Away Match Build Up 21/5/2021 Playoff L1 Blackpool FC V OUFC

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How we approach the 2nd leg and how we set the team up will tell us everything we need to know about the calibre of our players and the tactical flexibility of our manager. We will only have a dog in this fight if we’ve got enough fight in the dog.
Will it?
If Brannagan and Long are out, regardless of who plays in what formation it is likely that Blackpool will win as they are a better side and are already 3 up?
For us to even get close Blackpool need to have relaxed as they think it's all over and we need a lot of luck.
Our recent form before Blackpool was outstanding so we know what the players can do. We also know that Blackpool are a better side
 
I like the 4-4-2 someone suggested:

Stevens
Hanson Moore Atkinson Ruffels
Barker Gorrin Sykes Shodipo
Taylor Agyei​

But given that we’re unlikely to change formation, I’d like to see some changes to reflect how poor we were in the first leg:

Stevens
Forde Moore Atkinson Ruffels
Gorrin
Lee Sykes
Barker Agyei Shodipo​
 
How we approach the 2nd leg and how we set the team up will tell us everything we need to know about the calibre of our players and the tactical flexibility of our manager. We will only have a dog in this fight if we’ve got enough fight in the dog.

Yeah but, when you only have 4 workable defenders it tends to limit tactical flexibility when one of them's out.

Although we do have loads of midfielders who is going to supply the dynamism and movement we need to break their press? Gorrin to replace Brannagan (Hanson's busy) Sykes to stay; that leaves a striker and the old lags (Henry, Lee). So who is going to put Blackpool out of their comfort zone?
 
I for one will be glued to the tv Friday hoping for the miracle. I can't understand how some " supporters" on here are talking about not bothering. What sort of fans are you!

I'm sure that I'll succumb to the lure of FM radio.

It was probably a rhetorical question but 'very disappointed ones' is the answer.
 
The idea of 3 at the back seems like suicide to me. Blackpool have repeatedly exposed our defence this season more than most teams. Atkinson had a rough game dealing with Ellis Sims, Hanson did...well...what Hanson does, but was completely limited by Anderson. We did what we usually do when we can't play it out....aimlessly hump it forward, when we have no target man.

The most disappointing aspect of Tuesday was that Blackpool did exactly the same when they played us last. We learned nothing in the interim. It was all too predictable.

So with that in mind...I'd play a 5-3-1-1 (No....not seriously)

Stevens
Long Moore Gorrin Atkinson Ruffels
Henry Brannagan Sykes
Agyei
Taylor


But KR will go with the same side

Stevens
Hanson Moore Atkinson Ruffels
Brannagan Henry Sykes
Lee Taylor Barker

An early goal would unsettle things for them, but equally, it would be the final wafer thin straw of hope broken if they score early. Fortune favours the brave I guess.

Score prediction - 0-0.
 
I hope we go there and first and foremost try to win the match to salvage a bit of pride, and then you never know. 2 goals to the good going into the final quarter and the pressure will be on them.
Not very likely I know.
 
I like the 4-4-2 someone suggested:

Stevens
Hanson Moore Atkinson Ruffels
Barker Gorrin Sykes Shodipo
Taylor Agyei​

But given that we’re unlikely to change formation, I’d like to see some changes to reflect how poor we were in the first leg:

Stevens
Forde Moore Atkinson Ruffels
Gorrin
Lee Sykes
Barker Agyei Shodipo​
You would drop Brannagan and Taylor (assuming Brannagan is fit)
 
Yeah but, when you only have 4 workable defenders it tends to limit tactical flexibility when one of them's out.

Although we do have loads of midfielders who is going to supply the dynamism and movement we need to break their press? Gorrin to replace Brannagan (Hanson's busy) Sykes to stay; that leaves a striker and the old lags (Henry, Lee). So who is going to put Blackpool out of their comfort zone?
I accept that the odds are stacked against us. It’s the performance I’m looking for. It’s that which will now show the cut of our cloth. We may, indeed probably will, lose. But I want to see every man jack of our players who get on the pitch fight to the end and not give up. Like the Lincoln lad last night who scored their 2nd goal by dogged determination in chasing a seemingly lost cause. COYY!
 
I for one will be glued to the tv Friday hoping for the miracle. I can't understand how some " supporters" on here are talking about not bothering. What sort of fans are you!
Agree completely. It would be a miracle but you can but hope! As for the 'can't be bothered' voices here, go and do something else with your evening - we don't need to know about it.
 
If you were being wildly optimistic, you could argue that a 3 goal lead puts Blackpool right in the sweet spot of not knowing whether to stick or twist in this game. It's not such an insurmountable lead that they can afford to take it easy (as others have said, one early goal for us puts the proverbial cat right in amongst the orange-shirted pigeons), but equally they'll feel a bit stupid if they put out a full-strength XI and really go for it and end up with injuries and/or red cards but otherwise see out the tie comfortably. That uncertainty of mentality could play right into our hands.

Additionally, I think the fans back could actually be a monkey on their back, especially if we get the early goal. It's not like they need the vocal backing to inspire a come-from-behind-to-win performance, they're already in the clear. The only way the fans make an impact is if we score early and the nerves from the stands seep onto the pitch.

Got absolutely nothing to lose here. Lose the tie and we dust ourselves off and go into next season with a really strong core of a side from which to build with Stevens, Long, Sykes, Gorrin and Taylor all guaranteed to be here, along with probably at least one of Atkinson or Moore to boot, in a league with some fresh and entertaining new away days. Win and it goes down as one of the greatest days and results in OUFC's history.

COYY
 
We shall be watching, never miss a game unless absolutely impossible. Not expecting to make the final but, we are expecting a fight from the team. If those who underwhelmed on Tuesday get their act together and if KR gets the tactics and selection right who knows, we might see something. A goal would be nice.
Thankfully, being at home in front of the tele means we can have a drink. We'll probably need one, either way.
 
Yes, it is nothing to lose. I hope KR does not just do the same and hope it works out better, because that is very unlikely indeed. I think we need to be more forward thinking, and if that means having a pair of strikers on the pitch then that's what he must do. Whether they will get any sort of decent service is of course another matter.

I think it will be a pretty stress free watch. Unless we score a couple of times without reply of course and there is still 10 minutes to go!

If we can't manage to come back, I hope to see a much better performance from the majority of the players and a bit more imagination from the manager.
 
Radio Oxford for me , no idea how it’s going to end up, depends on what Oxford United team turns up on the night , one full of fight or one that just replicates Tuesday night , we have to go for it , no more pointless passing around the back line , anyway what do I know about it all , ⚽
 
You would drop Brannagan and Taylor (assuming Brannagan is fit)
Both teams are assuming Brannigan isn’t fit. If he was then he’d be starting in both.

My preferred team, the 442, Taylor is in. But yeah if we’re going to play our usual 4-1-2-3 and give the central striker absolutely no support then I’d play Agyei over Taylor. He’s more physical
 
If the situation is beyond us I'd like to see McNally given a few minutes in the second leg. In front of cameras, (nominally) important game. Would be good to see a glimpse of what we've got in store.
 
The things that worked for us on Tuesday were speed on the ball, snappy passing and strength on the ball. So gorrin, Sykes, barker, Shodipo, agyei would be high on my list.
Anyone with a tendency to be slow to get to the ball, slow to release it or easily outmuscled will be a liability.
 
We seem to have a habit of big bounce backs after a bad defeat. Followed the loss to Swindon by going on a record unbeaten run, followed Northampton with a really good win against Lincoln, followed Accrington by spanking Crewe 6-0, Shrews 4-1 and the epic comeback against Gills, then finally followed the Wombles defeat by winning the final 3, scoring 10 goals and performing another insane comeback against the Shrews. Clearly we do something right when we need to bounce back, let's hope that we can carry that on tomorrow. It's strange - a 3-0 deficit is certainly enough to write a team off - but for some reason I just have this little suspicion that the lack of pressure and the freedom of knowing that we've been written off may just give us a faint hope of a chance. Score in the opening 20 minutes and I think we have that faint chance, fail to and the confidence will drop for us and grow for them and they'll easily see it out.
 
As KR and the coaching staff only have three days between the games, I think it's a bit desperate to expect us to rock up at the seaside and attempt to play in a different formation and or style to the one that has, for the most part, served us so well since Xmas.

As the cliche goes, we need to keep doing what we're doing, but do it better.....
 
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