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- 5 Dec 2017
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Gregg Leigh at left back was our top scorer through that period too. If that doesn't tell you that you have serious structural deficiencies in your squad and your ability to create and finish chances in your forwards, then I don't know what does
And then add in out of form (McGuane, Rodrigues...and Harris previously) and injured players in key positions (especially Moore) then it should not be all that surprising or difficult to understand why we're currently concedeing more/seem less composed/make silly mistakes and are creating/scoring less at the other end.Exactly this, and I was saying this at the time & have said again recently.
Yes we’ve signed a striker but players will take time to gel.
Goals have dried up as not enough is being contributed from midfield.
The fact you just said literally underpins what an imbalanced squad we have.
So basically, we had a number of players who were performing well under Manning but are now performing poorly under Des.And then add in out of form (McGuane, Rodrigues...and Harris previously) and injured players in key positions (especially Moore) then it should not be all that surprising or difficult to understand why we're currently concedeing more/seem less composed/make silly mistakes and are creating/scoring less at the other end.
And your persistent anti-Des rhetoric lacks the nuance to entertain the idea that it's really not that simple as to pin it all on him.So basically, we had a number of players who were performing well under Manning but are now performing poorly under Des.
I don't think that's the defence of Des you're making it out to be!
Ah, but what if the players don't want to play for him because they don't react well/agree with his methods - what then?
That is supposedly the case with Des.....isn't it?
We had a manager who had us 2nd averaging 2.13 PPG (usually enough for automatic promotion). He left, the new manager comes in, 4 months later we're 7th playing woeful football and averaging 1.16 PPG (which last season would've had us 18th). Some 'nuance' to that is that other than Harris, every player has regressed under said new manager.And your persistent anti-Des rhetoric lacks the nuance to entertain the idea that it's really not that simple as to pin it all on him.
Fixed that for you.Yes in those days of course, thete was no internet, so the vociferous few were heard of a lot less!
Jim Smith would have had a lot of questioning here. Not only did he blow a good position, but he sold Keith Cassells ( a good striker), brought Trevor Hebberd in as a striker ( telling us he would score a load of goals), and then converted him from a striker to a CM player!
At the end of the first part of the season 20%After 3 matches, at least 40% on here would have wanted him fired.
The Oxford first team are paid very well.Nothing supposedly about it. It’s true 3 I know of!
I don't think Carlisle was particularly good, it was patchy but we took our chances.Absolutely agree with alot of what your saying, but what do you you think of the performances ,,Carlisle was good ,Charlton was good the odd half's have been good but we have been shocking in so many .Let's hope with Moore back ,and more players getting fitter with a whole week on the practice ground Saturday we put up a good performance, we all want Des to do well. But it's been a disaster so far and nobody can say it hasn't.
Carlisle at home. Most of the Exeter and Shrewsbury games at home, Blackpool 2nd half and Wycombe at home also rubbish to poor.Cambridge away was dire.
MK dons in the paint pot was dire.
Port Vale at home was rubbish.
Bristol Rovers at home was a rubbish performance. We just got lucky.
To not make the play offs from the position we were in is nothing short of a management disaster.Fixed that for you.
No, a "Management Disaster" would be failing to make them from the position we were in if he took over in April. It isn't good, but let's not go over the top.To not make the play offs from the position we were in is nothing short of a management disaster.
Carlisle at home. Most of the Exeter and Shrewsbury games at home, Blackpool 2nd half and Wycombe at home also rubbish to poor.
I don't think Carlisle was particularly good, it was patchy but we took our chances.
Charlton was pretty even I thought but Smyth scored a worldie to win it!!
Burton at home has been the only convincing performance for me since Des has taken over.
Playing well for parts of games and rubbish in others has been happening all season including under Manning, it just shows that the team isnt quite good enough yet to sustain performances. Not help by lots of money wasted by Robinson on players still not doing anything.Agree with all of this. I am very much one of the people who think Des should be given a proper summer to get his squad together and we shouldn’t be considering sacking him at all right now - but I am absolutely of the opinion that we’ve played poorly for pretty much all of his tenure (even in the victories).
Shrewsbury was his best effort. Against Northampton and Portsmouth more recently I thought we were largely solid and let ourselves down with some errors at key moments. Other than that there have been a few good 30 minute periods - not even halves - but that’s it. We finished strongly (after a poor first hour) at Wycombe. We were good for 30 minutes against Derby. Controlled a pretty low quality second half at Carlisle. Gave it a good crack against Bolton but finished noticeably second best. Even the Wigan game we got the bounce of the ball on a few of our goals and were probably quite flattered by the scoreline. Considering how we’ve hung onto the Top 6 it’s actually quite unbelievable how poor we’ve been since November.
I’m not expecting to make the playoffs after the last 2 results - but they are still a possibility. Whether that happens or not I do want to see us finish the season delivering much better performances. That Orient performance was abject. On the assumption that we’re getting nothing from Bolton and Pompey away, the home game against Cheltenham is a MASSIVE fixture (as it was last season ironically).
I’m not convinced there’s been a huge difference in performance level across Northampton, Wigan, Portsmouth, Wycombe, Reading, Carlisle, Charlton… Some have gone our way and some haven’t. Burton was an outlier as much as Rovers was the other way.I don't think Carlisle was particularly good, it was patchy but we took our chances.
Charlton was pretty even I thought but Smyth scored a worldie to win it!!
Burton at home has been the only convincing performance for me since Des has taken over.
Playing well for parts of games and rubbish in others has been happening all season including under Manning, it just shows that the team isnt quite good enough yet to sustain performances. Not help by lots of money wasted by Robinson on players still not doing anything.