Dale fail

[Kernow Yellow]

Not impressed with that performance at all. Not enough ambition, not enough belief, and too many players had off days. What was up with Kitson? He was distinctly average today, and doesn't seem to have any kind of understanding with Constable up front. And Beano STILL spends too much time offside. Marsh did ok when he came on, given his lack of experience, but he can't be expected to do everything himself - and he did miss the best opportunity of the match.

Is it really too much to expect a left winger on the left hand side when we're pushing for a winner? Especially when our right winger was having such a stinker. We did have two wingers on the bench, after all. Whing was poor as well, though oddly he seemed to improve after picking up a knock.

Rochdale played like the home team for much of the game, controlling possession and knocking it around nicely without threatening too much. When we did get the ball we too often hoofed a clearance straight back to them. We also played on the break quite effectively, but our midfield were painfully slow to join in, and not enough forward moves resulted in decent chances. Danny Rose's MOTM award was probably justified, but it would have been nice if some of the others had challenged him for the accolade. His ball to Marsh for the chance that should have won it was inch-perfect.

If we're going to play like that at home all season, we won't even make the play-offs. Again.

[joepoolman]

I can't help but feel Oxford fans as a whole are being quite negative at the moment. Ok today's game wasn't great, but Rochdale weren't a bad team and kept the ball very well. A few players didn't play very well and I'd like to see a left winger covering for Rigg, but as I was saying everything's not that bad coming out of the game today a passing fan said to me "they're shit mate" I said "we're right up near the top of the league mate", "nah they're shit".

Let's look at the bigger picture, after the first month of the season we're unbeaten and 2nd place in the league, the highest scorers, and have 5 players that have scored two or more goals each, I think that there aren't many fans that wouldn't have settled for that on the way down to Pompey. Yes there's room for improvement, but if you can do that well and still have room for improvement then things must be looking up?!

[OUFC4eva]

Of course the bigger picture is the league position or is it?

The team looked lethargic in my view and devoid of energy, the squad
looks worrying thin with no real creative midfielder in the club
and people look to have niggling little knocks.

Rose is doing terrific for us centrally but Whingy looks miles off. Is he fit because he looks to be running in
quick sand? Both full backs concern me defensively too. That we insist on playing Asa wide left
baffles me. I would have moved him into the centre as Whing was toiling and was yellow carded
and brought on O'Dowda.

Dale were worthy of a point and may have nicked it as the second half wore on.
They played the better passing football overall.

Far too many 5/10 performances today and 1,000 home fans missing from
the Wycombe game is concerning.

[amershamwrighty]

I accept all the caveats about 'only 5 games/injuries/playing decent sides' and so on, but I am still disappointed after the last 2 games.

A few things are not clear to me :

- why Whingy is so off the pace : he was really poor against Wycombe and when he was (unfairly ?) booked today, the fight drained out of him

- why the team lacks urgency - on several occasions in the second half today, Clarke was ready to throw the ball out to launch an attack quickly but players were jogging back to the halfway line/facing the wrong way/in poor positions

- what, exactly, is so wonderful about Kitson ? Sure, he has football intelligence : his header back across goal leading up to Beano's goal today was smart, but he missed one/two free headers against Wycombe and today played a silly pass across the 6 yard box to nobody when he was in loads of space and should have had a go himself

- how it is that Keith Hill, a decent manager at this level, at half time managed to inspire a side that hadn't troubled us into one that not only scored a decent equaliser but bloody nearly won it in time added on with a cross across our box that two of their players couldn't quite reach : yet CW couldn't even inspire a team 1-0 up to go on and win the game

Oh well - still 2nd in the table and I would have settled for that if you had asked me before the Portsmouth game.

[Dr Bob]

According to CWs interview on RadOx, Kitson was ill overnight on Friday, but with Smalley not recovering in time, Kitson was started. During the game I too could not believe how poor Kitson was, but that seems to explain it. I suppose the plan always was to leave him on for as long as he could manage, then bring on Ty. I guess when one striker is injured and the other ill, our striking options will look thin... which does not explain why Hall was played out wide rather than in a forward central-midfield position where I think he is much better, given also the number of proper wingers we had on the bench.

I thought Whing was better than last week, but seemed to flag badly towards the end. Why Potter was not taken off I did not understand - he was awful. His poor defensive play also left the RB position exposed - a real problem given how much pace Rochdale's wide-men had. Having now seen the last two games, our full backs really worry me.

Or is the problem our general inability to play as well at home as away? Off for my first away game of the season next week, so maybe that will reveal something. From these two games, however, the reason I am more negative than perhaps I should be, given our league position, is that with this difference in performance home and away, I just keep thinking here we go again...

[Kairdiff Exile]

I too could not believe how poor Kitson was, but that seems to explain it. I suppose the plan always was to leave him on for as long as he could manage, then bring on Ty. I guess when one striker is injured and the other ill, our striking options will look thin...

In which case, surely, the sensible thing would have been to START with Marsh as one of the only two fit strikers, give him his big chance to prove himself - not start with a player who was demonstrably below par and then leave Marsh only a short part of the game to make an impact. Has Wilder learnt nothing? The point of the development squad was to make Marsh et al ready for these sorts of situations when the circumstances arose.

[Paul Cooper]

I was really looking forward to the two home games.

I genuinely thought that we had the chance to get 4-6 points and put up a show for the supporters.

But in both games we have been extremely poor. The frustration is in relation to the lack of belief in the younger players. If CW won't put on COD or Williams when we are chasing a winner, and as has been said above, when some of the players are clearly out of sorts, then we are in trouble. The squad clearly does not have enough depth if the younger players can't be trusted.

As others have said Whing is well off the pace and Rose is having to carry midfield on his own. Why Davies or Hall were not put in to replace Whing I don't know.

March to me was disappointing. He missed a great chance and was too easily knocked off the ball. It seems to me that he needs to bulk up a little.

Overall though we have to show more ambition and style in home games to try and get some of those missing supporters back..

[GodalmingYellow]

Wilder must learn to select players in their proper positions, even when that means selecting a younger player ahead of an experienced one.

O'Dowda should have been on from the start ahead of Asa Hall, who is neither a left winger nor good enough at this level.

Hall continually moves infield, as might be expected from a central midfielder, and that leaves us exposed on the left. The Dale right back wasn't anything special as Wilder intimated, he was just given far too much space. Any right back worth their salt would have exploited the weakness.

Furthermore, I would add that our two full backs that have been signed this year, are clearly turning out to be sub-standard, especially Hunt at right back. Bring back Damien Batt I say.

Mullins had a lesser performance on Saturday as did Whing. Not much we can do about Smalley being injured and Kitson regurgitating at both ends, but why not start with Ty?

First half I thought we played pretty well overall, with Danny Rose having an outstanding 45 minutes, as did Beano.

Second half it all went to pot, with Kitson not really able to continue, and the combination of Hall and the full backs struggling, and the Dale manager targeting our weak spots.

Hopefully a blip.

[SmileyMan]

Could easily have been 4-1, so I'm chalking this one up as a spot of bad luck, personally.

Only another 122 points to guarantee automatic promotion!

[Out of the gloom]

Problem with Rochdale game is it came only a week after Wycombe.

Whatever the merits of Hall (who I thought did a decent job), starting one winger is a fair enough tactic. The frustration is compounded by picking no wingers last week, we again did not press forward as expected of a home side. On Saturday I was less concerned with substituting O'Dowda on, but no Williams for Potter, who was flagging.

[tomoufc]

I don't know about this negativity. Personally I'm thinking of saving it until we actually lose. It's been said before but I think last season we would have lost those two home matches, so I think there's at least been a bit of improvement so far. I think there's much more to come from Kitson too. Smalley, Constable and even Hall are looking better than they have before. The midfield is a worry, but can't help thinking that meads will sort that out when he's back (OK he's not back for a while.... Yes, we are lacking strength in depth. But (some) fans can't have it both ways. In previous seasons we'd have had at least an extra forward and midfielder on loan by now. But Marsh was given a chance to go and win it, except he's not that good really, is he? And maybe COD is a year or so away from being competitive at this level. Look how long it's taken for Potter to show his potential.

To sum up I'm taking the long view. I think things will improve, and the focus on youth will show results in years to come. I wasn't at the Kasstad on Saturday, and I'm quite glad to have missed another of those games, but I feel for those supporters who have sat through another drab affair. Let's see where we are after ten games, though. Let's see where we are by Christmas.

[Dr Bob]

Thanks Tom - you have reminded me about something else that is getting on my goat. This is now, I would guess, the third season in a row where the "last season we would have lost that game" line has come out.Sorry, but I cannot take it seriously any longer.

[Kairdiff Exile]

Good point, Bob.

To that list, can I add the line "If you can get a win whilst playing badly, it's the mark of a good team". Well maybe, but it can also be the mark of a crap but lucky one. And it's only a short step from there to playing badly and NOT getting a win - which in my experience is more often than not what happens next.

[tomoufc]

Thanks Tom - you have reminded me about something else that is getting on my goat. This is now, I would guess, the third season in a row where the "last season we would have lost that game" line has come out.Sorry, but I cannot take it seriously any longer.

Antonio Gramsci used the formulation "pessimism of the intellect; optimism of the will". I suggest you have a think about that.