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Post by scotters on Aug 24, 2016 9:13:11 GMT
What's happened to Aaron Martin?
Seems odd to have our left-back covering in the middle of defence while a centre-back who arrived with some credit to his name sits on the bench.
Missed the games against Fleetwood and Brovers, was he really that bad?
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Post by gilgy on Aug 24, 2016 9:14:23 GMT
I think last night was everything we could have wanted from a cup game against a top Championship side.
I say this because it offered us a good marker of where we are and what we need to do to improve. We look decent going forward, and when we settle into a game, get the ball down and play football, we're still a very attractive side. We have a threat in Thomas, and the midfield are just getting going now too, which is good. I wouldn't say we look bad at the back; just a little off-pace and slow - but this is a problem that's only going to get worse the higher up we go.
To go over the improvements:
As Brighton demonstrated, there are 2 main things that a team at our level, with aspirations of playing higher, need in their attack to succeed: pace and clinical finishing. Brighton had both. Wes Thomas is doing well and looks a pest to defenders; Taylor gives us an option to play it slightly longer with a player running onto his pass; Hemmings is adjusting but give him time. Once we have a bit more pace on the wings, we'll be doing a lot better - it might also allow Maguire to play more centrally, something he is keen on doing.
Moving onto the defence, it's just the flipside really: the defenders have to be able to keep up with the pace of the attackers they face, and deny them the chances to get into score.
We're a solid league 1 side, and we should know what we have to do to improve.
I suspect what might happen is similar to Appleton's first season in charge (although not with us ever looking like dropping out of League 1): we take a look at how we are doing in January, then start to build the team for next season and a promotion push.
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Post by ryaniobirdio on Aug 24, 2016 9:15:51 GMT
What's happened to Aaron Martin? Seems odd to have our left-back covering in the middle of defence while a centre-back who arrived with some credit to his name sits on the bench. Missed the games against Fleetwood and Brovers, was he really that bad?He really wasn't great.
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Post by ZeroTheHero on Aug 24, 2016 9:21:17 GMT
I think last night was everything we could have wanted from a cup game against a top Championship side. While I don't think we were bad last night - that was nowhere near their first team.
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Post by thehead on Aug 24, 2016 9:22:47 GMT
The scoreline didn't really tell the story of the game last night, oxford played good attacking football but on occasion struggled with the pace of their strikers, a credit to the players to carry on attacking to the end and getting a goal back with Crowley. Could do better at the back but when you play attacking football with alot of your players pushed right forward you will always run the risk of being left vulnerable on a counter attack.
In all it was nice attractive football to watch and the players should be proud of their performance
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Post by holdsteady on Aug 24, 2016 9:34:45 GMT
Agree with the last bit, the trophy attendance is going to be tiny. Also with the ultras not attending, will be no noise or flags. Might even go under 1k home fans Be suprised if the entire crowd is 1,000, 700 to 800 max.
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Post by oufcyellows on Aug 24, 2016 9:36:35 GMT
I think last night was everything we could have wanted from a cup game against a top Championship side. While I don't think we were bad last night - that was nowhere near their first team. But pretty much the same side that beat a full strength gillingham in the first round
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Post by holdsteady on Aug 24, 2016 9:44:35 GMT
While I don't think we were bad last night - that was nowhere near their first team. But pretty much the same side that beat a full strength gillingham in the first round That doesn't make it their first team though, it was a second 11 almost. It's hard to judge because at the moment we don't have a proper defence, and certainly not last night but on what I have seen we would be cannon fodder in the championship. We won't get promoted this season and that's for the best, the gap between where we have just come from to the championship is huge, much bigger than the gap between the prem and the championship.
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Post by ZeroTheHero on Aug 24, 2016 9:49:24 GMT
While I don't think we were bad last night - that was nowhere near their first team. But pretty much the same side that beat a full strength gillingham in the first round I thought they played and beat L2 Colchester in the first round?
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Post by oufcyellows on Aug 24, 2016 9:49:42 GMT
I agree, just saying while it wasn't their first 11. It's still a strong side, they have one of the biggest squads in the champ. And the side we played also beat gillingham 4-0 in the first round. Pretty clear that some of their players like lualua were a class above
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Post by oufcyellows on Aug 24, 2016 9:50:34 GMT
But pretty much the same side that beat a full strength gillingham in the first round I thought they played and beat L2 Colchester in the first round? Arhh was it Colchester 😃 feel free to edit
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Post by KLYellow on Aug 24, 2016 9:52:23 GMT
I am not fussed to be honest that we lost and same goes for the EFL trophy. We should treat these basically as friendlies to try out squad players and rotate player. The focus has to be on the league, staying in it as a minimum and seeing how far up we can go.
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Post by dolly on Aug 24, 2016 10:51:49 GMT
I thought it was a good game and my first look at us this season. I felt despite them scoring 3 goals we had a really good second half and there were some encouraging signs, especially with a makeshift defence and there is more to come from some of the players. As has been mentioned, the score didn't reflect the game and it could easily have finished up 5-4 or 4-3 to Brighton and no-one would have had a problem with that.
If we play like that on Saturday, we'll win.
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Post by gilgy on Aug 24, 2016 11:07:23 GMT
I think last night was everything we could have wanted from a cup game against a top Championship side. While I don't think we were bad last night - that was nowhere near their first team. Well I know, but the set-up is still there....
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Post by carefreeoufc on Aug 24, 2016 11:13:03 GMT
Rightly or wrongly I think a lot of fans didn't fancy it after watching us being beaten comfortably in the friendly a few weeks ago. I thought £15 on the day was pretty reasonable and I doubt it was much of an issue.
Summer holiday season, a cracking evening for a BBQ if that takes your fancy and the fact no one expected us to get anything from the game probably hit things hard.
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Post by diagocostapacket on Aug 24, 2016 12:19:34 GMT
Reasonable performance though I don't suppose either team were that concerned about the result in the mickey mouse cup...moreover a chance to blood some fringe players for them and us get match fitness and avoid injury. I suspect Brighton will be well up there challenging for promotion come February.
I saw a lot to like about our performance.
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Post by horseman on Aug 24, 2016 13:32:19 GMT
What's happened with some football fans that they're firstly not bothered about a cup game and that we lose it..winning is a good habit that brings confidence..still as long as there's swindon and lord wilder games to look forward to eh
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Post by KLYellow on Aug 24, 2016 13:45:22 GMT
What's happened with some football fans that they're firstly not bothered about a cup game and that we lose it..winning is a good habit that brings confidence..still as long as there's swindon and lord wilder games to look forward to eh Yes, if your a Premiership team, or team with a large squad and no injuries who hasn't just got promoted. Sent from my XIAOMI NOTE PRO using telepathy
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Post by socrates on Aug 24, 2016 14:55:40 GMT
only fans with small-club mentality could possibly reckon that the result wasn't too bad. we conceded four against a reserve team from the league above. not good.
thankfully, i'm sure appleton will see it the same way.
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Post by oufcyellows on Aug 24, 2016 14:59:58 GMT
only fans with small-club mentality could possibly reckon that the result wasn't too bad. we conceded four against a reserve team from the league above. not good. thankfully, i'm sure appleton will see it the same way. Did u watch it ?
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Post by ZeroTheHero on Aug 24, 2016 15:09:10 GMT
only fans with small-club mentality could possibly reckon that the result wasn't too bad. we conceded four against a reserve team from the league above. not good. thankfully, i'm sure appleton will see it the same way. The result was certainly not good - but there were certainly some good things about the performance. And some things that need improvement. And as far as Appleton is concerned in his post match YP interview, that is the way he sees it.
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Post by KLYellow on Aug 24, 2016 15:10:21 GMT
only fans with small-club mentality could possibly reckon that the result wasn't too bad. we conceded four against a reserve team from the league above. not good. thankfully, i'm sure appleton will see it the same way. I disagree. There are approximately 40 league places between Brighton and ourselves and they get 3x the attendances we do. If we had played away at a team in the lower reaches of the conference (40 places below us), I would expect us to field our "reserves" and get the equivalent score, ie 4-2 to us. I was lucky enough to watch the Swansea game in Singapore and we did play well, but u really felt Swansea were not up for it. Sent from my XIAOMI NOTE PRO using telepathy
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Post by foley on Aug 24, 2016 15:21:26 GMT
only fans with small-club mentality could possibly reckon that the result wasn't too bad. we conceded four against a reserve team from the league above. not good. thankfully, i'm sure appleton will see it the same way. I am not sure whether you went? I agree that on paper the result was not good. The performance however was very good and with just a slice of luck (and better finishing from Ruffels) we would have been 2-2 with what half an hour to go and momentum definitely in our favour. In addition you may say 'reserve team', but Brighton were very good going forwards. Far better I would bet than any other team we will play this season (and from what I have seen in a different class to Fleetwood, Peterborough and Chesterfield). I think that the vast majority of supporters came away from the game pretty encouraged especially after the first 10 minutes.
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Post by oufcyellows on Aug 24, 2016 15:40:13 GMT
👆 exactly my view as well, if u wanna look at it as a 4-2 loss to a bteam then fine. But the actually game doesn't reflect the score, they had two very good 10 min spells. Apart from that we we equal if not better. Wasn't exactly our first team squad either. Long ruffles rothwell . And if you take into account out of position players add in Maguire and skarz as well. Maguire and rothwell are not wingers, but still had very good games.
Also where do you draw the line at the so called small club mentality. We only beat a Birmingham bteam by 1 goal after extra time. Yet that was seen as a giant killing master stroke . Apart from 1" of cross bar we could have taken Brighton to the same.
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Post by horseman on Aug 24, 2016 15:48:47 GMT
What's happened with some football fans that they're firstly not bothered about a cup game and that we lose it..winning is a good habit that brings confidence..still as long as there's swindon and lord wilder games to look forward to eh Yes, if your a Premiership team, or team with a large squad and no injuries who hasn't just got promoted. Sent from my XIAOMI NOTE PRO using telepathy or a club heavily in debt where income from "extra" games would be a considerable help, many of those prem clubs to which you refer enter in the next round..the league we are in size of squad or having just been promoted has nothing to do with "some" fans seemingly not bothered about cup football or exiting the competition. A cup we proudly won being referred to as mickey mouse is very sad but as i said at least for some there's swindon and wilder games ahead. for what it's worth it is the actions of most premershi*e clubs that has led to the apathy among fans across the country for both the league and fa cup competitions yet strangely attitudes change when wembley beckons.
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Post by tonyw on Aug 24, 2016 16:31:49 GMT
or a club heavily in debt where income from "extra" games would be a considerable help, many of those prem clubs to which you refer enter in the next round..the league we are in size of squad or having just been promoted has nothing to do with "some" fans seemingly not bothered about cup football or exiting the competition. A cup we proudly won being referred to as mickey mouse is very sad but as i said at least for some there's swindon and wilder games ahead. for what it's worth it is the actions of most premershi*e clubs that has led to the apathy among fans across the country for both the league and fa cup competitions yet strangely attitudes change when wembley beckons. I don't know precisely what our match day costs are, but I would guess that a 3,000 crowd at 15 quid a head like last night would not be yielding a whole lot of extra income (especially when we share half with the away side). Unless we were to draw one of the really big clubs, or pull off a Bradford, there's not a whole lot of money to be made nowadays from the League Cup (unlike the FA Cup that still pulls in some decent TV audiences, and therefore money). Clubs in the top two divisions are now treating it the same way we treat the JPT - play the weakest team you can get away with for the first few rounds; if you somehow win a few ties and find yourself in the quarter finals......then wake up because there's a possible trip to Wembley and a trophy (and in this case, a European spot) within touching distance. It is sad what the competition has become......frankly, I think it's time to put it out of its misery. Would be a simple way to ease early season fixture congestion.
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Post by oxford84 on Aug 24, 2016 18:18:58 GMT
Take the 3 or 4 Brighton players out of the side that had a massive pace advantage over not only our team but I would say plenty of league 1 clubs and that game would've been a lot closer if not an easily winnable one for us.Plus people should remember that our defence was not first choice at all.
The passing move for Ruffels chance was better than anything Brighton did on the night by far.
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Post by socrates on Aug 24, 2016 18:23:18 GMT
if you're happy making pretty patterns against a champ reserve team fine. i doubt the players or management are - despite the soundbites. it's about attitude/mentality. some supporters are rather lily-livered in that regard. i'm sure it will change with the progress we make
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Post by oxford84 on Aug 24, 2016 18:30:22 GMT
if you're happy making pretty patterns against a champ reserve team fine. i doubt the players or management are - despite the soundbites. it's about attitude/mentality. some supporters are rather lily-livered in that regard. i'm sure it will change with the progress we make Im not happy at all because I f*cking hate losing to anyone.By the way, I did notice you posted nothing positive when we won promotion last season.
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Post by moomooland on Aug 24, 2016 19:07:30 GMT
Pathetic attendance last night. An embarrassment. People say they can't afford it but I noticed plenty of people paid more for a meaningless friendly against Leicester. We talk about building a 4th stand and being a Championship club but last night showed us up as a bit tinpot.
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