MATCHDAY THREAD: Oxford United Vs The Mighty GAS

Sorry about the negativity but here goes:

This team of players has no pace or energy apart from Hanlan and Nicholson. Our attacks are largely slow and laborious. Players seem to stroll too much and there is no urgency when losing or attacking. Blackpool game probably an exception but not many more in recent games?

Midfield players who should be the most creative lack basic consistent basic skill like ball control, awareness, passing, heading and shooting. Westbrook was awful today and Grant seems to play backwards more than forwards when he has plenty of space and time. For L1 players, they are not good enough?

1-up does not work for us; too defensive especially when our defence is so weak. We looked much better when Ayunga came on to support Hanlan. If we can’t defend, then concentrate on quick long balls to the front ASAP.

We now seem to be conceding the first goal in all our games and playing catch up. Not helped by some very poor refereeing decisions.

Our triangular play near the touchline seems to be just about passing the ball to each other with no INTENT! The players get too close to each other and end up usually losing the ball without putting it into the box. For the last 2 seasons Hare and Leahy ran down the touchline and their only purpose seemed to be to cross the ball into the box at the FIRST opportunity. Forwards were aware of that and would try and get into the box as well. It worked!

When under attack after losing the ball, our players seem in no hurry to get back to defend properly. Also when marking we give the opposing numbers too much room. Loose balls just seem to end up with the other team because we are slow to react and just to be playing catch up.

New manager now seems to be playing the Garner way? We are not skilful enough to play it around at the back! Maybe he is limited by the choice of players he has but our starting formation is too defensive.
Drastic changes need to be made in how we form up and play.

I haven’t seen a much worse combination of play and players for the last 4/5 seasons than we have now. No fluidity or flow; just disjointed. We played much better football when we were in the Conference! One of the worst set of midfield players with no heart and passion. That to me seems the critical factor that is lacking. In seasons gone, we had players who may not have been the best but who had heart and passion for the team and the club. Lines, Sinclair, Ollie, Sercombe, Craig, Lockyer, JCH, etc. Very few players have shown this so far bar Hanlan and Kilgour this season?

I don’t see much hope this season if we carry in like this. We are out of all the cups and struggling to stay away from the bottom 4. The hope and support of and for the club built up over the 2 promotions with a virtually unchanged core of players is slowly ebbing away, I feel? A club that looked to be going places is now heading in the opposite direction.

UTG

Haven’t read the thread and missed today’s match so not best placed to comment on today so I won’t. But at the moment we’re in the middle of a bad run so something needs to happen. I can see Tis getting a hammering on here tonight which I guess was expected. But fwiw I think Tis needs to:
.... Play the back 4 and decide on the two CHs he thinks are the best and if Ehmer isn’t one of them don’t try and fit him in at RB. Play George Williams which is what I’m sure he’ll do now.
.... Decide on his best midfield and the formation, a 4 with 2 up front or a 231. I hope that would include McCormick, Oztumer and Westbrooke somewhere in the team.
.... Go to church tomorrow and pray that Nicholson and Daly recover soon from their injuries.
.... Sign a forward before the window ends.

With the injuries resolved I’m sure we’ll be ok and up until the last two matches I wasn’t worried. But the last two selections have been baffling but I’m presuming that with the imbalance in the squad his hand has been forced by injuries or something else. Everyone has an opinion and this place is the place to express it but we’ve got to stick with Tis, anything else would make us a laughing stock. We’ll be fine but I was more sure of that two matches ago!!
UTG!

I have taken heed of GGMI's special request and have taken it upon myself to relieve him of his duties for this game (albeit 4.5 hours early)

I have never started a thread before, and I am not waiting up till midnight to start this one, so please take it easy on me.  I have started this thread on the basis that I have never fancied our chances at the Kassam Stadium but have been there on a number of occasions and have only ever seen us win.  Fingers crossed that my luck holds out and we get to see another famous victory.

PS  Another reason for starting this thread is that I have just taken receipt of a BJ "Special Hamper" and have already drunk my way through half of it!!!!!!!

A fair assessment and was exactly how I felt until the Crewe game kicked off.
Hopefully he’s just had a mare and now realises that Bristol Rovers must never start a league match playing 541 ever again.
Up until then I was quite impressed with him to be fair.