Home Match Build Up 15/4/2023 L1: OUFC v Bolton Wanderers

[tonto]

No backup?! Wheres Mous when we need him!! Probably the second worse decision the board made this season

 

[Symp59]

Mous as got a nice job thankyou very much .But see where he is this time next year nearly every manager is under pressure.

 

[Symp59]

Please a 1-0 win how many weeks have we been pleading .We are running out of games one of Accrington or Cambridge are going to get something this weekend.

 

[bicesterox]

Just looked at Bolton forum to see what they are thinking but most of the 4 pages is about a player who looks lucky to have escaped jail this week, very little on the game, except "Oxford are shite" which we don't need reminding of

 

[Foley]

From what Manning said, I would not be amazed if Moore plays tomorrow. He certainly didn't seem to discount it?

 

[Wanderlust2]

Don't think you'll get a better chance to start scoring again than this weekend as Wanderers scramble around trying to work out who can play at the back. There's even talk of Evatt abandoning his beloved back 3 and putting a DM in the back line.
Presume Dempsey will start in midfield as he's in the doghouse for assaulting a bouncer in a nightclub and Evatt will want to "show faith in his rehabilitation" - but otherwise it remains a mystery what team he will cobble together. Unlikely Ricardo Santos will be back and Eoin Toal is out for the season after the horrendous assault on him at Wembley so without our solid defensive foundation we're vulnerable.

 

[Wanderlust2]

Just looked at Bolton forum to see what they are thinking but most of the 4 pages is about a player who looks lucky to have escaped jail this week, very little on the game, except "Oxford are shite" which we don't need reminding of

There are several Wanderers forums and there has been a lot of discussion about the game - but TBH many are preoccupied with tickets and travel, injuries, Dempsey's misdemeanours etc.
Only the deluded are taking this game lightly....I'm certainly not....

Horrendous potential banana skin this one.


Been a hit and mainly miss season for Oxford until recently but back in October they stuffed us at the Unibol and since they lost by the odd goal to Derby in March, have drawn every game including coming back to equalise a Barry Bannan screamer v the Owls and a strong away draw at Posh.


Perched just two points and one place above the drop zone, they obviously have tons of incentive to turn us over and unless we improve considerably from Saturday's performance they probably will.


Make no mistake - Oxford are very strong defensively with a big back 4, two DMs including the excellent Brannagan and a good goalie (Eastwood). They are anything but an easy nut to crack (they've only conceded 3 goals in a month) and it concerns me that Evatt might back Shoretire to produce the finesse required - who knows? It may suit him but he'll need to be a lot sharper than he was v Cambs.


Going forward they have a bit of pace and trickery about them and it seems they are starting to prefer the big teenage striker O'Donkor to ex-white Wildschut. O'Donkor is big, strong and quick - but Liam Manning has set his team out "not to lose" so it may well be one of those where we have possession and frustration in equal measure with Oxford building a wall and looking to score on the break and from set pieces.


A truly horrible fixture for us to have to negotiate at this stage of the season.


If we don't find a way through them - and bear in mind we are the lowest scoring team in the top ten - this could go pear shaped very quickly. We need a bright start and an early goal to set the tone.


Concede first and it'll be a long way back.

 

[Theox07]

Eastwood
Long Moore Findlay Brown
Mcguane Brannagan
Joseph Browne Goodrham
Odonkor

 

[Farmer-Cee]

It’s true that Wanderers are struggling in defence for injuries but there’s nothing wrong with midfield and attack where we should be at full strength so as Evatt says we’ll have to just go for it and score more than Oxford so I expect a pretty open game tomorrow. In all honesty I think we play better when we just focus on attack rather than the slowly slowly build up stuff from the back. Both teams need to go for the win tomorrow so I expect a pretty open game and a few goals. Let’s just hope the games not spoiled by poor refereeing and the best team wins.

 

[Wanderlust2]

Bolton News suggesting Dempsey has "learned his lesson", is a changed man, the club will back him and he'll start tomorrow. Apparently he won't have to wear his electronic tag whilst playing
Some fans are calling for him to be sacked for bringing the club into disrepute. Having seen the CCTV footage of the fight with the bouncer I can understand why - he was an asshole despite claiming he was punched and abused on a night out in his home town..
BN predicted line up:
Traff

Jones Johnston Mbete

Bradley Sheehan Morley John

Dempsey

Charles Kacha

Without Santos and Toal, the back line looks weak, especially if the young lad Mbete is playing on the left - his confidence may have suffered after a poor performance on Monday.

We'll see.

 

[Yellow There!]

Bolton News suggesting Dempsey has "learned his lesson", is a changed man, the club will back him and he'll start tomorrow. Apparently he won't have to wear his electronic tag whilst playing
Some fans are calling for him to be sacked for bringing the club into disrepute. Having seen the CCTV footage of the fight with the bouncer I can understand why - he was an asshole despite claiming he was punched and abused on a night out in his home town..
BN predicted line up:
Traff

Jones Johnston Mbete

Bradley Sheehan Morley John

Dempsey

Charles Kacha

Without Santos and Toal, the back line looks weak, especially if the young lad Mbete is playing on the left - his confidence may have suffered after a poor performance on Monday.

We'll see.

Declan John turned into prime Cafu against us last season so will be a threat, especially against our Sam.

 

[Wanderlust2]

It’s true that Wanderers are struggling in defence for injuries but there’s nothing wrong with midfield and attack where we should be at full strength so as Evatt says we’ll have to just go for it and score more than Oxford so I expect a pretty open game tomorrow. In all honesty I think we play better when we just focus on attack rather than the slowly slowly build up stuff from the back. Both teams need to go for the win tomorrow so I expect a pretty open game and a few goals. Let’s just hope the games not spoiled by poor refereeing and the best team wins.

I'd be surprised if Oxford allow an open game though. Sure it would suit us but Oxford have tightened up under Liam Manning.

 

[Wanderlust2]

Declan John turned into prime Cafu against us last season so will be a threat, especially against our Sam.

He transforms into Decberto every 15 games or so. Then back to Declan John for the next 14

 

[Yellow There!]

I’d like to see

Easty
Long Moore Findlay Brown
Brannagan McGuane Fleming
Goodrham Browne Murphy

but don’t think it’ll happen

 

[Sarge]

have an optimistic feeling about tomorrows game

maybe Murphy will give a 90min plus repetition of what he showed he can do earlier in the season V Charlton

and our strikers will finally bang a few in

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

Assuming Moore is out still, I’d be tempted to play three at the back:

Eastwood
Long Findlay Brown
Goodrham Brannagan McGuane Fleming
Joseph O’Donkor Browne​

 

[Nadi-]

Assuming Moore is out still, I’d be tempted to play three at the back:

Eastwood
Long Findlay Brown
Goodrham Brannagan McGuane Fleming
Joseph O’Donkor Browne​

Bit of a dilemma there, do you attack or defend Bradley.
Ciaron Brown dealt with him really well up at their place.
Will Fleming do the same as a wing back ?

 

[bazzer9461]

In my opinion we need push Brannagan up the pitch a little to create more.
We are definitely lacking someone who can open up a defence with a decent through ball for Joseph and the wide players, or have a decent effort from distance. Too often the ball is going up to Joseph with his back to goal, or the wide players are receiving the ball too deep.

I would go with the following:
Eastwood
Long Negru Findlay Brown
Mcguane Smith
Murphy. Brannagan. Brown
Joseph

Negru is out injured

 

[Theox07]

Bit of a dilemma there, do you attack or defend Bradley.
Ciaron Brown dealt with him really well up at their place.
Will Fleming do the same as a wing back ?

Brown scored last time he’s too strong for Bradley keep him left back

 

[Nadi-]

Eastwood
Golding Long Findlay Brown
McGuane Brannagan
Joseph Browne Murphy
O’Donkor