The U's v Exeter City

[OUFC4eva]

United host their nemesis , Exeter City, on Saturday hoping to be buoyed by a new signing or two.
United need points urgently if they are to move away from danger.

The record against the Grecians is not great to say the least - 7 wins in 37 matches
with the last Football League victory in this city for Oxford, occurring in March 1980,
when Les Taylor and Peter Foley got the goals for Bill Asprey's side in front of 2,910
at the Manor.

A match preview from East Devon:

http://www.exeterexpressandecho.co.uk/O ... story.html

Callum O'Dowda got the equaliser for the U's at SJP in September when big Tyrone Barnett
made his debut in the 1-1 draw.

[Kernow Yellow]

I didn't realise they had Clinton Morrison playing for them these days!

Our home record against Exeter is poor but we've had some joy against them in general in recent seasons - we absolutely murdered them on Boxing Day a couple of years ago.

[Werthers Original]

So no new players. If we play five at the back and put in another pathetic performance Appleton will be out, don't you think?

[Radley Rambler]

So no new players. If we play five at the back and put in another pathetic performance Appleton will be out, don't you think?

No I don't think because the Holy Trinity are too close, it's unhealthy.

[Werthers Original]

Yes well that's the thing, isn't it? His position would be untenable but he might be allowed to limp on

[Radley Rambler]

Yes well that's the thing, isn't it? His position would be untenable but he might be allowed to limp on

Yep and I think he's had a lot of good grace from the fans, can you imagine the vilification that Wilder would have faced?

[Werthers Original]

I still have a good memory of some of the good stuff we've played at times. But that seems to have gone

[Kernow Yellow]

I'm not sure I buy the idea that Appleton will stay 'no matter what'. Sure, he's the regime's chosen one, but they've invested a lot in Project OUFC, and I don't think their project could survive relegation to the Conference. Besides, more home defeats will have the crowd on his back for the first time, and pressure and bad feeling would become too much.

Let's hope we don't have to find out - we need all the points we can get now, and I'm certainly not one of those people who would like to see us lose again just to see how people would react. Although I remain entirely unconvinced by Appleton, I don't relish a period of instability, as that never does us any good.

Besides, if Appleton does fail is it his fault, or that of the project in general? Does he choose the players and insist on their DNA, or is that all done for him?

[Kairdiff Exile]

...if Appleton does fail is it his fault, or that of the project in general?

It'd be his fault. Let's be clear - Appleton has had more backing than most OUFC managers of the recent past. He inherited a tiny squad, granted, but there were/are some talented players in there (Clarke, Wright, Rose). He has had money to spend to attract and bring in replacements, and he's had a patient board. The fact that he has made that squad into less than the sum of its parts and has generally not brought in players who are better than what we had (with a few honourable exceptions) cannot be blamed on others. He is the manager and coach, and on current evidence he has neither managed not coached our players well enough.

[Mooro]

I'm not sure I buy the idea that Appleton will stay 'no matter what'. Sure, he's the regime's chosen one, but they've invested a lot in Project OUFC, and I don't think their project could survive relegation to the Conference. Besides, more home defeats will have the crowd on his back for the first time, and pressure and bad feeling would become too much.

Let's hope we don't have to find out - we need all the points we can get now, and I'm certainly not one of those people who would like to see us lose again just to see how people would react. Although I remain entirely unconvinced by Appleton, I don't relish a period of instability, as that never does us any good.

Besides, if Appleton does fail is it his fault, or that of the project in general? Does he choose the players and insist on their DNA, or is that all done for him?

I hope you are right in that if things continue like this they will act, rather than allow him to 'limp on', and there is always a small part of me that wants things to come to a head quickly, so that we can make the change and move on, however, the larger part realises that is a risky strategy, so would like to see us picking up points, starting today, to keep us clear of the scrap at the bottom, and then re-assess in May. Like so many I've wanted the strategy to work, and to give MAPP time that he hasnt had elsewhere, but nothing is showing me that anything good will come of giving him that time.

My fear is that the situation is allowed to drift on - somewhere between getting a run together and moving to safe distance, and a run of defeats that force their hand into changing - meaning we get to March and get sucked into a fight as others rally, and are not set up to scrap for points at the death and we all know what happened last time that happened

[Jimski]

Yeah, desperate for a win today. I'm not that fond of Appleton atm, but really don't want the shake-up that a change of manager would bring either. A lovely sunny day - let's make it that metaphorically too!

[Jimski]

That match summed up the whole conundrum that is Oxford United at the moment. Very watchable for a lot of the match, but bloody hell what a soft underbelly. Ryan Clarke hardly touched the ball in the first half, and then suddenly bam we had conceded from about Exeter's first shot. Until then we'd dominated possession, pushed Exeter back, even scored a goal, basically done everything right (although creating clear-cut chances is still a problem for all our midfield thrusting). But I always knew that the second we were put under any pressure there would be trouble. It scares me that we dominate a match quite as much and yet only end up with a draw.

It's quite a typical pattern for us. Relax as we ping it about pleasantly, and then suddenly we concede.

A bloody relief at the end to get our equaliser though.

P.S. I can't let this end without a mention for Danny Hylton. What an absolute star the man is. Our best player by far - classy and absolutely tireless. One second he'd be hobbling about after a challenge, the next racing away to chase a ball, or to chase back after an opposing player. My favourite Oxford player for a long long while.

[Werthers Original]

Hylton is an absolute shoo-in for player of the year. Yes our usual second half collapse, but wasn't it great to see four kids on the pitch? I was impressed that Appleton saw that five at the back wasn't working and that Whing wasn't up to it and changed it. Maybe there's a tiny glimmer of hope. The equalizer just about saved my week I think - I was going to storm out after their second but couldn't face having to squeeze past the row of old boys. We'll win at Stevenage before the inevitable fiasco at home to Luton.

[OUFC4eva]

I agree that yesterday was a microcosm of our season.
Plenty of enterprising football, looking comfortable,
Hylton oozing hard work and class
and looking great for three points. But like recent home
encounters with Cheltenham
and Southend, the U's press the self destruct button.

They are unable to manage games
and lack leadership in my view.

We simply concede poor goals from out of nothing through a a lack of organisation
and concentration. For me, Exeter were very, very, average
and three points were there for the taking
but United almost did the unthinkable again : snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

United have good players - many now
home produced which is great - but they will
need to be carefully nurtured and deployed.

Ashby looks to be an elegant midfielder who can pass well,
Callum O'Dowda had Scott Bennett on toast yesterday before Exeter
changed it after 22 minutes.

James Roberts is a born finisher and Long looks to have a
great attitude and is versatile.



Josh Ruffels does not give the ball away.
All of them will get physically stronger with games.

So there is plenty to get enthused about and off the pitch
the club is working extremely hard on a number of areas.

Let's pray we get some more quality signings in before the window "slams shut"
on Monday night, February 2nd.

[Dr Bob]

Got to the ground expecting another dismal showing, but that team selection gave me hope - not only for the match but that maybe, just maybe, MApp was starting to make some decent choices.

There were positives from this match clearly - the continued excellence of Hylton, not only selecting several youngsters but their all performing well, and Hoban starting to show that if nothing else yet, he does have the ability to control balls played into him, to hold them up, and to bring in others (as much as we loved Beano, his ball control was poor). And, most of all, when we had the ball we showed more forward momentum, played with more tempo, and looked so much more threatening as a result (as we did in the first half against Southend, before MApp changed it and buggered it up). We pressed better when not in possession and in general terms matched a team higher-placed and in decent form. And the joy seeing a home-grown lad tearing defenders to shreds down the left wing - took me back...

Yet, to reiterate what has already been said, we are still desperately vulnerable at the back and I agree totally that we lack leadership. I have felt for some considerable time that Wright is not enough of a leader to rally and organise people. Trouble is, who else? Mullins is the only alternative, it seems to me. When he first arrived he was a talker and an organiser. Maybe that has gone as he defers to Wright, but I think he is more of a natural captain. One thing that was very noticeable in the second half was that time and again, Exeter had space on the ball in a huge gaping hole in front of the defence. Even if Whing is not on the pitch, we still need someone to plug that gap.

And yet...no win in 2015, a win at Plymouth thanks to them having a player sent off and a draw here thanks to Roberts. It is not that cracks are being papered over, but bloody great chasms.