11 minutes ago, Lt. Aldo Raine said:

I can't see Bod getting much of a look in beyond the odd late cameo, especially whilst results are good

We paid a six-figure fee for Vic and signed him to a long-term contract so I think we'll be sticking with him

Plus we are top of the league and vics played nearly every game.

If Vic is all we have to worry about we really dont have a lot to worry about.

Keep Maghoma fit and in the team is the most important thing for the foreseeable.

It seems clear to me that JDB is being used sparingly, whether that's from the start in cup games, (think its was 55 in the EFL game at Stockport) or 2nd half in league games.

There will be a plan, a strategy and good reasoning behind this. I hear @Johnnyrotten criticising that this should be from the start. Evatt will know if you ask him, but you can't so you'll have to make do with me hypothesising!

- In league games he's having a great impact coming off the bench, maybe because defences are tiring

- We are on a fantastic run without him starting

- He's had a number of serious injuries not just with us but throughout his career, so he needs managing very carefully

- I think everyone agrees he is a better striker than Dan/Vic, so what would happen at the moment in a game which was 0-0 and we needed a striker with 25 mins to go to change the game,we are going to have to use the much derided Dan/Vic, a sure way of getting the doom merchants going again. 

- But we are seeing how good he is, so we need him fit for the season especially when it comes to the 2nd half of the season and/or when our form drops and we stop getting points in every game

 

Edited November 29, 20232 yr by desperado

Our record this season against the current top 10

5 wins

2 draws

0 losses 

Pompey and Barnsley to play

Anyway ignore that diatribe - I think at @Johnnyrotten might like responding 🙂

We've just got an excellent point to keep a fantastic run going.

Lots to be very positive about 👏

Edited November 28, 20232 yr by desperado

First half we were a little cautious, Baxter saved us a couple of times so I reckon they edged it.

Strangley enough our best attacking option in the second half came via Iredale & he didn’t quite deliver the killer pass however they enjoyed plenty of space behind him which made the game finely balanced . Toal not being left-sided does create a bit of an opportunity for the opposition although I am not questioning his ability.

All in all a good point , wish the GT critics wouldn’t slag him for picking up yellows he got one tonight for fuck all & had a cracking second half despite being cautioned in the first half.

 

 

 

Pleasure watching the game with @Steejay and @radcliffe white

@Big E is a shit look out

Point is a good ‘un pre-match. Think we had enough to win it. Still in a more than good enough position.

As an away day, Cambridge pisses all over Oxford, but there’s a lot to be said for a pint in hotel bar 15 minutes before kick off and 10 minutes after full time 😅 

Edited November 28, 20232 yr by Leyther_Matt

1 hour ago, Casino said:

Maghoma is on 4 cards

I want him playing v pompey

You mean IE might have thought the decision through ? 

Lot of Bod love on here tonight but I thought it was one of his worst games giving it away on at least 3 occasions that I can think of. Love the guy and he’s super talented given space to work with but he had none tonight and it showed. Guessing the full match will be repeated on WTV so I’ll check I’m not doing him a disservice.

Thomo my MOTM - again.

47 minutes ago, Lostock Whites said:

Our record this season against the current top 10

5 wins

2 draws

0 losses 

Pompey and Barnsley to play

We need to be beating teams in the bottom half if we're serious about getting promoted

Big point, especially given their chances at 30-45 minutes. Baxter stood up well. 

Impressed with Oxford; I must admit I thought their position belied their actual quality, but they were a very good side. Definitely a threat til May. 

Was hoping we'd take advantage with them being without two of their main goalscoring threats in Rodrigues & Greg Leigh but a point was a fair result on the scale of things especially with ref completely killing the entire first half. They pressed us well for large parts of the game, most of our dangerous moments unfortunately fell to Iredale who seemed to be absolutely lashing it into areas hoping for something to deflect our way 

Edited November 29, 20232 yr by Deanu

1 hour ago, Leyther_Matt said:

Pleasure watching the game with @Steejay and @radcliffe white

@Big E is a shit look out

Point is a good ‘un pre-match. Think we had enough to win it. Still in a more than good enough position.

As an away day, Cambridge pisses all over Oxford, but there’s a lot to be said for a pint in hotel bar 15 minutes before kick off and 10 minutes after full time 😅 

Through my door at 12.45 with a 15 min stop too, flew back 

Bod is a better player than Vic however he isn't doing all the running, pressuring and tracking back that Vic does. So if he starts with Charles we are asking him to do that more which nulifies his game. Like it or not IE sets up to have one striker deeper, and tracking back and just don't think Dion and Bod fits that plan.

Alao last night he had 5 minutes of quality, then quite anonymous once Paris went off, also looked to have missed what looked like a simple chance at the back post, but didn't see a replay. 

2 minutes ago, CambridgeBWFC said:

Bod is a better player than Vic however he isn't doing all the running, pressuring and tracking back that Vic does. So if he starts with Charles we are asking him to do that more which nulifies his game. Like it or not IE sets up to have one striker deeper, and tracking back and just don't think Dion and Bod fits that plan.

Alao last night he had 5 minutes of quality, then quite anonymous once Paris went off, also looked to have missed what looked like a simple chance at the back post, but didn't see a replay. 

Aye I'd go with that.

Think Vic does the hard yards that nobody sees. 

How many times have we all complained about Charles coming too deep. 

Whatever the aesthetics, its working.

8 hours ago, desperado said:

It seems clear to me that JDB is being used sparingly, whether that's from the start in cup games, (think its was 55 in the EFL game at Stockport) or 2nd half in league games.

There will be a plan, a strategy and good reasoning behind this. I hear @Johnnyrotten criticising that this should be from the start. Evatt will know if you ask him, but you can't so you'll have to make do with me hypothesising!

- In league games he's having a great impact coming off the bench, maybe because defences are tiring

- We are on a fantastic run without him starting

- He's had a number of serious injuries not just with us but throughout his career, so he needs managing very carefully

- I think everyone agrees he is a better striker than Dan/Vic, so what would happen at the moment in a game which was 0-0 and we needed a striker, we are going to have to use the much derided Dan/Vic, a sure way of getting the doom merchants going again. 

- But we are seeing how good he is, so we need him fit for the season especially when it comes to the 2nd half of the season and/or when our form drops and we stop getting points in every game

 

Evatts game plan is to wear down the opposition, both by keeping the ball and showing physical dominance.

JDB isn’t best suited to that type of play but is perfect to come on after an hour and take on tiring defenders.

Trust the process.

8 hours ago, Take Hunt Off said:

wish the GT critics wouldn’t slag him for picking up yellows he got one tonight for fuck all & had a cracking second half despite being cautioned in the first half.

Yeah, I was worried with him carrying that yellow,  given the Ref. But a fantastic performance second half, very mature and didn't give the ref a chance

On 27/11/2023 at 18:39, Johnnyrotten said:

 I still don't get why JDB is fit enough for one competition but not the other 😀

 

10 hours ago, Johnnyrotten said:

He'll be absolutely exhausted after playing 2 cup games before then while Vic gets a rest 😀

Just to carry on our debate on this one - again always good to discuss with you on here 👍 

I am interested in your opinion as to why you think Evatt isnt starting JDB and why you think he's getting it wrong playing the same side that's on a great run taking us up to the top of the table?

Either there's no merit in any of my theories

It's some other personality/behaviour issue.

Or Evatt is misguided, he doesn't make decisions based on what's best for the team, he's stubborn and he is only playing Vic because he's his favourite (If that was the case i think he'd play Dan 😀) and paid good money for him?

Bod is by far a better striker than Vic and should be starting (maybe not every game to manage fitness, but a good few). I get we're on a great run but this is plainly obvious to see.

The only exception would be if Bod and Charles don't work well together, but I've not seen anything that would make me think that. His hold up play should work to Charles's strengths.

And this isn't just having a go at Vic, I actually think he might be more useful against the tiring defences coming on as a sub.

Edited November 29, 20232 yr by Stig
Edited to add in caveat about fitness

We all look at games differently but personally I don’t buy this vic does the hard work, wears defences out etc

for a biggish attacking player his hold up play/first touch is pretty poor and that’s the massive difference with him & Bod, many times Vic can’t hold of the ball which then in turn gets recycled towards our half

so the question people will ask if that bad why are we doing so well? for me it’s simply down to others really stepping up Maghoma, George & Sheehan in particular and in some ways Vic has become a passenger offering very little

but like I’ve said many times it will work for this league and that’s the important part 

Happy with a draw last night. 

We could well be down to 3rd by the time we play Pompey so will need to win there to go back top.

I’m more confident there than I was last night but you’d still have to take a draw I guess.

Things are looking good. 

13 minutes ago, captainmed said:

Happy with a draw last night. 

We could well be down to 3rd by the time we play Pompey so will need to win there to go back top.

I’m more confident there than I was last night but you’d still have to take a draw I guess.

Things are looking good. 

Possible, though Oxford are away at Peterborough. They'd need to win that, and change any goal difference, and it would be decent in keeping Peterborough at arms length.

A draw is a good result in the end, thought we could've won it in the second half, on another day we would've.

Didn't think Oxford were that good, and if they're the team that are in third, then that says a lot about the quality of this division and I'm more confident of automatics now then I was before the game.

As an aside THIS appeared in my emails today.

24 minutes ago, captainmed said:

Happy with a draw last night. 

We could well be down to 3rd by the time we play Pompey so will need to win there to go back top.

I’m more confident there than I was last night but you’d still have to take a draw I guess.

Things are looking good. 

Pompey only need a draw in their game Saturday to go over us but we have a six goal difference on Oxford so it’s unlikely they could move over us

1 hour ago, Stig said:

Bod is by far a better striker than Vic and should be starting (maybe not every game to manage fitness, but a good few). I get we're on a great run but this is plainly obvious to see.

The only exception would be if Bod and Charles don't work well together, but I've not seen anything that would make me think that. His hold up play should work to Charles's strengths.

And this isn't just having a go at Vic, I actually think he might be more useful against the tiring defences coming on as a sub.

Paris Maghoma’s cousin was sat in front of us last night with two friends; when Bod was warming up his friend asked me was he a striker and I said yes and very good. After 5 minutes he said why didn’t they start him.  I can see both arguments and Victor can be frustrating at times but his work rate is good so I assume he is better tracking back before the opponents have tired like some have said.  Whatever IE decides is good for me