General What needs to change?

[OxfordYankee]

The definition of insanity is to repeat the the same things over and over again expecting there to be a different outcome.

The last three seasons have each seen poor starts and streaky runs of excellent form and results, however they have not yet taken us to our desired destination.

If the board is good to their word and we become more ambitious in our recruitment, what do you think needs to change to break into the next level?

“Be luckier with injuries” isn’t a strategy.

 

[Blox21]

Get work done early, no bullshit about waiting for bargains at the last minute , sit back and relax on the beach

 

[Kamal]

The players?

 

[ZeroTheHero]

IMO a lot of it is to do with recruitment and pre season ('Fail to prepare and prepare to fail' as the corny old line goes!).

I think the recruitment has to be smarter. Signing players who 'will be the best in the division if we can get them fit' has simply and repeatedly not worked. Especially when they are ageing and haven't been at the top of their game for a season or two.

Signing players and then trying them out in different positions is at best a risky strategy. It may work, it possibly won't - and then you are a player light in a position you need and have a surplus in a position you don't. Sign players who are good in a position and play them in that position. Some younger specialist backups as prospects plus some experienced utility players (c.f. Forde)

Move on to new targets quicker. It may well be that the 'best' players will hold out until the very last minute to sign for anyone to get the most money. And hanging on for them only to miss out may well mean that targets 2, 3 and 4 have already been signed elsewhere. So sign target 2 earlier - as soon as target 1 starts playing silly buggers.

<gets on hobby horse> I think the pre-season fixture strategy has to be rethought. The idea of packing five games with mix and match teams into six days or whatever is a KR favourite and simply doesn't seem to work in getting us prepared for the season. He'd rightly moan if we had to do anything like that for real - why do it in pre-season then? </dismounts>

 

[Sarge]

What needs to change? .... simple answer is win more games

 

[SteMerritt]

What needs to change? .... simple answer is win more games

Disagree. Its draw more games. If we had drawn the 16 we have lost, we'd be going up.

Draws Win Promotions.

 

[oufc1991]

We need to be aggressive in the summer transfer market not wait for certain players if they really want to come they will come also we need to start the season in much better form not wait 10 games if that could all happen then I would give KR until Christmas and see how we are doing if not great then we change management

 

[Paul Cannell]

The following statement has been issued on behalf a a certain vocal coterie of supporters, they know who they are.

"If we want to exceed budgetary expectation and fully utilise the genius of his excellency Karl Robinson we should continue just they way we are: a. continue to recruit without regard to team or squad shape, b. recruit based on the 'Ooo glittery thing!' principle, c. loudly, frequently and derangedly announce the names of players we want starting from before the end of the current season (takes the eye of this season's underperformance) and daily throughout the transfer window, d. promise the earth and deliver a few bags of compost. e. and as always blame somebody else."

 

[Obstructed view]

More tactical flexibility - at the beginning of the season (and at points with winter pitches) when fluency of play is harder to achieve we need to be able to be more direct with the option of a target man who can get us up the pitch. At least one more physically dominant midfielder. Use the best of the academy players to fill squad roles instead of wasting money on broken or l2 level players for thereby freeing up budget to get quality

 

[Jolteon]

Without the squad cap I think we'd be in the playoffs. So that's what needs to change. Yes, everyone had injuries, but we seemed to get piled on with them at the start, and kept getting them in the same positions. Other than that, send Kelly back and sign a defender, use LCP as Kelly's replacement. Bring in McGuane and Lee permanently, and a pacy winger to replace Mide (decent player, too inconsistent). We're that close to a playoff quality side.

 

[unification]

A few thoughts on what I’d like to see next season after learning plenty from this one. Others have mentioned key other points on PSFs, recruitment, etc.

Ensure you have a like-for-like replacement for every position. You wouldn’t start a season without a second choice ‘keeper. Why do it with a left back? We threw points away in the first quarter as Long was at LB and Clare was at RB. Ruffels’ absence forced a 50% reshuffle in our defence. If we’d had a proper choice at LB there, Long would have been able to continue at RB.

Honestly appraise whether a player is good enough to be part of a promotion winning team. Ask the question ‘are you capable of getting Oxford United into the automatic promotion places?’ I think we have a higher number of passengers and players whose limit is League 1 and no higher in the squad than a team going for promotion should do.

Goals and assists from defence has been a massive plus this season but goals from midfield have been down. I think we have players capable of adding more and ensuring that the second ball pick ups and second and third phase play sees our midfielders in goal scoring positions should be something to focus on for next season.

Don’t make excuses about getting players out on loan. If we have to recall someone, make sure they’re not coming in cold and that they have been getting game time elsewhere.

Be a tad luckier. Cooper’s return to NI saw us have to sign Shodipo, CamBram’s eye injury shocked everyone, Henry and Eastwood were both uncharacteristically poor for a the opening months of the season, Swindon and Crewe games postponed due to COVID that made for a horrible Saturday-Tuesday run of games. They’re factors in it but not excuses. Hopefully next season is a bit more linear.

 

[southcoastyellow]

I would stop gambling on players with a poor injury record, who would normally be out of our reach (if fit) .I’d rather have a less gifted player, playing than a player sitting in the treatment room for months.
Also, need to get the balance of the squad right, which I think has been an issue again this year.
Bring in players who have a specialist position, don’t try and change a player for example Clare is not a RB

 

[horseman]

What i would like to see change

Respect given to every single poster regardless of their differing views or opinions

An immediate end to derogatory labelling of Managers, Players ,staff regardless of their hometown, accent etc Fans have differing "Opinions" of Players and Managers ability but voice them based solely on that and your opinion will be more respected.

With regards recruitment this "Must" be a 2 way thing, have a date where if a target has not signed forget them and likewise use same date for any sales, Don't accept a Million for Rob Atkinson then have to and expect to find suitable replacement in a short timeframe.

 

[Navegante]

KR: OUT!

 

[Paul Cannell]

What i would like to see change

Respect given to every single poster regardless of their differing views or opinions

An immediate end to derogatory labelling of Managers, Players ,staff regardless of their hometown, accent etc Fans have differing "Opinions" of Players and Managers ability but voice them based solely on that and your opinion will be more respected.

With regards recruitment this "Must" be a 2 way thing, have a date where if a target has not signed forget them and likewise use same date for any sales, Don't accept a Million for Rob Atkinson then have to and expect to find suitable replacement in a short timeframe.

What about height? Is heightism still permissible?

 

[Leysboy]

The takeover needs to be swift and done sooner rather than later. Then we can actually see if KR can build a squad worthy of promotion! No doubt if it drags on too long in to the summer, then it will be an excuse if we don’t make it next time around.

With more funds at his disposal, there won’t be any more chances, as I don’t think the big boys will stand for it.

Maybe the take over doesn’t happen, but what we need to do is identify players who can achieve our objective.

For certain two very good wingers that have pace and good distribution, and can score a couple of goals along with two good full backs for competition.

Id also like to see another striker, and I’d sign Elliot Lee of all the loanees.

 

[ttg17]

I'd like to see a really dominant physical presence in the centre of midfield. The likes of Brannagan, Gorrin, Sykes and Kelly are all very 'niggly', are generally great on the ball and can get stuck in to a degree, but don't have the sheer power of, for example, Camara from Plymouth (who impressed me in December). We had that to a degree with MacGuane, but in general I think the team, beyond the back four, can be lightweight.

 

[OX14]

:Karl actually bringing in players that are use to playing his style and in a position that suits are team, not trying to adapt a right midfield in to a rb, or a striker to a winger.
: Bring players in that are actually match fit not ones that will take time to get up to speed
:early recruitment, not waiting for a player to maybe become available or accept a lower offer.

That's a start of how we can improve.

 

[WRox]

I don’t think we’ve been unlucky with injuries. Everyone gets injuries. Most clubs employ more than one right back, one left back etc on this basis.

That shouldn’t be a significant issue to address with a good number of fringe players out of contract and a great chance of keeping our better ones. KR has to do better in this space but there’s less risk in finding competition than building a quality first eleven.

 

[WuTang]

Liam Kelly and Jamie Hanson must be consuming a fair amount of our wage budget alone which is a crazy thought. Not renewing Kellys loan is easy but finding somewhere new for Hanson could be tricky. If we can offload these two that would give us some money to play with straight away!