotets cr*p, the sun is shining...and that borntobeyellow seems to have finally been flushed round the U bend ? huzzah!

 

[Foley]

Owen Jones = the new Joey B?

If he is half as good as Joey he will have some career.
A reasonable start but one hell of a long way to go.

 

[Notaswindonfan]

Small acorns......

 

[Itsthehopethatkillsyou]

Yes, well I spoke with my GP about that and she said it was still within "normal" scale size wise...and such things don't really matter in a procreational sense...?...

 

[Itsthehopethatkillsyou]

...and a man's acorn is his own business Mr Notaswindonfan....

 

[Notaswindonfan]

Yes, well I spoke with my GP about that and she said it was still within "normal" scale size wise...and such things don't really matter in a procreational sense...?...

That’s your story..... and you stick to it?

 

[Mellowyellow]

If a youth player is genuinely good enough, then play him. Sentimentality shouldn’t come into it. If our youth players aren’t as good as one we could loan or sign then so be it. The player Baptiste, was at Hampton and Richmond. He did quite well, without pulling up trees. How then can you justify playing him in a team 4 to 5 leagues higher, just because “he’s one of our own?”

 

[Itsthehopethatkillsyou]

That’s your story..... and you stick to it?

Just a twig sadly, dream of having a stick I do...(ill stop now I promise)

 

[Deleted member 462]

If a youth player is genuinely good enough, then play him. Sentimentality shouldn’t come into it. If our youth players aren’t as good as one we could loan or sign then so be it. The player Baptiste, was at Hampton and Richmond. He did quite well, without pulling up trees. How then can you justify playing him in a team 4 to 5 leagues higher, just because “he’s one of our own?”

That’s not entirely true though is it. As 1/ how do u know they are genuinely good enough, without playing them.
And 2/ playing them helps them improve and develop.

We’ve seen plenty of evidence that there is a big gulf between u23 and first team experience. You only have to look at player like roofe and lego to see that

 

[Itsthehopethatkillsyou]

If a youth player is genuinely good enough, then play him. Sentimentality shouldn’t come into it. If our youth players aren’t as good as one we could loan or sign then so be it. The player Baptiste, was at Hampton and Richmond. He did quite well, without pulling up trees. How then can you justify playing him in a team 4 to 5 leagues higher, just because “he’s one of our own?”

Well obviously...

 

[Itsthehopethatkillsyou]

how can you pull up trees playing defensive midfield for Hampton and Richmond? - Imagine Martin Gray (oufc championship level) standing out massively at any level, Shandon has been part of a successful team on loan which counts for something so maybe KR would think that merits a try out (pre season).
Anyhoo - my earlier (pre willy gags) post was about seeing local lads making the first team - I should have specified them being there on merit (duh) otherwise I would have suggested I should play the Lundstrum role in our midfield next season - I can't play for sh*t and would probably collapse and puke after 20mins...but I would care about the club so that's ok ?

 

[Mellowyellow]

how can you pull up trees playing defensive midfield for Hampton and Richmond? - Imagine Martin Gray (oufc championship level) standing out massively at any level, Shandon has been part of a successful team on loan which counts for something so maybe KR would think that merits a try out (pre season).
Anyhoo - my earlier (pre willy gags) post was about seeing local lads making the first team - I should have specified them being there on merit (duh) otherwise I would have suggested I should play the Lundstrum role in our midfield next season - I can't play for sh*t and would probably collapse and puke after 20mins...but I would care about the club so that's ok ?

Any player in any position can be said to be pulling up trees; meaning to achieve impressive and significant things. To say someone has not been pulling up any trees means they have done anything of note.

He should have gone to a conference side to progress. In the couple of games I saw him at H & R, he blended in with the other players, in all honesty.

To make the eventual jump 4/5 leagues, and compete in a KR team, he is going to have to develop massively from where he is at the moment. The Joey Beauchamps, Callum O Dowds stood out from the rest at his age.

 

[Marked Ox]

Any player in any position can be said to be pulling up trees; meaning to achieve impressive and significant things. To say someone has not been pulling up any trees means they have done anything of note.

He should have gone to a conference side to progress. In the couple of games I saw him at H & R, he blended in with the other players, in all honesty.

To make the eventual jump 4/5 leagues, and compete in a KR team, he is going to have to develop massively from where he is at the moment. The Joey Beauchamps, Callum O Dowds stood out from the rest at his age.

COD did not stand out when he was first in the team, he wasn't any different to Napa.

As for Joey, can you really remember his early time? I can vaguely remember a lot of talk of potential but he made little impact until after his loan spell at Swansea.

 

[Topper Haines]

CoD look weak as anything in his first few games but after he bulked up was a different level (to the detriment of his immune system it seems).

 

[Itsthehopethatkillsyou]

Mellowyellow, I get what you are saying and fair play you actually have seen him play, but maybe it's a bit harsh to say he been doing nothing of note - Shandon has been a regular in a team doing well, what more do you want?. I'm not saying he is the next Dean Whitehead or anything but he has done what has been expected of him on loan, and good on the lad, if he keeps it up then he may (MAY) have a chance at Oxford. Maybe my handle I'd misleading but I am a hopeless optimist and you are maybe a sober realist (actually at time of writing I'm becoming a pissed optimist) but hey ho: long may I have hopes for players coming through at Oxford - for after all...we are (as we all are aware) by FAR the greatest team the world has ever seen (please don't kill my buzz by being a realist on that statement ?)

 

[Itsthehopethatkillsyou]

P.S fiacre kelleher did well on his loan spell....the next Matt Elliott! ?