Home Match Day Thread 5/10/2021 PJT: OUFC v Stevenage

[Scotchegg]

There is a good player in Dan Agyei and we've seen enough to know that. However, we've also shared the frustrations of seeing this so infrequently. I'm sure it's a confidence thing, but he just doesn't look interested for big chunks of the game. After getting a start and scoring early, he should have been looking at getting a hat full last night but did nothing. He couldn't hold the ball, didn't make any meaningful runs, didn't drop deep to get the ball, or pull wide to make space for others. He played like an aging Pro rather than the hungry young man he should be.

When he leaves Oxford, as I think will now evidently be the case, he may get a run of games and start scoring regularly. However it will likely be at league 2 at best, and he will have to work much harder than he has done here to cement a starting place if the goals dry up.

I hope he finds a way to get his career back on track, but not sure that will be with us.

 

[Foley]

I think that last night Dan finally convinced us that he is not a Centre Forward - couldn't win headers, hold up play or bully the CBs. But he's still a very useful impact sub as a winger. Williams' legs look to have gone, Cooper never out-ran a defender all evening, Bodin seems to be injury-prone, Whyte and Holland are only in on loan, and Goodrham is a couple of years away from D3 level. I'd hold on to Dan if I was KR.

Williams has been decent in virtually every game I have seen him play this season.
He was one of our best players in the early games, did well coming off the bench (on the left) v Accrington and on the right at Wednesday.

 

[Oxymoron]

Why history told us not to expect an Oxford United win last night

HISTORY tells us we should not have been too surprised that Oxford United failed to beat Stevenage last night.

www.oxfordmail.co.uk

 

[Swaby39]

Williams' legs look to have gone,

Hmmm, not sure I’d agree. For starters he’s at peak physical age for a footballer but more evidently in the games I’ve seen (most but Charlton specifically), he brought bucket loads of energy for long spells and caused them huge problems. I like Williams a lot but Tuesday, for whatever reason, he wasn’t at the races. He is one of the few cases that had a bit of credit in the bank I think. He was in the side to rotate rather than prove a point.

 

[Oufcrealist]

Hmmm, not sure I’d agree. For starters he’s at peak physical age for a footballer but more evidently in the games I’ve seen (most but Charlton specifically), he brought bucket loads of energy for long spells and caused them huge problems. I like Williams a lot but Tuesday, for whatever reason, he wasn’t at the races. He is one of the few cases that had a bit of credit in the bank I think. He was in the side to rotate rather than prove a point.

His legs definitely have not gone. Anyone who saw him sprint 80 yards to get on the end of a cross and score against Charlton will know that.
But he did look jaded and I was wondering if he could have been going down with a bug. With Covid and a nasty cold/flu like bug in the camp others are bound to catch them. Good thing there is no game this weekend in a way.

 

[Manorlounger]

His legs definitely have not gone. Anyone who saw him sprint 80 yards to get on the end of a cross and score against Charlton will know that.
But he did look jaded and I was wondering if he could have been going down with a bug. With Covid and a nasty cold/flu like bug in the camp others are bound to catch them. Good thing there is no game this weekend in a way.

It didn't help that he was left without any options to lay off the ball when going forward. We watched in amazement when surrounded by 3 defenders and a fourth hanging by for the loose ball he was left by his team mates who were all waiting for a cross which was never going to come.
It was, as I've said before, eleven players on the pitch and no team. I'm not surprised by KR's comments post match. For once I actually thought he got it right. That was just a very, very poor display by a group of athletes paid to perform.
It really annoys me that, in spite of all the shortcomings of this P**s pot trophy, the prize money is more than worth playing for and it was clear to see which team had taken note of that fact.

 

[m]

Hmmm.

It's clear as day that the fans don't give a toss, why should the players?

 

[tim lane]

Hmmm.

It's clear as day that the fans don't give a toss, why should the players?

Perhaps because they're paid to do so?

 

[mooro]

Perhaps because they're paid to do so?

And a good performance puts them into the frame for the next league game

 

[christenedinjericho]

Slumberland, Pompei and being sent to Coventry all didn't mind winning the contentious thing did they? And this season Slumberland (again), Sheff Wed, Charlton, Ipswich and Bolton are still at this point all in the mix to move into the next stage. These are all biggish clubs with bigger fan bases than ours and even though plenty of their fan base will rubbish the contentious trophy the final crowd will still be a big one with any of the above teams competing in the final. It is the owners who want some silverware and a day out mark my words.

KR knew after the Cambridge Ppj trophy match that he needed to compete and beat Stevenage Tuesday as the Tottenham Boys match will now be a virtual lost leader in terms of any interest and this isn't a pleasing conundrum for the upstairs soon to be owners.

When Stevenage scored what proved to be the winner KR'S face said it all. This loss hurt more than many of our fans think. His attack on his team was probably the heaviest I have ever heard full stop and the swashbuckling shut your mouth to a fan in the south stand showed me that this was a little more important than most stay away fans think of this competition.

The club could have engineered a quick exit by playing a mainly youthful side but the starting eleven on Tuesday said otherwise.

There was more to this loss than many of you think...one being a probable emptier stadium than anyone thought possible for the last match in this group stage.

Obviously we are not mathematically out but a betting shoe in says otherwise.

By the way I do not like the Premier sides competing but unfortunately they do but in any game OUFC play in I will always want my team to win no matter what.

Enjoy replying.

COYY'S

 

[Pompeyyellows]

It wasn't the fact that we lost but the manner in which we lost was rather galling. As much as we hate this competition as fans, OUFC have done very well from it, from a financial point.

 

[Big Ronaldo]

Drawing a thin line under Tuesday.
The team now have a week free to work through this.
Although there were multiple duff performances on Tuesday night,
I think that it serves no valuable purpose to dwell on it. It was a serious wake up call for everyone and would be better used as motivation for all involved to take on.
As I see it, those players we condemn as not up to it have been thoroughly monitored, vetted, coached and trained. Their every kick scrutinised since they were little kids.
It’s so very easy to forget that they have all made it to this point ahead of tens of thousands of other kids.

These players are ALL obviously prodigiously talented.

No-one gets to be a professional footballer without having something that sets them apart from the many who fall by the wayside (unless your name is Pekalski).
As fans, we are a million miles from where they are… Because they are Doing THE job, the one job that we, as fans would all sell our right arm for.
Despite the fact that we wish it was us out there, We desperately, desperately want every single one of our players to be successful, because their excellence means that our fantastic club is right in the mix.
It’s a results business after all.

Sadly, as Fans, we can’t affect past or future performances, but every one of our players have that chance to shape a better future today, not only for themselves but for everyone.
Giving absolutely everything they have for the shirt has to be the bare minimum.
We don’t want them to be crap…
We want them to be exceptional.
That is why they are here.
We want them to be better here and if they leave then we want them to leave better players than when they came…this is to everyone’s benefit.

Tuesday has gone…

We can’t change that, but let’s make sure that as a team, we are better next time.

 

[mooro]

I have always said that i would prefer the top conference clubs to be the third side in each group rather than the u21 sides, but I'm not as staunchly against it as many are.

I'm also coming to the opinion that the experience of this competition may in fact be dampening any real desire among the top sides to fully integrate b teams into the league pyramid.

Either way, I do care about the competition and think it worth getting as far as we can each season..

Why? - money, momentum, Wembley, and a chance to integrate our own fringe/youth players in games with more intensity than a midweek afternoon friendly at the training ground

 

[holdsteady]

It’s a reserve team cup, nice if you do well but no point getting upset if you don’t. The response on here has been hysterically over the top but that is pretty much the norm now.

 

[DannyW]

Event pelkaski

Drawing a thin line under Tuesday.
The team now have a week free to work through this.
Although there were multiple duff performances on Tuesday night,
I think that it serves no valuable purpose to dwell on it. It was a serious wake up call for everyone and would be better used as motivation for all involved to take on.
As I see it, those players we condemn as not up to it have been thoroughly monitored, vetted, coached and trained. Their every kick scrutinised since they were little kids.
It’s so very easy to forget that they have all made it to this point ahead of tens of thousands of other kids.

These players are ALL obviously prodigiously talented.

No-one gets to be a professional footballer without having something that sets them apart from the many who fall by the wayside (unless your name is Pekalski).
As fans, we are a million miles from where they are… Because they are Doing THE job, the one job that we, as fans would all sell our right arm for.
Despite the fact that we wish it was us out there, We desperately, desperately want every single one of our players to be successful, because their excellence means that our fantastic club is right in the mix.
It’s a results business after all.

Sadly, as Fans, we can’t affect past or future performances, but every one of our players have that chance to shape a better future today, not only for themselves but for everyone.
Giving absolutely everything they have for the shirt has to be the bare minimum.
We don’t want them to be crap…
We want them to be exceptional.
That is why they are here.
We want them to be better here and if they leave then we want them to leave better players than when they came…this is to everyone’s benefit.

Tuesday has gone…

We can’t change that, but let’s make sure that as a team, we are better next time.

Even Pelkaski was talented, we didn't see it because his career had been one long series of playing then injury, but we took a risk and it didn't pay off, Winall may well turn out to be similar situation. With Dan A I think most fans so want him to do well, but it looks from the outside that he has a very nice shy personality and I'm afraid unless he can change that personality he's not going to be with OUFC much longer, shame but you've got to be a bit nastier to make it. We should get Jamie Mackie back to coach him for a while

 

[ljs]

It’s a reserve team cup, nice if you do well but no point getting upset if you don’t. The response on here has been hysterically over the top but that is pretty much the norm now.

Quite low key compared to KR's response.

 

[OxfordYankee]

I couldn’t be happier that we’re out (well as good as).

Promotion, please.

 

[westyorkshireexile]

It’s a reserve team cup, nice if you do well but no point getting upset if you don’t. The response on here has been hysterically over the top but that is pretty much the norm now.

The point is though, we did not field a reserve team as such.
As KR said, it was a strong team; they should have won at a canter.

 

[holdsteady]

The point is though, we did not field a reserve team as such.
As KR said, it was a strong team; they should have won at a canter.

That’s not how cup football works though is it? The higher placed team doesn’t win every time.

If you care about the Leyland windscreen shield then you have to much time on your hands.

 

[bazzer9461]

There is a good player in Dan Agyei and we've seen enough to know that. However, we've also shared the frustrations of seeing this so infrequently. I'm sure it's a confidence thing, but he just doesn't look interested for big chunks of the game. After getting a start and scoring early, he should have been looking at getting a hat full last night but did nothing. He couldn't hold the ball, didn't make any meaningful runs, didn't drop deep to get the ball, or pull wide to make space for others. He played like an aging Pro rather than the hungry young man he should be.

When he leaves Oxford, as I think will now evidently be the case, he may get a run of games and start scoring regularly. However it will likely be at league 2 at best, and he will have to work much harder than he has done here to cement a starting place if the goals dry up.

I hope he finds a way to get his career back on track, but not sure that will be with us.

I agree with your opening sentence “ There is a good player in Dan Agyei and we've seen enough to know that.”

But if my memory serves me correct didn’t are go all out to secure his services from Burnley? So I find this intriguing as to why he went all out to acquire Dan. But as you it’s evident that he will just hope Karl has someone lined up to come in during the January transfer window.