Home Match Day Thread 13/04/2024: L1: OUFC v Peterborough

[Northstandboy]

COYY

 

[forevayella]

Wow…..best performance I’ve seen in a long time. I thought the writing was on the wall for Des after Bolton but he’s found a winning formula so fair play to him.

I thought before the game a draw would have been acceptable with our two best players out. I’ve been really critical about McEachran but I thought he was quality today.

 

[Osei Yaw]

Because everyone knows only the cool kids copy and paste their previous messages, this is what I said the other day:

'Sam Long was born on 16th January 1995.

At 3pm on 13th April 2024, he's going to be reborn as The Bicester Cafu. Burrows and Mason-Clark will be queuing up to get subbed off at half time.'

I was only partially correct. Today he wasn't The Bicester Cafu - he was The Bicester Baresi.

And Mason-Clark did get subbed at half time. Presumably Burrows was also in the queue but got there too late.

 

[battman]

What a game, what a result and what a performance. Even being someone who wanted to give Des more time after Bolton, even I wasn’t expecting us to turn it around so quickly. Murphy obviously the star player but Long and McEachran also stand outs. In truth, everyone had a good game, I can say positives about every performance.

I really feel we’ve started to see what Desball is about, with three key facets: the high press, the low block and the counter. We didn’t give Peterborough any time when playing it out from their goal kicks, with the front three putting in a lot of effort and the two 10s boxing them in, cutting off the midfield out ball.

In the moments when they did have the ball in general play, we reverted to a more 4-5-1 formation where they struggled to create too many opportunities, and when we did win it back we were pinging some great cross field balls for Murphy and Dale to chase on the counter.

I think we’ve got a good number of players that can flourish in this way of playing, but I feel like the one player that I hope is a snapshot of the summer window is Dale. He really completes that front three, and looks such a find considering Blackpool below us didn’t want him. Whilst he missed a couple of chances today, he brings so much energy, nous and leadership to this team.

 

[Concretebob]

Chief football writer for the Telegraph

 

[Joey]

Not read all the comments and suspect I won't be adding anything new but that was absolutely sensational today, especially with Cam and Moore out, I'd have them as the top 2 for player of the season.

Special shout out for Sam Long who was brilliant, I've been critical of him plenty of times but he was excellent today, good in the air, read the danger and composed in possession. McEachran made a difference and I hope that if nothing else we take Brannagan off set pieces as they were noticeably better today with Murphy and McEachran taking. The fact we've got him to come in and can maybe play him as an 8, allowing him to get forwards more and free him of a little defensive responsibility, is huge.

On to Lincoln now. I've been banging the drum for weeks that their results were flattering them based on performances and it wasn't sustainable and it appears their luck is running out. They won't be mugs but they're nothing to fear, we're the form team in the league now and have really played our way into it.

On Des I always felt he was dealt a bad hand but struggled to see a way back after Bolton but he's got everyone together and we're absolutely flying so all credit to him, amazing what happens when he starts getting some backroom support and close to a full squad.

Atmosphere today was also as good as it's been for years and it feels like the fans and the team are fully united again. We'll make the playoffs and while it'll be tough no one will relish playing us at the moment. Brilliant day and I'm still buzzing.

 

[Osei Yaw]

There are so many positives to take from today but the one that has stuck with me is how good our press looked for the first two goals. We just waited for them to play back towards their own goal and everyone knew when and where to go, and we forced two mistakes. It happened repeatedly throughout the first half and Harris, Murphy and Dale worked brilliantly together.

As good as some individuals were today, it always feels better when you can see what the team is trying to do. Today was the most organised we have looked since our early season form under Manning. It was an incredibly good performance and we were worthy of the 5-0 scoreline.

 

[Left Wing Cross]

Oxford United 5-0 Peterborough United | League One highlights

Highlights of the Sky Bet League One match between Oxford and Peterborough.

www.skysports.com

Also on their youtube channel:

 

[Big Ron]

Not enough mentions for Stevens, although I can see a few comments from worried punters before kick-off. Not claiming him as MOM but he stuck to his task manfully and produced a lovely assist. Sure, he was beaten a bit in the first half. But he was up against two players who will probably be playing Championship football next season, whatever the outcome of the play-offs. Oh, he can pick a decent pass as well.

 

[Big Ronaldo]

Totally superb performance today and a real resurgence is well under way.
What I know about football can clearly be written on a postage stamp.
Wherever Des found this team hiding, I have no idea.
We are back in the hunt.

 

[Sheik djibouti]

Totally superb performance today and a real resurgence is well under way.
What I know about football can clearly be written on a postage stamp.
Wherever Des found this team hiding, I have no idea.
We are back in the hunt.

Back in the hunt and hitting our stride.

 

[MC Yellow]

Just realised, but since we landed in Lanzarote two weeks ago, United have won 3, scored 13 and conceded nil.
I'm sure you'll all be happy to hear that I'm here for another two weeks.

Sorry, not long enough.

Can you extend until we have the playoff final wrapped up please.

Ta

 

[Leysboy]

Can I just say that I’m extremely happy to eat a huge trowel of humble pie, and congratulate the management (Des) for being able to turn around what looked like a team nose diving in to mid table. Yes results and performances were extremely poor, but the last few weeks have been nothing but phenomenal. Yes we should have beat Shrewsbury, but it’s been a marvellous turnaround. Now we can look forward to the playoffs.

At the beginning of the season I said we should be a top 4 team, but that was with Liam Manning here. Things changed, and Des has come in. I will accept a 5th place finish, and give him the summer to build a balanced squad.

 

[Robin Shater]

Lincoln is a "Must not lose" game. A point would be a good result

We want 6

 

[Robin Shater]

Sorry, not long enough.

Can you extend until we have the playoff final wrapped up please.

Ta

I'll see what I can do

 

[QR]

I think everything has been said but I haven't seen a hunger and work rate ACROSS THE WHOLE TEAM like that for many a year. I don't know about you but I can't stop grinning!! Whoever knew humble pie tasted so good!

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1779223027852722197

 

[MC Yellow]

Incredible Result
Incredible Performance
Incredible Atmosphere
Incredible Work Rate
Incredible in Possession
Incredible Out of Possession
Incredible Turn around from Des
Incredible 13 scored with no reply
Oh, and Incredible miss from 2 yards

What a day

 

[Sheik djibouti]

Incredible Result
Incredible Performance
Incredible Atmosphere
Incredible Work Rate
Incredible in Possession
Incredible Out of Possession
Incredible Turn around from Des
Incredible 13 scored with no reply
Oh, and Incredible miss from 2 yards

What a day

Absolutely spot on. These days don't happen all that often following your team, where the planets simply align. Enjoy every single minute.

And then we'll do it all over again on Tuesday and Friday....then we can conga at Exeter. Momentum and form are what it's ALL about now....we have to keep this going.

 

[Common Villager]

That's the best all round performance I've seen since we beat West Ham in the cup. Every single player worked incredibly hard and did well on the ball. Murphy and McEachran were 10/10s and everyone else was 9.5.

I have to admit I really wasn't sure it would ever click under Des, but it does now seem as though the players have bought in to his style and expectations and it's now producing results.

If we play like that we may not win every week, but we'll win more than we lose and it'll be bloody fun to watch.

A lot of the players looked pretty knackered towards the end but I really hope we can absolutely go at Lincoln, get the win to more or less secure our playoff place, and take a bit of pressure off the last two matches.

What a bloody fun afternoon. COYY

 

[notThisWayButThat]

Wasn't able to watch today's game, due to visiting family in a toasty 30⁰ Bologna, but I have been repping the shirt round town. Perfectly acceptable, given Macron is a Bologna-based brand!

Lovely part of the world.