Chest-a-field

[SmileyMan]

Oh bugger: http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26560283

[Kernow Yellow]

Well we needn't have worried about Mason Bennett. The game was lost long before he took the pitch.

We gave away two stupid, soft goals. We then did very little to suggest we were ever going to retrieve the situation.

Our defence looked vulnerable, our midfield looked ponderous and ineffective, our forwards looked toothless.

We are not going to win automatic promotion. We might well slip out out of the play-offs. But we still have a good chance of a top seven finish and a happy ending to the season. This will only happen if we take a gamble now on a new manager.

I really see no point in avoiding this decision. We thought we had a manager and the building blocks in place until CW left. There is no guarantee at all that a new man will make it happen next season just because we've waited. But we have an opportunity NOW to make it happen. It's a gamble of course. But one we must take to avoid throwing away everything we've worked for over the last few years.

What I watched today is a million miles from what's required of a promotion-seeking team.

[OUFC4eva]

Another waste of £60-70 yesterday following the U's just recently.
Chesterfield were average but we are completely
rudderless,gutless and clueless.

Just 2 away wins in four months now on the road.The season is imploding yet again.
Mickey just hasn't got it has he? He should have a meeting with IL
and admit he can't do the job and stand aside.

I don't see an appointment of a new
manager this week or before May , reading between the lines, so could
Chris Allen get results during an interregnum - possibly helped by Jim?

[GodalmingYellow]

A large section of the fans sand "we want a manager" and Lenagan, Lenagan, sort it out" and "this is embarrassing".

They were right, although perhaps to do so during the game wasn't the best timing.

IL is losing support from wide sections of the support base, from a previously very high position. Failure to gain the promotion in this poor league, with a fairly decent squad, most of whom are now fit, will no doubt be blamed on ILs procrastinations and rightly so. Next year the division will be much tougher, with Luton on the rise.

Sometimes in life you just have to bite the bullet and do what is best, even if it costs a few quid more than you might like.

We were outclassed all over the pitch from minute 1 to minute 90 yesterday. The passing was only along the back line, with nothing incisive to break apart a well organised side. When our back line got bored of passing it back and forth, Hunt and Newey primarily tried a 50 yard crossfield pass that they are simply not capable of making, and so we conceded possession and umpteen chances on goal. For our part, we only really made their keeper work once in the entire game.

I remain firmly of the belief that Hunt and Newey are not good enough, as I have done all season. I am told they were signed in place of the previous incumbents, because they were cheap for the division. I can well believe this.

Their first goal occurred because they were given too much space and allowed to cross the ball, Hunt tried to head away but barely got off the ground, leaving a simple finish. Incompetent.
Their second goal was because of a blatant push by Smalley in the penalty area. Stupid.
Newey was sent off for a ridiculous challenge in a non-dangerous position and fully deserved the straight red card. Idiotic.
Raynes was sent off for a similarly rash challenge but was at least trying to prevent a goal and got a second yellow.
Mullins went off on a stretcher and we had used all of our subs so we were down to eight men.
Inevitably they scored again.

Nice to tick another ground off my 92 list and nice to see many friends at the game, but OUFC are rudderless at the moment, both on and off the field and it ain't good enough. Players are starting to make poor decisions, losing confidence and our present form is nearer relegation form that promotion form.

Opportunities for promotion do not come around that often. When they do, you have to grab them and not let go under any circumstances. At present IL and ML are grasping at thin air.

[Kernow Yellow]

A large section of the fans sand "we want a manager" and Lenagan, Lenagan, sort it out" and "this is embarrassing".

They were right, although perhaps to do so during the game wasn't the best timing.

I have no problem with the 'we want a manager' chants during the game. I joined in. It's nor being disrespectful to anyone. Mickey Lewis knows that he's an interim manager (if he didn't before, he certainly does now). No-one has booed him or chanted 'Lewis out'.

More worryingly, much of the away end spent the second half singing the Great Escape theme and banging seats angrily. Again I'm not complaining about this - it certainly added to the atmosphere - but it reminded me of relegation seasons and horrible experiences past. Just thoroughly depressing. Not what I paid £100+ for.

And yet some people think we should just continue like this to the end of the season and try again next year with Lenagan's new man! How is that going to guarantee success? We will hemorrhage fans, money and goodwill if nothing is done to address the fact that this season is falling apart spectacularly. It will be worse than two years ago, as we now have a vacuum to fill, a golden opportunity to give our season some necessary momentum. It has nothing to do with wanting instant success or being impatient. I just want some acknowledgment from our chairman that he can see what is going wrong and that he is going to address it. Lenagan said after Rochdale that Mickey would only stay in situ til the end of the season if we started winning again. How much 'not winning' do we have to endure? In fact 'not winning' I could just about cope with. Getting thrashed regularly is unacceptable.

Anyway back to Chesterfield. I've just watched the highlights and it doesn't get any better. The only good point of the day was the Derby Tup - this must be one of the best pubs near a football ground in League 2. And the Rutland Arms underneath the crooked spire wasn't half bad either. Just a shame the football had to ruin the day.

[Yorkie]

Last season York sacked Gary Mills with ten games left to avoid relegation, and brought in Nigel Worthington, who had obviously been lined up. He managed it (just) and, after a mediocre first half of this season, see where they are now.

[Geoff]

A large section of the fans sand "we want a manager" and Lenagan, Lenagan, sort it out" and "this is embarrassing".

They were right, although perhaps to do so during the game wasn't the best timing.

IL is losing support from wide sections of the support base, from a previously very high position. Failure to gain the promotion in this poor league, with a fairly decent squad, most of whom are now fit, will no doubt be blamed on ILs procrastinations and rightly so. Next year the division will be much tougher, with Luton on the rise.

Sometimes in life you just have to bite the bullet and do what is best, even if it costs a few quid more than you might like.

We were outclassed all over the pitch from minute 1 to minute 90 yesterday. The passing was only along the back line, with nothing incisive to break apart a well organised side. When our back line got bored of passing it back and forth, Hunt and Newey primarily tried a 50 yard crossfield pass that they are simply not capable of making, and so we conceded possession and umpteen chances on goal. For our part, we only really made their keeper work once in the entire game.

I remain firmly of the belief that Hunt and Newey are not good enough, as I have done all season. I am told they were signed in place of the previous incumbents, because they were cheap for the division. I can well believe this.

Their first goal occurred because they were given too much space and allowed to cross the ball, Hunt tried to head away but barely got off the ground, leaving a simple finish. Incompetent.
Their second goal was because of a blatant push by Smalley in the penalty area. Stupid.
Newey was sent off for a ridiculous challenge in a non-dangerous position and fully deserved the straight red card. Idiotic.
Raynes was sent off for a similarly rash challenge but was at least trying to prevent a goal and got a second yellow.
Mullins went off on a stretcher and we had used all of our subs so we were down to eight men.
Inevitably they scored again.

Nice to tick another ground off my 92 list and nice to see many friends at the game, but OUFC are rudderless at the moment, both on and off the field and it ain't good enough. Players are starting to make poor decisions, losing confidence and our present form is nearer relegation form that promotion form.

Opportunities for promotion do not come around that often. When they do, you have to grab them and not let go under any circumstances. At present IL and ML are grasping at thin air.

I would agree with all that apart from the first goal, which was a classic case of 'after you Claude' between Mullins and Raynes leaving the way open for a run into the penalty area.

[Geoff]

A large section of the fans sand "we want a manager" and Lenagan, Lenagan, sort it out" and "this is embarrassing".

They were right, although perhaps to do so during the game wasn't the best timing.

IL is losing support from wide sections of the support base, from a previously very high position. Failure to gain the promotion in this poor league, with a fairly decent squad, most of whom are now fit, will no doubt be blamed on ILs procrastinations and rightly so. Next year the division will be much tougher, with Luton on the rise.

Sometimes in life you just have to bite the bullet and do what is best, even if it costs a few quid more than you might like.

We were outclassed all over the pitch from minute 1 to minute 90 yesterday. The passing was only along the back line, with nothing incisive to break apart a well organised side. When our back line got bored of passing it back and forth, Hunt and Newey primarily tried a 50 yard crossfield pass that they are simply not capable of making, and so we conceded possession and umpteen chances on goal. For our part, we only really made their keeper work once in the entire game.

I remain firmly of the belief that Hunt and Newey are not good enough, as I have done all season. I am told they were signed in place of the previous incumbents, because they were cheap for the division. I can well believe this.

Their first goal occurred because they were given too much space and allowed to cross the ball, Hunt tried to head away but barely got off the ground, leaving a simple finish. Incompetent.
Their second goal was because of a blatant push by Smalley in the penalty area. Stupid.
Newey was sent off for a ridiculous challenge in a non-dangerous position and fully deserved the straight red card. Idiotic.
Raynes was sent off for a similarly rash challenge but was at least trying to prevent a goal and got a second yellow.
Mullins went off on a stretcher and we had used all of our subs so we were down to eight men.
Inevitably they scored again.

Nice to tick another ground off my 92 list and nice to see many friends at the game, but OUFC are rudderless at the moment, both on and off the field and it ain't good enough. Players are starting to make poor decisions, losing confidence and our present form is nearer relegation form that promotion form.

Opportunities for promotion do not come around that often. When they do, you have to grab them and not let go under any circumstances. At present IL and ML are grasping at thin air.

I would agree with all that apart from the first goal, which was a classic case of 'after you Claude' between Mullins and Raynes leaving the way open for a run into the penalty area.