Rage Online

Obviously, we must be winning because no-one is writing anything on here apart from that bloody managerial merry-go-round thread...

I think I'm happy about us doing so well in all these competitions...we are rotating the squad, 'fringe' players are getting games, goals, and generally using their opportunity to push for a starting place in the League. Winning is also a good habit. And we keep winning. Unlike last season, most players Appo is bringing in appear to be gems too.

I can see us beating Millwall, and I can see us beating Swansea, assuming they start concentrating on the league, which appears they might have to. When do we start fretting about fixture congestion?

A day at Wembley in the JPT though does pose issues...there is evidence that players start being distracted by the thought of playing on the biggest stage and therefore start ducking out of 50/50 challenges...what if we lose in heartbreaking fashion, would that derail a season...? Decent cup runs = more cash, which is a good thing, but given that Appo loves to spend, do we risk unsettling the squad by bringing in more and more players? Finally, what do I do about the holiday I've booked for the Easter holiday?? I'll be 5995 miles away at the time of the JPT final. When booking holidays, the JPT Final has never been something I've considered before...

Boxing Day will be interesting as the Exeter City players will
maybe have one eye on their FA Cup clash with Liverpool at SJP.
Alternatively with places up for grabs v the Reds, Exeter might play
with extra impetus.

By the way young Jordan Evans has an absolute hammer of a left foot.

He impressed me instantly with his passing let alone the 30 yard stunner
that ripped into the net. He could open a can of beans with that left peg.
More importantly he looks to have a fantastic attitude.

Maguire added some class with his link up play - he looks like he could be the missing
piece of the jigsaw up front. His awareness of where his team mates are is
also impressive.

So two good loan signings and Oxford are playing some great stuff - I look forward to every game
at the moment.Watching Lundstram pinging balls about and fading long balls to feet
is great to watch.We look to have many options with the squad we have.

Is this being in lots of cup competitions = disaster in the league actually true? I can think of plenty of examples where this is not the case - Bradford City is the best example of our level

In January 2013, City became the first club from the fourth tier of English football since Rochdale in 1962 to reach the Football League Cup final, and the first fourth tier club ever to reach a major Wembley Cup Final. They defeated three Premier League sides en route to the final – Wigan Athletic 4–2 on penalties in the fourth round, Arsenal 3–2 on penalties in the quarter-finals and Aston Villa 4–3 on aggregate over the two legs of the semi-final. They met Premier League side Swansea City in the final at Wembley, but lost 0–5.[54] The run to the final is thought to be worth at least £1.3 million to the club, with the club's joint chairman Mark Lawn stating that the final itself could be worth an additional £1 million, taking the clubs total earnings to £2.3 million during their 2012–13 Football League Cup campaign.[55] On 18 May 2013, the club returned to Wembley where they defeated Northampton Town F.C. 3–0 in the League Two Playoff Final to secure a place in League One for 2013–14

Bristol City won the JPT last season - where did they finish in the league? Top! I get annoyed by the attitude of many Oxford fans of the cups (including the FA cup) don't really matter and we should only worry about the league. Our proudest moment wasn't finishing in the bottom half of the top division but winning at Wembley in 1986. For a club like us a decent cup win brings just as much excitement, and often more so given our recent league form, than doing well in the league. The JPT gives us a great chance to give fringe players a run out and the winning feeling going - long may it continue I say.

I will also add something controversial - even though we're having a brilliant season I continue to be really annoyed that we let Beano go. He got 19 with Eastleigh last season, looks on course for beating that this season and in his time with us in league 2 he got 17, 11, 14 and 12. I think there is a decent chance that the average of this will be more than any of our strikers get this season (to suit my argument I'm counting Roofe as a winger). This was also in a more average team and had he been playing this season I think we would have won more matches and he would have got into double figures by now. The way we don't kill games off, or turn our dominance into a healthy lead, due I think to a lack of a prolific centre forward, is my main concern so far this season. However, if the season continues like this I'm not really going to care!

The most noticeable improvement in todays' team is the number of players with a first touch, something Beano doesn't possess. Combined with his inability to stay on side, he really wouldn't fit the way we play. We've progressed, whilst Beano continues to be a competent and reliable conference striker.

I enjoy a good cup run as much as the next man, and generally agree with you Ty. Indeed our two previous promotions came in seasons where we had a couple of decent results in the cup...and, fair play to Appo, he's rotating the squad well. I'm pleased we're doing well.

Can't agree on Beano, however. Legend, etc, but with his first touch - or lack of - you couldn't see him being any more of a part of the squad than, say, Hoban is now. And, given his status at the club, he wouldn't have come cheap.

I crunched the numbers on this a while back. There's a slight correlation between good cup runs and good league performances.

Basically good teams win games

I want us to win every game we play. How could it be otherwise?

Beano must be a very lucky player then, either his first touch bounces of him to go in, or just happens to land perfectly so his second touch can whack it past the keeper. He was so lucky for two seasons in a row that he managed to get 26 goals for us both times.

Since 1997 only one other player has managed to get over 20 goals in a season for us and fans have the view that he isn't a very good player. What is it with Oxford fans and out and out goalscorers?!?

There often seems to be some suspicion around our top scorer. Jemmo had a lot of detractors (I've no idea why), as did Rob Duffy (I can see why more easily there).

Ty - are you seriously suggesting that you'd prefer we were playing with Beano up top in our current team? Have a word with yourself! He scores goals in the Conference, and I'm sure he's enjoying the fact that he's continuing to do so. That's nothing against him, but he's no Danny Hylton that's for sure.

As to the rest of the thread, up until now the cup competitions have been a good opportunity to give game time to fringe players and rotate the squad. Will that still be the case? I imagine we'll want our strongest team out against Swansea, and we might take the JPT more seriously now that we're within touching distance of the final. I have no problem with cup success at all, and I'll go to Wembley if we get there - who wouldn't? But I'd be there for the day out - winning the JPT really is a complete irrelevance.

When did Oxford United last have a decent Cup run?

Beat Swansea and/or a day out at Wembley would make up for the 20th successive year of not being promoted in the Football League.

Snake wrote:Beat Swansea and/or a day out at Wembley would make up for the 20th successive year of not being promoted in the Football League.

No it wouldn't.

Greetings all.

What I find astonishing is that, despite the odd FLC game against Prem sides, and the even odder pre-season vs an XI, this will be the first time we've played a top flight team since that match which took place on what is now a garden in the middle of a block of flats in Norf Landan. I for one am excited.

As for cup runs vs the league, I'm usually a fan of the 'smash and grab' in terms of getting a big cup draw, getting the money and getting out to spend that on bolstering league performance. However, this season we have a such a good squad that I think cup runs on all fronts are really helping. We have a lot of young blood in the camp who will benefit immeasurably from playing games in the first team (in any comp), and it will give players like COD a rest as he flies around Europe playing for Ireland. It also helps to keep players like Rose, who is still a fantastic player at this level (see: last season and the first part of this before Lundy arrived) a game or two that isn't in the condescendingly named 'development squad'.

All this is aside from the pure cashflow benefits which any cup run brings. I say bring it on... until we end up with an injury list as long as the queue to get out of the overflow car park. Then we can revisit if it is worth it... ;)

Kernow Yellow wrote:Ty - are you seriously suggesting that you'd prefer we were playing with Beano up top in our current team? Have a word with yourself! He scores goals in the Conference, and I'm sure he's enjoying the fact that he's continuing to do so. That's nothing against him, but he's no Danny Hylton that's for sure.

As to the rest of the thread, up until now the cup competitions have been a good opportunity to give game time to fringe players and rotate the squad. Will that still be the case? I imagine we'll want our strongest team out against Swansea, and we might take the JPT more seriously now that we're within touching distance of the final. I have no problem with cup success at all, and I'll go to Wembley if we get there - who wouldn't? But I'd be there for the day out - winning the JPT really is a complete irrelevance.

My point is we are missing a goalscorer - as oddly yesterday demonstrated again, we rely heavily on our midfield and don't put games to bed as we don't have a striker who consistently scores goals as Beano used to do. And it wasn't so much Hylton I was thinking he would replace more Taylor/Hoban who don't look like getting near Beanos lowest total for us in a poorer more defensive team.

Am also wondering what has happened to Rose to not merit inclusion even on the bench I thought we were crying out for him yesterday before the two late goals masked the issue somewhat.

Don't get me wrong am estatic about this season but with other teams continuing to win we should be mindful of where we still need to improve.

I'm still trying to understand what Hylton has done wrong.