Where do we go from here?

Millman said:
As opposed to this season where recently we played a game with 3 midfielders in defense.

It all depends on how you rate utility players, and how ready our youth players are.

For example of how balanced our squad is:
Goalkeeper. The reserve not deemed good enough to play, and youth player not used when required.
Centerbacks. Apart from the main 2, Raglan farmed out so no cover. Unless you count Mousinho who as proved not good enough in this position better as a midfielder.
Right back. 2 that were signed have left the club. Thank heavens Long stepped up, as Hanson does not really cut it.
Left back. A midfielder. The one signed on loan not good enough to play there.

You could say we have cover for all of these positions but lets be honest look what has happened when we have had to rely on that cover.

This is the point I was making about the squad. It is not just weak this season in terms of one position. apart from midfield it has been weak in most other areas. this has contributed negatively to our season. We have a good first team (lacking possibly in goal threat) outside of that we have had patchy cover all season.
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Fair point. We’ve perhaps been very lucky with injuries the last few months.
 
Glover said:
I wouldn’t even look at the championship until we own our own stadium league one/two is ok for the time being tbh
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Oh yeah, that’ll work, “come and play for Oxford United, we have no ambition to get promoted, in fact we are happy to let you sideline your career along in league one because we are worried that you will cost us financially in the Championship.”

Without aspiration, you will not bring quality players here, you will not build the fanbase or start to up the turnover... are you seriously suggesting to our long suffering supporters that we should content ourselves with mediocrity? For an unspecified number of anonymous years, Really? Even if that was possible you would kill the dream. The one great dream of football... Success!
There are many reasons to support a team, but settling for an eternity of survival is not one of them.
 
Big Ronaldo said:
Oh yeah, that’ll work, “come and play for Oxford United, we have no ambition to get promoted, in fact we are happy to let you sideline your career along in league one because we are worried that you will cost us financially in the Championship.”

Without aspiration, you will not bring quality players here, you will not build the fanbase or start to up the turnover... are you seriously suggesting to our long suffering supporters that we should content ourselves with mediocrity? For an unspecified number of anonymous years, Really? Even if that was possible you would kill the dream. The one great dream of football... Success!
There are many reasons to support a team, but settling for an eternity of survival is not one of them.
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Rather like many fans who begin a season seemingly happy to suggest a play off place is acceptable and often thinking that to even reach them it's a given to win them.
Fans that are happy for loans season after season and you can virtually guarantee when the august window shuts they'll be fans saying we can still get loans.
i know i am pretty alone in this thought process but a balanced squad of your own players with the odd tinker here and there the further you progress up the pyramid. all these loans loans loans is not what football should be about.
As for relying on youngsters, again we all pretty much know that wont happen much in terms of progression as the long term view is to sell them on.
so season after season all we are doing is starting again on the roundabout.
 
horseman said:
Rather like many fans who begin a season seemingly happy to suggest a play off place is acceptable and often thinking that to even reach them it's a given to win them.
Fans that are happy for loans season after season and you can virtually guarantee when the august window shuts they'll be fans saying we can still get loans.
i know i am pretty alone in this thought process but a balanced squad of your own players with the odd tinker here and there the further you progress up the pyramid. all these loans loans loans is not what football should be about.
As for relying on youngsters, again we all pretty much know that wont happen much in terms of progression as the long term view is to sell them on.
so season after season all we are doing is starting again on the roundabout.
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I’m another who’s really not a fan of this seemingly over reliance on loan players. I hear the argument that it allows a club to bring in players otherwise out of reach financially but I think a successful squad should be made up with at least 90% players that are contracted to the club with 2 or 3 loans who are xciting young players being the cherry on the icing on the cake. Too many are always a risk and, no matter what anyone says, I’m not convinced they’re ever as committed to a club as contracted players.
 
I'm more inclined to say that it is not the quality of player that has been signed but as much, if not more, the quality of those that have not signed.

Either they were not identified or, going by what KR kept spouting, were identified, approached and then declined the offer. That last part has me worried, are we approaching unrealistic targets or making unrealistic offers? Is the opportunity of playing for KR just too much for the better players? So much was said about this position and that position and targets and yet we are where we are.
Sadly, in my opinion, KR will still be here in the summer to either get it right or, condemn us to another season long relegation fight.
 
We will have a lower budget next season and the Chairman has said he will rely on young potential assets and loan players to have success.

So unless the owner/recruiters change I expect more of the same next year.
 
Manorlounger said:
I'm more inclined to say that it is not the quality of player that has been signed but as much, if not more, the quality of those that have not signed.

Either they were not identified or, going by what KR kept spouting, were identified, approached and then declined the offer. That last part has me worried, are we approaching unrealistic targets or making unrealistic offers? Is the opportunity of playing for KR just too much for the better players? So much was said about this position and that position and targets and yet we are where we are.
Sadly, in my opinion, KR will still be here in the summer to either get it right or, condemn us to another season long relegation fight.
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As an aphorism, I prefer to say "I'm more inclined to say that it is not the quality of player that has been signed but much more the quality of those that have selected and signed them.".

More important, I'm with you. KR will stay, the summer will be spent talking up players who choose to go elsewhere and we'll end up with a different unbalanced group of players that don't fit any plan the manager will claim to have; a couple of them will struggle through and display a bit of quality, the manager will disown a couple and a couple will be such poor fits that they will be gone by xmas. We will finish 16th again with the cries of @Scotchegg that we were 'play-off quality for 2 periods of six matches' shrilly trilling in our ears.
 
Given the horror stories recently reported from Birmingham, Bolton and Blackburn, it is hard to see how a club like Oxford could compete in the Championship. These clubs each spent £30 - £50M a year on wages and transfers. Now it is clear that some of this was just a case of paying inflated prices for ordinary players, but the fact remains that it is hard to see how we could responsibly afford a 'competitive' playing budget in these circumstances. The impact of inflated parachute payments and a few clubs which have seen enormous investment to secure a PL place (e.g. Wolves) means that it is very hard to see a current L1 club with a 6 - 10k fan base thriving in the Championship. Is the best we could hope for a couple of seasons battling against relegation, like Burton, or even Rotherham?
 
oldabingdonian said:
Given the horror stories recently reported from Birmingham, Bolton and Blackburn, it is hard to see how a club like Oxford could compete in the Championship. These clubs each spent £30 - £50M a year on wages and transfers. Now it is clear that some of this was just a case of paying inflated prices for ordinary players, but the fact remains that it is hard to see how we could responsibly afford a 'competitive' playing budget in these circumstances. The impact of inflated parachute payments and a few clubs which have seen enormous investment to secure a PL place (e.g. Wolves) means that it is very hard to see a current L1 club with a 6 - 10k fan base thriving in the Championship. Is the best we could hope for a couple of seasons battling against relegation, like Burton, or even Rotherham?
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.... alternatively another option than chucking away money is to have a productive academy that is nurturing young local talent and brings the players on through U18 & U23 squads to the first team? ;)
 
But what are we suggesting here?
Are we saying that we should not attempt to play our way to the top? Be the best?
Because if you are saying that then the only way is down.
We have to push as hard as we can without losing sight of the finances.
It can be done but you need the right structure put in place. To shy away from promotion will see us ultimately slither back to god knows where.
No, promotion to the Championship HAS to be our aim. Otherwise what’s the point?
 
Big Ronaldo said:
But what are we suggesting here?
Are we saying that we should not attempt to play our way to the top? Be the best?
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I am not saying this, because as a fan, there is no point if we don't try to get to the top. I would love to believe that a young team, with a good complement of home-grown players, could succeed, but I'm sure others have thought similarly. However, the depressing financial backdrop does make one think about how far a sense of a fair sporting ethos has been lost, and how skilful the board (as well as the players!) need to be.
 
Sarge said:
.... alternatively another option than chucking away money is to have a productive academy that is nurturing young local talent and brings the players on through U18 & U23 squads to the first team? ;)
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Brentford is the model we should be closely looking at. They’re proving that you don’t necessarily have to throw multi-millions at it to hold your own in the championship. (Unless I’ve missed something and they’re also a ticking time bomb)
 
oldabingdonian said:
However, the depressing financial backdrop does make one think about how far a sense of a fair sporting ethos has been lost, and how skilful the board (as well as the players!) need to be.
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Wonder if The Tigster will make use of Erick's hologrammic capabilities - Indonesia’s president has started beaming a hologram of himself to reach voters in key battleground provinces as he shuttles around the south-east Asian archipelago ahead of national polls.

The whole Indonesia thing could just be a dry-run for OUFC!
 
oldabingdonian said:
Given the horror stories recently reported from Birmingham, Bolton and Blackburn, it is hard to see how a club like Oxford could compete in the Championship. These clubs each spent £30 - £50M a year on wages and transfers. Now it is clear that some of this was just a case of paying inflated prices for ordinary players, but the fact remains that it is hard to see how we could responsibly afford a 'competitive' playing budget in these circumstances. The impact of inflated parachute payments and a few clubs which have seen enormous investment to secure a PL place (e.g. Wolves) means that it is very hard to see a current L1 club with a 6 - 10k fan base thriving in the Championship. Is the best we could hope for a couple of seasons battling against relegation, like Burton, or even Rotherham?
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Fair point. Perhaps we could do what responsible newly-promoted Premiership clubs do and see a first season in the championship as a lucrative 'gimme'. Keep the bulk of the squad, not splash out on new players with high wages, all with the acknowledgement / expectation that relegation at the end of the season is essentially guaranteed. It wouldn't be much fun for us as fans, but the revenue generated from the greater crowds, TV revenue and prize money come season's end could put us in a strong financial position going forward. It is obviously a mistake to think we could compete in our current state, and shelling out a ton of money (see Fulham this year) to try and stay up would cripple us.
 
PC said:
B*****s, sorry. "Wycombe have the highest number of balls into the opposition boxes from crosses and set pieces and are in the top three for challenges won so we know what we are up against." - Acting Manager. @Shosho - is this correct?
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Well Mr PC.

Im not entirely sure the package Oxford use however crossing wise oxford and Wycombe are similar, I only know if these crosses are into the 6 yard box, Oxford rank 9th, Wycombe 21st (they do however cross mostly from the right with McCarthy). They're 5th in the league for headed attempts (89), scoring 7...so whilst they chuck the ball in the box a lot they aren't particularly effective (Oxford have scored 10!). Overall Wycombe rank 5th for aerial duels and have the lowest amount of possession in the league...so that probably tells us all we need about their style of play.

In Curtis Thompson they have someone who gets through a lot of defensive work.
Im am unsure about the challenges won...however we all know how Wycombe teams traditionally play. After seeing some Wycombe highlights they wont enjoy players carrying the ball (Oxford one of the best in the league) so expect plenty of cynical fouls.
 
I would agree that Brentford are a good model to try to emulate. Bournemouth even more so of course. They even have only three permanent stands!
 
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