La grande coupe d'Oxfordshire
Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2019 11:05 am
At times the U23 side looked decent, playing incisive passing football, but a bit like the first team, that lasted about 20 minutes. They played a very similar formation to the first team, with just 1 striker (Jonte Smith) up top.
Once City began pressing high and closing down from the front, the same old problems of the first team came to the fore. Lots of tippy tappy along the back line, eventually back to the keeper, and with nowhere else to go a long punt forward, giving the ball back to the opposition.
Matt Berry Hargreaves (who I normally rate very highly) in particular got caught out several times on the edge of his own area, not knowing what to do with the latest in a series of tippy tappy passes.
Like the first team, there was a lack of creativity in the opponents box and far too few shots on goal. And again like the first team, there was frequent panic and lack of marking in our own penalty area.
It got me to wondering if there are significant weaknesses in the system the club is trying to employ, or institutional weaknesses in the coaching of that system throughout the club.
Jonte Smith didn't look like a lone striker, and for all his running about chasing the ball, had few if any shots, bar the tap in for our goal,
The highlights of the team were Fabio Lopes, who looked very comfortable playing the Brannagan type role, and left winger Owen James, who has pace and trickery in his locker. Captain Aaron Heap did OK in midfield, and Jack Stevens did very well to keep the score down with numerous fine saves. Other than that, the performance was poor really.
City on the other hand were useful. Not so pretty on the eye, but nonetheless effective, moving the ball quickly and very strong and athletic in retrieving the ball. Unfortunately, their top scorer, who I was looking forward to seeing again, didn't play.
So the last cup run ends for another season.
Once City began pressing high and closing down from the front, the same old problems of the first team came to the fore. Lots of tippy tappy along the back line, eventually back to the keeper, and with nowhere else to go a long punt forward, giving the ball back to the opposition.
Matt Berry Hargreaves (who I normally rate very highly) in particular got caught out several times on the edge of his own area, not knowing what to do with the latest in a series of tippy tappy passes.
Like the first team, there was a lack of creativity in the opponents box and far too few shots on goal. And again like the first team, there was frequent panic and lack of marking in our own penalty area.
It got me to wondering if there are significant weaknesses in the system the club is trying to employ, or institutional weaknesses in the coaching of that system throughout the club.
Jonte Smith didn't look like a lone striker, and for all his running about chasing the ball, had few if any shots, bar the tap in for our goal,
The highlights of the team were Fabio Lopes, who looked very comfortable playing the Brannagan type role, and left winger Owen James, who has pace and trickery in his locker. Captain Aaron Heap did OK in midfield, and Jack Stevens did very well to keep the score down with numerous fine saves. Other than that, the performance was poor really.
City on the other hand were useful. Not so pretty on the eye, but nonetheless effective, moving the ball quickly and very strong and athletic in retrieving the ball. Unfortunately, their top scorer, who I was looking forward to seeing again, didn't play.
So the last cup run ends for another season.