Matches Pre-Season Friendly v Southampton (31/07/2024)

[Gregortheox]

We looked drilled and motivated tonight. There was a definite understanding of how we are going to (sometimes) play. I would assume that vs saints and Norwich it will be similar.

Our business this coming week or 2 is so important. If we would have had say Murphy and Poku tonight, we could have done more damage on the break. We found ourselves in some great positions but couldn’t capitalise. I hope that 4 or 5 come in before end of the window who make us a real menace going forward.

I’m not getting too excited. The time we played QPR and beat them by 5, I got a stiffy the size of a windsock…and then we lost to Cambridge.

 

[Thomas/Brock/Jones]

Watched on Southamptons £5 to view . Commentators not up to Rad Ox .
Very complementary about Long who had a very solid game after coming on,as had Kioso.
Defence solid even after subs with Golding doing just great.
Harris was leading the line exemptionally again while all others contributed.
We looked very solid with a good shape.

 

[OxfordNondie]

What position did Golding play?

Centre Half

 

[Manorlounger]

According to Des (on later with Jerome) we are looking at a possible two in by the weekend. Providence is under contract with his club (TSG Hartberg) but discussions will be held to see what can be done. He was originally only going to be with us for 3 days, today was day 3.

The game displayed how good we can be doing what we did to Bolton - high press with Sparky, Rubes and Tyler at the defenders ankles all the time.
Young Golding had a very impressive run forward but, sadly, forgot his team mates and ran out of space. Cam had a right old barney with one of the opposition after having his ankles tapped. He was all ready to kick off in style! As did Tyler nearly at one point - I don't know where he gets the balls to do what he does but it's great to watch.
Southampton had their moments and it was clear that they have skill but, this evening, they came up against a resilient defence and players not willing to back off or show them any respect just because they play in a Premiership side.

 

[Foley]

What position did Golding play?

He played CB and Long right back

 

[Common Villager]

A few random thoughts:

- Our defensive shape on the whole was very good. Even when Southampton found space we did a very good job of blocking off the options in front of them and in the box

- I thought Cumming had a very good game. Looked very composed and his distribution was pretty decent

- We are spoilt for choice in midfield. It was only when trying to predict our starting 11 before the match that it dawned on me just how many options we have

- The press when Harris, Goodrham and Rodrigues all went together was very, very good. They picked their moments well and you could see how uncomfortable it made the Southampton CB's and GK at times, and it created several chances

- The trialist showed some flashes of skill but seemed to struggle slightly with the pace / physicality. Worth another run out again Palermo.

On the whole a positive performance and one which will hopefully reaffirm the players' belief in and commitment to Des' style. Another good performance on Saturday would hopefully set us up well for Norwich.

 

[Marked Ox]

Watched on Southamptons £5 to view . Commentators not up to Rad Ox .
Very complementary about Long who had a very solid game after coming on,as had Kioso.
Defence solid even after subs with Golding doing just great.
Harris was leading the line exemptionally again while all others contributed.
We looked very solid with a good shape.

Tbf to the bloke on the Southampton feed, he was on his own and clearly did plenty of research on Oxford. Knew our players' names and that Beano scored loads for us in the Conference.

 

[Eaststanding]

Sorry but Kioso did very well against both wingers he faced in the first half.
Long, not so well. Bar a couple of interventions their left winger skinned him time after time and should have scored at least a couple.

 

[Foley]

Watched on Southamptons £5 to view . Commentators not up to Rad Ox .
Very complementary about Long who had a very solid game after coming on,as had Kioso.
Defence solid even after subs with Golding doing just great.
Harris was leading the line exemptionally again while all others contributed.
We looked very solid with a good shape.

Agree that our shape looked very good.
We were very aggressive throughout and gave them a lot of problems with our press.

 

[Chippy]

Some very good performances thus evening.
Voges to me looks a teriffic player. Breaks up play, gets stuck in and good passing.
Some of the young players look better every season and hopefully a couple will be ready for the first team squad next season. Golding looked very good against some quality players in the second half ( Armstrong came on at half time), Johnson didn't play today but always looks good when I see him and GO'D looks stronger and quicker this season.
Promising.

Agree. The only niggling doubt with GO’D is the final end product, never confident he’s going to make the right run or lay off, or finish a chance. He does look leaner though and a yard quicker. Still think a further loan out would be the best option.

I was also impressed with Vokes and Golding when he came on, and El Mizouni and Sibley look like they’ll be decent acquisitions once they get fully fit as they are probably slightly behind in their preparation.

Golding’s run from defence at the end was McNally esque and a joy to watch, just a shame he didn’t make the final pass.

Overall a lot to be pleased about tonight, but pre-season is always quite misleading as we know.

 

[Foley]

Sorry but Kioso did very well against both wingers he faced in the first half.
Long, not so well. Bar a couple of interventions their left winger skinned him time after time and should have scored at least a couple.

Like many others, I think that Long did pretty well.

 

[bicesterox]

My moment of the match. Sam Long's late clearance off the time, superb timing

 

[OxfordNondie]

Help me, who played

No 14 on shirt but

E-Wheeler or Sibley

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Help me, who played

No 14 on shirt but

E-Wheeler or Sibley

Sibley

 

[SSO]

Our style of play is going to frustrate a lot of teams. Even with the Southampton first teamers against our mainly squad players we managed to keep them out. Bit like the Peterborough away game we were soaking up pressure and putting the work in paid off. Also as in the Bolton final game as somebody mentioned we looked good in stopping the opposition playing. My only issue with that style is what happens when we concede the first goal?

The workrate was absolutely brilliant and even with the changes in personnel in the second half we kept the same shape and the same plan. That has to be a good sign that the players are all singing from the same hymn sheet. We were patient in waiting for mistakes to happen and those will often come along as teams lose concentration when trying to keep the ball. Both goals were scored as a result of speed of thought and it won't work every week. But I think it will work enough to get the points we need to stay up.

 

[QR]

My only issue with that style is what happens when we concede the first goal?

We don't win the league? I can live with that.

 

[Bicester Yellow]

Sorry but Kioso did very well against both wingers he faced in the first half.
Long, not so well. Bar a couple of interventions their left winger skinned him time after time and should have scored at least a couple.

Which is what we know of long, better at CB but will get skinned against top class wingers in the championship. You can get away with it for the odd game but not over a full season.

 

[Eaststanding]

Like many others, I think that Long did pretty well.

Pretty well is just abiut accurate. As a back up right back this season he could do it.

 

[Matt W]

Sam long was woeful that winger had a field day down the left

I watched it on the Southampton stream, and have to disagree. Sam Long got deceived once by him then either ushered the ball out of play, or nipped in before the winger could produce anything. I thought he was solid

 

[Matt W]

Tbf to the bloke on the Southampton feed, he was on his own and clearly did plenty of research on Oxford. Knew our players' names and that Beano scored loads for us in the Conference.

Yes I noticed that too, he was certainly very professional

 

[Morris Oxford]

Our style of play is going to frustrate a lot of teams. Even with the Southampton first teamers against our mainly squad players we managed to keep them out. Bit like the Peterborough away game we were soaking up pressure and putting the work in paid off. Also as in the Bolton final game as somebody mentioned we looked good in stopping the opposition playing. My only issue with that style is what happens when we concede the first goal?

The workrate was absolutely brilliant and even with the changes in personnel in the second half we kept the same shape and the same plan. That has to be a good sign that the players are all singing from the same hymn sheet. We were patient in waiting for mistakes to happen and those will often come along as teams lose concentration when trying to keep the ball. Both goals were scored as a result of speed of thought and it won't work every week. But I think it will work enough to get the points we need to stay up.

Do what we did at Peterborough, go up the other end and score the equaliser

In all seriousness though, we will be under the cosh a fair bit this season, and yes we will concede but it will be about staying in those games, don’t concede another, there’s always a chance when you’re trailing just by one goal.

The important thing is that the players understand and believe in the system, and the way Des wants us to go about things on the pitch. We all saw the rewards it brought at the end of last season, and it sounds as if we did a pretty decent job against Southampton last night, albeit in a pre season friendly.

The team is going to need our support this season especially when we’ve got our backs to the wall, which is going to happen far more than last season.

 

[MarkG]

Martin upset as Southampton beaten by Oxford - TribalFootball.com

Southampton manager Russell Martin has laid into his team after a preseason game.

www.tribalfootball.com

 

[curransleftboot]

"We played a ball over the top three or four times and we were in."

Which makes me believe that another CB is needed or Golding is being expected to be used along with Long (who is quite rapid).
As soon as teams work us out, over the top, will be the counter - I just hope we have (or will get it in) enough speed at the heart of defence to be able to cope with it.

 

[Marked Ox]

"We played a ball over the top three or four times and we were in."

Which makes me believe that another CB is needed or Golding is being expected to be used along with Long (who is quite rapid).
As soon as teams work us out, over the top, will be the counter - I just hope we have (or will get it in) enough speed at the heart of defence to be able to cope with it.

When were these 3 or 4 occasions when they were 'in'?

They got wide occasionally but they weren't in as they still had a full back in front of them. They had 2 down the middle but they weren't from balls over the top.

Not a question aimed at you personally but a general question.

 

[Foley]

"We played a ball over the top three or four times and we were in."

Which makes me believe that another CB is needed or Golding is being expected to be used along with Long (who is quite rapid).
As soon as teams work us out, over the top, will be the counter - I just hope we have (or will get it in) enough speed at the heart of defence to be able to cope with it.

Not sure necessary that a losing managers comments are a reason to buy a player!
I thought that they were more dangerous wide and Armstrong is a top Championship striker we won't face every week

 

[Jaxon]

When were these 3 or 4 occasions when they were 'in'?

They got wide occasionally but they weren't in as they still had a full back in front of them. They had 2 down the middle but they weren't from balls over the top.

Not a question aimed at you personally but a general question.

Southampton attacked down the wings
I didn’t see one occasion when they put a ball over the top
CB’s strong as usual

 

[SSO]

I didn't really see them threatening at all. From 70 minutes onwards we weathered the pressure they put on us trying to pass through us. We had them sussed because everyone was on their game and played to a plan. It would have been nicer had Martin said how impressed he was with Oxford but he is a serial moaner. He will be very much out of his depth in the PL and he knows it.

They created nothing as clinical as our first goal which was a cracking move against any opposition.

 

[curransleftboot]

Well I certainly do remember a few times there were balls over the top; which admittedly didn’t materialise (but only just). There will be teams playing that way naturally and others who will use that tactic a lot, if they see or believe that that’s the best way to deal with us.

I just hope we have enough pace as well as experience at the heart of defence to deal with it and I’m not sure we do currently. I’d be more than pleased to be proven wrong.