Rage Online

Yeah, to be honest if we did go down again, it would probably be more rewarding just to start again as a fans' club.

tomoufc wrote:To those thinking of leaving the forum for a time - fair enough, but it'll be a duller place without you, even if we disagree on the current state of things. Conversely, I don't think you can expect posters to moderate their posts so as not to appear 'negative', especially if they don't buy this crude negative/positive binary choice, the purpose of which, in my opinion, is to stifle debate.

Hear, hear. I think it's very harsh for Ancient Colin to describe anything on this thread (or this forum in general recently) as vitriol. There's plenty of cynicism for sure, which Eales wouldn't like, but that's understandable. We're more than halfway through the season, we haven't got a settled side, we're three points off the bottom two, we've lost three in a row at home, we're routinely failing to beat teams below us in the table. The manager is slagging off the fans with some regularity. We're as far as ever from owning our own ground (despite the takeover having been sold to us as being all about this).

It's not good enough. Not by a long stretch. The chairman's message doesn't address any of these vital issues, and a few platitudes aren't going to make any difference to our enjoyment (or otherwise) of matches.

Besides, this is an internet forum - most of us are perfectly capable of leaving our negativity behind when we actually attend games (I'm still hoarse from 90 minutes of non-stop encouragement at Dagenham despite my misgivings about our progress). The team and manager have had a pretty easy ride so far this season given how rubbish they've actually been. And I don't agree that the board should be exempt from criticism about on-field performances. We've gone (a long way) backwards in terms of league position under their tenure and that of their mate Appleton...

To nick a bit of CrapApples phraseology, "It's one of those" when we look in deep, deep trouble.

This bollocks about "no plan B" is total bollocks. He has no settled plan A, that is the problem. Scattergun signings, no idea what his best team, formation, or anything, and clearly no idea about how to win matches.

"It's one of those where" really bothers me. When you hear, constantly, "It's one of those where", what you're hearing is a man washing his hands of any responsibility. "It's one of those where" is always followed by "the ball didn't fall for us", or "we've come up against a keeper having a worldy", or "the fans were getting on the back of the players", or "heads dropped", or "an individual makes a mistake"...his head is in the clouds.

His so-called reputation as being a great coach is back up by no stats whatsoever. He's a loser. His reputation is based on, as far as I can tell, a pushy agent saying "this man is good", and lazy journalists regurgitating it, and dopey chairmen believing it. Eventually these managers get exposed as the fraudsters they are, and I fear this is what's happening to Crappleton now.

We're in trouble. The players who are up for a fight are being pushed out or being pushed into the wrong spots by formations that clearly don't fit anyone or work at all. Having a team of loanees who won't be here next season doesn't fill me with any confidence when we're up against teams full of players fighting for their careers, managed by managers who know what this division is about.

We're top loaded with strikers, but play a system that doesn't get the ball to them quickly. Our top scorer has been shunted all over the front 4/5 positions, to the point where he's stopped scoring. Do we need Roberts, Campbell, Hylton, Hoskins, Burns, O'Dowda and Hoban, vying for two or three spots? Wish we'd saved some of those salaries to sign Barnett, who was clearly the best of the bunch.

When you think of all the other players we've tried up there, Morris, Jacubiak, Potter...this is a man without a clue.

I remain convinced Wilder was never going to get us promoted, but I'll say this, he'd never of got me worrying about relegation. At least Wilder could organise a defence.

Time to move on. This is an experiment that's going badly wrong.

Completely agree with what KY and Dan have said above. Two excellent posts, and I will try to not repeat points which have already been well articulated.

What stood out to me today was a manager making his side into LESS than the sum of its parts - which tells its own story. There were a few very creditable performances today; Holmes-Dennis looks good, Long played well, and Hoban showed some good touches. But it all got lost amidst the lack of a system and a clear plan. We were lucky to go in ahead, but to throw away that position against ten men in such an anaemic way was painful.

I was - still am - seething.

And sadly, had Hunt, Newey and Raynes been in defence today I doubt we'd have lost. Rebuilding is fine, if it's being done by someone whom at least has a slightest clue.

Appleton couldn't be doing a worse job and has not earned the right to continue. There's no point in allowing him more time only to confirm what is already evident. A few more weeks is too big a risk.

Also, while I'm at it... Someone whom appears to be getting off lightly, without comment, is Fazakerley. What the fuck is he doing?

Yes agree with all of above ... Hunt, Newey, Potter, Raynes, ... , Beano .. You've got the makings of a team that would rout that rabble.

Appleton out!

Sorry, let me withdraw the term "vitriol", then ... didn't mean it personally, just felt that some of the criticisms of the email were more than a bit over the top. Of course, no amount of emails can compensate for carp performances on the pitch.

Hunt Newey Raynes and Potter have had their day.

It's not current playing talent that is the issue, it's the way they are organised .

I felt like I had been punched in the guts when their winner went in.

Appleton needs a minimum 8 from next 6 games. Otherwise bye bye.

Eric Pollard wrote:
Appleton needs a minimum 8 from next 6 games. Otherwise bye bye.

Oooh, I feel a new game coming on! Here's the next six fixtures, where are the two wins and two draws (or three wins ha ha ha!) going to come?
Oxford Utd V Exeter
Stevenage V Oxford Utd
Oxford Utd V Luton
Accrington V Oxford Utd
Burton V Oxford Utd
Oxford Utd V Mansfield

Ouch. It'll be an achievement (of sorts) if we're still outside the bottom 2 after the first 5 of those fixtures.

Just got home from abroad to find an invitation for my cat to pose a question via OxVox to the club.

He wants to know if there is a plan in place should the club drop into the Conference to get straight back out. I told him that there would be no point in asking as the answer would be “we’re not going to drop into the Conference”.

Sooty is however getting worried about being kicked around the house. Again.

Sound the klaxon, Mr Eales: I HAVE A REASON TO BE POSITIVE!

Whilst rootling through some papers earlier, I found a betting slip from August. With remarkable prescience, it appears I put a score on us getting relegated - at 12/1!

At least if this season does all go wrong, I can get a decent case of wine in to soften the blow.

neilw wrote:Also, while I'm at it... Someone whom appears to be getting off lightly, without comment, is Fazakerley. What the fuck is he doing?

No, the person who really is getting off lightly is Ashton. He's the one who has the big DNA idea, the thing about bringing in hidden gems and selling them on for a huge profit, and dishing out all the guff about matchday experience. He's the one with responsibility for "recruitment" and, after all the hints about strengthening in January, all we've seen is experienced players who may actually be useful in a relegation scrap shipped out the door.

Very good point Myles, you're not wrong there, especially given MApp's "head coach" role which implies Ashton is responsible for transfers in/out.