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Post by highlights on Sept 26, 2017 21:50:16 GMT
FFS guys calm down. We're 10 games in. I can't even begin to tell you how challenging it is to come in half way through pre-season and establish a winning formula in 10 games. We gave Appleton time, give Pep time. He needs until the end of next month minimum before any primary judgements are in. Shrewsbury have managed with a new team so why couldn’t we? They had a pre-season to plan, we didn't. Planning for a new season starts in Fed/March and its executed in the summer. Missing that planning time is hugely challenging. Clearly the performances haven't been good enough recently. But getting on a manager's case after 10 games, who came in half way through the summer isn't helpful.
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Post by gingerox on Sept 26, 2017 21:50:30 GMT
I struggle to see how Pep can be blamed. He hasn't inherited a team, he's got 4 starters from last year and most of the lads haven't played with each other before (which I guess is why they go on team bonding at Army bases). We lost our captain, manager, only two proven goal scorers and arguably most gifted player over one summer. We currently have no proven strikers fit. I think most, myself included, underestimated how difficult the transition was going to be from last season. I look at the squad we have and can't see anyone who guarantees a double figure goal tally.
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Post by eraser on Sept 26, 2017 21:53:07 GMT
PEP looks to have lost the dressing room. Some of the players he's brought in look out of their depth an he hasn't developed the likes of Jack Payne.he was awesome against Portsmouth. Gino was too. If we have a good team as has been mentioned why are they leaking goals like soup in a basket? For the same reason we struggled with MApp to start with - he was obsessed with 4-2-3-1 but didn't have the players! Build your formation around player strengths not tactical philosophy! Buy players to meet your tactical philosophy but until then use them in natural positions. Hope Pep learns that quickly!
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Post by y3llowarmy on Sept 26, 2017 21:53:21 GMT
And to say we have a decent squad, please tell me you're joking. Outside of a striker what position are we weak at? Left back, left wing / forward, centre forward. I'm not massively convinced we are strong enough in midfield either.
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Post by bazzer9461 on Sept 26, 2017 21:54:53 GMT
Shrewsbury have managed with a new team so why couldn’t we? They had a pre-season to plan, we didn't. Planning for a new season starts in Fed/March and its executed in the summer. Missing that planning time is hugely challenging. Clearly the performances haven't been good enough recently. But getting on a manager's case after 10 games, who came in half way through the summer isn't helpful. They recruited as soon as the season finished as they did the previous season they had recruited something in the range of 12 Players in the first 4/5 wells don’t think we had recruited by then. It’s the same old Eales Isn’t prepared to splash the cash any more, and with what we’ve recruited as others have said old has been’s not Played much and a foreign contingent that no one has heard of and have not played this standard of football before. That’s the truth of it.
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Post by charliesghost on Sept 26, 2017 21:57:18 GMT
FFS guys calm down. We're 10 games in. I can't even begin to tell you how challenging it is to come in half way through pre-season and establish a winning formula in 10 games. We gave Appleton time, give Pep time. He needs until the end of next month minimum before any primary judgements are in. Shrewsbury have managed with a new team so why couldn’t we? Don't interrupt the soothsayer with your ruddy logical questioning. Its disrespectful to the great man. Tonight, we had Eastwood, Nelson, ruffels, Ledson and Hall all starting. So half the team (including its spine) was here last season. And if Ribeiro and Thomas had been fit that would have been 7 out of 11. The situation is not abnormal in modern lower league football. The question is whether the group is progressing. That question just has to be assessed on an ongoing basis, rather than imposing arbitrary time horizons. Were Palace wrong to fire DE Boer after five games? Nope. Were we right to hang on to MApp after three months of poor results? Yes.
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Post by bazzer9461 on Sept 26, 2017 22:05:04 GMT
Shrewsbury have managed with a new team so why couldn’t we? Don't interrupt the soothsayer with your ruddy logical questioning. Its disrespectful to the great man. Tonight, we had Eastwood, Nelson, ruffels, Ledson and Hall all starting. So half the team (including its spine) was here last season. And if Ribeiro and Thomas had been fit that would have been 7 out of 11. The situation is not abnormal in modern lower league football. The question is whether the group is progressing. That question just has to be assessed on an ongoing basis, rather than imposing arbitrary time horizons. Were Palace wrong to fire DE Boer after five games? Nope. Were we right to hang on to MApp after three months of poor results? Yes. But Ruffels dropped after a very promising start so technically that’s 4 and 7 New players forget Wes I’m afraid his days have to be numbered now and that doesn’t leave us much in the striker dept and don’t tell me Abingdon it GVK or Obika because they are not the goal scorers we need, ok Obika Maybe able to hold the ball up well but he hasn’t a partner to lay of to and don’t say about the three behind him because it isn’t working.
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Post by ryaniobirdio on Sept 26, 2017 22:06:19 GMT
I'm actually past the point of being angry or worked up now. I'm already numb to it all. There were warning signs - the Cheltenham capitulation, and the second half against MK being primary examples of genuinely awful football and a really worrying mentality and attitude - but these last three games have been too much. The manner of the defeats has been unforgivable. I went to Blackpool and was at Walsall and saw for myself how horrific it was on both occasions, and after that I cancelled my plans to go tonight because I predicted we would lose 3-0 in this very thread. That is what happened because it was inevitable. I have also predicted another spanking at Peterborough and see no reason what so ever as to why this will not take place. I will not be going to that game either because not only are the team giving me no reason to spend time, money and effort travelling to support them, but our manager doesn't sound remotely arsed or bothered, shows no emotion and frankly comes across as a walkover. No wonder some of the players supppsedly feel able to pull sickies if his response to a third defeat on the spin - a third spanking in a row at that - is to say he can only 'fockoos' on the positives and that it was all about the first goal. Ooooh, what a steady first half we had of pumping the ball long, if Radio Oxford are to be believed. This is progress, this is.
What the flying f*ck is this man on about? Is he for real? Where is the frank assessment? Where is even the slightest hint that this isn't good enough? Where is the smallest hint of anger or frustration in his voice that suggests he takes this seriously? Sometimes you have to kick a few cups of tea around the room, fella. You don't have to do it every time because it means nothing if you do it constantly, but sometimes you have to do it. Sometimes you have to go out there and say it isn't good enough, that it's unacceptable, that you need to see more, that this simply isn't going to cut it, and that we are very quickly getting into a lot of trouble. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO GIVE A SHIT, MATE. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO f*cking MEAN IT.
This guy has had several stints in management earlier in his career and most ended in relegation, whether he was there to see the ship go down or whether he jumped overboard before it slammed into the iceberg. He has since had a reputation as a decent coach. Fair enough. Good for him. But his managerial record is bollocks, he's signed a load of foreign journeymen with virtually ZERO experience in English football, and even least season he was heavily involved in Leeds utterly collapsing and throwing away a playoff place that was all but secured by losing pretty much every game for the last month. He's actually got very, very little on paper as a manager or a direct assistant manager that screams success. As a manager he has failed universally, as an assistant he has achieved nothing but mediocrity at best. So the least he could do - all he CAN do - is start to show that he understands this isn't good enough, speak some frank home truths, and give us a reason to believe that he gets it. Give us a reason to believe that he knows how to fix this - that he WANTS it. Give us a reason to believe he is going to fight and scrap until his knuckles are red raw, and that he is going to drag these players into the brawl with him whether they like it or not. SHOW US THAT YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON, PEP. PLEASE.
End of the day, this is where we are. We are stuck with this squad and these players until January now, and god knows if we can even bring anybody in at that point. So with that in mind, all we can do is try to change. Change the tactics, the mentality, improve the spirit and the willingness to fight. All we can do now is NOT do what we have aimlessly and religiously been doing recently. What do we know is that THIS - whatever the hell this actually is - does not work. It cannot work and we are now getting our arses handed to us game after game. So stop doing whatever the hell this is, act like you mean it and smash up the joint just once. Because those players are playing like they don't know what to do and some of them don't appear arsed at all. And some, seemingly, can't even be bothered to play. That is a cultural issue, and combined with Pep's awful managerial history, I think it's a very dangerous cocktail.
I don't know what to do at present, I just know that this season looks like it's really going to hurt.
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Post by eraser on Sept 26, 2017 22:08:58 GMT
Shrewsbury have managed with a new team so why couldn’t we? Don't interrupt the soothsayer with your ruddy logical questioning. Its disrespectful to the great man. Tonight, we had Eastwood, Nelson, ruffels, Ledson and Hall all starting. So half the team (including its spine) was here last season. And if Ribeiro and Thomas had been fit that would have been 7 out of 11. The situation is not abnormal in modern lower league football. The question is whether the group is progressing. That question just has to be assessed on an ongoing basis, rather than imposing arbitrary time horizons. Were Palace wrong to fire DE Boer after five games? Nope. Were we right to hang on to MApp after three months of poor results? Yes. Agree with your statement. The question is will Pep adapt like MApp did after 3 months? Does he have players who are willing to adapt or has he been landed with a load of journeymen crocks?? No COD to call on now is there? I think Pep is too nice and these old pros will take the p##s whilst driving the mini metro around. Hope I'm wrong.
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Post by scotchegg on Sept 26, 2017 22:10:06 GMT
Shrewsbury have managed with a new team so why couldn’t we? Don't interrupt the soothsayer with your ruddy logical questioning. Its disrespectful to the great man. Tonight, we had Eastwood, Nelson, ruffels, Ledson and Hall all starting. So half the team (including its spine) was here last season. And if Ribeiro and Thomas had been fit that would have been 7 out of 11. The situation is not abnormal in modern lower league football. The question is whether the group is progressing. That question just has to be assessed on an ongoing basis, rather than imposing arbitrary time horizons. Were Palace wrong to fire DE Boer after five games? Nope. Were we right to hang on to MApp after three months of poor results? Yes. Considering your limited understanding of football it is embarrassing to question someone who actually works in the game. This time 3 years ago you were panicking about us being in a relegation battle. I stated that it was far too early to panic and the team needed to be given more time. How did that work out for us? Again, you can't help but jump for joy after another defeat. It won't be long before we get a few more essays talking of relegation battles and must win games to show that you learn nothing. Give the team a chance, give Pep a chance, and give you pompous b*llshit a rest.
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Post by diagocostapacket on Sept 26, 2017 22:14:31 GMT
I've just got back from the county ground where Coventry were good value for their 3 points. The standard of football from both teams was actually as good as I've witnessed from Oxford this season. MOM for me was 36 year old Michael Doyle who strutted around the pitch like an old rooster constantly ruffling feathers to the extent that Swindon fell for the gamesmanship sucker punch and it worked like a dream.
Only when I turned on the computer 10 mins ago did I see the Oxford result.. I'm sure we are all disappointed but the majority of us not surprised I would imagine. Its sound like for a long period of the game it was honours even and according to some we had our chances during the period up until Bury scored.
I cant comment on the match per say or make sweeping statements of the players or managers performance as I was not there to witness it, but what is apparent to me from the last 6 games I've been to, is that we do have the players and as Taylor and Doyle demonstrated so admirably tonight age is no barrier when the players are truly motivated.
What I have seen in the last few Oxford games is that Clotet doesn't seem to get too animated during the game whether things are going well or not and I am positive this nonchalance is picked up by the players who don't seem too animated either. I think modern professionals of this standard need constant motivation and encouragement and leadership that must come form the top. In short I really don't think Peps style of management will ever get the best out of this squad of quite capable players.
On the Appleton and McGuire issues there's no point speculating about the whys and wherefores...Appleton made a career move and he would have been a fool not to and McGuires agent just bartered a better pay packet at Bury after turning down Oxfords best offer. There's no conspiracy theory its as simple as that. There's no loyalty at this level you play for whoever pays you the most.
Its now back to the drawing board for Pep..but as I've said before we have to keep a clean sheet or two and winning our home games is an absolute must because all of the teams in this league bar a couple are of a similar standard and will beat each other in rotation.
Per ardua ad astra.
Ps The county ground actually isn't a bad stadium is it, lovely big pitch.
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Post by oxford84 on Sept 26, 2017 22:15:45 GMT
Don't interrupt the soothsayer with your ruddy logical questioning. Its disrespectful to the great man. Tonight, we had Eastwood, Nelson, ruffels, Ledson and Hall all starting. So half the team (including its spine) was here last season. And if Ribeiro and Thomas had been fit that would have been 7 out of 11. The situation is not abnormal in modern lower league football. The question is whether the group is progressing. That question just has to be assessed on an ongoing basis, rather than imposing arbitrary time horizons. Were Palace wrong to fire DE Boer after five games? Nope. Were we right to hang on to MApp after three months of poor results? Yes. Considering your limited understanding of football it is embarrassing to question someone who actually works in the game. This time 3 years ago you were panicking about us being in a relegation battle. I stated that it was far too early to panic and the team needed to be given more time. How did that work out for us? Again, you can't help but jump for joy after another defeat. It won't be long before we get a few more essays talking of relegation battles and must win games to show that you learn nothing. Give the team a chance, give Pep a chance, and give you pompous b*llshit a rest. That's ok if we are losing but putting up a fight or had some control of the game but we are getting thrashed.Teams are walking and passing through us,instead of progress we are getting worse. This is not just losing its far more than that,youve got to be able to see that?
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Post by Sith Lord on Sept 26, 2017 22:16:01 GMT
This is where you need your chairman to step forward and rally the troops!
Where is he?
The man is planning an exit im sure of it, the whole business model that has brought us success over the last few years has fallen apart and it proves what i suspected,he was just the money man.
Going to be a interesting few weeks ahead me thinks!
Not selling to sartori? maybe it was better selling Johnson and getting mapp compo then hedging your bets on a good season and then sell?? Who knows..
Hope i am proved wrong!
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Post by duckyellow on Sept 26, 2017 22:18:05 GMT
Eales selling all the assets is ok (to get your money back). But don't pull the wool over us fans by saying selling to Sartori was not in the best interests of OUFC....total b*llshit!!
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Post by eraser on Sept 26, 2017 22:21:34 GMT
This is where you need your chairman to step forward and rally the troops! Where is he? The man is planning an exit im sure of it, the whole business model that has brought us success over the last few years has fallen apart and it proves what i suspected,he was just the money man. Going to be a interesting few weeks ahead me thinks! Hope i am proved wrong! I think you're right I'm afraid. He has a track record of asset stripping and move on..
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Post by Common Villager on Sept 26, 2017 22:24:49 GMT
FFS guys calm down. We're 10 games in. I can't even begin to tell you how challenging it is to come in half way through pre-season and establish a winning formula in 10 games. We gave Appleton time, give Pep time. He needs until the end of next month minimum before any primary judgements are in. I agree, whether we like it or not, ten games is not enough to know exactly where we stand in terms of squad and /or manager ability. We've got a lot of players that are still learning about the league, and even players that know the league inside out will still be trying to form partnerships etc. What I do think is perfectly acceptable to ask is how the hell we found ourselves in a position of having to sign so many players that don't know the league, don't know English football, and aren't fit!! We've been told time after time that we have at least 2/3 players lined up in every position should departures occur. Why didn't we make use of that extensive portfolio of potential signings? Why was our new manager forced to trawl through random European leagues to find players he felt could do a job? The writing was on the wall when Appleton jumped ship. After that, Eales had the chance to sell early in the summer, in order to give us a decent chance of putting together a promotion capable squad. Instead, he squandered that chance and sold / didn't resign a good number of the players that were central to last season's successes, I thought (and still think) he made the right decision in appointing Pep, but I bet our Spanish manager is now wishing he has steered well clear. So now, we're in late September with a squad full of unproven, injury-prone players who may still get it together and lead us on a charge up the league, or may prove why they were playing in obscure leagues across Europe. And we expect Pep to have worked out the winning formula already? Give me a break. Regardless, if Eales sells to who I believe he is going to sell to, I'm sure Pep will be booted out in favour of someone like Sven Goran Eriksen before the end of October.
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Post by diagocostapacket on Sept 26, 2017 22:25:02 GMT
This is where you need your chairman to step forward and rally the troops! Where is he? The man is planning an exit im sure of it, the whole business model that has brought us success over the last few years has fallen apart and it proves what i suspected,he was just the money man. Going to be a interesting few weeks ahead me thinks! Hope i am proved wrong! AS I've said before he's a businessman first and foremost. He will either cut his losses and run for cover or tough it out until he has a reasonable return on his investment.
I don't expect any further investment in the meantime as he probably feels he's invested enough and Pep wouldn't have come cheap..
I suspect Pep will be getting his balls chewed and a new ass hole reamed out tomorrow and how he reacts will define his career with OUFC and our season.
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Post by scotchegg on Sept 26, 2017 22:32:13 GMT
Considering your limited understanding of football it is embarrassing to question someone who actually works in the game. This time 3 years ago you were panicking about us being in a relegation battle. I stated that it was far too early to panic and the team needed to be given more time. How did that work out for us? Again, you can't help but jump for joy after another defeat. It won't be long before we get a few more essays talking of relegation battles and must win games to show that you learn nothing. Give the team a chance, give Pep a chance, and give you pompous b*llshit a rest. That's ok if we are losing but putting up a fight or had some control of the game but we are getting thrashed.Teams are walking and passing through us,instead of progress we are getting worse. This is not just losing its far more than that,youve got to be able to see that? Don't get me wrong, I'm far from happy with the current situation regarding results or performances. But what do we do? Get rid of Pep? Whoever came in would be left with a squad of players they don't know trying to get by until January. DE walks? It won't make any difference until January at the earliest and likely until next summer, and spending big still guarantees nothing. Stick with what we have? For me, not only is it the only option but also the right option. Playing with confidence we've looked a great side. Playing without we look awful. We need to dig deep and fight our way back into this season. Scrap out a point here and 3 more there and get that confidence back. The season is far from over and maybe we're getting our shit spell out of the way early rather than leaving it to January!
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Post by diagocostapacket on Sept 26, 2017 22:42:00 GMT
That's ok if we are losing but putting up a fight or had some control of the game but we are getting thrashed.Teams are walking and passing through us,instead of progress we are getting worse. This is not just losing its far more than that,youve got to be able to see that? Don't get me wrong, I'm far from happy with the current situation regarding results or performances. But what do we do? Get rid of Pep? Whoever came in would be left with a squad of players they don't know trying to get by until January. DE walks? It won't make any difference until January at the earliest and likely until next summer, and spending big still guarantees nothing. Stick with what we have? For me, not only is it the only option but also the right option. Playing with confidence we've looked a great side. Playing without we look awful. We need to dig deep and fight our way back into this season. Scrap out a point here and 3 more there and get that confidence back. The season is far from over and maybe we're getting our shit spell out of the way early rather than leaving it to January! I agree... Shrews are flying high at the mo but every team generally has a spell where results dry up.
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Post by ryaniobirdio on Sept 26, 2017 22:44:17 GMT
I don't think getting rid of Pep is actually an option at this stage. I'm not sure Eales would even bother replacing him - I think it would be a Mickey Lewis situation all over again. It could become essential IF we carry on losing and playing pathetically, but that's a few more consecutive weeks off yet. All he really needs to do in the meantime is discover his balls and get a bit nasty, and rough a few people up a bit. Until he tries and exhausts multiple ways of doing things, it's both difficult and indeed largely pointless even talking about pulling the trigger. I don't see anything positive coming in the form of a replacement that is going to be much better, if indeed there will be one at all.
Pep out? Not yet. No point.
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Post by bazzer9461 on Sept 26, 2017 22:48:50 GMT
Shrewsbury have managed with a new team so why couldn’t we? They had a pre-season to plan, we didn't. Planning for a new season starts in Fed/March and its executed in the summer. Missing that planning time is hugely challenging. Clearly the performances haven't been good enough recently. But getting on a manager's case after 10 games, who came in half way through the summer isn't helpful. So your saying Appleton was being inept by not having a pre-season plan sorted in Feb/March what planet are you on?
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Post by greatunclekip on Sept 26, 2017 22:56:21 GMT
Three words. Bruno Ribeiro. Relegation.
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Post by pottersrightboot on Sept 26, 2017 22:56:49 GMT
Clotet has a better record than Appleton after his first 10 games.
That's my straw and I'm going to cling on it.
I also believe that this team has talent - many were rightfully singing their praises just a fortnight ago.
Clotet needs a result on Saturday though.
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Post by bazzer9461 on Sept 26, 2017 22:59:33 GMT
Clotet has a better record than Appleton after his first 10 games. That's my straw and I'm going to cling on it. I also believe that this team has talent - many were rightfully singing their praises just a fortnight ago. Clotet needs a result on Saturday though. No chance....But I hope I'm wrong
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Post by jimmycarterxi on Sept 27, 2017 0:14:22 GMT
Yes Bob This is really really worrying there is no backbone and when we lose Saturday and we will,confidence will be rock bottom. I have said it before and will say it again, Pep is a fantastic coach but a poor manager look at his record when he has been no.1 The players he has brought in are not good enough Years ago Oxford Utd had a manager called Bill Asprey. Those in the game used to say he was a fantastic coach and knew the game inside out but he was evidently a terrible manager. I hope this this is not the case now. People in the game also said Graham Rix was a great coach......we all know what happened there
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Post by amershamdave on Sept 27, 2017 1:52:34 GMT
Wow! Good guess - but oh, dear!
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Post by blox21 on Sept 27, 2017 4:52:31 GMT
Keep you away from razor blades mate. 'When we lose Saturday' ?! We will lose,I am just being realistic. We are not good enough. I have been watching the yellows for over 50 years and you just get a sense that all is not well. Pep won't do this but Williamson needs to be dropped Mousinho and Nelson Carroll and Ruffels would give us more pace and better defenders at the back. Mowatt and Ledson in the middle keep Hall and Henry wide and play two up front All going well until you said play two up top . Which two ?
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Post by oufcluke27 on Sept 27, 2017 4:56:12 GMT
can't see any other result than a home win tonight!! the confidence is shot What about Bury's confidence? They're in the relegation zone and haven't won since the first day! They are also missing key players injured. This strikes me as being one of those scrappy, hard-fought games where desperation to win trumps points for style. The first goal is often very meaningful, as the team that concedes is slumps and thinks "Oh Christ, here we go again". So I just hope that we go out there and give it everything and - by whatever means necessary - get that ball into the net first. 2-1 to Oxford. oh I hate being right!!!
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Post by oufcluke27 on Sept 27, 2017 5:07:22 GMT
he seems incapable of turning this around just a matter of time before fans start venting verbally at games I'm afraid.......as for eales,why didn't you sell in the summer?? you've got no interest now so sell up and fuk off,bigger budget my arse,where's all this money gone then??? you should of sold in the summer!!
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Post by dubaiyellow on Sept 27, 2017 6:44:41 GMT
Having slept on it (and sobered up a little), i actually think we will be okay. The most important thing is keeping that group of players together in terms of morale, my major concern is the injuries (and comments) to Obika and Thomas as right now we just dont have enough options to cover them (GVK not working and Mehmeti is still unproven). Pep needs to be brave, i would drop Williamson and give Ledson a rest who i think has gone off the boil a little recently, move ribs or Carroll back to RB and set the team up like this for Saturday.
Eastwood Carroll Mousinho Nelson Ricky Hall Ruffles Rothwell/Mowatt Henry Payne Obika
Subs: GVK, Mehmeti, Ribs, Shearer, Rothwell/Mowatt, Williamson, Ledson
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