Rage Online

What on earth was I expecting? I say every year at this time that my pre-season optimism usually lasts 45 minutes. But as Oxblogger's always excellent piece makes clear, opening games of the season really tell us nothing. The one statistic from last season I still cannot quite comprehend is that had the Championship season started on Boxing Day and GRs first game, we would have finished the season in the top half. Before last season kicked off, a Foxes-supporting mate said there was a lot of mediocrity in the Championship and, in the end, there were more than three teams worse than us. Of those who went down one, I think we would all have predicted, one I am guessing their fans would have feared more than those outside of the Welsh capital, and one, well, any other team and you might feel sorry for them.

But lessons from yesterday? For me, several. Players have been quoted as saying that we got close in several games but we need to cut out the small or occasional errors that can cost us. Rather than focus on that, how often did Pompey otherwise look like scoring? They might have been more composed than us, bigger and more physical overall, but really? And reading pre-season articles from various categories of the opinionated have made me wonder if the league's rules have changed, as it appears only one team is getting relegated next May...

New signings - Spencer looks very good (as he did at Mansfield, the only PSF I went to). Lankshear - hard to tell, as he was largely negated by a ref who seemed to think that shirt pulling was a sign of affection. From what I have seen on Indonesian TV and at Feld Mill, BdeK looks real quality and really looking forward to seeing him in meaningful action. Officiating? Clearly yesterday's officials had a collective shocker, but having seen most of the ITV highlights Championship segment, inconsistency and befuddlement continue to be the watchwords. Here's a controversial thought (if the post-match RadOx WATG is anything to go by). I reckon one of the ref's best decisions was to play on while we still had two subs waiting to come on. We still had 11 players on the pitch and waiting while the 4th official continued to get lessons from Chrissie H on how to use the board would have been a literal waste of time. Oh, and roadworks are never ending. As those on the M1 finished, so the ones around Towcester started and those at Brackley continue. Plus ca change indeed.

So are we going to make an attempt to revive this? I guess since YF has become a bit more mature, possibly can't support both forums. As for Saturday, that was pretty gruesome. I know we're a bit injury hit (but 'twas ever thus) but it was hard to see a discernable pattern and the lack of creativity was really evident. In terms of negative lessons, I'd start with "Goodrham isn't a winger (at least at this level)". I've never really understood all the hype around him - his performance for much of last year was pretty ordinary) but he doesn't have the pace, strength nor tricks to consistently threaten out wide. I could see him as a ten, but then the size is problematic - I haven't seen his goal last night, mind.. Lesson two: Helik and Moore together is a bit of a disaster waiting to happen. Beyond that, there was pretty much nothing between the two sides (to the extent that we had to give them their goal). Agree that Spencer looked decent enough and that verdict is out on Lankshear - I couldn't see anything much there (inevitably on the player scores he got much more than Harris but that's just the perceptual filters that YF have on MH so that he'll always get low scores whatever he does). Dembele livened things up but there needs to be an end product. Overall though it's hard to pick anything out in a sea of mediocrity. Gosh that's low key. I was very far to the right of the SSU (not so easy getting tickets now in the absence of a season) - was pleasntly surprised at the view not being too bad (and also meant that I was in line for some of the (correct) decisions that the linesman gave that had the crowd up and howling. Not that the refereeing team weren't incompetent, nothing changes there really.

You raise an important question, AC. The challenge with keeping this going is limited numbers of engaged readers and contributors. The alternative is not to keep going...but what does that mean? Shutting the whole kit and kaboodle down would mean simply archiving what is here (I assume), but not adding to it. Or is it kept going, just for the FVs and two principal threads, the "Where are they now" and "OUFC where are they now" information? It feels weird thinking about having no more contributions on matches other than the (always excellent) FVs. But maybe that is what we are heading towards by default. Sometimes I just want to say something and this offers me a platform to say it. Having people then read it, let alone respond to it, is less important to me!

It's too early to get into panic mode after only two league games. We got off to a flying start last season with three wins from six games. I'm sure everyone else will be looking at the rest of the league and trying to work out which teams and where we can get some points.

Trying to avoid the overused "teams like", but Hull are I believe under a fee restriction until the end of Summer 2026.
https://www.efl.com/governance/embargoes/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/ar ... 0d32ermzlo
Quite what the difference is between a transfer embargo and a fee restriction is I'm not sure. (Can't pay a transfer fee or loan fee until
2026?)
Portsmouth are still only on their second season in the Championship like us and were only a point ahead of us last season.

So those first two games we should have been hoping for maybe two points?

Did the Indonesia tour affect our pre-season? Seems it put us back a couple of weeks what with the travel and the climate not being suitable for full on training. Plus the injuries we picked up, as well as apparently players getting ill.

Anyway, after a nervous few hours last Thursday watching the Triangle planning committee meeting, I was sure there would be a lot more "No" votes as everyone seemed to have put forward reasons, however spurious, to vote against. However, I think they had all been told that there were no reasonable grounds to vote no, and that putting their objections and questions at least allowed them to be able to face any opponents by saying at least they tried. The genius part of the evening was right at the end when it was put to the meeting that votes be named. They weren't, but the camera panned round and filmed each members' yes/no/abstention. I think that may have turned a few No's into Yes's. The vote was comfortable carried in the end, and I've been told that abstainees can no longer participate in future debates or votes on this application. Onto the Secretary of State and hopefully work will get started.

I'd planned to pay my £2.50 for an audio match pass to listen to the match this afternoon, like I have done regularly in recent years, but seemingly that option isn't available anymore. Surprising, given that other clubs in the lower leagues still offer it as an option. Guess I'll have to ring my mum in Oxfordshire and get her to put the 'phone next to the wireless! Boils my piss that we all pay our licence fee but are expected to pay AGAIN for the privilege of listening to Radio Oxford on a Saturday afternoon. I love the BBC, but morally that's hard to justify.

Anyway, rant over. We're going to get turned over this afternoon, aren't we.

No idea why commentaries of live broadcasts are not available, but my guess is that it is not down to the BBC, but to whichever broadcaster pays the most and controls rights access. Whatever the reality, it once again sees supporters being treated abysmally.

Despite having my travel plans disrupted, there are plenty of railway stations around Birmingham that are easy to drive to and not served by Cross Country (more time-consuming and costly than driving into central-ish Birmingham to park, but I just did not fancy that).

I was thinking of starting a new thread with a different tagline - something like "still too early to panic?", but on reflection, this tagline still works, for the simple reason that we still seem unable to create meaningful chances. Definitely a less-bad performance than Hull, but before they scored, Furuhashi (?) had two great chances to score. The second half they had fewer chances; we had a long range shot from Cam in the first half that was turned away, and one great one right at the very end, that Harris could not quite turn in. But neither keeper really had too much to deal with. 1-0 certainly not as bad as I feared, but for as long as one goal is enough for opposing teams we shall continue to struggle.

Positives - Long once again showed what a reliable defender he is. Solid as a rock in open play. Brian de Keersmaecker, on his competitive debut, showed something of what we had seen in pre season. Having Hidde ter Avest drop back to create a back five when defending, and pushing forward up the wing when we had possession, generally worked OK.

Negatives - as against Pompey, Lankshear was pulled all over the place but got pretty much zero, but when he tried to hold off a defender he was penalised - pretty much every time. Poor refereeing overall but gave our 27 no help at all (so really looking forward to seeing Prelec get a go). Dembele tried, but against big defenders he is just too lightweight and is too easily (and legally) edged off the ball.

Interesting to see we have apparently had 22 players with some sort of injury. It is, of course, too early to panic, and I fully expect to be 0 from 4 given Coventry's form, but this crazy division has already shown that the only consistent is inconsistency. Plus ca change indeed...