Away Match Day Thread 10/04/2023: L1 Port Vale v OUFC

[TailsWeWin]

OK, Mr Murphy and Mr Wildshut: you’ve had your chance. The new manager has shown some faith in you and you have not responded. You are both ineffectual and just a little bit lazy. Hand over to Tyler and those who WANT to play for us. Take your pay-off and leave quietly.
I drove up to Stoke, got soaking wet and paid for a seat Saturday to watch you two show no interest or enthusiasm and certainly no desire to win.
Thank you. And goodbye

 

[Jster]

But still didn’t look like scoring

Stockdale made a great save from a set piece header, and we had other moments. Even if you subtract the penalty entirely we were around 0.9xG in the match, which isn't terrible considering who we were up against. I agree we need to improve, but that match gave me some hope.

 

[uptheus]

Stockdale made a great save from a set piece header, and we had other moments. Even if you subtract the penalty entirely we were around 0.9xG in the match, which isn't terrible considering who we were up against. I agree we need to improve, but that match gave me some hope.

I guess I should have said from open play!!

 

[YellowTaxi]

I thought we looked like scoring when the guy kicked the ball off the line

 

[Thomas/Brock/Jones]

We beat Port Vale 4-0 earlier in the season so unless they have completely changed style I don't know about that. We struggle against all styles, only 9 wins in 40 games tends to point to that.

Not certain how much of a positive it is the "Browne and Murphy were in good position and if we could have created a chance" bit is? That's not even creating anything?

We did very little going forwards yesterday, in fact the first half was as bad a half of football as you will ever watch so little happened. Its good that we have tightened up at the back but we have to find a style/system that allows us to attack, I get that with this squad that's not easy but that is why Manning gets paid, he needs to figure out how to get a few goals out of this shambles before we get relegated.

Away at physical sides we struggle as we have done for a few seasons as we all know weak in centre mid.
If Murphy /Browne were as good as hyped than we should have had chances from the position we were in ,they are not.
Manning is trying to sort this mess out , obviously. Hasn't got a magic wand sadly.
TG needs to be involved as one of our exciting players than takes people on .
We need wins and I hope we get them soon

 

[holdsteady]

I thought we looked like scoring when the guy kicked the ball off the line

I think that you are allowed to create more than one chance a game though.

Its as if this forum has been gripped by the spirit of 1980s Serie A "cante thingy bob" where we are going to stay up by defending to a nil nil every game, imagine if Accrington or Cambridge have the cheek to hit the heady heights of 47 points though, that will be the grand plan undone.

 

[Jster]

Not at all - we need to do more than we have so far to stay up. But many on the forum thought we needed to show defensive resilience as a key part of staying up. Manning does seem to have addressed that to some extent. Now hopefully he works on our creativity. What we have done in our last 4 games is arrest the slide. It's a platform to build on, not the finished article.

 

[Thomas/Brock/Jones]

I think that you are allowed to create more than one chance a game though.

Its as if this forum has been gripped by the spirit of 1980s Serie A "cante thingy bob" where we are going to stay up by defending to a nil nil every game, imagine if Accrington or Cambridge have the cheek to hit the heady heights of 47 points though, that will be the grand plan undone.

The forum has been gripped by ' we are bloody poor ' and it won't be pretty as we look to pick up points however possible.
Three draws away isn't as bad as being made out as other sides no doubt see us as their best chance to get a result and play as well as possible.
4 pts from next two home games please

 

[YellowTaxi]

I think that you are allowed to create more than one chance a game though.

Its as if this forum has been gripped by the spirit of 1980s Serie A "cante thingy bob" where we are going to stay up by defending to a nil nil every game, imagine if Accrington or Cambridge have the cheek to hit the heady heights of 47 points though, that will be the grand plan undone.

"Never Looked like scoring" is not the same as "created very few chances"

no-one is saying that we should be satisfied a nil-nil every game. I ams just saying that nil-nil away at a clube above is in the league and with both a makeshift defence and a makeshift attack is not the disaster that some are claiming either. I'm sure that when wins become essential Manning will set up the team differently.

 

[holdsteady]

Not at all - we need to do more than we have so far to stay up. But many on the forum thought we needed to show defensive resilience as a key part of staying up. Manning does seem to have addressed that to some extent. Now hopefully he works on our creativity. What we have done in our last 4 games is arrest the slide. It's a platform to build on, not the finished article.

This is fair enough, I also think its a fair argument that we could of made a start of improving going forward against one of the weaker sides we will play on Monday, the slide had been halted and we could have looked to push on.

Hopefully we push on this Saturday, 14 games without a win is long enough and a home game is the perfect time to end it, already beaten Bolton once so lets be a bit more on the front foot and look to commit more bodies forward, into and around the box, they are in a really tight fight with Peterborough for a play off spot so will have some nerves and have won 3, drawn 3 and lost 3 of the last 9 so its not an unachievable task.

 

[Theox07]

We beat Bolton 3-1 last time we can do it again

 

[SteMerritt]

... that nil-nil away at a club above us in the league...

We weren't playing Plymouth or Ipswich, we were away to a team who would have been only 3pts above us having played a game more if we had beaten them. Most clubs are above us at the moment.

It wasn't a disaster, but then again it certainly wasn't anything to write home about. Vale away was one of our easiest remaining fixtures, the manner of our attacking performance was disappointing.

 

[Wandering Yellow]

Really?
In their past 3 games they have lost 5 0 to Exeter and 3 0 v Sheff W (plus a surprising win v Port Vale where Jack Stevens gifted them the first goal)
They are below us in the league. Not sure where they are better than us comes from?

Only at the end of the season will be know who is the better.

I wonder what their budget is compared to ours? KR is the worst manager in our history. Left us in utter sh*t.

 

[Wandering Yellow]

OK, Mr Murphy and Mr Wildshut: you’ve had your chance. The new manager has shown some faith in you and you have not responded. You are both ineffectual and just a little bit lazy. Hand over to Tyler and those who WANT to play for us. Take your pay-off and leave quietly.
I drove up to Stoke, got soaking wet and paid for a seat Saturday to watch you two show no interest or enthusiasm and certainly no desire to win.
Thank you. And goodbye

Generous of you to say thank you.

Off you f--k and goodbye to both. Young Tyler has to be given the chance.

 

[spmox]

McGuane absolutely diabolical today.

I know McGuane does some effective and skilful things .... but it does drive me crazy when instead of a quick, simple pass he does his, slow down / go round in a circle / fall over / claim a foul routine. Aaaargh!

 

[Canterbury exile]

Fleming impresses me Going forward and he has made 2 decisive blocks/tackles. Play him in front of Brown or if we go to a back 3 ideal wing back. Wildschut tries to run through defenders so often gets dispossessed

 

[WuTang]

Manning has impressed me in quickly making us hard to beat, the formation must not change as they are learning how to dig in and concede less. Negru was superb in his first start, so was Findlay. Brown will always be a good defender and Long will get stuck in defensively at least, but we are seriously struggling going forward.

It now needs emphasis on scoring more goals, as others have said Murphy and Wildschutt have had their chances and not taken them, they are offering little threat and can be used as options off the bench against tired legs instead.

I think Smyth can be key for us, I think our best chance is to allow Cam to push much further forward and get himself in and around the box.

Eastwood
Long Negru/Moore Findlay Brown
Smyth McGuane
Goodhram Brannagan Fleming
Odonkor

4-2-3-1 seems to have worked well defensively so I wouldn't want to change that, so it's finding something that might offer us more attacking threat.

 

[West Oxon U’s]

Evatt: ‘The injuries are really hurting us..’

 

[Wallop]

Smythe has to come in.

New signing?

 

[Big Ron]

I know McGuane does some effective and skilful things .... but it does drive me crazy when instead of a quick, simple pass he does his, slow down / go round in a circle / fall over / claim a foul routine. Aaaargh!

I said at a game a few weeks back that sometimes he doesn't seem to trust his own passing ability - he will often hold on a split second too long or drive toward the player he is passing to. We've seen a measurable upturn in his overall form this season, not least being more physical but he could be offering a lot more with that natural ability.