"neilw" wrote:I was hoping that I'd be able to share comment by now, but no, unfortunately I'm still lost for words. Can't quite believe what I witnessed last night. I can only conclude that there really is something of substance in the gypsy curse. No other possible explanation.
It's the Monday night hoodoo - everytime we've played on Monday night at the Kassam we've been rubbish.
We've been sussed out, the players aren't comfortable with the formation anymore as we don't seem to have a outlet. If a wingback gets it it's usually from the midfielder on their side and so the wing back is totally isolated. With 4-4-2 the fuill back can still push on and support the winger.
Before last night Jim could argue that we had gone through a differcult period of games, lots of injurys and new players bedding in and we weren't getting outplayed, which on the whole we weren't.
However, last night has to be a turning point, he needs to re-assess the formation, switch to 4-4-2 and get a pacy skillful right winger in. With that and Eddie backing up, Burgess on the other side we might start creating some chances for our strikers who spent all day with their back to goal.
"Matt D" wrote:if the signings have all been bad, how do you account for the start we had to our season? it seems a long time ago, but we did play well at times, didn't we? (he asks in an increasingly hysterical manner...
I don't think we've played well on many occasions at all this season. We had defensive resilience and a bit of luck, but now we have either. Hence my comment after Woking that this is turning into Atkins all over again.
Teams have not only found us out formation-wise, but realised that all they have to do to beat us is battle a bit. We don't look like we want a fight at all. In fact, we don't look like we want to be playing any part in a football match at all.
If Awford is in charge of coaching matters, he has to take a large slice of blame. Our set pieces (particularly throw-ins) are an embarrassment, and the players are rarely in the right area to receive passes. That's if the passes go somewhere useful for them to receive them.
The passing last night was quite shocking, with Rose and Quinn especially culpable.
I had the dubious misfortune of watching the game in a pub in Wycombe with music drowning out any commentary, so I have no idea how accurate Walker was all the way through. The one thing that did strike me was the look of sadness and despair in the eyes of John Aldridge when he was talking to Jeff Stelling after the game. He actually looked ready to shed a tear for what has become of the club he played for.
The other thing that struck me was as I ooh'd and aah'd and gasped and sighed and groaned was the sense of pity (rather than gloating) emanating from the other people around me. We have long lamented the differing directions Oxford and REading have gone in over recent years, but to have the same said in terms of Wycombe too is a very sad state of affairs.
I must echo the comments about playing the ball behind teammates rather than infront to run on to, while another thing that astounded me was the number of raking cross-field passes from forward of the centre-circle BACK to Rufus Brevitt on the left flank on the halfway line - what on earth were they meant to achieve, given he could not find another yellow shirt all night and rarely ventured out of his own half.
Another gasp of disbelief came when we finally got a corner on the right, then took it short and managed to lose the ball without it even getting into the penalty box. Had to smile halfway through the second half when the cameras flicked to Smith and Awford, who promptly had a Graham Taylor/Phil Neil discussion as follows: "No!", "No?", "NO", "No" - fantastic.
Individually, Coombs was good in places, though bad in others, Rose did not impose himself as much as I would expect, Burgess very lightweight. Anaclet should be encouraged to at least try to use his left foot occasionally. Gunn did well enough to show he can be called in when necessary, if not yet secure a place for the rest of the season. Tardif did well too I thought(maybe a last desparate effort to get someone to sign him before the window closes?).
My final confusion was when they showed the league table and we had a goal difference of ||22. How on earth has that shambles been able to score 22 goals all season, let alone 22 more than they have conceeded.
As for having the double done by a lowly side Boris, am I not correct in remembering that our seven wins in 00/01 including one if not two doubles?
5-3-2 may have worked for a while, but once that gets found out (as it has) and times get hard, there is very little to be said against 4-4-2, mainly because all players are used to it and have an idea of their roles and those of their teammates.
Overall I think we have lost any respect that we may have earned among the non-league fraternity during the period while we were clear at the top and playing well, and with Dagenham holding the moral support of the neutral (after the whole Boston affair), I think there will be few tears shed over our demise over the rest of the season (apart from those of joy in parts of Wiltshire).
Frankly, I think GY's thread about a date in August says it all
Having caught up with all the postings a few more comments from me.
As a follower of Oxford Utd I now feel my spirit has been broken. I will be there on Saturday but almost certainly without any optimism whatsoever. Even if we beat Cambridge where does that leave us – way behind D&R. If we had equalised last night I don’t think I could have mustered any enthusiasm to clap let alone leap in the air as in days of old.
How some of our supporters can clap the players off after shite like that is beyond belief . (The clappers will probably think they are loyal whereas the booers are not). But players playing in a failed system are up against it from the start – not that that was an excuse for what went on on the pitch – so my post match boos and cat calls were more aimed at the management team.
Having seen Duffy’s miss on telly it looks like the keeper got a touch on it.
Agree we are really missing Wilmott – Gilly’s injuries have turned him into half the player he was.
If we need to give Jim time because he has only been in the job 9 mths – how come he (allegedly) got it right early on but has now got it so so wrong. That looks like 2 steps forward and about 5 backwards to me. And as for the comparison with Ferguson – he was not 65 years of age when he took over at Man Utd. I really don’t think he has it in him – sad but obvious, although I do hope I’m wrong. But just say we did fluke our way up – this team would get slaughtered week after week in Div 2 so we would have to rebuild anyway.
We can’t even do the most basics of basics right let alone look like winning football matches. Incredible that this was our first home defeat of the season.
It's not just me then. As I said to Ancient Colin as we trudged mournfully back towards the George, I felt as bad after that as I did on the last day of last season, maybe even a little worse. Play-offs if we're really, really lucky but I can't see how they're going to shake themselves out of this slump. I'm so dispirited that halfway through the second half I even asked my mate for the money back I had given him to buy my Aldershot ticket. It's bad enough having to travel an hour to the United Stadium for home games without being humiliated in my own back yard! (And if that's tempting the fate of an Oxford win then I'm happy to make the sacrifice for you!).
The only thing that hasn't been mentioned is how many of last nights team were regulars in the 19 match unbeaten run? Straws and clutching! I don't sleep well at the best of times but last night I lay awake for hours.
"Ancient Colin" wrote:Johnson? Brevett? Slabber? For much of the season Anaclet's been a liability. Day has moments, but is he what we want/need? Gilchrist is painfully slow, his distribution is awful and his inability to mark at setpieces is contributing to the problems - the absence of Wilmott really highlights that. That was the first time I've seen Rose, and it was pretty hard to imagine Man U having him as a professional with "passing" like that.
Ah we lock horns again AC.
Anaclet was our best player last night though. Rushden were petrified of him.
A young lad making his way with some talent. OK he 's not an apprentice Roberto Carlos I'll accept that... but a 'liabilty'? No way Jose.
I've vented my spleen on TIU so havew little to add. . Suffice to say i'm still in mourning.
Knowing OUFC we'll win 6-0 on Saturday now. Wouldn't that be funny?
"Mooro" wrote:I had the dubious misfortune of watching the game in a pub in Wycombe with music drowning out any commentary, so I have no idea how accurate Walker was all the way through. The one thing that did strike me was the look of sadness and despair in the eyes of John Aldridge when he was talking to Jeff Stelling after the game. He actually looked ready to shed a tear for what has become of the club he played for.
The other thing that struck me was as I ooh'd and aah'd and gasped and sighed and groaned was the sense of pity (rather than gloating) emanating from the other people around me. We have long lamented the differing directions Oxford and REading have gone in over recent years, but to have the same said in terms of Wycombe too is a very sad state of affairs.
I must echo the comments about playing the ball behind teammates rather than infront to run on to, while another thing that astounded me was the number of raking cross-field passes from forward of the centre-circle BACK to Rufus Brevitt on the left flank on the halfway line - what on earth were they meant to achieve, given he could not find another yellow shirt all night and rarely ventured out of his own half.
Another gasp of disbelief came when we finally got a corner on the right, then took it short and managed to lose the ball without it even getting into the penalty box. Had to smile halfway through the second half when the cameras flicked to Smith and Awford, who promptly had a Graham Taylor/Phil Neil discussion as follows: "No!", "No?", "NO", "No" - fantastic.
Individually, Coombs was good in places, though bad in others, Rose did not impose himself as much as I would expect, Burgess very lightweight. Anaclet should be encouraged to at least try to use his left foot occasionally. Gunn did well enough to show he can be called in when necessary, if not yet secure a place for the rest of the season. Tardif did well too I thought(maybe a last desparate effort to get someone to sign him before the window closes?).
My final confusion was when they showed the league table and we had a goal difference of ||22. How on earth has that shambles been able to score 22 goals all season, let alone 22 more than they have conceeded.
As for having the double done by a lowly side Boris, am I not correct in remembering that our seven wins in 00/01 including one if not two doubles?
5-3-2 may have worked for a while, but once that gets found out (as it has) and times get hard, there is very little to be said against 4-4-2, mainly because all players are used to it and have an idea of their roles and those of their teammates.
Overall I think we have lost any respect that we may have earned among the non-league fraternity during the period while we were clear at the top and playing well, and with Dagenham holding the moral support of the neutral (after the whole Boston affair), I think there will be few tears shed over our demise over the rest of the season (apart from those of joy in parts of Wiltshire).
Frankly, I think GY's thread about a date in August says it all
Why have we lost the support of the non-league fraternity? There has been no discernible arrogance on or off the field shown by the club or its supporters . What eyewash.
"Resurrection Ox" wrote: Ah we lock horns again AC.
Well, no, I tried to word it carefully, I said " for much of the season ... " . And I stand by that. At times he has been worse than dreadful both going forward and going back.
But I agree with you on the whole about yesterday: I thought he had a half-decent game going forward amid the wreckage yesterday and, yes, he even seemed determined to try to go outside people and at people at last, particularly in the second half. And if some of those plonkers out there passed to him rather than miles behind him, he might have had a very good game. I think Hog may be able to confirm me saying that things were in a really bad state when slow Eddy was MoTM. I don't think he defended very well, mind.
I’ve just got back from seeing the North Leigh v Shortwood game in the Hellenic League (that’s just three leagues below Oxford United) and saw a much, much better game of football than last night. As an added bonus it was a 2-1 win for the team on my doorstep and a consolidation of their top of the table status (so they could be just two leagues below us by April).
Chrissy Allen (now 34) scored both home goals and despite playing at centre forward in a nice 4-4-2 formation he still managed to put in 5 or 6 decent crosses that Fast Eddie would have been proud of. He also lasted the full 90 minutes without any problems at all.
I spoke to about one third of the entire crowd tonight (the attendance was only 25 even though it's just £4 for a seat in the stand) and I can tell you ResOx that we are rapidly become the laughing stock of non-league football.
Someone tell me that we have hit the bottom and from here we will rise again to our proper level in the League pyramid. I thought the Orient game was the all-time low but after last night I think it’s now 29th January 2007.
/
Smith Out/Upstairs/Anywhere but the dressing room.
"Snake" wrote:I’ve just got back from seeing the North Leigh v Shortwood game in the Hellenic League (that’s just three leagues below Oxford United) and saw a much, much better game of football than last night. As an added bonus it was a 2-1 win for the team on my doorstep and a consolidation of their top of the table status (so they could be just two leagues below us by April).
Chrissy Allen (now 34) scored both home goals and despite playing at centre forward in a nice 4-4-2 formation he still managed to put in 5 or 6 decent crosses that Fast Eddie would have been proud of. He also lasted the full 90 minutes without any problems at all.
I spoke to about one third of the entire crowd tonight (the attendance was only 25 even though it's just £4 for a seat in the stand) and I can tell you ResOx that we are rapidly become the laughing stock of non-league football.
Someone tell me that we have hit the bottom and from here we will rise again to our proper level in the League pyramid. I thought the Orient game was the all-time low but after last night I think it’s now 29th January 2007.
/
Smith Out/Upstairs/Anywhere but the dressing room.
25 watching? Crikey, I had more than that watching me play on Sunday. Most of them were probably lost rambling over the North Downs or summat!!
I hope you're not suggesting that Chrissy Allen would be a good addition to our squad. We've enough problems already without wheeling out a load of has beens.....
So, Snake, you spoke to about a third of a 25 attendance (let's say 8 people), and from that sample you extrapolate that Oxford are the laughing stock of the whole of non-league footy? Blimey mate, you should get a job with NOP or someone - you could save them a fortune.
And Chrissy Allen is more of a never-was than a has-been, I'd have said (much as I enjoyed watching him speeding down the wing at the Manor).
"Snake" wrote:I’ve just got back from seeing the North Leigh v Shortwood game in the Hellenic League (that’s just three leagues below Oxford United) and saw a much, much better game of football than last night. As an added bonus it was a 2-1 win for the team on my doorstep and a consolidation of their top of the table status (so they could be just two leagues below us by April).
Chrissy Allen (now 34) scored both home goals and despite playing at centre forward in a nice 4-4-2 formation he still managed to put in 5 or 6 decent crosses that Fast Eddie would have been proud of. He also lasted the full 90 minutes without any problems at all.
I spoke to about one third of the entire crowd tonight (the attendance was only 25 even though it's just £4 for a seat in the stand) and I can tell you ResOx that we are rapidly become the laughing stock of non-league football.
Someone tell me that we have hit the bottom and from here we will rise again to our proper level in the League pyramid. I thought the Orient game was the all-time low but after last night I think it’s now 29th January 2007.
/
Smith Out/Upstairs/Anywhere but the dressing room.
Surely we would be the laughing stock of non-league football if we were second from bottom of the Conference. We are in fact second from top.
In addition are'nt there a fair few scum fans out in North Leigh?
"Resurrection Ox" wrote:
Why have we lost the support of the non-league fraternity? There has been no discernible arrogance on or off the field shown by the club or its supporters . What eyewash.
don't disagree with you, just think we're coming at this from different start points. I suspect you took my comments to mean our attitude has lost us respect, whereas I actually think that we, like most other clubs that come down from the FL, were afforded little respect from the non-league fraternity to start off with.
Some then really P people off by continuing to act in an arrogant and disrespectful fashion "we're too big for this league, etc" (which I think is what you thought I meant) while others keep their noses clean and buckle down to earning respect on the field (which is actually what I meant).
All I was saying was that the respect that our on-field performances had earned through the early part of the season (to the point where some opposing managers were quoted as saying our presence in the table was a disgrace as it was taking up a promotion slot) has all but crumbled in recent weeks with most observers taking a quiet delight in our demise.
PS - Snake - Hellenic is four levels below us (Conference, Conference South, Southern Premier, Southern South&West, Hellenic Premier). Our nearest Oxon rivals are Banbury in the Southern Premier.
