DJ or MH

[GodalmingYellow]

One of those wierd games yesterday and a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde performance from OUFC.

Let's get the irritating points out of the way:
Crewe have been taught to fall over at every opportunity.
The ref elected to assist this going over like 9 pins tactics by blowing for a foul every time 2 players with different coloured shirts got within 10 feet of each other and the red shirt fell to the ground.
Crewe clearly came for a draw and were time wasting from 10 minutes in.
Crewe put 11 men behind the ball at all times.

However, none of the above gives any excuses for not scoring whilst we were playing so well in the 1st half. And none of the above gives any excuses for the poor second half performances of the team.

The simple fact is that when we have the ball, and the opposition close us down quickly, our players do not create the movement needed to provide outlets for the ball player, and so we all too often get caught in posession or with the only options being passes along the back line.

Part of that problem seems to me to come from this 4-3-3 system whereby we can very easily get outnumbered in midfield. But a lot of it comes from players not working hard enough to create the spaces.

In the first 35 minutes or so we were the best team in the division, perhaps a better side than any in the division above. Then it started to go horribly wrong.

We must learn to convert chances created. We had more than enough of them. 8 on target versus 1 for Crewe according to the official stats. They scored their 1, we didn't score any of our 8.

Crewe are a hard working side who defend in numbers, chase the ball down, can pass the ball, but have very little threat at the top of the pitch, but were still able to convert where we could not.

As is often the case, it comes down to pure hard work. The determination and desire to keep moving, keep creating spaces, in the knowledge that if the opposition keep chasing, gaps will appear and they will run out of steam.

A very disappointing end to what began as an excellent performance.

[amershamwrighty]

Agree with you, GY.

Some additional points :

- at half time, the general consensus was that the ref should just piss off and let the teams play without a ref because he was spoiling a perfectly good game of football

- one of the callers to RadOx who wasn't talking hysterical garbage made a very good point that a big difference between the sides was that Crewe worked very hard when they hadn't got the ball and therefore closed us down very quickly

- on the way home, we were musing upon who - out of the squad who played yesterday - would be capable of playing consistently at League 1 level. Think about it - three ? four ?

[Baboo]

One of those wierd games yesterday and a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde performance from OUFC.

Let's get the irritating points out of the way:
Crewe have been taught to fall over at every opportunity.
The ref elected to assist this going over like 9 pins tactics by blowing for a foul every time 2 players with different coloured shirts got within 10 feet of each other and the red shirt fell to the ground.
Crewe clearly came for a draw and were time wasting from 10 minutes in.
Crewe put 11 men behind the ball at all times.

However, none of the above gives any excuses for not scoring whilst we were playing so well in the 1st half. And none of the above gives any excuses for the poor second half performances of the team.

The simple fact is that when we have the ball, and the opposition close us down quickly, our players do not create the movement needed to provide outlets for the ball player, and so we all too often get caught in posession or with the only options being passes along the back line.

Part of that problem seems to me to come from this 4-3-3 system whereby we can very easily get outnumbered in midfield. But a lot of it comes from players not working hard enough to create the spaces.

In the first 35 minutes or so we were the best team in the division, perhaps a better side than any in the division above. Then it started to go horribly wrong.

We must learn to convert chances created. We had more than enough of them. 8 on target versus 1 for Crewe according to the official stats. They scored their 1, we didn't score any of our 8.

Crewe are a hard working side who defend in numbers, chase the ball down, can pass the ball, but have very little threat at the top of the pitch, but were still able to convert where we could not.

As is often the case, it comes down to pure hard work. The determination and desire to keep moving, keep creating spaces, in the knowledge that if the opposition keep chasing, gaps will appear and they will run out of steam.

A very disappointing end to what began as an excellent performance.

My stuff is already up. We're largely in agreement here GY.
http&#58//www&#46rageonline&#46co&#46uk ... ws_id=3049

[Radley Rambler]

Disappointed but not surprised at the hysterical reaction of many on RadOx after the game. If Leven's volley had not struck Potter (not his fault), it was definitely in (I was right behind it), I believe we'd have won handsomely and the RadOx phone in would have been about the possibility of automatic promotion. One bloke suggested we should replace Wilder, what a f*c*w*t and of course he offered no suggestion about which out of work manager could take over.

HOWEVER - we stuggle to break teams down who put 11 behind the ball and one reason for this must be the religious adherence to playing McLaren or Whing in front of the back four. This is ok away from home and to a certain extent at home against the better sides in the division. But against a team looking for a point, we have to have more creation and momentum from midfield, Leven can't do it all on his own. The fact that Wright and Duberry were just pumping balls upfield for the last 30 minutes showed that we had lost the midfield battle.

[Baboo]

One bloke suggested we should replace Wilder, what a f*c*w*t and of course he offered no suggestion about which out of work manager could take over.

Yes, I thought it best not to go quite that far in my piece.

[recordmeister]

Two quick points:

- had we not gone to 442 when we conceded? If anything, that fact is a defence of playing 433... maybe.

- Yeah! Wilder out! It's not like we're in the best league position we've been in for 7 years (?) is it... oh, wait...

[theox]

Two quick points:

- had we not gone to 442 when we conceded? If anything, that fact is a defence of playing 433... maybe.

We definitely looked weaker at the back following the change of personnel/formation. They starting attacking down their left and had two decent chances coming down that way before the one they scored from.

[Dr Bob]

The official stats for shots on goal may show 8-1, but other than Leven's shot which hit Potter, I cannot remember any chances as clear cut as theirs. I had hoped Potter would be taken off, but then JPP over-stretched for a ball (at least, I hope that was the reason for substituting him rather than Potter).

For me, a clear manifestation of the midfield problem was how deep Leven was coming in the second half to get the ball - more so, and much more often, than usual. No wonder we struggle to score in some games if we have such a limited midfield to create decent chances. Indeed, our Goals For total is really not impressive.

It also never fails to amaze me how little movement there is from players when we have a throw-in. If they are not willing to show then, what chances passing and moving and creating space and opportunities when the chips are really down.

During the first half, Crewe had few attacks, but I felt they always looked capable of scoring. The more the second half wore on, even with the ref not blowing up quite so often, the more I thought a defeat was more than possible. Hey ho.

[OUFC_Gav]

The official stats for shots on goal may show 8-1, but other than Leven's shot which hit Potter, I cannot remember any chances as clear cut as theirs. I had hoped Potter would be taken off, but then JPP over-stretched for a ball (at least, I hope that was the reason for substituting him rather than Potter).

JPP was taken off as a precaution after his over-stretch.
It was such a shame because Potter almost certainly about to be subbed (unless Wilder, like half the crowd had actually forgotten he was on the pitch).
We went 4-4-2 and our right-hand side of Batt and Potter just disappeared as an attacking (and can be argued defensive) entity. From that point we kept repeating the same manouvre - someone on the left was closed down, the ball came to Wright, Wright looked for movement and couldn't find it, Wright gets closed down and passes across to Dubes, Dubes looks up and finds our right-hand side disappeared and tries to launch a 'hollywood' diagonal ball, which gets intercepted (and repeat until the final whistle....
The credit to Crewe goes to their constant chasing and harrying. They forced us out of our tempo and we couldn't recover. Dario should be doing the alive person's equivilent of spinning in his grave at some of their other tactics.

[Baboo]

It also never fails to amaze me how little movement there is from players when we have a throw-in.

This has been doing my head in for ages. At a guess I'd say 80% of the throw ins we take end up with the opposition getting the ball a second or so later.

[Baboo]

We went 4-4-2 and our right-hand side of Batt and Potter just disappeared as an attacking (and can be argued defensive) entity. From that point we kept repeating the same manouvre - someone on the left was closed down, the ball came to Wright, Wright looked for movement and couldn't find it, Wright gets closed down and passes across to Dubes, Dubes looks up and finds our right-hand side disappeared and tries to launch a 'hollywood' diagonal ball, which gets intercepted (and repeat until the final whistle....

Really well put.