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Post by plonker on Jul 22, 2017 19:42:09 GMT
I thought the second half was quite encouraging. If nothing else, unless Pep is blind it confirmed to him once and for all that Johnson is not a left back, that we struggle defensively when he plays at left back, that we are better both in attack and defence when he plays further up the pitch with a left back behind him. The other defenders were covering for him at left back and that is why we were pulled all over the place in much of the first half. I don't think any of the new players let themselves down despite various degrees of ring rustiness and there were some nice moves throughout the match. We could have scored in the first half and were unlucky at least three times in the second. So we need a left back and I still think we need to go out and pay some decent money (if that's what it takes) for a decent striker. Obika didn't really do very much in the 30 minutes he was on. On another note - does anyone else think playing Oxford City plus 5 Championship sides is a completely mad pre-season? If you are trying to work out new partnerships, new patterns of play, integrate new players etc, trying to do it against teams who are a division higher where you don't see as much of the ball seems daft. Also, there are going to be teams against whom we are going to have to take the initiative and force the pace - much of preseason has been about soaking up pressure, so we haven't really dome that at all (OCFC excepted). Rothwell too. I lost count how many times he looked around to see where Johnson was; several times having to take up the left-back position because Johnson had gone on a run (or wander). He didn't do much in the game at all, but his positional awareness was good. At least a left-back and striker. Anything more would be adding depth to the squad, which would be very welcome. It's a 50+ game season and we play in a tough, physical league, so we will need options. Besides, if we're going to continue our model we need to be constantly acquiring assets, so it would make sense for both football and longer-term financial reasons. I hadn't thought about your last question. Yeah, I'm inclined to agree. A more balanced preseason with varied levels of competition would have perhaps been more beneficial. Good point.
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Post by brassmonkey on Jul 22, 2017 21:00:21 GMT
Under mapp we were beating championship teams regularly
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Post by foley on Jul 22, 2017 21:02:38 GMT
Under mapp we were beating championship teams regularly Sent from my SM-G930F using proboards So.... ? We didn't when MAPP first joined- we lost 4-1 at Cambridge a League 2 side. Give the new manager a chance FFS
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Post by oufc28 on Jul 22, 2017 21:03:50 GMT
Under mapp we were beating championship teams regularly Sent from my SM-G930F using proboards We also got got a pasting from Brighton.
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Post by RCYellowRC on Jul 22, 2017 21:07:07 GMT
Under mapp we were beating championship teams regularly Sent from my SM-G930F using proboards We also got got a pasting from Brighton. Not once but twice, they beat us last season putting eight goals past us last season. Players are learning a new style of defending and learning the things that Clotet wants them to do that is different to MAPP, when we inevitably get a Championship team in the cup this season i'm sure we'll give them a good game.
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Post by brassmonkey on Jul 22, 2017 21:10:42 GMT
Brighton got promoted to the prem. Birmingham nearly got relegated.
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Post by RCYellowRC on Jul 22, 2017 21:14:15 GMT
Brighton got promoted to the prem. Birmingham nearly got relegated. Sent from my SM-G930F using proboards Hull got relegated from the prem,We beat them.Boro got relegated from prem,we drew to them.
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Post by foley on Jul 22, 2017 21:23:14 GMT
Brighton got promoted to the prem. Birmingham nearly got relegated. Sent from my SM-G930F using proboards What a strange post. So what? We are a League 1 team. Birmingham won their last 2 when Harry came in. He has since got in some new players (the goalkeeper Stockdale turned down a contract at Brighton to go to Birmingham) Losing to a team that are clearly better than you as they are in a higher Division (and the bookies have them finishing above half way next season) is hardly a disgrace is it? Incidentally we were absolutely stuffed by Blackburn at home the season before last. So what? They were and average to poor Championship side and still should have won....obviously
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Post by brassmonkey on Jul 22, 2017 21:31:27 GMT
What a strange reply.
My post was to counter the numerous posts on here saying it's fine we lost as it's a championship team. What's the point in playing then...
Last season we beat birmingham away.
I just think we have gone seriously backwards with losing mapp, mcaleny Maguire and lunny and replacing them with what thus far looks like inferior players. Being in a prime position to push on to the championship this season and seeing that looking increasingly unlikely annoys the fook out of me.
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Post by Gary Baldi on Jul 22, 2017 21:55:55 GMT
Conor McAleny wanted to stay up north, so nothing we could do other than move the club lock, stock and barrel - he rejected a move to Barnsley to go to Fleetwood. MAPP did screw us over, but wanted to work higher. Maguire is Maguire and very much a man who knows his worth and doesn't want to do a full pre-season. Lunny wants to leave to play in a higher. Not sure what the club can do about it in all honesty.
It's frustrating to lose talent, but that's the model the club operates under now.
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Post by ZeroTheHero on Jul 22, 2017 22:55:48 GMT
If we are seen as a club that can develop players, then it is a double edged sword.
We get ambitious young players willing to sign for us (or to be loaned to us) - but once they have made the improvement they move on. You can't blame them for that, it's a job. What we have to do is to make sure that we can keep the conveyor belt rolling - so that we get another McAleny, another JJ Kenney, another Roofe, another Lundstram this season.
They will move on in a year or two - but surely they are better to watch and more exciting than a club without that strength in development? You just end up with the Junior Browns and Craig Nelthorpes of this world otherwise!
It does of course remain to be seen whether Clotet has the same success as Appleton did in that regard.
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Post by pottersrightboot on Jul 23, 2017 5:13:41 GMT
Friendly results mean zip. Doesn't anyone realise this?
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Post by charliesghost on Jul 23, 2017 6:47:01 GMT
Brighton got promoted to the prem. Birmingham nearly got relegated. Sent from my SM-G930F using proboards What a strange post. So what? We are a League 1 team. Birmingham won their last 2 when Harry came in. He has since got in some new players (the goalkeeper Stockdale turned down a contract at Brighton to go to Birmingham) Losing to a team that are clearly better than you as they are in a higher Division (and the bookies have them finishing above half way next season) is hardly a disgrace is it? Incidentally we were absolutely stuffed by Blackburn at home the season before last. So what? They were and average to poor Championship side and still should have won....obviously Furthermore we aren't even a team yet. It would be little short of extraordinary if a new manager and a group of players who have barely played together turned up and matched a competent championship side. We are presumably going to see further movement in the next two weeks, so I wouldn't hold our breath regarding making any judgements on whether we are or are not good enough till a month from now. Even then it might be a premature call, but it would stand a chance of being correct. A final point. Some players look good in pre-season only to disappoint later. Others look pants and only come alive when things get serious (hylton and Maguire spring to mind).
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Post by CheltenhamYellow on Jul 23, 2017 7:06:09 GMT
Exactly as Charlie says. Some people's expectations are far to high too early.
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Post by uptheus on Jul 23, 2017 7:48:02 GMT
We're playing teams that are a lot better than we are, so it's hardly a surprise that the team which is being deliberately mixed up, is struggling. I would be very concerned if we were losing to Conference and L2 teams like that. Of course, we have to be better across the pitch but there are 2 weeks to get it right. We definitely need more players in and I think the management realise that.Not according to Darryl!
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Post by dabigfella on Jul 23, 2017 7:55:32 GMT
I query playing so many top quality teams during pre season one after another. Yes the games are all about getting fit. But they are also all about forming partnership and gelling as a team. Spending all your time trying to get the ball back will certainly get you fit, but doesn't do a to to help team work. It also doesn't help confidence being continually outclassed! We started well against sides that were essentially playing their first game, but when we came up against sides that were further along we have struggled mightily to try to get a TEAM together.
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Post by uptheus on Jul 23, 2017 7:57:31 GMT
Under mapp we were beating championship teams regularly Sent from my SM-G930F using proboards So.... ? We didn't when MAPP first joined- we lost 4-1 at Cambridge a League 2 side. Give the new manager a chance FFS Where does he say to get rid of the manager? Faz & Allen know the players, so it appears if Pep is persisting on playing Johnson at left back then this is a legacy of MApp's (by the way I think he was wrong playing him there to as we were much better when Scarz played there), and the coaching staff in general, so why oh why do they continue when us mere mortals can see it's not his best position. Re Johnson, can someone please teach him to deliver in the final third.
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Post by uptheus on Jul 23, 2017 8:02:16 GMT
What a strange post. So what? We are a League 1 team. Birmingham won their last 2 when Harry came in. He has since got in some new players (the goalkeeper Stockdale turned down a contract at Brighton to go to Birmingham) Losing to a team that are clearly better than you as they are in a higher Division (and the bookies have them finishing above half way next season) is hardly a disgrace is it? Incidentally we were absolutely stuffed by Blackburn at home the season before last. So what? They were and average to poor Championship side and still should have won....obviously Furthermore we aren't even a team yet. It would be little short of extraordinary if a new manager and a group of players who have barely played together turned up and matched a competent championship side. We are presumably going to see further movement in the next two weeks, so I wouldn't hold our breath regarding making any judgements on whether we are or are not good enough till a month from now. Even then it might be a premature call, but it would stand a chance of being correct. A final point. Some players look good in pre-season only to disappoint later. Others look pants and only come alive when things get serious (hylton and Maguire spring to mind). But Charlie, Darryl said that we're not going to make further signings, so how does that leave us? Loanees?
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Post by Bue Guado on Jul 23, 2017 8:40:37 GMT
Furthermore we aren't even a team yet. It would be little short of extraordinary if a new manager and a group of players who have barely played together turned up and matched a competent championship side. We are presumably going to see further movement in the next two weeks, so I wouldn't hold our breath regarding making any judgements on whether we are or are not good enough till a month from now. Even then it might be a premature call, but it would stand a chance of being correct. A final point. Some players look good in pre-season only to disappoint later. Others look pants and only come alive when things get serious (hylton and Maguire spring to mind). But Charlie, Darryl said that we're not going to make further signings, so how does that leave us? Loanees? I must have missed something. Where/when did Darryl say this? (Because if it was prior to yesterday's friendly, why did we have various trialists in the squad? Just to make up the numbers?)
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Post by grenobleroad on Jul 23, 2017 8:43:59 GMT
But Charlie, Darryl said that we're not going to make further signings, so how does that leave us? Loanees? I must have missed something. Where/when did Darryl say this? (Because if it was prior to yesterday's friendly, why did we have various trialists in the squad? Just to make up the numbers?) He says what people have said he has said these days. He also says what people interpret as the meaning of what he actually does say. It's very complex.
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Post by Bue Guado on Jul 23, 2017 8:48:40 GMT
I must have missed something. Where/when did Darryl say this? (Because if it was prior to yesterday's friendly, why did we have various trialists in the squad? Just to make up the numbers?) He says what people have said he has said these days. He also says what people interpret as the meaning of what he actually does say. It's very complex. I still prefer this complex chairman to the old bowling complex chairman...
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Post by yellowbow on Jul 23, 2017 8:49:21 GMT
I'm seriously concerned if DE has stated that there'll be no further signings. The squad is in no way deep enough yet. I don't know how expensive the likes of Henry, Xemi and Obika were to recruit but the whole close season feels like one that has so far been one of ( to coin a popular word of the moment) austerity and doesn't really show signs of a club that is really going to 'go for it'
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Post by grenobleroad on Jul 23, 2017 8:52:12 GMT
I'm seriously concerned if DE has stated that there'll be no further signings. The squad is in no way deep enough yet. I don't know how expensive the likes of Henry, Xemi and Obika were to recruit but the whole close season feels like one that has so far been one of ( to coin a popular word of the moment) austerity and doesn't really show signs of a club that is really going to 'go for it' He hasn't, someone has just said that.
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Post by littlemore on Jul 23, 2017 8:54:06 GMT
We are still after players even if it is loanees we will still add to squad.
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Post by yellowbow on Jul 23, 2017 8:55:39 GMT
Well if that's the case no wonder the poor guy pulls his hair out with this football club owning lark
Edit: Reply to Grenoble's post
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Post by littlemore on Jul 23, 2017 8:56:44 GMT
But at a guess I think 2 permanent and 2 loannes.
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Post by oufcyellows on Jul 23, 2017 9:41:04 GMT
I must have missed something. Where/when did Darryl say this? (Because if it was prior to yesterday's friendly, why did we have various trialists in the squad? Just to make up the numbers?) He says what people have said he has said these days. He also says what people interpret as the meaning of what he actually does say. It's very complex. He also says stuff that people refuse to believe as he got us promoted 😉
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Post by grenobleroad on Jul 23, 2017 9:42:01 GMT
He says what people have said he has said these days. He also says what people interpret as the meaning of what he actually does say. It's very complex. He also says stuff that people refuse to believe as he got us promoted 😉 Yawn.
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Post by oufcyellows on Jul 23, 2017 9:49:15 GMT
Arhhh yeah that right mr Grenoble (I take it we're calling u that instead of the Kassam). 😉 Darryl being super human has never made a mistake or a wrong decision or said something that he regretted.
I'll give u 2 from his own mouth
The handling of flag gate.
The way he dealt with firoz, thinking it would have been better to sit down and thrash it out over a glass of wine.
For me he has made two mistakes that have lead to this questioning.
Getting rid of mark Ashton And Making press statements without thinking them through, leading to contradiction and questioning
Some of the defence of him is as bad as some of the abuse he gets. We won't know until the transfer window shuts if he's stuck to his budget promise, we could still splash £1m on transfer fees.
But there are still questions that need answering, questions that were sent to him after the oxvox agm that still haven't received a reply. I think he's been asked to answer by the end of the week. Doing so would put everyone's mind at rest (possibly) and make for a easier fans forum, where we can get to ask the manager some questions instead.
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Post by Paul Cannell on Jul 23, 2017 10:04:58 GMT
Arhhh yeah that right mr Grenoble (I take it we're calling u that instead of the Kassam). 😉 Darryl being super human has never made a mistake or a wrong decision or said something that he regretted. I'll give u 2 from his own mouth The handling of flag gate. The way he dealt with firoz, thinking it would have been better to sit down and thrash it out over a glass of wine. For me he has made two mistakes that have lead to this questioning. Getting rid of mark Ashton And Making press statements without thinking them through, leading to contradiction and questioning Also was a consensus at a birthday gathering an a (very) select South Oxfordshire hostelry last night that dickering about with saying this then that about budgets in particular and not knowing what somebody's plans actually were had perhaps de-stabilised what had previously been a happy ship. But no. He got us promoted so he's perfick. And my feet are lovely and warm.
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