Home Match Day Thread +++ 16/03/2019 OUFC v Bradford City match day thread +++

[ZeroTheHero]

Re the ref. The funny thing is that before all the palaver at the end, I thought he had a good game and I'd said so to those I sit with! Mind you having looked at the bits of video and now being a bit more au fait with some of the rules of the game than I was this time yesterday, I think he ended up making the right decision.

 

[Marked Ox]

It's only the 'M40 derby' in the sense you could describe Newcastle v Barnet as the 'A1 derby'. Even if you used a very loose definition of 'derby'*, it would be geographically correct but otherwise meaningless.

* Surely a derby is not just about proximity. There has to be some deeply felt rivalry as well. Oxford v Swindon is a derby, Oxford v Wycombe isn't.

There seems to be a rivalry as far as the Wycombe lot are concerned but none at our end, other than like we'd be playing Accrington or Plymouth. Agree proximity isn't enough.

 

[Marked Ox]

Re the ref. The funny thing is that before all the palaver at the end, I thought he had a good game and I'd said so to those I sit with! Mind you having looked at the bits of video and now being a bit more au fait with some of the rules of the game than I was this time yesterday, I think he ended up making the right decision.

Agreed. He was generally consistent in his decision making and tried to keep the play going in what were bad conditions. He didn't rush to book players and was in control. Then the palaver at the end happened.....

 

[werthersoriginal]

That ref normally takes Championship games so should have been an upgrade on the part time rubbish we normally get but he managed to show they are all useless. Get home watch Man C v Swansea and they are just as bad.

Or maybe being a ref is really hard. You probably think ‘all politicians are the same’

 

[Marked Ox]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1107020173222002689

Bowyer again.

That is a repeat of the rant that was on the BBC when he did his scattergun whinge about the goal should have been disallowed for. I was waiting for him to include us dissing the tea lady or some such as he made so many claims.

And Bowyer's claims about the game being stopped for a yellow card to be given to Curtis Nelson is hilarious.

 

[West Oxon U’s]

.... but Bowyer stressed that Nelson “ wiped out “ Doyle - he was insistent !

 

[West Oxon U’s]

 

[Golden Dr Otto]

Who is this Man City , you talk about?

It’s a rather snazzy gay bar

 

[Cass63]

So he’s not claiming a penalty. He’s claiming a corner, then complaining that the Ref should’ve booked Nelson before allowing the re-start, then claiming Ruffles touched it inside the box, then claiming Eastwood shouldn’t have taken it as he had 4 players inside the box.

Apart from that it was a fine goal.

 

[Marked Ox]

On the players:

- Kashi has to start ahead of Mous at the moment. His distribution is so much better and one pass sticks out in my mind in the 1st half against the wind, he hit a pinpoint cross field pass to Jordan Graham which was simply stunning. He also allowed Brannagan freedom as well by the way he played but I do note how bad Bradford, and their midfield, were to temper that.

- Dickie was my man of the match. Doyle only had any threat when he played off Nelson.

- Jordan Graham and Gavin Whyte, who are both exciting players to watch do need to up the end product % though. Some of the build up play was excellent from both, but even taking into account the awful conditions, the execution and decision making wasn't great yesterday.

- Shooting - Firstly I'm pleased we had so many efforts yesterday and plenty from distance. Earlier in the season we weren't shooting from distance and trying to walk the ball into net even when in good positions for a long range shot. This is definitely an improvement and I hope Cam Brannagan has more shots from distance as he has a decent shot on him.

Secondly, can they please coach them to lean forward when shooting. Too many times they were leaning backwards and over it goes, get your body over the ball and it will stay down. Gavin Whyte* had a shot which just went over the bar (it is in the highlights) from the edge of the box; if he'd just lent forward over the ball keeping it down, it would have been a goal with nobody blocking it and the keeper nowhere near.

Thirdly, can the coaches also drill in players about having some composure when in a shooting chance as they're snatching at chances. Tell them to relax, if it misses then it misses and don't worry about it. We as a crowd could probably help here as well by not reacting so much to a miss.

- If we can get James Henry back in form then I think we will stay up. Henry had moments yesterday but he wasn't consistent in having an impact like earlier in the season. Hopefully he can get a goal which kick starts his form as when he ticks the team does as well. Hopefully the off pitch situation with his kid is resolved favourably but haven't a clue if it is or isn't.

*I'm not picking on Gavin Whyte (he clearly is an exciting player with a very good future) as all the players need it but his shot stuck in my mind as a clear example.

 

[Golden Dr Otto]

Funny how a late winner gets rid of the people wittering about ‘Tiger’

It would be strange and out of context surely and rather unnecessarily negative given we have just got a massive three points and everyone is elated?

Don’t think a much needed victory suddenly makes him Football League Owner of the year though.

 

[werthersoriginal]

It would be strange and out of context surely and rather unnecessarily negative given we have just got a massive three points and everyone is elated?

Don’t think a much needed victory suddenly makes him Football League Owner of the year though.

Well if theyd scored at the end instead of us Tiger would still have been fairly irrelevant, but he’d have got lots of blame. Not that I’m any great fan of his!

 

[ZeroTheHero]

But I think we have nearly all come to the conclusion that Tiger is a poor owner and Robinson a poor manager and that all we can do right now is support the team and hope we get enough points to stay up. The fact that Bradford missed (or maybe a good tackle negated) an excellent chance for them at one end and we scored soon after doesn't change that - it could so easily have been so different. But there is little point about going on about it.

 

[Shaun Rice]

Actually there was a foul on Sinclair 1 minute before they broke forward that the ref let go. Good job too.

 

[Gary Baldi]

Essentially the officials contrived to get the decision wrong until one chirped up about what the rules really are, and then got it right. If that was against Shrewsbury, calling the moment The Taming of the Shrew(s) would have been very apt.

As for Bowyer, the controversy at the end is a convenient way to hide his tactical failings and his players lack of effort in the game. Their central midfielders looked like they were having an afternoon stroll at times rather than a game of football. In comparison, our lot worked hard all game and wanted to win.

 

[Golden Dr Otto]

Well if theyd scored at the end instead of us Tiger would still have been fairly irrelevant, but he’d have got lots of blame. Not that I’m any great fan of his!

Agree with that but that’s a slightly different point.

Either way we can all be happy with the result bar a demented few and rally for thee next few games before the tricky run in

 

[Oufcrealist]

I was watching him receive the ball from the goal kick. All the time saying to myself as the ball rolled towards him... don’t touch it yet, don’t touch it yet... it looked to me definitely outside the area on his first touch. Sky highlights miss it though.

Exactly how I saw it. I was in line with it from the Ox Mail stand and was willing him not to touch it. He was outside when he touched it, l'm sure!

 

[Oxfordpete]

i would imagine had that happened to us it would have been our managers fault for not having his players focused and dealing with the following attack.

as for this VAR shi*e had it of been in operation either outcome would have been possible

i mentioned the other day either have it in all grounds or not at all, yesterdays cup matches prove that to be the case and listening to sunday supplement and one guy saying it doesn't matter that it wasn't used at Swansea clearly highlights the problem.

I did feel sorry for Swansea, not sure how much it costs to install, but had they had it yesterday they would quite possibly be in the semis which would have paid for it.... often the big teams get ‘the luck’ ‘the advantage’

 

[Sir Winston]

I did feel sorry for Swansea, not sure how much it costs to install, but had they had it yesterday they would quite possibly be in the semis which would have paid for it.... often the big teams get ‘the luck’ ‘the advantage’

Apparently as a recently relegated Premier team they have all the infrastructure in place, However, the rules state that only “current” Premier Clubs / Grounds can use VAR it in the FA Cup.

 

[Golden Dr Otto]

Apparently as a recently relegated Premier team they have all the infrastructure in place, However, the rules state that only “current” Premier Clubs / Grounds can use VAR it in the FA Cup.

Surely that creates a legal minefield as to an uneven playing field for all competing teams?