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Post by 90syellow on Dec 26, 2016 18:13:14 GMT
We weren't robbed today and the referee wasn't biased. We were just quite poor. Bar some decent heading by Dunkley and a decent performance by Maguire, we were about as good/bad as they were. Hemmings is anonymous, Taylor finds himself up against it at this level, Johnson might make a decent wing back one day. We need a finisher, desperately. The referee may not have been biased but he was generally poor and it is pretty obvious that O Toole and possibly 1 other player should have been sent off. We did play poorly and our passing/goal threat was non existent however a point was definitely achievable
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Post by uptheus on Dec 26, 2016 18:18:58 GMT
Again we struggle to raise the game at home when a team are intent on coming to get a point. We have to raise the tempo, we have to have a go, we have to take the game to the other team, but again we were left wanting.
I thought too many players weren't at their best today e.g. Maguire, Hall etc. I thought our players looked heavy legged. Yes Northampton weren't good, but we have to rise above this and needed to play football rather than sink to their level/style of hoof football.
Re Hemmings, I always think he's reactive rather than proactive which doesn't help his case.
Was frustrated that MApp didn't bring Scarz on and push Johnson further up the pitch. Also, never really see what Roberts brings to the team, especially when we're chasing the win with the score tight.
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Post by moomooland on Dec 26, 2016 18:23:52 GMT
Appleton thinks that we can play one up front with 3 defenders around him and still expect to score goals. We seem to rely on long shots from free kicks to get us goals. It seems that everyone can see this but Appleton blindly sticks to failing tactics. Maybe some Championship club can poach him from us? He knows how to play the right way and is far too good for this league. His comments on Oxford being a better team are laughable. Once again direct football beats tippy tappy.
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Post by ttg17 on Dec 26, 2016 18:38:48 GMT
Appleton thinks that we can play one up front with 3 defenders around him and still expect to score goals. We seem to rely on long shots from free kicks to get us goals. It seems that everyone can see this but Appleton blindly sticks to failing tactics. Maybe some Championship club can poach him from us? He knows how to play the right way and is far too good for this league. His comments on Oxford being a better team are laughable. Once again direct football beats tippy tappy. Loool we lose for the first time since the beginning of November and you make what amounts to a 'MApp Out!' post? Wind your neck in
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Post by cobbs on Dec 26, 2016 18:53:28 GMT
Me: What do you want for Christmas ? Son: I want a Dinosaur Me: Be realistic son, Son: Ok Dad,i want Oxford to beat Northampton. Me: What type of Dinosaur do you want ?
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Post by manorlounger on Dec 26, 2016 19:22:13 GMT
Frustrating, irritating, infuriating, exasperating, how many times did we give the ball away through sloppy passing? How many times does Hemmings not have to get the ball before someone clicks that high balls to him won't work? How long does it take to get players inside the 18 yard box for crosses? how many long range shots do we waste on a massed defence before we realise it ain't working? FFS!
And the players thought that was a good performance? Really?
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Post by oxfordyid on Dec 26, 2016 19:29:31 GMT
They came and did a job on us today. Again.
Kh was isolated up top and their 2 centre halves did look solid.
We played some nice football but didn't really look like scoring - I can't really remember us having any clear cut chances. Not sure at home we need both lunny and lledson in defensive midfield roles - surely one of them can push forward and be more of a box to box player?
Hall was poor today and macca didn't really provide a huge amount of cutting edge so again we relied on macguire
Frustrating to leave without the points but would much rather be in our position than theirs. We've got a squad full of quality and potential who are going places, this is pretty much as far as their squad will go. Not a good team to watch and I can see why they've been calling for page's head if that's the football they've been playing recently.
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Post by sussox on Dec 26, 2016 19:43:33 GMT
Performance sounded pretty good and we were unlucky not to win. We are still in a great position. Let Northants have their day in the sun. They will never be more than a league one club. We will look down on them in a few years time and laugh at lucky little Northants Sorry we were poor, very poor. Passing was not going to our players, and hoofball seemed to be the norm. Tippy tappy seems to have drifted back in, all around the box. Noone was prepared to make a run into the box, and challenge the keeper. Crosses were coming into the box, but there was not one Oxford player there to meet it. For Appleton to say we played well is really worrying. If he cant see how desperate we are for a goal scorer then we could be in trouble.
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Post by chuckbert on Dec 26, 2016 20:00:05 GMT
My first live game since Exeter last Boxing Day. My main thoughts were that we never had both a midfield and a front line at the same time. There were either loads of non-strikers queuing up around their area trying to pass it to each other and a massive hole behind them when the inevitable challenge happened, OR, there were six midfielders punting up to their defence. Too many thoughtless long balls. Macguire and Macca clearly click, and for all the criticisms of Macca, that pair probably provide the most class together. I would sell Hemings today. If anyone would pay. I like Ryan Taylor.sat near the front of the ssl for the first time and saw the amusementpeople can have winding up the oppo manager.
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Post by ubermeistervonmeat on Dec 26, 2016 20:07:10 GMT
Yes if MAPP seriously thought that was good then we should be worried - being charitable maybe he was protecting the players - we never ever looked like scoring today - pretty passing at times but no incision.
Naturally, many on here blame Hemmings but to be fair the service to him was shite and when Taylor replaced him things were even worse - at least Hemmings occasionally looks a goal threat - Taylor possessed absolutely none today.
Much as I love Chris Maguire's play, he was not man of the match - he was doing his occasional i am too much of a smart arse performance - difficult to choose MOM in a generally shoddy performance but if pushed i would probably go for Ledson who at least got stuck in a bit.
It's all very well saying Northampton were poor but so were we - big time.
Another opportunity to impress a large crowd wasted - well at least MAPP thought it was good so it must have been !!!
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Post by ubermeistervonmeat on Dec 26, 2016 20:08:21 GMT
so on the evidence of one very poor game you would trade Hemmings and keep Taylor - thank god you are not the gaffer
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Post by daveoufc on Dec 26, 2016 20:16:01 GMT
Worrying to hear Mapp and Dunks saying what a good performance that was shame we switched off for a split sec at end. Dunks switched off 2 corners in a row 1st half and completely lost his man both times.
Didnt attack with any purpose very good at passing sideways like England do.
Hemmings had a bad game again offered nothing up front. His movement off the ball was lazy. Moves broke down where he didnt bother to make a run or even find a bit of space to pull a defender with him.
Watched a bit of warm up shooting drill. Bloody hell it was crap. Maggie johnson roberts and Kane fed a ball aprox 18yrds out. Maguire x2 bottom corner Johnson 1wide x1 straight at keeper Roberts x2 wide Hemmings x2 shanked long way wide
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Post by m on Dec 26, 2016 20:17:51 GMT
Yes if MAPP seriously thought that was good then we should be worried - being charitable maybe he was protecting the players - we never ever looked like scoring today - pretty passing at times but no incision. Naturally, many on here blame Hemmings but to be fair the service to him was shite and when Taylor replaced him things were even worse - at least Hemmings occasionally looks a goal threat - Taylor possessed absolutely none today. Much as I love Chris Maguire's play, he was not man of the match - he was doing his occasional i am too much of a smart arse performance - difficult to choose MOM in a generally shoddy performance but if pushed i would probably go for Ledson who at least got stuck in a bit. It's all very well saying Northampton were poor but so were we - big time. Another opportunity to impress a large crowd wasted - well at least MAPP thought it was good so it must have been !!! Agree with a lot of this. As far as attacking prowess is concerned neither side deserves a place in league one based on today's performance! To say Npton were poor is missing the point, they may have seen less of the ball but they had by far the better chances. Most of what has been wrong with us this season was emphatically on display today. Of course a lot has also been right with us this season and that's why I'm looking forward to a vastly improved display on NYE.
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Post by makv on Dec 26, 2016 20:34:39 GMT
Watched a bit of warm up shooting drill. Bloody hell it was crap. Maggie johnson roberts and Kane fed a ball aprox 18yrds out. Maguire x2 bottom corner Johnson 1wide x1 straight at keeper Roberts x2 wide Hemmings x2 shanked long way wide Yup. I've actually stopped watching the warm-up for that very reason. It was always Maguire, MacDonald and Thomas who were most successful. The rest were a bit scary.
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Post by chuckbert on Dec 26, 2016 21:45:24 GMT
so on the evidence of one very poor game you would trade Hemmings and keep Taylor - thank god you are not the gaffer Well, I'd be worried if the gaffer lived in Perth, only saw max 1 live game a year plus a couple on the telly maybe, and refrained from commenting on games he hadn't seen But, regarding Hemings and Taylor, all i saw Hemings do was either fail to get the long ball because the defenders were taller, or get the ball and fail to either shoot or pass effectively. Maybe he does better in all the other games, but the yellow player commentary doesn't support that well. Taylor at least stopped the ball and got it to someone. He didn't look like scoring, but if we had a midfield, then maybe one of them would have.
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Post by Gary Baldi on Dec 26, 2016 21:54:44 GMT
Most crosses were fizzed across the box, little was played into feet for the attackers to get on the end of. Fizzed fizzed? I remember balls being fizzed across in the eighties, our strikers got to those fizzed across Aye. Crosses lacked touch today. Too many players just played the ball as hard as they could, not to where Hemmings was making a run. Maguire was wide so much, the crosses needed to be placed for Hemmings, not hit and hope.
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Post by ZeroTheHero on Dec 26, 2016 22:07:16 GMT
Hemmings is, I fear, a total bust. Much as I would like (and we need) him to succeed, he doesn't add anything to the team. He can score easy tap-ins. Sometimes. Where was he today when the ball was flying across the box? He can't tackle, he isn't strong enough on the ball, his attempts to win any ball in the air are token at best and he simply has no 'nuisance value'. I'd love to say that I have seen some signs that he is going to suddenly improve - but I haven't. And since Taylor looks about as likely to score as Jake Wright did, we have a serious problem up front. Add that to some particularly awful shooting from Maguire, Macdonald etc and we wouldn't have scored if we were still playing now.
More generally today -
Too much long ball Awful (over) passing (especially cross field passes that were easily cut out) Very little taking responsibility (trying to go past a man, shoot etc) - easier to just pass it to someone else. We had much of the play, but Northampton had the three best chances.
Over all, two inconsistent mid-table teams with glaring weaknesses in key areas. Terrible complacency from Appleton about the performance in his YP interview.
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Post by grumpygit on Dec 26, 2016 22:20:05 GMT
Just seen their goal. Eastwood is taken out, so foul. Ref you were a weak t*at, happy to hand out yellows, but couldn't send O'Toole off for two further bookable offences. Got done again by a bunch of thugs and a ref who shat himself.
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Post by pottersrightboot on Dec 26, 2016 22:22:24 GMT
That was a frustrating watch. Hemmings needs to play in a front 2 to be effective. That partner isn't Taylor. It isn't Maguire either, he has to play on the right.
Johnson was tremendous today. Also thought Edwards worked hard.
Northampton were highly effective spoilers, they had their day in the sun but we will finish more than 5 places higher than them.
Good to see Alfie back, thought he did ok and liked the reception we gave him.
Flat atmosphere.
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Post by Gary Baldi on Dec 26, 2016 22:28:05 GMT
Maguire didn't play close enough to Hemmings today, so it made Hemmings life hard. Macca was pretty anonymous and Hall was ok so Hemmings was playing for scraps. When we had the ball outside the box, the ball was quickly going wide or over the bar. If you sign a goal poacher, you need to give them the chances. Today, we didn't do that.
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Post by tonto on Dec 27, 2016 1:57:54 GMT
I wasnt at the match but from listening to it I cant understand why Mapp puts on Tyler Roberts with only a few minutes to go and expect him as a 17 year old to get up to speed straight away. I would much rather put Ruffels on and put Johnson up front,hes up to speed already and has seen the defenders in front of him and can have an effect straight away come on Mapp! I would love Tyler to come on and score but atm that isnt happening.
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Post by oufcluke27 on Dec 27, 2016 5:35:26 GMT
more hemmings hater, get a f*cking grip will you? he was up top on his own and the service was shambolic all afternoon,I don't care who you are if you don't get the service you don't score the goals!! to many times yesterday the last ball was dreadful,just for once I wish Mapp had stuck for a point!!!!
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Post by saddletramp on Dec 27, 2016 7:20:27 GMT
Hemmings is, I fear, a total bust. Much as I would like (and we need) him to succeed, he doesn't add anything to the team. He can score easy tap-ins. Sometimes. Where was he today when the ball was flying across the box? He can't tackle, he isn't strong enough on the ball, his attempts to win any ball in the air are token at best and he simply has no 'nuisance value'. I'd love to say that I have seen some signs that he is going to suddenly improve - but I haven't. And since Taylor looks about as likely to score as Jake Wright did, we have a serious problem up front. Add that to some particularly awful shooting from Maguire, Macdonald etc and we wouldn't have scored if we were still playing now. More generally today - Too much long ball Awful (over) passing (especially cross field passes that were easily cut out) Very little taking responsibility (trying to go past a man, shoot etc) - easier to just pass it to someone else. We had much of the play, but Northampton had the three best chances. Over all, two inconsistent mid-table teams with glaring weaknesses in key areas. Terrible complacency from Appleton about the performance in his YP interview. "Where was he today when the ball was flying across the box?" Usually as the only Oxford player if the box,being marked by 3/4/5 Northampton defenders. Loads of good football in midfield yesterday,loads of times the wide man got behind the defense,EVERY time it happened they looked up to see Hemmings on his own in the box. Hemmings didn't have a good game yesterday,but he wont until we give him support in the box.
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Post by eighteen93 on Dec 27, 2016 7:50:57 GMT
MacDonald is just so frustrating - plenty of enterprise but absolutely no quality at the end of it. He produced nothing from out wide and the left footed effort after the break was ridiculously poor. Can't understand why Ruffels did not replace him allowing Marvin to torment the fullback.
And Lunny needs to get forward more and provide some support from midfield. No point both be and Ledson playing too deep too often.
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Post by daveoufc on Dec 27, 2016 8:29:52 GMT
Mapp must of signed Kane to play that role as he keeps trying it.
Johnson played well again but only at left back where hes been put to take the pressure off him and his own big fee. With skarz back and ruffles hes got to move further forward to help support kane and lay on some assists and take his share of attacking responsibility.
We still struggle against that type of side but was good to see lunny and ledson holding their own in the middle snapping into challenges.
Sat will be different against more of a footballing side.
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Post by oufcyellows on Dec 27, 2016 8:49:26 GMT
MacDonald is just so frustrating - plenty of enterprise but absolutely no quality at the end of it. He produced nothing from out wide and the left footed effort after the break was ridiculously poor. Can't understand why Ruffels did not replace him allowing Marvin to torment the fullback. And Lunny needs to get forward more and provide some support from midfield. No point both be and Ledson playing too deep too often. Macca and hall were both terrible when swapped to the wrong sides. And part of the reason why hemmings had no service, the crosses stop as both wingers cut inside to get the ball and can't beat the defender on their wrong foot. Lunny also struggles to get forward as maguire sits so deep and keeps taking the ball off of him rather than letting lunny move forward with it. It may be his preferred position but a no10 is supposed to be right on the shoulder of the 9 supplying him with flicks and through balls, he also didn't do that once for hemmings yesterday, we all know that if maguire gets to the edge of the box with a choice of lining up a shot for hemmings or having a go at a worldly what he's going to choose
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Post by uptheus on Dec 27, 2016 9:02:03 GMT
MacDonald is just so frustrating - plenty of enterprise but absolutely no quality at the end of it. He produced nothing from out wide and the left footed effort after the break was ridiculously poor. Can't understand why Ruffels did not replace him allowing Marvin to torment the fullback. And Lunny needs to get forward more and provide some support from midfield. No point both be and Ledson playing too deep too often. Macca and hall were both terrible when swapped to the wrong sides. And part of the reason why hemmings had no service, the crosses stop as both wingers cut inside to get the ball and can't beat the defender on their wrong foot. Lunny also struggles to get forward as maguire sits so deep and keeps taking the ball off of him rather than letting lunny move forward with it. It may be his preferred position but a no10 is supposed to be right on the shoulder of the 9 supplying him with flicks and through balls, he also didn't do that once for hemmings yesterday, we all know that if maguire gets to the edge of the box with a choice of lining up a shot for hemmings or having a go at a worldly what he's going to choose That was a problem yesterday, Maguire was wanting the ball in deep positions which then left it weaker up top, slowed the ball down and left limited options to pass to. Maguire has to realise that there are other players in the squad and it's not all about him. Yes he's a great player, but I can see him taking the goal kicks next! Oh, and what the hell was Ledson going on about after the game on Radio Oxford by saying that they (Northampton) are down there fighting for their lives? They're above us! Deluded! And we're the lowest out of all the promoted teams from League 2.
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Post by mod12thman on Dec 27, 2016 9:02:49 GMT
Wouldn't read too much into mapp and the players saying we played well. They're obviously given some media training and the answers given on the radio were very 'media-trained' in my view. As Nathan said on the radio they might not fully believe what they were saying.
However, we were poor yesterday. Really frustrating and out of character compared to our previous 8 or so games. Our quality players failed to really show up and no one took responsibility, then we were punished.
But it has highlighted our need for reinforcements. Every cloud has a silver lining I guess...
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Post by uptheus on Dec 27, 2016 9:06:21 GMT
Wouldn't read too much into mapp and the players saying we played well. They're obviously given some media training and the answers given on the radio were very 'media-trained' in my view. As Nathan said on the radio they might not fully believe what they were saying. However, we were poor yesterday. Really frustrating and out of character compared to our previous 8 or so games. Our quality players failed to really show up and no one took responsibility, then we were punished. But it has highlighted our need for reinforcements. Every cloud has a silver lining I guess... Jesus, if that's the case then Dunkley needs to go back on the course!
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Post by osleroad on Dec 27, 2016 9:30:36 GMT
Wouldn't read too much into mapp and the players saying we played well. They're obviously given some media training and the answers given on the radio were very 'media-trained' in my view. As Nathan said on the radio they might not fully believe what they were saying. However, we were poor yesterday. Really frustrating and out of character compared to our previous 8 or so games. Our quality players failed to really show up and no one took responsibility, then we were punished. But it has highlighted our need for reinforcements. Every cloud has a silver lining I guess... Jesus, if that's the case then Dunkley needs to go back on the course! The freeze frame of Mapp"s face on YP interview probably sums up yesterday and his comment about Northampton buying lottery tickets Wouldn't read too much into mapp and the players saying we played well. They're obviously given some media training and the answers given on the radio were very 'media-trained' in my view. As Nathan said on the radio they might not fully believe what they were saying. However, we were poor yesterday. Really frustrating and out of character compared to our previous 8 or so games. Our quality players failed to really show up and no one took responsibility, then we were punished. But it has highlighted our need for reinforcements. Every cloud has a silver lining I guess... Macca and hall were both terrible when swapped to the wrong sides. And part of the reason why hemmings had no service, the crosses stop as both wingers cut inside to get the ball and can't beat the defender on their wrong foot. Lunny also struggles to get forward as maguire sits so deep and keeps taking the ball off of him rather than letting lunny move forward with it. It may be his preferred position but a no10 is supposed to be right on the shoulder of the 9 supplying him with flicks and through balls, he also didn't do that once for hemmings yesterday, we all know that if maguire gets to the edge of the box with a choice of lining up a shot for hemmings or having a go at a worldly what he's going to choose That was a problem yesterday, Maguire was wanting the ball in deep positions which then left it weaker up top, slowed the ball down and left limited options to pass to. Maguire has to realise that there are other players in the squad and it's not all about him. Yes he's a great player, but I can see him taking the goal kicks next! Oh, and what the hell was Ledson going on about after the game on Radio Oxford by saying that they (Northampton) are down there fighting for their lives? They're above us! Deluded! And we're the lowest out of all the promoted teams from League 2.
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