Could have been Wurzel

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Kernow Yellow
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Could have been Wurzel

Post by Kernow Yellow »

Where to start with today's game? Our wasteful (lack of) finishing? Our early defensive frailties (again)? Our failure to beat a really, really poor team? Yet I was surprised how despondent everyone was at the final whistle - it's a point away from home after all, which will look ok if we win at Notts County on Saturday.

But we can't gloss over the cracks. This team should be scoring a lot more goals. The Taylor/Roofe partnership clearly wasn't working today. Why did we take so long before changing it? What has Hylton done so wrong to be frozen out? He deserves better than this when the team is misfiring (Boxing Day aside, when no forwards scored).

Positives today: Slocombe looked good again; Dunkley bounced back from Saturday's horror show; we created enough chances to win 3 games; Lundstram again looked good; more than 1,000 Oxford fans made the journey to show their support; The Arrow pub's range of ales.

Negatives: our profligacy; Roofe's hissy fits at his teammates; Baldock's tendency to back off forwards, inviting them towards our goal; the awful traffic on the A303 at lunchtime.

Darryl Eales watched from the away terrace, and didn't seem particularly enamoured of what he'd witnessed at the final whistle. We've picked up 4 points from our 2 Christmas games, but I'd say we've played poorly for at least 2 halves of football in those matches. Meanwhile our promotion rivals keep winning. I'm very pleased by our position in the table, but don't understand why there seems to be so much complacency amongst our fan base this season, such a certainty that we're going up. There's a long way to go and a lot of hard work along the way. 2015 has seen a great run of results, but we need to push on.

Here's to a Happy Yellow New Year...
OUFC4eva
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Re: Could have been Wurzel

Post by OUFC4eva »

So what do you feel United need to do in Jan. to cement a promotion place?
The squad looks capable - just needs a tweak or two possibly?
Jimski
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Re: Could have been Wurzel

Post by Jimski »

Kernow Yellow wrote:What has Hylton done so wrong to be frozen out?
I was wondering this. Is it that Appleton didn't sign him? (He also seems very keen to establish Dunkley in the back four.) Hylton gives us a whole different dimension when he's on the field - I'm sure any of our promotion rivals would love to have him.
slappy
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Re: Could have been Wurzel

Post by slappy »

After the Exeter game I thought we now had a settled back four of Skarz Mullins Wright Baldock. However an injury to Mullins brought Dunkley back into the side, and it seemed everything he got wrong against Exeter he got right yesterday. No fannying around, just good old fashioned tackling, blocking and clearing.

On another day that could have been 3-1 to us and that would have been a fair result. We deserved a couple of goals, Yeovil one too.
recordmeister
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Re: Could have been Wurzel

Post by recordmeister »

Fascinated, Kernow, that you can pick out a pubs range of ales as a positive but not this observation:

"Darryl Eales watched from the away terrace, and didn't seem particularly enamoured of what he'd witnessed at the final whistle."

That's probably the biggest positive of the day, isn't it?! Or are we still so scared by the ghosts of Chairmen past that we are yet to really embrace one who seems to be doing such good, and seems to be so passionate?!
YF Dan
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Re: Could have been Wurzel

Post by YF Dan »

I had a rotten view...I'd decided to book seats early as I was taking my wee lad and couldn't risk an open terrace, and was rewarded with a seat by the corner flag...we moved as far as we could towards the half way line at kick off but still were quite low down.

However, from this unusual vantage point, my thoughts are:

1) We improved massively once Dunkley came on. He won everything that went anywhere near him, quite often in the opposition half, and then used the ball really sensibly. His improvement from last season is extraordinary. A totally different player. I like Wright and I like Mullins but on that performance those two have to fight over one place. Whoever called him Donkley elsewhere should hang their head in shame.

2) Baldock and MacDonald are a great combo.

3) If we had a weak link on the day, I'd say it was Skarz who had a few shaky moments and looks the least comfortable on the ball. He's got plenty of credit in the bank though, but just perhaps needs a breather.

4) I've been worried about our lack of an old fashioned goal scorer for a while. So many shots and crosses fizzed across the goal...we are great to watch, but do we have Arsenal-itis? It seems we have lots of players capable of scoring great goals but no-one who really wants to just loiter and bulge the onion bag.

5) We've chosen a bad year to be good. It seems there are lots of teams in the league who are getting their act together and are capable of challenging for the three promotion spots, whereas other years teams seem to do their best to want to screw up (ourselves at the forefront of this more than once.) We are a great team, the best Oxford side in years, but I'm a long way from convinced we'll go up.

6) Didn't see Roofe's tantrum. He was a bit greedy a few times but it's that greed that has stuck unbelievable goals in for us at great times throughout the season. If his tantrum was about us wasting chances against a poor team, I'm happy. We need that hunger to win.

7) Hoobs looks better than I've seen before but his lack of pace will always hold him back. Perhaps he could be the fox in the box we need, but can we accomodate someone in the team who is soooo slow?

8) I love Danny Hylton's effort but perhaps he's too similar to Roofe in style to accommodate both in the team? He's a great asset to the squad but I guess he wants first team football...wouldn't be totally surprised if he moved during the transfer window. He also seems to have great autumn's and springs, goals wise, but struggles in the winter months... perhaps the heavier pitches hold him back.

9) I thought the Kassam stadium was inconvenient but I don't think I've ever know a ground be so remote from a) town centre and b) railway station. Thank god I had family nearby. That would have been a public transport nightmare. I'd been to Huish many years ago for a Conference match vs Bath (I was in the area) and had forgotten what a total ball-ache it was to get to. Really don't care if they get relegated...I can do without going back there again.

10) Oh yes. Why does Slocombe keep coming so far out of goal? Has he not learned from Stevenage?
Werthers Original
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Re: Could have been Wurzel

Post by Werthers Original »

Dunkley is good in the air and at tussling with big chaps but was scary against nippy Exeter.

I hope Hylton is just being rested, I would hate for him to leave. His constant running maybe catches up with him after a while - he doesn't exactly leave much in reserve. I'd give Hoobs more game time and tell him to look for tap ins - we only seem capable of wonder goals at the moment.
Brahma Bull
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Re: Could have been Wurzel

Post by Brahma Bull »

I think most were initially frustrated but it was a good point.

Yeovil did themselves and their fans proud with some do or die defending, defending as if their football league status is on the line. Shame Oxford didn't play that way in relegated seasons gone by :P

Their manager claimed we're the best side in the entire league, I tend to agree with him.

Dunkley did himself proud after his Exeter exploits. Slocombe has done well in two games, showing some regained confidence. Baldock and Macca are an excellent partnership, with a brilliant understanding. Our midfield duo once again did well, Lundstrum particularly. Roofe was infuriating but we continued to get the ball and he made things happen. Up top has been our issue for weeks and weeks and weeks. Hylton's absence spoke volumes - he looks an angry man too. Generally, there were lots of positives.

We need a slight tinkering. I think the club want a centre-half but Dunkley did well again. If we bring in better, than two of the three on the books, then so be it.

It's a striker we need. Who knows if we will spend bucks or take a loan/free. Who knows if we'll sell to make things happen. I am genuinely excited that we'll bring a couple in and if we cash in on someone departing, then that means quality coming through the door.

The player I'd sell in a heart-beat is Callum. No way is he worth the money being touted about, time to cash in and re-invest to secure promotion. I see YF claim Joe Piggot is a target, that would be very good. Scored a lot for a young boy. I would equally not be surprised to see the club surprise us and bring in a player we could/would only dream about.
Kernow Yellow
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Re: Could have been Wurzel

Post by Kernow Yellow »

recordmeister wrote:Fascinated, Kernow, that you can pick out a pubs range of ales as a positive but not this observation:

"Darryl Eales watched from the away terrace, and didn't seem particularly enamoured of what he'd witnessed at the final whistle."

That's probably the biggest positive of the day, isn't it?! Or are we still so scared by the ghosts of Chairmen past that we are yet to really embrace one who seems to be doing such good, and seems to be so passionate?!
Sorry, what's the big positive here? That he watched from the away terrace? He does that most weeks - we don't need to make a big deal of it every time, and I don't think he'd want us to. Plus I think he's almost universally embraced for the way he's going about his job. He came over to the group I was with in the pub before kick-off and chatted, and as usual he seemed a nice genuine guy. I'll judge his chairmanship by other criteria than the ability to sink pre-match pints though. Not that I think it's an act - he seems to have become a genuine fan. I just hope he can continue to separate out the other side of his job dispassionately.

As for Dan's post, I agree with much of it, particularly the fact that Dunkley improved us defensively when he came on. However, we improved massively at the back when he went off on Boxing Day. He's not the finished article by any means.

Also, I used to think that Skarz was the weak link in the back four too, but I've changed my mind, and I don't think he did much wrong yesterday. Baldock is the least solid defensively, and doesn't cope well when attackers run at him. He's wonderful going forward of course and has an incredible engine, but most of Yeovil's (and Exeter's) dangerous moments came down our right side. Also it was Baldock telling Slocombe to come and clear the ball near the touch line at the end, not Sam's decision. But Appleton is happy to risk balancing one out-and-out attacking full back with a more defensive one, and I think it's a good, positive decision which generally reaps rewards.
slappy
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Re: Could have been Wurzel

Post by slappy »

Agree with the point about the ground being miles from the town or either train station. On the way from Yeovil Junction, it was £18 from the taxi rank to the The Arrow. I had noticed the match-ticket was sponsored by Radio Cabs, but didn't spot their number printed vertically on the edge of the ticket to call them from the train. On the way back, £14 by pre-booked taxi. Between four it wasn't too bad, but as buses weren't running it would have been expensive for fans travelling in smaller numbers.

An Exeter fan said what a group of them do is go by train to Crewkerne which is the stop before Yeovil (from Exeter), there is a friendly publican there, who will borrow his brother's minibus and drop-off and collect after the match if there are at least ten of them. I guess that wouldn't really work for Oxford fans as most of us need to start heading back home not long after the match.
recordmeister
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Re: Could have been Wurzel

Post by recordmeister »

[quote="Kernow Yellow"][quote="recordmeister"]Fascinated, Kernow, that you can pick out a pubs range of ales as a positive but not this observation:

"Darryl Eales watched from the away terrace, and didn't seem particularly enamoured of what he'd witnessed at the final whistle."

That's probably the biggest positive of the day, isn't it?! Or are we still so scared by the ghosts of Chairmen past that we are yet to really embrace one who seems to be doing such good, and seems to be so passionate?![/quote]

Sorry, what's the big positive here? That he watched from the away terrace? He does that most weeks - we don't need to make a big deal of it every time, and I don't think he'd want us to. Plus I think he's almost universally embraced for the way he's going about his job. He came over to the group I was with in the pub before kick-off and chatted, and as usual he seemed a nice genuine guy. I'll judge his chairmanship by other criteria than the ability to sink pre-match pints though. Not that I think it's an act - he seems to have become a genuine fan. I just hope he can continue to separate out the other side of his job dispassionately.[/quote]

Quite frankly I don't care where the chairman sits in the ground, but I DO care about his reaction to not beating the out of form, bottom of the table team while all others around us win their games. It's not his position in the ground which I note as a positive, but your observation of his reaction. It shows passion and a desire to win. I hope he knows his boundaries and doesn't end up in the dressing room, but he has the management team into his office this week to make sure that they know how frustrated he was with the group of players.
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