General The Injured Midfield

ttg17 said:
Club's FB page posted this today, caption "The selection board in the gaffer’s office" (plus a few injury-related emojis). Pretty mad. Could be worth bringing Berkoe back and using Ruffs in CM until we have a bit more cover?
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Looks as though we will be hard put to field a full match-day squad.
 
westyorkshireexile said:
Looks as though we will be hard put to field a full match-day squad.
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Scotchegg said:
No, in my view. I think it's a waste of a player. We would have 3 centre backs and a holding midfielder but would still be reliant on the wing backs getting back to defend.

We would be better sticking to the system that has worked pretty well to date with a back four, but with Long at right back. Gorrin holding with Cadden, Sykes and Fosu across the middle, and then Mackie and Taylor upfront. We would be a little weak through the middle, but Mackie could player a little deeper to bolster this.

This would allow Cadden and Fosu to play at pace with the reassurance that we've got cover behind them if we lose possession.
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That would be my starting line up, with Stevens, Moore and Ageyi on the bench. I'd guess that we'd include Tyler Goodrham, Nico Jones and maybe Jack Stevens (midfield) on the bench, but I'm sure there are others in the u18 and u23 who would stake a claim to make the matchday squad.
 
www.oufc.co.uk

FREEVIEW Karl On Injuries

Head Coach Karl Robinson has been talking to iFollow about Anthony Forde's injury and the number of players currently in the physio room at Oxford United
www.oufc.co.uk www.oufc.co.uk

Nearly 9 minutes long but worth a listen to.
To me, the more that comes out if the club, the more positive the club appears to be.
 
ttg17 said:
Club's FB page posted this today, caption "The selection board in the gaffer’s office" (plus a few injury-related emojis). Pretty mad. Could be worth bringing Berkoe back and using Ruffs in CM until we have a bit more cover?
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Hahaha, there’s the whiteboard that doesn’t exist ?
 
I would hope we will sign/loan a few centre mids in January. Send Thorne back and replace with someone who is not injury prone.
 
brassmonkey said:
I would hope we will sign/loan a few centre mids in January. Send Thorne back and replace with someone who is not injury prone.
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I'd keep Thorne, if it's possible. He really is quality (in this league or the league above) and it was such a shame when he got injured against West Ham because he looked class. I know it's a risk but we have kept Robbie Hall on and some may argue that he hasn't reached the level needed, since returning. Fortune favours the brave and all that...
 
LeftSideBoy said:
I'd keep Thorne, if it's possible. He really is quality (in this league or the league above) and it was such a shame when he got injured against West Ham because he looked class. I know it's a risk but we have kept Robbie Hall on and some may argue that he hasn't reached the level needed, since returning. Fortune favours the brave and all that...
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Yup, and this injury seems unconnected to any other - just bad luck.

Agree re the West Ham game, do wonder if they were just shite though!
 
m said:
Yup, and this injury seems unconnected to any other - just bad luck.

Agree re the West Ham game, do wonder if they were just shite though!
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Exactly! If it was a re-accurance, I'd be more inclined to send him back. I also think that if the club didn't rate him, we'd have sent him back to recover. Or is that not possible?

I think they were shite but were made to look that bad by how well we played! We dominated them in midfield, all game.
 
Wasn't Thorne a signing only until January anyway? I'd certainly be casting about for a more 'robust' replacement - especially if our current midfield injury woes haven't mostly cleared up by then.

Derby County are the only team he has managed a decent amount of appearances for - over all it's 125 appearances in ten years as a pro. Which (even I can work it out) is about 12/13 per season. Admittedly, players aren't going to appear all the time when they are young, but Josh Ruffels (the same age) has managed double that.
 
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ZeroTheHero said:
Wasn't Thorne a signing only until January anyway? I'd certainly be casting about for a more 'robust' replacement - especially if our current midfield injury woes haven't mostly cleared up by then.

Derby County are the only team he has managed a decent amount of appearances for - over all it's 125 appearances in ten years as a pro. Which (even I can work it out) is about 12/13 per season. Admittedly, players aren't going to appear all the time when they are young, but Josh Ruffels (the same age) has managed double that.
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Does robust also bring quality though? I dont know, I may be blinded by what I have seen/heard about him but he is a player that, when fit, can change any game. We need as many players like that as we can get, if we want to challenge for promotion. January will be a VERY interesting month with players returning and the transfer market, re-opening.

Josh Ruffels has also spent half of his time with Oxford, in League 2. George has played in the Championship for 3 seasons. I dont think you can compare the 2 players.
 
LeftSideBoy said:
Does robust also bring quality though? I dont know, I may be blinded by what I have seen/heard about him but he is a player that, when fit, can change any game. We need as many players like that as we can get, if we want to challenge for promotion. January will be a VERY interesting month with players returning and the transfer market, re-opening.

Josh Ruffels has also spent half of his time with Oxford, in League 2. George has played in the Championship for 3 seasons. I dont think you can compare the 2 players.
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Yep, the Ruffels comparison was a bit daft - but I wasn't trying to compare quality, just how many games a 26 year old player might reasonably have been expected to play if relatively fit and playing at their correct level.
No, robust doesn't necessarily mean quality - I don't think they are mutually exclusive qualities though. If the rest of our currently crocked midfield are back then (depending of course on Thorne's OWN progress!) he might be worth persevering with - as you correctly say, he has a fine reputation . But (as I was trying to say) if we have gaps that need filling and Thorne isn't likely to potentially slot back in to fill one of them, then we need someone who can. - and we surely wouldn't use a wage for Thorne if that were the case.
 
Signing a decent left back as cover could also work for January as it means Ruffels could move in to midfield if we was to have another injury crisis.
 
3 positions KR has identified for January is RB now Cadden going but he previously (a month ago said) he’s looking for LB cover & a right winger with real pace which is all we really need plus Baptiste Brannagan Woodburn Henry should all be ready to play over the Christmas period it looks like now
 
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