U's v Seagulls

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OUFC4eva
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U's v Seagulls

Post by OUFC4eva »

Brighton without several key players
including Dale Stephens, Liam Rosenior
and Connor Goldson.

Albion played very much a weakened
team including a makeshift back four
but still thumped Col. U 4-0
in round one:

http://www.theargus.co.uk/sport/1469763 ... k_at_last/
Shoobedoo
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Re: U's v Seagulls

Post by Shoobedoo »

OK I'll start then!

I thought that this was a hugely entertaining game that deserved a better audience (no blame for this directed at Brighton fans who sold most of their tickets).

I've seen Brighton a few times over the last couple of seasons and Hughton is doing a great job and has them well organised and very powerful. They are surely a Premier League team in waiting.

That said, I thought we gave them (albeit their reserves) a game for much of it. After the first 10 minutes I thought we were in for a royal hiding, but we worked hard to get back in the game and at the end of the first half and for a good chunk of the second I thought we at least matched them and might even be shading things. Even when their second went in we didn't give up and were desperately unlucky not to equalise when Lunny crashed one against the bar, and of course they then went up the other end and scored again. I thought the fourth goal made the scoreline feel harsh so was glad when Crowley curled in a little beauty with the last kick of the game.

Positives: Eastwood (again) - looks so assured between the sticks; Dunks, even though he's fighting a losing battle with the makeshift defence around him; Lunny looks to be getting back to his best; Rothwell, a very accomplished midfield performance - great engine, good passing and deservedly man of the match; Thomas seems to love the KasStad and I enjoyed Crowley's little cameo at the end.

Negatives - the defence is really threadbare without Nelson and Edwards/Ribiero. Both fullbacks were constantly being done by the superior pace of Brighton's wide players, and Skarz while putting in a shift was out of position on more than a few occasions and doesn't strike me as a natural centreback.

So out but I'm not too downcast. The team is starting to gel and as our missing defenders start to regain fitness I'm sure things will tighten up at the back.
ty cobb
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Re: U's v Seagulls

Post by ty cobb »

Are we that threadbare at the back though? We have two out of three first choice centre backs available, our first choice left back and although our injury prone right back is injured, we have our second choice right back from the start of the season playing last night.

I think the problem is of our own making, Nelson already seems to not be considered up to the task with a left back preferred to play ahead of him. This then makes us weak at left back so we end up with a central midfielder filling in on the basis he did a decent job for a couple of games last season when we were flying and teams we were playing were at a lower level and had half a mind on the beach. We relied on Long to be the back up right back (and I actually think he's done alright when he's played) which meant his lack of experience has resulted in a loan move.

We look disjointed at the back because we have dismantled a solid back four who could play in different positions - Mullins at right back for example. Although it is early days we look leaky at the back (and did so in pre season) and miss Wrights calm assurance.

Hopefully things will improve but I do rather feel this wound is somewhat self inflicted.
YF Dan
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Re: U's v Seagulls

Post by YF Dan »

By Nelson, I presume you meant Martin, Ty.

But yes, unless he really is being hampered by that blister, it seems Aaron Martin has been discarded. Which given that we did let two other options go, does seem a folly.

Appleton is a funny one. When he writes a player off, it seems nothing will change his mind about that. He'd clearly decided that Wright and Mullins (and Hylton for that matter) were not up to League One. Mullins I feel may have struggled, but the idea that Wright is worse than Martin seems bizarre. Especially given all the other positives Wright brings off the field.

If I was Aaron Martin now, I'd be feeling pretty worried about my future at the club. To shift a left back to centre back, exposing a midfielder to cover the left back position, whilst playing a younger at right back speaks volumes about the lack of trust in Martin. Which given that we've just signed him on a two year deal suggests a real failure in recruitment. If Wright was here now, he'd be playing alongside Dunkley, Skarz would be LB and none of us would be worried.

Having said all that, to lose Nelson and Ribiero at the same time is bad luck, especially to impact injuries.

I said this about Wilder and I'll say it about Appleton too. I think sometimes they'd both benefit from a chairman that says "no, work with what you've got".

The latest new signing gossip (not though gossip ever appears to be right) about Ledson seems strange...midfield is one area we seem well stacked.
Kernow Yellow
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Re: U's v Seagulls

Post by Kernow Yellow »

Shoobedoo wrote:I thought that this was a hugely entertaining game that deserved a better audience
I feel slightly hypocritical criticising the attendance when I wasn't there myself (midweek matches are nigh-on impossible from Cornwall), but barely 2,500 home fans for a League Cup game against a top Championship side - wtf? Prices were reduced as well, weren't they? Since when did our fanbase become so fickle? We had more than that for cup games against Braintree and Forest Green last year!

Maybe that dreadful 'EFL' rebranding has backfired a bit - did people think this was a Trophy match?

Regarding the central defender debate I agree with previous contributors - moving Skarz there weakens the left back and centre back positions. If Martin isn't up to it/fit enough then we need to sign another centre back asap. And a decent one at that. I wonder if Jake Wright fancies a loan move!
Jimski
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Re: U's v Seagulls

Post by Jimski »

Shoobedoo's post above could pretty much be mine too. The only exception being that I still think Lundstram is a little off last season's form.

But yes came away from the match feeling strangely upbeat, not something I often feel after a 4-2 home defeat!
OUFC4eva
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Re: U's v Seagulls

Post by OUFC4eva »

Surely Sercombe is failing to hit the heights too?

He is struggling to get into games - last night
was not the first time - hence Lunny is shouldering
a big workload in the engine room. Ledson
is a quality player but Rothwell looked
excellent last night in my view.
Loads of energy and good passing.

I don't like Skarzy as a left sided centre half
with Ruffels outside him.As for Long - he
had a tough night up against LuaLua
who cut him to shreds.

The jury is still out on Hemmings
although I've seen glimpses of
real class at times.

Eastwood has been fantastic.
Last edited by OUFC4eva on Thu Aug 25, 2016 5:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
GodalmingYellow
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Re: U's v Seagulls

Post by GodalmingYellow »

I agree with the earlier posters regarding the back line.

On midfield I don't agree that Lunny is coming good whilst Sercs is struggling. I would put them the other way around. For me Sercs is the player winning the ball back, making surging runs with his box to box style and linking up play to the forwards. Lunny on the other hand is still struggling to find his passing game with far too much going wildly astray and for a player staying deep to provide back line cover, the goals conceded this term are a good indicator that Lunny isn't provided the extra defensive cover. The game is going on around Lunny and he can't get near the ball other than from Eastwood and back line handouts.

Brighton showed us what decent finishing is. If our finishing had been up to scratch, we would not have lost the game. Wes is scoring regularly, but each of his goals involved heavy slices of luck. Against Posh, his shot was going way wide until it hit the defender, and last night it was a rebound that he stuck a leg out at, which the defenders should have cleared. It is always going to be difficult to drop a player who is scoring, even if on the lucky side, but Wes' lack of team play (and I would accuse Hemmings of the same) is shockingly poor. Without Taylor on the pitch we just do not hold the ball up front.

It was a weakened Brighton side that we were on level terms with for much of the match, but it was also a weakened Oxford side through injuries and selection changes. The scoreline flattered Brighton, although they were marginally the better side on the night. An entertaining game generally though.
Kairdiff Exile
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Re: U's v Seagulls

Post by Kairdiff Exile »

YF Dan wrote:I said this about Wilder and I'll say it about Appleton too. I think sometimes they'd both benefit from a chairman that says "no, work with what you've got".
Completely agree with that - although in the case of our lack of centre back cover, I'm not sure Appleton has got much with which to work. Ditto right-back cover once Long was shown up, hence the need for a loan.
Werthers Original
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Re: U's v Seagulls

Post by Werthers Original »

Wes is scoring regularly, but each of his goals involved heavy slices of luck.
"The harder I practice, the luckier I get"
YF Dan
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Re: U's v Seagulls

Post by YF Dan »

Werthers Original wrote:
Wes is scoring regularly, but each of his goals involved heavy slices of luck.
"The harder I practice, the luckier I get"
More to the point, the more you shoot and get in goal scoring positions, the more you score. Taylor alas does neither.
Jimski
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Re: U's v Seagulls

Post by Jimski »

On the Lunny / Sercombe thing, I thought that Sercombe had a good box-to-box game against Brighton.
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