Someone who went to the match please explain...

[Boogie]

...why we only had one shot on target despite playing against 10 men for 80 minutes.

[amershamwrighty]

Easily done, when you play the ball backwards for most of the game.

[Ancient Colin]

We really frightened them with all those square passes between the centrebacks though. That really tired the ten men out, didn't it?

More masterful substitutions by Lord Wilder, too, that really transformed the game.

[Hog]

It was a very nice shot on target though.

[oufcharry80]

heres the highlights of the game http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d5jw_7AVki4

[DANCHU-4-OU]

It's because our forwards and midfielders didn't want to take responsibility when taking the shot in the final third!

No-one was brave enough to be brave and kill the game off, allowing Aldershot a worthy point. The only responsible shot-taker the whole game was surprisingly Andy Whing! But whenever he took a shot both players and supporters moaned and dented his self-confidence along with the whole team.

[Radley Rambler]

We couldn't beat ten men due to lack of width. When Potter and Pitman came on, they were never given the ball and when Potter rarely got it, he tended to cut inside. When you're playing against ten men, you've got to spread the play and make them chase the ball - we didn't. We tried to play it through them and it didn't work, they grew in confidence and equalised - job done.

Some friends that support FC Halifax always comment to me on how solid &amp robust Wilder's sides are. That's ok when you are trying to get a point/nick a win away from home but no good when you are up against ten men at home for 75 minutes.

Of particular mention:

Negatives:

Smalley - what does he bring to the side? Poor first touch, doesn't win much in the air, rarely in the right position and very one footed indeed - if Beano were to go - he is not the answer!

Batt - Lost his man for the goal when trying to see the ball out of play, then kept thumping it into the North Stand under no pressure whatsoever

Whing - I had great hopes for him but he is SLOW and once skinned, can not recover

Guy - Very lively and makes the right runs but can't control the through ball or shoot for toffee hence why he is on loan to us - could have had a hattrick if he could trap a ball

Positives:

Beano - Took his goal very well

Leven - Looked classy again and it was his through ball that panicked the defender into bringing Guy down

Duberry - Again very assured and I think that is helping Jake Wright

Heslop - The only one tackling in midfield - unlucky to be subbed - a mistake

Rant over and 8 points from 5 games is ok (and is indeed good enough for the play-offs) should have been 10 points from 5 games though!

[STEVE F]

LG HAS NOT DONE BAD GIVE JPP MORE GAMES AND DONT THINK DS IS FULLY FIT BUT WILL BE OK IN TIME AS FOR PLOD NO PROBLEM AS LONG AS WE CAN HOLD ON TO HIM.

I DO HOWEVER THINK THAT IF THE RIGHT STRIKER COMES UP IN TRANSFER WINDOW WE MUST FIND THE MONEY TO INVEST IN HIM

[Kernow Yellow]

LG HAS NOT DONE BAD GIVE JPP MORE GAMES AND DONT THINK DS IS FULLY FIT BUT WILL BE OK IN TIME AS FOR PLOD NO PROBLEM AS LONG AS WE CAN HOLD ON TO HIM.

I DO HOWEVER THINK THAT IF THE RIGHT STRIKER COMES UP IN TRANSFER WINDOW WE MUST FIND THE MONEY TO INVEST IN HIM

Scoring goals isn't just about having the right strikers though, it's about them getting the right service in the right kind of areas. As RR says, our formation lacks width, and our forwards more often than not have to create their own chances or rely on dead-ball delivery.

All of our forward players are capable of scoring goals, as their records show. But the way we play we're never going to score a bucketful of goals. Nor are we likely to concede loads either - we rely on having a solid defence and keeping the ball in midfield. I'm not saying it's the wrong thing to do - as long as results keep progressing, the means can be justified. And it seems to be the way many teams play these days. But it can be quite frustrating to watch. And, as Saturday seems to show (not that I was there), it doesn't always work.

[ty cobb]

I find the problem is more the wide players we've got are pretty poor. I didn't rate Potter when we are in the Conference and he's been average at best whenever I've seen him. He doesn't beat his man and his final ball is lacking.

Wilder got this one wrong, we were dominant in the first half and bringing Potter on for Heslop who was having a good game was very odd and put us on the back foot. What formation did we play after that - wasn't obvious to me at all.

Aldershot got their tactics spot on after they went down to 10 and gradually started to dominate the match. We didn't have any urgency about us and we run out of ideas and started launching it long.

Batt had a bit of a shocker with his long balls but at least he gets to the by line and creates a bit of panic and uncertainty in the oppos defence. Whing is not a central midfielder, he looks out of place there. Was also poor at right back.

Leven looks a class act, the strikers were linking well in the first half until we scored and then we spend the rest of the half dicking about with it and the back and then didn't seem to know where to play in the second.

A very poor afternoons &quotentertainment&quot, with the second highest attendance in the division and better than 8 in the league above I think it's time that we started asking for a bit better then a mid table team putting in mid table performances.

[OUFC4eva]

Note to Chris Wilder:

Dear Chris.

Please take the handcuffs off this team.

Yours

A concerned Oxford United fan.