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Post by Denissmithswig on Nov 7, 2017 22:04:24 GMT
Well it looks like we don’t need a striker but maybe a right back or start going 3 at the back? Hang on Dennis. I said this yesterday and was told we don't. I personally think I am right and now your' saying the same, Good. To be honest I’ve thought Ribs is a weak link all season. We need to either look at playing carrol at RB and accept he will make the odd mistake due to age or look to bring someone else in january. I go along with panic from a lot of the forum though. I expected a mid to top half finish for the season and think we will get it. This summer wasn’t ideal with the late change in management so imo it is a transitional season. A bit like MApps first season.
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Post by eraser on Nov 7, 2017 22:07:58 GMT
Hang on Dennis. I said this yesterday and was told we don't. I personally think I am right and now your' saying the same, Good. To be honest I’ve thought Ribs is a weak link all season. We need to either look at playing carrol at RB and accept he will make the odd mistake due to age or look to bring someone else in january. I go along with panic from a lot of the forum though. I expected a mid to top half finish for the season and think we will get it. This summer wasn’t ideal with the late change in management so imo it is a transitional season. A bit like MApps first season. Agree re transition but DE was a positive chairman when MApp came in - now we seem to be leaderless at all levels!
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Post by bazzer9461 on Nov 7, 2017 22:11:32 GMT
Hang on Dennis. I said this yesterday and was told we don't. I personally think I am right and now your' saying the same, Good. To be honest I’ve thought Ribs is a weak link all season. We need to either look at playing carrol at RB and accept he will make the odd mistake due to age or look to bring someone else in january. I go along with panic from a lot of the forum though. I expected a mid to top half finish for the season and think we will get it. This summer wasn’t ideal with the late change in management so imo it is a transitional season. A bit like MApps first season. We will have to see something in January Nelson maybe gone even Ledson possibly, Whatever happens it has to be a positive January. I would like to think we will finish mid table but on recent performances it has to be a massive kick up the arse to achieve an end of season mid table finish.
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Post by diagocostapacket on Nov 7, 2017 22:12:36 GMT
A Very entertaining game with lots of goals as I predicted.. I hate to admit this though but most of the team looked as though they really didn't want to be out there which I find strange because this is what they are paid to do. The opposition were playing in the main like the match really mattered to them, quicker to the ball, strong and feisty in the tackle and direct in front of goal. Our defence is beleaguered quite simply because our midfield is non competitive and non existent, saying that the back four to a man were very poor. I cant believe though that Ribs, Nelson & Mous can go from being excellent to total shite in 4 weeks and there must be something seriously wrong both tactically and with morale.
Its become increasingly apparent to me that Clotet is out of his depth in English football and has seemingly failed wherever he has been. Looks like he is trying to keep that 100% record intact with OUFC.
Bilic is available
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Post by eraser on Nov 7, 2017 22:16:49 GMT
A Very entertaining game with lots of goals as I predicted.. I hate to admit this though but most of the team looked as though they really didn't want to be out there which I find strange because this is what they are paid to do. The opposition were playing in the main like the match really mattered to them, quicker to the ball, strong and feisty in the tackle and direct in front of goal. Our defence is beleaguered quite simply because our midfield is non competitive and non existent, saying that the back four to a man were very poor. I cant believe though that Ribs, Nelson & Mous can go from being excellent to total shite in 4 weeks and there must be something seriously wrong both tactically and with morale. Its become increasingly apparent to me that Clotet is out of his depth in English football and has seemingly failed wherever he has been. Looks like he is trying to keep that 100% record intact with OUFC. Bilic is available Rather poach Jonah from Ox City - at least he knows what an FA Cup means to real fans!!
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Post by bazzer9461 on Nov 7, 2017 22:18:28 GMT
A Very entertaining game with lots of goals as I predicted.. I hate to admit this though but most of the team looked as though they really didn't want to be out there which I find strange because this is what they are paid to do. The opposition were playing in the main like the match really mattered to them, quicker to the ball, strong and feisty in the tackle and direct in front of goal. Our defence is beleaguered quite simply because our midfield is non competitive and non existent, saying that the back four to a man were very poor. I cant believe though that Ribs, Nelson & Mous can go from being excellent to total shite in 4 weeks and there must be something seriously wrong both tactically and with morale. Its become increasingly apparent to me that Clotet is out of his depth in English football and has seemingly failed wherever he has been. Looks like he is trying to keep that 100% record intact with OUFC. Bilic is available if we move quick we could get Big Sam
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Post by lambchop on Nov 7, 2017 22:20:21 GMT
Won’t that bloke from Leicester be available soon?
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Post by bazzer9461 on Nov 7, 2017 22:21:38 GMT
Won’t that bloke from Leicester be available soon? Would he want to take a big pay cut though?
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Post by lambchop on Nov 7, 2017 22:22:47 GMT
Won’t that bloke from Leicester be available soon? Would he want to take a big pay cut though? I don’t know, have you got his phone number? I’ll ask him
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Post by bazzer9461 on Nov 7, 2017 22:27:00 GMT
Would he want to take a big pay cut though? I don’t know, have you got his phone number? I’ll ask him Um 0116 um now let me think, nope its gone sorry I've forgotten,
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Post by holdsteady on Nov 7, 2017 22:28:14 GMT
He is not getting sacked after losing a game in the ex paint pot, doubt he will be sacked anyway as that would require someone being at the club to actually fire him, not certain anyone is left to do it unless Peter Rhoades Brown has the authority to do it.
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Post by uptheus on Nov 7, 2017 22:33:53 GMT
He is not getting sacked after losing a game in the ex paint pot, doubt he will be sacked anyway as that would require someone being at the club to actually fire him, not certain anyone is left to do it unless Peter Rhoades Brown has the authority to do it. Shame for Pep as I'm sure the new potential owners will have their own man to bring in.
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Post by diagocostapacket on Nov 7, 2017 22:38:35 GMT
Hang on Dennis. I said this yesterday and was told we don't. I personally think I am right and now your' saying the same, Good. To be honest I’ve thought Ribs is a weak link all season. We need to either look at playing carrol at RB and accept he will make the odd mistake due to age or look to bring someone else in january. I go along with panic from a lot of the forum though. I expected a mid to top half finish for the season and think we will get it. This summer wasn’t ideal with the late change in management so imo it is a transitional season. A bit like MApps first season. I've been Ribs biggest ally on here Dennis as you know, but I've sadly come to the conclusion you are right. Apart from the odd game where he has been good, he has been poor. I don't believe he can be anywhere near fit...seems to struggle to play two games in a week and like all of them tonight looked like he really didn't want to be out there. If he is playing in constant pain from a chronic injury its no good for us or for him in the long run and Carroll should replace him until he gets it sorted.
I hope he can prove me wrong during the rest of the season I really do, because he comes across as an articulate and amiable chap and on his game actually looks rather good.
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Post by ttg17 on Nov 7, 2017 22:40:51 GMT
To be honest I’ve thought Ribs is a weak link all season. We need to either look at playing carrol at RB and accept he will make the odd mistake due to age or look to bring someone else in january. I go along with panic from a lot of the forum though. I expected a mid to top half finish for the season and think we will get it. This summer wasn’t ideal with the late change in management so imo it is a transitional season. A bit like MApps first season. Agree re transition but DE was a positive chairman when MApp came in - now we seem to be leaderless at all levels! hmm - easier to say in hindsight i feel. pretty sure no-one was saying after the 5-1 at cambridge 'don't worry lads DE is a positive chairman we'll come good'. the one thing i've learned this season is not to leap to conclusions either way. we've had a couple of bad runs and couple of unbelievable runs. saying we're relegation fodder in the midst of a bad one or saying we have the quality to go up via the autos when we're in the middle of a good one are both equally incorrect I think. we haven't done well recently but we were doing well before that, so i'm willing to hold out for a few more games of bad results before i start getting really concerned. call me naive but our previous form this season has shown we can turn it around.
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Post by oufcad27 on Nov 7, 2017 23:02:08 GMT
Nelson looks a totally different player to last season, not sure if he's lost confidence? We seriously lack pace!
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Post by upthecowboys on Nov 7, 2017 23:30:06 GMT
All we need is a fans forum!
Easy to do fans forums when things are going well, when you have a new manager etc
Any chance of a fans forum in the next 4 weeks?
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Post by yellowsarmy on Nov 7, 2017 23:34:05 GMT
Nelson looks a totally different player to last season, not sure if he's lost confidence? We seriously lack pace! He has lost his defensive partner. Whom it would appear was doing a great chunk of the defending last season.
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Post by uptheus on Nov 7, 2017 23:35:32 GMT
All we need is a fans forum! Easy to do fans forums when things are going well, when you have a new manager etc Any chance of a fans forum in the next 4 weeks? Darryl did agree to one early December at the last forum.
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Post by oufcad27 on Nov 7, 2017 23:36:19 GMT
Nelson looks a totally different player to last season, not sure if he's lost confidence? We seriously lack pace! He has lost his defensive partner. Whom it would appear was doing a great chunk of the defending last season. To be fair though he looked ok when Williamson was his partner
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Post by uptheus on Nov 7, 2017 23:37:05 GMT
Nelson looks a totally different player to last season, not sure if he's lost confidence? We seriously lack pace! I suppose you lose that desire if you know you're going!
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Post by upthecowboys on Nov 7, 2017 23:41:57 GMT
All we need is a fans forum! Easy to do fans forums when things are going well, when you have a new manager etc Any chance of a fans forum in the next 4 weeks? Darryl did agree to one early December at the last forum. Thanks..my bad! I didn't hear that. So if there is to be an early December forum then guess we'll hear details shortly.
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Post by uptheus on Nov 7, 2017 23:54:53 GMT
Darryl did agree to one early December at the last forum. Thanks..my bad! I didn't hear that. So if there is to be an early December forum then guess we'll hear details shortly. Nothing was planned/organised though, so I wouldn't count your chickens! Having said that, he probably knew he wouldn't be here in December, so was probably easy to agree to.
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Post by dubaiyellow on Nov 8, 2017 6:36:05 GMT
Nelson looks a totally different player to last season, not sure if he's lost confidence? We seriously lack pace! From what ive seen this season, of all of our defenders he (Nelson) often looks the most uncomfortable when he has the ball at his feet and time on the ball, trying to playing the ball out from the back. Maybe he is not used to having to play so much football?. I always thought central defenders usually tackle/win the ball and get rid ASAP, do the simple things well, leaving the pretty stuff to those in front (Call me old fashioned if you will). I know it is a common theme to mention on here at the moment but our defenders touch the ball more each game than both our midfield and forward line combined, maybe thats due to a lack of movement or quality on the ball in front? but it is very noticeable, abnormally so, when you compare us to other teams.
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Post by Paul Cannell on Nov 8, 2017 8:15:11 GMT
We don't seem to often have a wide ball to play on either side and there's virtually no midfield movement. Must be tempting to bang it forward to one of our big attacking pair.
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Post by diagocostapacket on Nov 8, 2017 8:57:52 GMT
Nelson looks a totally different player to last season, not sure if he's lost confidence? We seriously lack pace! From what ive seen this season, of all of our defenders he (Nelson) often looks the most uncomfortable when he has the ball at his feet and time on the ball, trying to playing the ball out from the back. Maybe he is not used to having to play so much football?. I always thought central defenders usually tackle/win the ball and get rid ASAP, do the simple things well, leaving the pretty stuff to those in front (Call me old fashioned if you will). I know it is a common theme to mention on here at the moment but our defenders touch the ball more each game than both our midfield and forward line combined, maybe thats due to a lack of movement or quality on the ball in front? but it is very noticeable, abnormally so, when you compare us to other teams. That's a very good point which I hadn't particularly noticed until you mentioned it. Pep obviously has his own ideas of how the game should be built up from the back a la continental style. To do that however you have to have a midfield that can actually close the opposition down and keep the ball when they get it and sadly they cant seem to do that at the moment.
Some of our best games this season have been when Ribs, Nelson and Henry have all played well in that little triangle on the right . I really dint think Nelson and Mous play as well together as Nelson and Williamson did either.
We have shipped in some goals of late admittedly, but it should be possible for the manager to sort out our defensive frailties with the current team, by adding a bit of bite in midfield. Personally I would try Carroll, he's fit got a good engine and is combative and even for a young un isn't frightened to shout and encourage those around him. Might give the current midfield the kick up the ass they need.
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Post by bazzer9461 on Nov 8, 2017 9:00:15 GMT
We don't seem to often have a wide ball to play on either side and there's virtually no midfield movement. Must be tempting to bang it forward to one of our big attacking pair. Bang it forward? But the big attacking pair is normally a 1 up front striker whom normally isn’t central upfront but either to deep or out wide.
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Post by backonthecoupon on Nov 8, 2017 9:16:25 GMT
Pep isnt going anywhere.
I am probably being massively unfair and cynical but by bringing in foreign signings that a british manager would struggle to get into the head of/motivate, he has probably bought himself more time than another manager would get.
Eales also showed appleton immmeasurable patience, and will likely do so again.
The big questions remain for Darryl - ie recruitment, investment, the Thais, the ground etc. Yes they are off the field but clearly budget and sales have a huge impact on Peps ability to do his job.
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Post by Paul Cannell on Nov 8, 2017 9:54:52 GMT
We don't seem to often have a wide ball to play on either side and there's virtually no midfield movement. Must be tempting to bang it forward to one of our big attacking pair. Bang it forward? But the big attacking pair is normally a 1 up front striker whom normally isn’t central upfront but either to deep or out wide. You spotted the flaw in my argument. Damn!
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Post by ryaniobirdio on Nov 8, 2017 10:30:43 GMT
To those who refer us to Appleton's first season - it only turned around when he dropped the 4-2-3-1 that we simply couldn't play. People seem to have this rose tinted memory of that season because the last six or so games shoved us so many places up the table, but even in March we were still in BIG trouble. I think at the start of March we were only about four or five points outside of the bottom two and had just recently lost at home to a quite abysmal Hartlepool side. It wasn't like Kemar Roofe and George Baldock arrived in January and we suddenly rocketed up the league from the word go. Until about six weeks before the end of the season it could've gone either way.
The good news is that we are much better off than we were at the start of that season, and indeed are several points better off even at this level than last season. Cool. But what's worth keeping an eye on is the fact that in both of the other seasons we grew and improved as the games came in. We adapted, added a few faces in August and then a couple more in January etc. We started to learn and figure out what's what. I'm not so sure that's happening here. We play one system and one system only at all times - a system we perhaps don't have the quality or the right personnel to play - and are swinging wildly from great to abysmal form. We are shipping goals galore in all competitions and it's getting to the point where two goals are needed just to ensure we have a chance of getting a result. The squad has almost no pace and is propped up by crocks and untested foreign players - sometimes both - with zero experience in what is the toughest and most competitive footballing pyramid on planet earth. We're quite down on ourselves in this country, but our football ladder is the envy of the world and the quality is far beyond that of anywhere else. We've got players who have won the Swedish league title and qualified for Champions League football saying they've been surprised by how incredibly high the standard is in the third tier - and that came from arguably the only good player of the foreign influx. The others either struggle to make the bench or keep getting crocked.
First and foremost, don't get sucked into a relegation battle. Stay the hell away from that - if we get sucked in I think we are far less equipped to scrap away from it than we were in recent seasons. The first season in L2 we just about kicked away from it near the end when we had several players who within 18 months or so would be in the Championship - Wright, Roofe, Baldock, O'Dowda etc. Last season we were having a pretty crap time until November when Shrewsbury away happened, and Appleton seemed to snap and drag the entire team up the table by the collective ear. I don't see an awful lot in the current setup that would make me feel confident we'd get out of it if suddenly we fell into the bottom third. The players seem complacent and inconsistent, Pep seems stubborn and unwilling to change the one and only system we ever play... I'd be worried if suddenly we slipped down to 15th or 16th. I just would - as much as we've comfortably despatached a few sides this season we've also been hammered or conceded goals for fun. We were knocked out of the league cup 4-3 by a L2 relegation contender after being 3-1 up at half time; we were knocked out of the FA Cup by another 2-0 without putting a shot on target. We let in 4 at home against a weakened MK Dons side despite playing a side that was easily 85% full strength, and we blew a 3-1 lead at home the other week before going away to Fleetwood and having I think two shots in 90 minutes. We've also gone to Bury who are in serious relegation trouble and had our bare arses spanked 3-0, and blown a 2-0 home lead against Brighton's children while fielding a fairly strong side. When you add those facts together it becomes really worrying on a mental level - we seem to collapse quite often and have no idea what to do when we aren't quite up for it. And THAT is a new trait. The manner of things when they don't go right is wild and erratic and that's what worries me.
I don't know what the answer is - we're so up and down it makes guessing virtually pointless. But what I would say is that in my opinion, if we sink too deep before trying to bob back up it could be dangerous. We've had a couple of stinking runs now and we're starting and finishing lower each time. We started off the season right near the top and then sank down to outside the playoffs. Then we bobbed back up into the playoffs and have now dropped down to tenth. If that trend continues in the coming months, and we end up sinking three or four places, bob up by a couple and then sink three or four more, the final ten games might look scary. Don't forget how well Port Vale started last time out. They were right up in the playoffs and then were in and around the top ten right up until mid-November or so. Then look what happened to their team of foreign journeymen and their equally inexperienced manager.
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Post by holdsteady on Nov 8, 2017 12:48:59 GMT
To those who refer us to Appleton's first season - it only turned around when he dropped the 4-2-3-1 that we simply couldn't play. People seem to have this rose tinted memory of that season because the last six or so games shoved us so many places up the table, but even in March we were still in BIG trouble. I think at the start of March we were only about four or five points outside of the bottom two and had just recently lost at home to a quite abysmal Hartlepool side. It wasn't like Kemar Roofe and George Baldock arrived in January and we suddenly rocketed up the league from the word go. Until about six weeks before the end of the season it could've gone either way. The good news is that we are much better off than we were at the start of that season, and indeed are several points better off even at this level than last season. Cool. But what's worth keeping an eye on is the fact that in both of the other seasons we grew and improved as the games came in. We adapted, added a few faces in August and then a couple more in January etc. We started to learn and figure out what's what. I'm not so sure that's happening here. We play one system and one system only at all times - a system we perhaps don't have the quality or the right personnel to play - and are swinging wildly from great to abysmal form. We are shipping goals galore in all competitions and it's getting to the point where two goals are needed just to ensure we have a chance of getting a result. The squad has almost no pace and is propped up by crocks and untested foreign players - sometimes both - with zero experience in what is the toughest and most competitive footballing pyramid on planet earth. We're quite down on ourselves in this country, but our football ladder is the envy of the world and the quality is far beyond that of anywhere else. We've got players who have won the Swedish league title and qualified for Champions League football saying they've been surprised by how incredibly high the standard is in the third tier - and that came from arguably the only good player of the foreign influx. The others either struggle to make the bench or keep getting crocked. First and foremost, don't get sucked into a relegation battle. Stay the hell away from that - if we get sucked in I think we are far less equipped to scrap away from it than we were in recent seasons. The first season in L2 we just about kicked away from it near the end when we had several players who within 18 months or so would be in the Championship - Wright, Roofe, Baldock, O'Dowda etc. Last season we were having a pretty crap time until November when Shrewsbury away happened, and Appleton seemed to snap and drag the entire team up the table by the collective ear. I don't see an awful lot in the current setup that would make me feel confident we'd get out of it if suddenly we fell into the bottom third. The players seem complacent and inconsistent, Pep seems stubborn and unwilling to change the one and only system we ever play... I'd be worried if suddenly we slipped down to 15th or 16th. I just would - as much as we've comfortably despatached a few sides this season we've also been hammered or conceded goals for fun. We were knocked out of the league cup 4-3 by a L2 relegation contender after being 3-1 up at half time; we were knocked out of the FA Cup by another 2-0 without putting a shot on target. We let in 4 at home against a weakened MK Dons side despite playing a side that was easily 85% full strength, and we blew a 3-1 lead at home the other week before going away to Fleetwood and having I think two shots in 90 minutes. We've also gone to Bury who are in serious relegation trouble and had our bare arses spanked 3-0, and blown a 2-0 home lead against Brighton's children while fielding a fairly strong side. When you add those facts together it becomes really worrying on a mental level - we seem to collapse quite often and have no idea what to do when we aren't quite up for it. And THAT is a new trait. The manner of things when they don't go right is wild and erratic and that's what worries me. I don't know what the answer is - we're so up and down it makes guessing virtually pointless. But what I would say is that in my opinion, if we sink too deep before trying to bob back up it could be dangerous. We've had a couple of stinking runs now and we're starting and finishing lower each time. We started off the season right near the top and then sank down to outside the playoffs. Then we bobbed back up into the playoffs and have now dropped down to tenth. If that trend continues in the coming months, and we end up sinking three or four places, bob up by a couple and then sink three or four more, the final ten games might look scary. Don't forget how well Port Vale started last time out. They were right up in the playoffs and then were in and around the top ten right up until mid-November or so. Then look what happened to their team of foreign journeymen and their equally inexperienced manager. My big worry is that one of these bad runs will stick, because when we are bad we are not the sort of bad that picks up undeserving wins, we are the sort of bad that nicks a point from a 5 game run. So if we go on an extended run of our dreadful performances, and when we are not on our game that is what they are, we will quickly plummet. To stay safe we are going to need to win a few on the trot when in form because we ain't picking up points at any other time, Clotet doesn't seem to do battling performances under the cosh and stealing a win. Big couple of games up next, very winnable and, even at this early stage, a bit of a signpost for how our season will go.
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