Big hole in squad

[Mally]

Duffy looked reasonably OK at holding the ball up with his back to goal but didn't do anything at either Didcot or Eastleigh to convince me he could actually get in the box and score.

IMHO we still need to find/sign a 20 plus goals a season striker.

About half an hour after writing this today's Oxford Mail came through the door. As usual I turned stright to the back page only to read the following paragraph on Duffy:

&quotThe former Stevenage and Rushden striker's hold up play is good but he doesn't look as though he is going to be a prolific striker&quot

Haven't I always said how perceptive and intelligent that Jon Murray is.

[Mooro]

Haven't I always said how perceptive and intelligent that Jon Murray is.

YEah, but I think snake said it before you

[Mally]

I just looked up Mr Duffer, er, sorry Duffy's record and its less than impressive to be honest.

He came on as sub once for Stevenage Borough who then promptly released him. Previously at Rushden he started only 8 games and came off the bench 22 times - in over 4 years!!! In those 30 appearances he scored a grand total of 1 goal! He also managed to get sent off twice in this short career. Last season he didn't start any games and the previous season he played in just 1 game. Alarm bells are going off everywhere at this point.

If he was going to make it as a striker you would have thought he'd have done it already at the age of 23. Why are we messing about with players like this when its clear we need a proven goal-scorer? Could it be that he's just very cheap? I'd much rather have hung on to Tim Sills - at least he's done the business at this level.

[Snake]

Now remind me, who's idea was it to bring him to the club?

a large number of oxford supporters after the eastbourne game?

duffy's been offered a deal. still yet to see him play due to the washout, so if he signs, it won't be until pompey that i get a chance. but no one seems to be clamouring to see him signed up.

More like a small number of Oxford supporters who managed to get close to the then Chairman that night of the Cup replay. One last nag for posterity, eh?

Anyway, it certainly wasn’t Brian Talbot..

/

And so here we are at the end of July (with the biggest player budget of all the Conference teams to spend) and we have err, an injured Stevie Basham and Yemi to call on.

[Snake]

Have patience Dave. Its 4th July ffs!

I think some care and attention has been put into the signings. Hutchinson and Pettefer are particularly interesting.

I understand Hutchinson 'likes a tackle'.

It's the 28th of July now.

[Mooro]

I'd much rather have hung on to Tim Sills - at least he's done the business at this level.

I think Sills, with the decent service we are now acquiring would have been fine at this level, the problem appears to be his wages, which presumably is why we let him go.

Whether of course we can get anyone decent in for any less is another matter, but at the moment it isnt clear how much Smith has left in the pot, thanks to the wage cap.

The only encouraging sign on this subject is that at least Smith appears to recognise we are short in this area, unlike certain previous incumbents.

Snakey - don't forget Billy Beechers....

[Matt D]

The only encouraging sign on this subject is that at least Smith appears to recognise we are short in this area, unlike certain previous incumbents.

Snakey - don't forget Billy Beechers....

beechers could yet turn out to be our saving grace.

however, i have to disagree about the point about recognising shortcomings. after atkins and rix, i thought talbot at the start of the season was a breath of fresh air, in that he seemed to see what everyone else saw on the pitch. he could identify problems.

only thing was, he was bloody awful at coming up with solutions.

[Snake]

“Snakey - don't forget Billy Beechers....

[Mally]

Isn't it ironic that a football club within sight of the old British Leyland Cowley works can't find any strikers? How times have changed.

Its almost a shame that Duffy scored yesterday because that was just about all he did in the box and it gives the false impression that he might be an answer to our goalscoring problems. Some good hold up play and lateral passing 40 yards from goal but very little nearer the goal (except the one he scored of course).

[Mark G]

Isn't it ironic that a football club within sight of the old British Leyland Cowley works can't find any strikers? How times have changed.

Its almost a shame that Duffy scored yesterday because that was just about all he did in the box and it gives the false impression that he might be an answer to our goalscoring problems. Some good hold up play and lateral passing 40 yards from goal but very little nearer the goal (except the one he scored of course).

Bit harsh as he also had a one on one from the ball over the top and was unlucky that a cross was a tad too high considering he had taken up a good position. Took his goal well with a well timed run and looks like he has potential.

That said we still need a proven target man even if Duffy signs. Duffy is worth signing but initially as a squad player and hope that the potential is realised.

[Mally]

Bit harsh as he also had a one on one from the ball over the top and was unlucky that a cross was a tad too high considering he had taken up a good position. Took his goal well with a well timed run and looks like he has potential.

That said we still need a proven target man even if Duffy signs. Duffy is worth signing but initially as a squad player and hope that the potential is realised.

Well time will tell but the one on one chance is a good example of whats wrong with him - he blasted it over the top! I'd love to be proven wrong but I just can't see it myself.

At the moment we have 1 striker injured and with no pre-season likely (Basham) and two untried players at even this lowly level (Beechers &amp Odubade). Adding another striker with &quotpotential&quot may be OK if you've already got a full set of proven strikers but I don't think we can afford it at the moment.

Our strike force looks like something straight out of the Sven-Goran Eriksson manual of squad selection.

[Snake]

Indeed, and the current strike force makes an interesting comparison to previous years.

2005/6 – Basham, Bradbury, N’Toya, Sabin, Davies
2004/5 – Basham, Bradbury, Davies, Mooney
2003/4 – Basham, Alsop, Rawle
2002/3 – Basham, Louis, Oldfield, Scott, Steele
2001/2 – Brooks, Moody, Scott
2000/1 – Beauchamp, Scott, Anthrobus (ok, so that lot was worse than what we have now)

How we have fallen, eh?

It’s also worth noting that Steve Basham only scored 6 league goals from open play last season.

There has never been a better time to flash some cash on a striker, imho..

[GodalmingYellow]

Indeed, and the current strike force makes an interesting comparison to previous years.

2005/6 – Basham, Bradbury, N’Toya, Sabin, Davies
2004/5 – Basham, Bradbury, Davies, Mooney
2003/4 – Basham, Alsop, Rawle
2002/3 – Basham, Louis, Oldfield, Scott, Steele
2001/2 – Brooks, Moody, Scott
2000/1 – Beauchamp, Scott, Anthrobus (ok, so that lot was worse than what we have now)

How we have fallen, eh?

It’s also worth noting that Steve Basham only scored 6 league goals from open play last season.

There has never been a better time to flash some cash on a striker, imho..

I'm not convinced that cash is the problem. Availability of willing quality players is more of a problem.

[Mooro]

Looking at that list, I'm not sure we are that much worse off than before!

Discounting Joey, if you could pick any four of that list as our strikeforce for this season I'm still not sure we would be full of confidence....

I suppose pre-illness Brooks, an interested Mooney, a not injured Steele and a tuned in Davies/Sabin may be alright, but I think it just emphasises how weak we have been upfront for so long....


As GY says though, I think the problem this year is a problem of noone wanting to drop to Non League and the Conference Wage cap limiting our ability to bribe someone to do so for a year.

[Snake]

“Discounting Joey, if you could pick any four of that list as our strike force for this season I'm still not sure we would be full of confidence....