The Karl Robinson years at OUFC are difficult to analyse.

Pete Burrett

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Last season we started with a 1-1-5 league record in our first seven games, so similar to this season's 1-2-4. After 12 games our record was 1-3-8 and I must admit I was one of many calling for his head. Then last season we finished with an impressive 8-3-2 run and it seemed possible, with a modicum of improvement to the squad, we could be promotion challengers in 2019/20.

So what happened? A handful of decent performances to start don't seem to be continuing. Both defence and attack are getting flak and some formations are bemusing. The squad has certainly changed and it's reasonable to say we have some talented individuals, but are we stronger than we were last May?

I promised myself at the end of last season I'd be behind KR, and he deserves more time to turn things around (again), but I'm finding OUFC as bemusing as the Brexit debacle at the moment.
 
It is depressing that nearly all the pre-season enthusiasm has already evaporated.

How soon before those post match interviews turn to the farcical status of last season?
Well today's wasn't far away. Apparently we were 'in control of the game'. I'll leave it to those who actually saw the game to comment definitively, but from what I heard on RadOx that is an 'optimistic' view of the game!
 
Certainly a sense of déjà vu, but still early days. We are better than our current league position suggests but some of the claims on here that we could realistically have a tilt at the autos is clearly wide of the mark.
 
We are better than our current league position suggests...
Hmm, well I'd say that we are EXACTLY as good as our current league position suggests, because the table simply shows exactly how many points we've actually won (and don't look in that 'goals conceded' column - ouch).

We might improve as a player here and there gets fit but every club always has injuries here and there - it's an excuse that will only wash for so long - and we will get other/different injuries and suspensions as the season goes on. The aim of the game is to win matches, not to look good while losing them. Our start last season was a disaster area, and somehow the club has managed to just about replicate it.
 
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Well today's wasn't far away. Apparently we were 'in control of the game'. I'll leave it to those who actually saw the game to comment definitively, but from what I heard on RadOx that is an 'optimistic' view of the game!
I was there ZTH and we were second best.
There was nothing in that performance that makes me think we'll rise up the table!!
 
I was there ZTH and we were second best.
There was nothing in that performance that makes me think we'll rise up the table!!

Yep, pretty uninspiring but have had more decent performances than bad.

I know Agyei, Taylor, Fosu, Thorne all currently unfit but we had the same last season. At some point we need to adapt to the players available rather than trying to show horn everyone in.

KR has some big decisions to make
 
Ive said before and i still believe it. Karl Robinson will not bring success to OUFC as long as he has a hole in his a**e. For all his passion, good ideas, principles, on the pitch his record here is dire.
 
not sure why so much doom and gloom on here,we wern't that bad..Everyone has known for a while where we're lacking.
Those saying about negative subs, Long came on and Cadden could stay forward as had been putting in some fair crosses,they got their 2nd and then we brought on Fosu who was fouled at every opportunity.
Both sides had spells dominating possession and there was very little between the sides to be honest.
 
not sure why so much doom and gloom on here,we wern't that bad..Everyone has known for a while where we're lacking.
Well yes, and those things (fit goal-scoring strikers, proper pace out wide, a Mous/Hashi type midfielder for example) are STILL what we are lacking. And the transfer window has closed without the right signings being made (IMO). And as a result, the team is leaking goals, unable to hold on to a lead or a draw and has one win in 7 league games. Hopefully we will get the six points we need against Tranmere and Bolton to get the season started...
Get the proper strikers and Fosu fit, play Mous in defensive midfield, keep giving Baptisite more time (not on the bloody wing) and (unfortunately) leave Robbie Hall in the dressing room.
 
Struggles to learn how to deploy his custard creams. Seems to care. Perplexing.
 
TEAMFROMTOGAMESWONDRAWNLOST
Oxford22 Mar, 2018Present79282229

By my reckoning (near enough without the decimal points) that's a 35% win ratio (28% draws, 37% losses)

Which (of our recent managers who have done more than a few games) is better than Clotet at 33% (close though!), but both Wilder and Appleton are up around the 45% mark and even Darren Patterson is up over 40%.

(table from Soccerbase, other stats from Wiki)
 
We seem incapable of retaining possession anywhere on the pitch, in midfield today we were completely overrun most of the game, unable to build any pressure on the opposition. We wait until the last minute to recruit and then are surprised players are not match fit. KR continually changes the makeup of the team so we are normally a goal down before the team start to gel on match day, we are already playing catch up.
 
TEAMFROMTOGAMESWONDRAWNLOST
Oxford22 Mar, 2018Present79282229

By my reckoning (near enough without the decimal points) that's a 35% win ratio (28% draws, 37% losses)

Which (of our recent managers who have done more than a few games) is better than Clotet at 33% (close though!), but both Wilder and Appleton are up around the 45% mark and even Darren Patterson is up over 40%.

(table from Soccerbase, other stats from Wiki)
But those other managers got the results in lower leagues, so the comparison isn't quite level.
However that said, a 35% win ratio isn't good enough. I hope that things will turn around much more quickly than last season. I think we have the squad for it, just not always getting the best out of them
 
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Most disappointing for me is that he took over and had 12/13 matches etc to see what was required with the most obvious need being a couple of centre forwards....I was amazed when Jon Obika started last season as our main man.
This summer we all knew an experienced centre back and a couple of centre forwards required. We start with Mous and Mackie.
No loan players came back for various reasons.
We pushed the boat out to sign Cadden and while Woodburn is a talent we had Henry and Sykes for the 10 role....I hope that Aygei and Taylor ( along with Moore) all come good and the season starts with Tranmere Sat but worry we take on players /focus on other teams youngsters and help them rather than get players who WANT to really play for us.
 
I do wonder if players decline the opportunity to come to Oxford because of KR. He's had three transfer windows and each time it has appeared to be a difficult task to get pen on paper for those sought after players.
 
But those other managers got the results in lower leagues, so the comparison isn't quite level.
No, not quite I agree. But then when we were (for example) in the Conference we didn't have a team full of L1 standard players, we had a team that was generally of the standard we were playing. Maybe somewhat better perhaps because I am sure we had a better budget than Stafford or Histon, but I don't think you can discount a manager's win percentages entirely because of the difference in levels.
As you say though - comparisons or not - 35% is simply not good enough (and this season is currently running at 14% as far as the league is concerned).
 
Despite the poor start which doesn’t totally surprise me, I don’t feel as concerned about our form as I did this time last year. I think we have to give KR several games with a fit Taylor and Aygei at his disposal to see what sort of potential this group of players have.
 
After the day of the Taylor & Thorne signings, I dare say that a lot of us were dreaming of the Top Six. But a lot of that confidence and enthusiasm has certainly drained away over the past month.

Yes, we completely dominated and should have thumped Blackpool; the Rovers game was pretty even, and on another day we could have gotten something there.
But, from my perspective, we were very much second best against both Burton & Fleetwood, and were deservedly beaten by both of them.

If I was trying to look for something to mitigate the doom and gloom, I might point out that we've so far played the teams that lie 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 9th, 10th & 13th in the table. It's been a tough start to the season and we probably haven't played any of the likely relegation candidates yet.
Three of our next four games are against teams that have struggled out the gate, so we'll have a much better idea of where we really stand when we reach the end of September.

However - if we've got any ambitions to even threaten the Top Six this season, then it goes without saying that we've got to be picking up more points against the division's good teams as well.

Meanwhile, only Southend and (for obvious reasons) Bolton have a worse defensive record than us so far - we're shipping on average more than two goals a game! Did we spend too much time and effort over the summer piecing together a deep and capable attack, but not enough time and effort piecing together a good League One-caliber rearguard?
 
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