Away Match Day Thread +++ 23/10/18 Charlton Athletic v OUFC +++

[West Oxon U’s]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1054859290215960576

Bowyer: “ It’s two points dropped...”

 

[West Oxon U’s]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1054968226772369412

“ Special “ goal from Gav Whyte for the U’s.

 

[West Oxon U’s]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1054854788612009984

 

[West Oxon U’s]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1054924199267975168

Robinson: “ I didn’t want any aggravation”

 

[RCYellowRC]

Team really put in a shift tonight; really impressed with work rate and commitment. Another sterling display from Ruffels and Eastwood gives confidence to the back 4 generally. Charlton looked pretty useful - a tough quick young team.

Loved Holmes’s attitude v the hostile crowd.

Up front we never look like we are going to score a scruffy goal- most of our goals are worldies - like Whyte’s tonight.

It ain’t pretty but we’re beginning to progress. I worry about McMahon and what is it with Mr Inconsistent Henry. Loads of ability but he seems to switch off at key moments.

Our fans great - good atmosphere , always a pleasure to visit the Valley. But they do have a drum .. sadly.

Finally - referee Whitestone was a grade 1 homer - very poor.

RE: Henry, he's playing a new position. Originally a winger converted to a 10 now playing CM in a 433. He's never really had defensive responsibility before now apart from tracking back out wide. CM is probably the hardest position to play on the pitch.

 

[Deleted member 222]

Amazing how some people aren't happy with last nights result.

I thought it was a good game, they were the better side in the 1st half, we were the better side in the 2nd half and could of nicked it. We had more possession and more shots.

I'm really not sure what some fans were expecting away to Charlton? Even the BBC report says it was a unlikely result for us!

 

[Shosho]

Can be happy with a point.

A good battling performance. Makes a difference having Whyte on the bench to come on....also aside from the penalty did Charlton have many other chances?

A word for Brannagan. A great run for the goal...a glimpse if we took the shackles off an played him further forward

 

[Manorlounger]

Pretty good at it though.

Not in the Hylton standards at all. Now he was entertaining, always fear that Mackie will see a card or give away a foul rather than draw one.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

A point at Charlton is a decent result given our differing league positions and seasons so far. And four league games unbeaten is also OK albeit that there are three draws in there - with the positive that those three were all away games. Certainly better than the terrible start we made to the season however you look at it.

But anyone who thinks these improvements are so far any more than baby steps is a huge optimist. We don't make enough chances of any quality and we don't have any real central striker who can both play in the system they are being asked AND score goals (Mackie himself has said it is a new role for him and Smith hasn't shown much at all). We are hamstrung by having a squad where some of the major players are simply not going to be fit for stretches of the season and that is not going to change - and that isn't bad luck, many of those ongoing issues were known about when we signed them.

Saturday's game is important. Win and nine points from five games looks like a revival, lose and six points from five games looks like bumping along at the bottom, with those away draws not really being enough.

 

[Marked Ox]

Not in the Hylton standards at all. Now he was entertaining, always fear that Mackie will see a card or give away a foul rather than draw one.

That Danny Hylton never saw a card or gave away a foul of course!

 

[Shropshire U]

A good battling performance. Makes a difference having Whyte on the bench to come on....also aside from the penalty did Charlton have many other chances?

Never mind the bench, let's have him on from the start...apart from his scoring potential we need his pace.

 

[Scotchegg]

At any stage of the season you would have to be happy with winning your home games and drawing away. Considering our early season form this is a massive improvement and gives us something to build on. 3 clean sheets, and a penalty has shown that the defence has become stronger and means that we're not giving away sloppy goals. Our attacking options are what they are, but the likes of Holmes, Browne, Mackie and Whyte playing with confidence, and at the top of their game, can pull teams apart.

We've got some more favourable fixtures through November and will hopefully be able to strengthen again in January. This doesn't mean that we can start thinking of promotion but there are signs that we could be moving away from the bottom of the table. We have to remember that there are some pretty poor teams in this league and as a minimum we only have to be better than 4 of them! The last few games shows that shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Gary Baldi]

From abject after abject performance, to a stronger but ok performances, is progress. There is no escaping the fact that we are a talented team that struggles to translate that talent into results and consistent performances. We are now harder to beat, the players seem more confident and the manager is less frenetic. There is a lot of work to do, but the rot has been stopped.

I feel the players can approach a game like Saturday's and not get overawed by it.

 

[Shosho]

Never mind the bench, let's have him on from the start...apart from his scoring potential we need his pace.

My point was that with Browne/Holmes/Whyte we have some pace that can come off the bench and change games. Which 3 start depends on who we play. I suspect Holmes/Whyte will start vs Shrewsbury...all dependant on Holmes playing 2 matches in a week

 

[Manorman]

Mackie’s style of play means he has accumulated 4 yellows in only 13 games so far. Expect him to get a suspension in the next 2 or 3 games.

 

[yellowbow]

The key, for me, to our potential revival is Mous playing at the base of the midfield. I’d worry if he got injured and can only hope that Hanson would be a decent replacement in there. As others have said, we can’t ignore the mess that was made in squad building in the summer, however there’s nothing to be gained from finger pointing now. We have to hope that lessons have been learned for January and in the meantime hope that, as confidence increases, the squad has enough about it to keep collecting points. A win on Saturday is essential, not only because of the anniversary celebrations and big crowd, but also to build on these solid away draws, otherwise they’ll count for nothing.

On the point of the 125th game, it’ll be a great time to announce that Thohir is on board. Things seem to have gone a little quiet on that front.

 

[SouthLowerOx]

Mackie’s style of play means he has accumulated 4 yellows in only 13 games so far. Expect him to get a suspension in the next 2 or 3 games.

Let’s be honest, he will probably need a break anyway! We shouldn’t change the way he is playing, as many have said the centre backs he is coming up against know they are in for a tough ride and come off the pitch battered and bruised.

Absolutely loved his celebration last night after the Whyte goal, again winding their centre back up who he had been having a right old battle with.

 

[Steve McAvoy]

As well as the superb goal, Brannagan’s run in the build up was also really good, positive play; hope he gets encouragement from this as he hasn’t hit his best form this year as yet (he has plenty of company in this respect).

 

[yellowbow]

Let’s be honest, he will probably need a break anyway! We shouldn’t change the way he is playing, as many have said the centre backs he is coming up against know they are in for a tough ride and come off the pitch battered and bruised.

Absolutely loved his celebration last night after the Whyte goal, again winding their centre back up who he had been having a right old battle with.

Hopefully young Harvey Bradbury will be given a chance when he gets fit if Mackie needs replacing. I don’t know much about him but from what I’ve heard/seen he’s another ‘shithouser’ of a striker who loves to get in the faces of defenders. Maybe just what we need if let off the leash.

 

[Millman]

I agree with yellowbow re Mous. I also think having Eastwood back is a big reason for our improvement. Having no effective backup for Eastwood (why have we got Shearer), and lack of options for holding midfielder at the start of this season is the main reason we are where we are in the table. That said I am not sure even if we started with these problems solved we would have been any higher than mid table. Our striking options are a joke.

This squad needs another left back, a better reserve keeper (or faith in our young keepers), maybe another midfield option (Carruthers?), and at least 2 decent strikers. This shopping list is unlikely to be filled in Jan.

That said if we can find a few more goals ther is no reason we cannot be safe in mid table.