Oxford (A)

[captainmed]

Got to win.

In my opinion this will be easier than Burton away the following Tuesday.

They ain’t lost many lately but rarely win neither, drawing their last 4.

Not won since 21st Jan!!!!

Nailed on draw it is then…..

Edited April 11, 2023 by captainmed

[globaldiver]

4 points from these should see us sitting pretty

3-1

[Wanderlust]

43 minutes ago, globaldiver said:

4 points from these should see us sitting pretty

3-1

4 points would be exceptional.

 

[Wanderlust]

2 hours ago, waffer cup 07 said:

WOW, they sound a great side.

Not really, they sound like a side that tried to play pretty football, slid down the table, realised they're not City and needed a rethink and decided to set their stall out not to lose instead.

And in the last month they haven't lost.

Draw would be fine for them, but anything less than a win is likely to be bad news for us - you're dead right, we need a win but it ain't going to be easy.

[Traf]

10 minutes ago, Wanderlust said:

4 points would be exceptional.

5 would be better.

[desperado]

2 hours ago, globaldiver said:

4 points from these should see us sitting pretty

3-1

 

1 hour ago, Wanderlust said:

4 points would be exceptional.

 

I agree

Which is pretty much what we said leading up to Exeter/Cambridge. But the manner of the draw has taken away this perspective. 

I’ll repeat what I said yesterday, changes for Cambridge were expected and IMO valid (happy to debate which changes should have been made)- But all this keep flogging your best players with 6 games in 17 days, (when 2 of those are in the same weekend) is not the modern way. For Charles you can throw in another 2 international games! 

This isn’t a game of FIFA where you keep throwing out the same team with the same formula to get results. Evatt made it pretty clear why changes had to be made and what the potential dangers might have been in pushing certain individuals.

Now should a similar approach be taken against Oxford then I’ll also be asking questions. But should they be fit and available I expect a line up similar to Plymouth/Exeter, with the return of Dempsey, Morley and Charles at the very least.

A similar approach to Burton then those 4 points are very achievable and the Cambridge selection will be justified. 

 

 

Edited April 11, 2023 by desperado

[globaldiver]

1 hour ago, Traf said:

5 would be better.

Always a bonus

[onefinfrandsen]

4 hours ago, Wanderlust said:

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 Karl Robinson 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.

 

They haven’t won since January, let’s have a go at them

[woolli]

2 hours ago, Wanderlust said:

4 points would be exceptional.

 

Absolutely from one game!

[paulhanley]

I probably know a little more about Oxford United than most EFL clubs due to where I live. This'll be a tough game - which can't often be said when we are playing a team 14 without a win! All of their more recent games have been draws including a 0-0 at Peterborough and a 1-1 at home v Sheff Weds. They've a  new manager in Liam Manning, formerly of MK. 

For those who've not been to the Kassam before its way out in east Oxford close to the big Blackbird Leys council estate. Getting off the car park at the end is bloody hard work. Unless you're making a weekend of it you won't be seeing any dreaming spires and University colleges. That said getting in to the city is a ballache at the best of times due to relentlessly bad traffic. 

There's some nice villages fairly nearby (15 mins drive) with boozers, but they're family/gastro type places rather than pre-match fodder. Marsh Baldon, Toot Baldon and Garsington are the places in my mind.

On wider matters linked to the club if they go down/we go up or both this could potentially be our last visit here. They need to move to a new stadium by 2026 because their former owner (Mr Kassam) wants them out. He owns the stadium but no longer the club - and he couldn't give a toss about them. They're eyeing up a plot of land in Kidlington north of the city to build a new 18000 capacity ground.

Oxford fans are full of gloom and doom. They badly need a win. Not for the faint-hearted is this!! 

[Burndens Bogs]

Was quite impressed with Oxford at our place, they did a number on us.

[globaldiver]

2 minutes ago, paulhanley said:

I probably know a little more about Oxford United than most EFL clubs due to where I live. This'll be a tough game - which can't often be said when we are playing a team 14 without a win! All of their more recent games have been draws including a 0-0 at Peterborough and a 1-1 at home v Sheff Weds. They've a  new manager in Liam Manning, formerly of MK. 

For those who've not been to the Kassam before its way out in east Oxford close to the big Blackbird Leys council estate. Getting off the car park at the end is bloody hard work. Unless you're making a weekend of it you won't be seeing any dreaming spires and University colleges. That said getting in to the city is a ballache at the best of times due to relentlessly bad traffic. 

There's some nice villages fairly nearby (15 mins drive) with boozers, but they're family/gastro type places rather than pre-match fodder. Marsh Baldon, Toot Baldon and Garsington are the places in my mind.

On wider matters linked to the club if they go down/we go up or both this could potentially be our last visit here. They need to move to a new stadium by 2026 because their former owner (Mr Kassam) wants them out. He owns the stadium but no longer the club - and he couldn't give a toss about them. They're eyeing up a plot of land in Kidlington north of the city to build a new 18000 capacity ground.

Oxford fans are full of gloom and doom. They badly need a win. Not for the faint-hearted is this!! 

I assumed just a bunch of effete southern puffs?

[paulhanley]

6 minutes ago, globaldiver said:

I assumed just a bunch of effete southern puffs?

Some bits. But the east of Oxford (Barton, Blackbird Leys) .... not to be taken lightly.

[tomski]

5 hours ago, Wanderlust said:

4 points would be exceptional.

 

We are playing Oxford and Burton.

[desperado]

42 minutes ago, tomski said:

We are playing Oxford and Burton.

I know what you are saying, but you have seen our record at Burton? I have nightmares about that place. 

[only1swanny]

if you would have told me 3/4 months ago that Bolton Fans would be pissed that Kachunga wasnt starting, i'd never have believed you..

 

[tomski]

4 minutes ago, desperado said:

I know what you are saying, but you have seen our record at Burton? I have nightmares about that place. 

Yeah it’s bad but to be fair they did us regularly at home too and it needs putting to bed like Accy, Wycombe and others we have faced.

Cant be playing teams that low down and not going in for 6 points (not saying we deserve or are entitled to these points) especially when dropping bread and butter points at home to Cambridge. 

It’s in our own hands and to control that we need to win all 6. Anything outside of that it potentially goes out of our control. I don’t think we need all 6 wins but I bet it will be close.
 

[desperado]

2 minutes ago, tomski said:

Yeah it’s bad but to be fair they did us regularly at home too and it needs putting to bed like Accy, Wycombe and others we have faced.

Cant be playing teams that low down and not going in for 6 points (not saying we deserve or are entitled to these points) especially when dropping bread and butter points at home to Cambridge. 

It’s in our own hands and to control that we need to win all 6. Anything outside of that it potentially goes out of our control. I don’t think we need all 6 wins but I bet it will be close.
 

I fancy us more on Saturday and in the following 3 home fixtures. I don’t think they’ll go into any game with the intention of being happy with a draw - see Exeter for that. But I do concur that we owe them one, it would be a nice ghost to lay to rest, but I wouldn’t be picking out a draw in that game as a nail in our coffin for not making the play-offs. 

[marple whites]

These haven’t won in 14 or scored in the last 3.

would snap your hands off for 4 points out of next 2 away

[TrickyTrotter]

Evatt says we are down to the bare bones and a couple of (additional) players have injury issues.  Not sure who.  Jerome's injury record hasn't been great since we signed him.  Could just be Evatt mind games.

[Tonge moor green jacket]

11 minutes ago, TrickyTrotter said:

Evatt says we are down to the bare bones and a couple of (additional) players have injury issues.  Not sure who.  Jerome's injury record hasn't been great since we signed him.  Could just be Evatt mind games.

I saw Jerome briefly hold the back of his thigh before going off the other day.

 

[RUREADY2ROLL]

27 minutes ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

I saw Jerome briefly hold the back of his thigh before going off the other day.

 

We have plenty of forwards 

[Tonge moor green jacket]

18 minutes ago, RUREADY2ROLL said:

We have plenty of forwards 

Aye, not concerned- its not as is he's done a great deal.

[captainmed]

3 hours ago, RUREADY2ROLL said:

We have plenty of forwards 

I think we’re looking at the kid from Southampton starting here.

[Traf]

4 at the back, Mbete is injured.