Home Match Day Thread 20/02/2024 L1: OUFC v Northampton Town

[Northstandboy]

Post Match Discussion

Interview - Des Buckingham

Interview - Will Goodwin

Interview - Jon Brady

Match Highlights

Match Report

Ref Watch

Fans View

 

[Pieman]

Atmosphere has been s**t for a couple of seasons, we could be playing great football and top of the league and still no one would be singing.

Where do you sit? I am near the back in the middle of the east stand, so where the atmosphere normally generates from, from looking around at the people there I can tell you it will make no difference whatever we do on the pitch, won't be a lot of songs coming out because its too old, too family, too couples, too on the phone distracted, too sober, too jaded, too reserved, too cowed by the fear of standing out amongst our family fan base who tut at you if they have to move their legs to let you into your seat.

The atmosphere at half time under the stand away to Leyton Orient was better than every home game combined this season, that was a well oiled, laddish crowd on an away day.

In truth the football club went after the sanitised, family crowd for the money, but in going after that its lost its soul and we have no edge at matches now, I felt more threat at the two days of my life I spent watching Harry Potter and the cursed child in a west end theatre a couple of years back.

You can hang some stuff on Buckingham but the s**t atmosphere predates him, it has been a morgue for the last couple of years under the two previous managers.

We need an influx of lads in there teens and twenties, we seem to lose them once they get to that age, they need to be able to come in groups and be allowed to enjoy themselves without the club and the killjoys in our fanbase combining with the grass hotline that's on the stupid big screen every ten seconds to try to crush the joy out of going to the game.

An improved atmosphere isn't going to come from boring old men in the south stand upper, you are irrelevant in this conversation really, you can just go back to checking how man u are doing on your phone and let the youngsters enjoy themselves.

This is spot on.
The atmosphere is nothing short of embarrassing & I’m also certain it is currently the worst in this division and potentially even the one below.
And the argument that the football on display is the cause of this is just a lazy excuse, the atmosphere has been non-existent for a number of years now.
The point about not having many 18-25 year olds to lead the songs is bang on, we seem to be missing that demographic. We are in desperate need of a new fans group similar to the ultras, whereby people of that demographic can come together, create new songs, lead them in the ground and add some colour & life to the stadium Since we lost the ultras we have never come close to a good atmosphere at home unfortunately.
For me the atmosphere is one of the main issues the club has at the minute, it must affect performances on the pitch when it’s so quite and you can hear the groans for a missed placed pass & it also builds the apathy in the fan base. I would enjoy going to games way more if there was a good atmosphere regardless of the football and how entertaining that is.
Other fans can get behind their players regardless of performance on the pitch & it’s about time we did in my opinion. Just look at Northampton yesterday, they were still behind their team despite being on the back foot and not creating anything of their own doing all night

 

[Manorlounger]

Although I’m surprised that more people aren’t being more vocal about the Joey shirt situation that you briefly mention. I think it’s pretty grim that the club has whacked £11 onto ‘his’ shirt and is not sacrificing any of its own profits in return for this donation. Perhaps it’s this sort of heartless attitude coming from the commercial bods that is making me feel more disconnected than usual.

Completely agree on the shirt. I know the club is a business but some things transcend that and donating to his charity and supporting mental health which affects many of us is surely the right thing to do.

This, for me, epitomises all that's wrong with the club at the moment. The disconnect between management and fanbase has deteriorated with that, now almost legendary, Freudian slip by Uncle Timmy in calling us all "customers". Trumpeting a charity donation as a chance for us all to give to a good cause and all the while still raking in the profit is not a good image. Frankly, I'm surprised that both OxVox and OUSP have endorsed this sale to the extent that they have.
I daresay that the profit margin on this one-off deal is not anywhere near that of the normal replica shirts but, all the same, shouldn't the club make it clear just how much they are taking as profit?

 

[Berliner]

It’s absolutely mental. He’s not even under that much pressure. Dale should be showing down the line and is ball watching, perhaps has a mind that long is forward so is covering. Matete is an option but Goodwin is the obvious easy ball or even a ball into that area between defenders and keeper. Worse! all of their players are in their half. How do we go from that to conceding?

Ten men in and around the box when the shot is made as well...

 

[WRox]

We clearly should’ve won yesterday, but it’s a huge ask on the attack when the defence gives away a couple of goals a game under no great pressure. As it did against Wigan. As it did last night.

Moore helps for sure, but he even he looked unsettled last week with Long being taken to the cleaners next to him. Negru will have good games and bad games, that’s fair enough at this stage, but we’ll only set him up for long term success in a solid defensive structure.

Realistically we’re a right back away from a very settled back 5 (Leigh and Bennett both being more than capable at LB). Hopefully Stevens isn’t too far away as while his best years are ahead of him, his form this season has been ok. Until he’s back, I suspect we’re going to need to score 2 or 3 to win games with Long’s confidence at rock bottom and whoever’s at RCB trying to compensate for him.

I’m not sure anyone can be pointing fingers at Des either for failing to proactively replace one of two right backs that he hadn’t seen play regularly since he was about 10 years old. Or for the tactics last night. If not a particularly clear shape or structure, there at least appears to be some philosophy appearing now.

 

[Oxymoron]

An improved atmosphere isn't going to come from boring old men in the south stand upper, you are irrelevant in this conversation really, you can just go back to checking how man u are doing on your phone and let the youngsters enjoy themselves.

If you are in the East Stand, you will know it's the youngsters that are checking the ManU results on their phones - us old un's are usually boring everybody in earshot with comments about how badly we're playing and singling out our particular scapegoat for special mention (Ruben in my case) - but at least we are enjoying ourselves...

 

[dickwalton1964]

The atmosphere was bad under Manning because the football (while effective) wasn't exactly fun to watch. KR's last season isn't really fair to use because the performances were dire, but before that the atmosphere was way better than it is now.

You're going to get a better atmosphere at a game where you draw 3-3 with 2 red cards than you would if you were to win 3-0 with not much else happening (extreme example I know, but you get the point).

Entertaining football gives life to a crowd, boring football kills it - unfortunately we've had boring football for while now.

You're absolutely right. It's been boring because it reflects the football. Slow and ponderous under Manning, worse under Des and pretty lifeless under the last throws of Robinson. There's your two years. It's no coincidence.

 

[holdsteady]

'An improved atmosphere isn't going to come from boring old men in the south stand upper, you are irrelevant in this conversation really, you can just go back to checking how man u are doing on your phone and let the youngsters enjoy themselves.'

I appreciate your passion, HS, but I have to take exception to your final paragraph. I'm an 'old man' and I sit in the SSU, but let it never be said that I lack passion and have become irrelevant. I'm every bit as enthusiastic now as I was at my first game in 1962. We of a different age group are physically obliged to express our support in different ways to the youngsters. Let it also never be said that I check my phone for the Man U score or that of any other team for that matter!

I wasn't really having a go at our older fans, fast approaching that stage myself (if I sing I like a bit of a break between songs to recover) but once you are a certain age, in the south stand upper you are not going to be turning the Kassam into the Maracanã are you? I have always thought the role of the south stand in the atmosphere, that of the older fans is to make the match officials question their life choices with constant haranguing of the match officials even when they are right, used to be good at that, used to enjoy a chuckle at a throw in given against us having a few thousand elderly gentlemen questioning ref/linesman parentage, made the Manor and for a time the Kassam a horrible place for the opposition and refs. We don't really do that any more.

 

[Essexyellows]

Atmosphere has been s**t for a couple of seasons, we could be playing great football and top of the league and still no one would be singing.

Where do you sit? I am near the back in the middle of the east stand, so where the atmosphere normally generates from, from looking around at the people there I can tell you it will make no difference whatever we do on the pitch, won't be a lot of songs coming out because its too old, too family, too couples, too on the phone distracted, too sober, too jaded, too reserved, too cowed by the fear of standing out amongst our family fan base who tut at you if they have to move their legs to let you into your seat.

The atmosphere at half time under the stand away to Leyton Orient was better than every home game combined this season, that was a well oiled, laddish crowd on an away day.

In truth the football club went after the sanitised, family crowd for the money, but in going after that its lost its soul and we have no edge at matches now, I felt more threat at the two days of my life I spent watching Harry Potter and the cursed child in a west end theatre a couple of years back.

You can hang some stuff on Buckingham but the s**t atmosphere predates him, it has been a morgue for the last couple of years under the two previous managers.

We need an influx of lads in there teens and twenties, we seem to lose them once they get to that age, they need to be able to come in groups and be allowed to enjoy themselves without the club and the killjoys in our fanbase combining with the grass hotline that's on the stupid big screen every ten seconds to try to crush the joy out of going to the game.

An improved atmosphere isn't going to come from boring old men in the south stand upper, you are irrelevant in this conversation really, you can just go back to checking how man u are doing on your phone and let the youngsters enjoy themselves.

Gentrification and rules going too far "the other way".....

As an old boy I would never look down on lads having a day out making some noise, bouncing about and having a laugh because we have all been there and done similar.

Getting rid of that by applying a fear factor of rude words, causing offence, punitive sanctions, grass by text etc has contributed to the dullness of football these days.

Its a bit sad when there is more atmosphere at the rugby than at the football!

 

[billyturleyscurlywurly]

Lot of people moaning about how bad our atmosphere is. It’s been poor for a few seasons now & no one has done anything about it.

 

[holdsteady]

If you are in the East Stand, you will know it's the youngsters that are checking the ManU results on their phones - us old un's are usually boring everybody in earshot with comments about how badly we're playing and singling out our particular scapegoat for special mention (Ruben in my case) - but at least we are enjoying ourselves...

I had a look around me last night and the phone thing seems to have effected all age groups, I realise its the curse of modern life (people who pay to watch something live then film it on a screen annoy me so much that its caused arguments when I have a go at my family for doing it like the grumpy old bastard that I am) but surely people can take 45 minutes away from being online.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

I'd like to be wrong but I see this as the (almost) inevitable side of attempting to become a top 30 club.

I'm not sure how you can do that without losing some of the closeness.

100% but I think the way they’re profiteering from a late legend is pretty appalling. Because the “customer” stumps up every penny of the donation via the increased price, all it actually means is that the club is playing on people’s emotions to increase profits. They make the same per unit as they make on a plain one. It’s being done in the most brutal manner possible, IMO.

Even if they put the price up by £5.50 for the Joey shirt, so it’s a “you pay half; we pay half” mechanism in terms of the £11 that goes to his foundation, it would have been infinitely better than what they’ve done, which is to basically go, “You mugs can donate money if you like, but we won’t be giving up a single penny from our end.” The club hasn’t actually done anything.

 

[holdsteady]

Gentrification and rules going too far "the other way".....

As an old boy I would never look down on lads having a day out making some noise, bouncing about and having a laugh because we have all been there and done similar.

Getting rid of that by applying a fear factor of rude words, causing offence, punitive sanctions, grass by text etc has contributed to the dullness of football these days.

Its a bit sad when there is more atmosphere at the rugby than at the football!

That big grass message on the screen is starting to do my head in, pay money to have that flashing every ten seconds. No one makes any noise so what's the point of it?

That's one for the supporters group, does that message have to keep flashing up during the game? According to Tim we are customers, how about treating us like that and not naughty schoolboys.

 

[dickwalton1964]

Atmosphere has been s**t for a couple of seasons, we could be playing great football and top of the league and still no one would be singing.

Where do you sit? I am near the back in the middle of the east stand, so where the atmosphere normally generates from, from looking around at the people there I can tell you it will make no difference whatever we do on the pitch, won't be a lot of songs coming out because its too old, too family, too couples, too on the phone distracted, too sober, too jaded, too reserved, too cowed by the fear of standing out amongst our family fan base who tut at you if they have to move their legs to let you into your seat.

The atmosphere at half time under the stand away to Leyton Orient was better than every home game combined this season, that was a well oiled, laddish crowd on an away day.

In truth the football club went after the sanitised, family crowd for the money, but in going after that its lost its soul and we have no edge at matches now, I felt more threat at the two days of my life I spent watching Harry Potter and the cursed child in a west end theatre a couple of years back.

You can hang some stuff on Buckingham but the s**t atmosphere predates him, it has been a morgue for the last couple of years under the two previous managers.

We need an influx of lads in there teens and twenties, we seem to lose them once they get to that age, they need to be able to come in groups and be allowed to enjoy themselves without the club and the killjoys in our fanbase combining with the grass hotline that's on the stupid big screen every ten seconds to try to crush the joy out of going to the game.

An improved atmosphere isn't going to come from boring old men in the south stand upper, you are irrelevant in this conversation really, you can just go back to checking how man u are doing on your phone and let the youngsters enjoy themselves.

Your description of 'too this and too that' could apply to any club in any part of the country - it's not just exclusively Oxford, your describing social issues as much as anything. Check out some of the football being played and let me know what the atmospheres are like at Spurs, Villa, Leeds, Wrexham, Stockport, Portsmouth, Ipswich, Southampton etc - could probably add Salford to that list now too. All teams that are playing aggressive, high tempo football and scoring aplenty. The atmospheres are bouncing. The atmospheres will also be good at struggling clubs who are giving it a right go - Luton, the best example. You get out what you put in.

 

[holdsteady]

Your description of 'too this and too that' could apply to any club in any part of the country - it's not just exclusively Oxford, your describing social issues as much as anything. Check out some of the football being played and let me know what the atmospheres are like at Spurs, Villa, Leeds, Wrexham, Stockport, Portsmouth, Ipswich, Southampton etc - could probably add Salford to that list now too. All teams that are playing aggressive, high tempo football and scoring aplenty. The atmospheres are bouncing. The atmospheres will also be good at struggling clubs who are giving it a right go - Luton, the best example. You get out what you put in.

So unless we are on a high the atmosphere will be s**t? I would aspire to be better than that, not every season will be fantastic but we have had good atmospheres in mid table seasons before. I very much doubt anyone will ever describe Salford as buzzing by the way.

Northampton were loud last night they are midtable and a bang average, rudimental third division team, so how do they manage it yet we can't?

 

[Pgyellow]

I think expectation has something to do with it too

 

[ZeroTheHero]

I'd like to be wrong but I see this as the (almost) inevitable side of attempting to become a top 30 club.

I'm not sure how you can do that without losing some of the closeness.

I hope you *are* wrong. If attempting to become a top 30 club means that you cynically exploit your 'customers' on the way, then we need some different management who see reaching that aim as a joint enterprise. It's not as if they are going to sell tens of thousands of the things - so matching the 11 quid to make it a £22 donation or even (as suggested elsewhere) raising the price by £5.50 and matching that to make an £11 donation would not cost them that much (and I suspect they'd still make money).

It seems to me that behaving in this sort of manner when you have a sensitive issue and a relatively small active fan base at a time when the club is a long way away from being 'top 30' (we currently scrape into the 'top 50'!) - if being in the top 30 should make any difference - is crass and rather grubby.

 

[oufc1991]

The lack of atmosphere isn't helped by the fact we have nowhere near the stadium to meet up and have a few beers . I remember the good old days of the priory there is one match I remember the atmosphere was rocking Rushden at home in the play offs their players lost that match by going past the priory on the team bus . But now what we got bowlplex, Js sports bar the blackbird isn't exactly on the doorstep . I also don't think it helps people just don't seem interested in singing and making a noise it's like they are to embarrassed

 

[uptheus]

In my opinion it is everything to do with the football. We are 5th, when we've been around 5th in recent seasons - notably the two play off campaigns - the atmosphere has been far more charged. We are entering the home straight, there would have been a real buzz in the Robinson era when we attacked non stop and scored for fun (Lincoln, Crewe, Gillingham etc). Stats might prove me wrong but I'm not sure we were any more porous under Robinson either - we had balance.

Everything was set up for Des to really connect with the fan base. The Oxford connection, team flying high and a feeling that we were getting a personable, bright, innovative, energetic coach. We've had the wind well and truly sucked from our sails with the sterility of the football. I think us fans are quite shocked and bemused by what's been going on and this has led to the graveyard atmospheres. We can't even be bothered to muster a 'Buckingham out' - it's like no one really gives a sh*t as to what's happening out there.

I think the atmosphere’s been poor all season, even when Manning was here. Also, every team’s fans that has come here this season has questioned us as fans e.g. by singing..is this a library, football in a library etc

I just don’t feel a connection between the club and the fans, but I haven’t really felt that since the Daryl Eales days if I’m honest. Having said that, it’s got mightily worse under Tim & Grant’s tenure. The connections that we do have seem forced rather than genuine.

Add to this the non entertaining football for the majority of the time, and then you’ve got the perfect recipe for the epathy we see and hear, or not hear in our case!!

 

[dickwalton1964]

So unless we are on a high the atmosphere will be s**t? I would aspire to be better than that, not every season will be fantastic but we have had good atmospheres in mid table seasons before. I very much doubt anyone will ever describe Salford as buzzing by the way.

Northampton were loud last night they are midtable and a bang average, rudimental third division team, so how do they manage it yet we can't?

If you want like for like then need to judge Northampton at home. I've no idea, is it any good ? Luton are struggling but their football is aggressive, it's having a right go style of football and the crowd are reacting to every throw in. You can see how they are eking out some results and just about staying afloat at the minute. Us ? We are passive, the absolute opposite of Luton, subsequently the crowd are flat. Give Luke Williams time at Swansea and you'll see similar to how Notts County were - a rollercoaster but a rollercoaster that got the job done. I'm wondering if Manning and Buckingham, both disciples of the City group, can only play one way ? It would be churlish to critique City's football but they wouldn't be high on my list for entertainment - they, like us, do love a lot of passes between the defence, goalkeeper and holding midfielder.

 

[Peterdev]

I sat in the away end with Reading fans recently and I have to say Oxford were quiet. Reading fans were chanting about libraries.
Even in the 4-2 win recently Oxford were hardly vocal