Rage Online

The highlight of the past few matches, for me, has been the introduction of Sam Deering as substitute.

Yesterday, it was sheer bliss to see a skilful player, passing well, taking players on, and even winning the odd header, for the full 90 minutes.

Hopefully we can have more of the same as the midfield looked to have a far better balance. May be hard on Burnell but we looked a different team.

Play-offs here we come! I hope!

A product of Oxford United's youth development scheme.

Clarke, Deering and Taylor are welcome additions to the team.

What an inspired choice of sponsorship, too.

&quotboris&quot wrote:What an inspired choice of sponsorship, too.

Oh no, I'd forgotten about that - I'll give him one more game then until the Rage On curse strikes...........

While Deering rightly deserves the headlines, I also think due credit should be given to Jamie Clarke as well, who after a very testing start to the season now seems to be going about his trade with quiet efficiency and growing confidence. OK he's not the finished article but I am starting to believe that the right back berth is less of a problem than it was. And how nice to see a fullback prepared to overlap his winger (even if the end product isn't quite there yet).

So well done to the both of them.

Burton was Adam Murray's best game of the season, too, if we are dishing out praise

Loved quote from LSD at the Oxford Mail site - &quotI gave the keeper the eyes, and it's just gone past the post.&quot If you can talk like a professional footballer I often feel that's half the battle.

deering's crossing and corners has also greatly improved over these matches.

i really enjoyed saturday's game (last few minutes aside). it was great to see some of our young players not only playing in the first team, not only looking the part, but positively contributing to the performance and good result.

we should also give patterson some credit for not only giving these players their chances, but doing so in a way that's not simply 'tokenistic', allowing them to develop into first team players worthy of their place in the squad.

&quotAncient Colin&quot wrote:Burton was Adam Murray's best game of the season, too, if we are dishing out praise

Not according to namesake Jon.

Murray was ranked as United's poorest player on Saturday in today's OM.

I found his 6/10 rating very harsh by the way.

If our poorest player merited more than 6/10 I'm surprised we didn't win by more than one.

&quotPeña Oxford United&quot wrote:If our poorest player merited more than 6/10 I'm surprised we didn't win by more than one.

They all played well in a game which was an excellent advert for BSP.

Adam Murray was man of the match. Does his fearless journo namesake Jon, actually watch the game?

&quotAscension Ox&quot wrote:Adam Murray was man of the match. Does his fearless journo namesake Jon, actually watch the game?

For someone whose journalistic talents fall rather short of those available from a blade of grass, its hardly surprising that his match reporting and player ratings are somewhat bizarre.

&quotMatt D&quot wrote:deering's crossing and corners has also greatly improved over these matches.

i really enjoyed saturday's game (last few minutes aside). it was great to see some of our young players not only playing in the first team, not only looking the part, but positively contributing to the performance and good result.

we should also give patterson some credit for not only giving these players their chances, but doing so in a way that's not simply 'tokenistic', allowing them to develop into first team players worthy of their place in the squad.

The one area of not only Sam's but our players game generally that is still poor is , dead balls and particularly corners.

All of Sam's corners were floated in high to the back of the area giving the defence a simple job.

We need someone who can whip them in and get some action going in the box.

&quotscooter&quot wrote:

&quotMatt D&quot wrote:deering's crossing and corners has also greatly improved over these matches.

i really enjoyed saturday's game (last few minutes aside). it was great to see some of our young players not only playing in the first team, not only looking the part, but positively contributing to the performance and good result.

we should also give patterson some credit for not only giving these players their chances, but doing so in a way that's not simply 'tokenistic', allowing them to develop into first team players worthy of their place in the squad.

The one area of not only Sam's but our players game generally that is still poor is , dead balls and particularly corners.

All of Sam's corners were floated in high to the back of the area giving the defence a simple job.

We need someone who can whip them in and get some action going in the box.

Indeed, rather like the one in the last minute at Torquay that led to the goal. Some of them were ok on Saturday though, there were a couple placed under the bar that Foster almost scored from - I was amazed Poole didn't deal with them.

&quotscooter&quot wrote:

&quotMatt D&quot wrote:deering's crossing and corners has also greatly improved over these matches.

i really enjoyed saturday's game (last few minutes aside). it was great to see some of our young players not only playing in the first team, not only looking the part, but positively contributing to the performance and good result.

we should also give patterson some credit for not only giving these players their chances, but doing so in a way that's not simply 'tokenistic', allowing them to develop into first team players worthy of their place in the squad.

The one area of not only Sam's but our players game generally that is still poor is , dead balls and particularly corners.

they have improved though. from the first time i saw him play at court place farm until that corner at plainmoor, i don't think i'd seen him deliver a corner that cleared the first man!

but, yes, i agree, they are poor. why don't we have murray taking them?