Home Match Day Thread 1/2/2023 L1: Oxford United V Barnsley

[uptheus]

Illness apparently

Who was missing?

 

[Foley]

A flat atmosphere overall bar spells but not surprising. A draw would have been fair in the end but we didn't take our chances.

I get people chanting for KR to go but the "Super Matty Taylor" chant aimed at him after the final whistle was laughable. Many have been complaining that MT has been starting ahead GO'D so fantastic revisionism there.

Tend to agree
When Matt Taylor did play there were often chants for O'Donkor and very few for Taylor

 

[yellowbow]

Agree with all of this.

Tim Williams is risking our League One status by being too weak and/or frit to make the right decision for both KR and the club.

It’s torturous for everyone concerned to carry on like this and I know of literally no one who is having fun in the stadium. It’s been like this for getting on for a year now.

As a CEO he needs to read the mood of the club better. He refers to us as customers because his background is in finance. But football isn’t just about numbers on a spreadsheet, no matter how much compensation he might need to pay to KR.

The club is a sleepwalking and our CEO is looking the least likely of anyone to wake up and smell the coffee.

Seriously what is the point of GF and TW being here other than stealing a wage? What are they for?!

 

[Grumpy Git]

Agree on Findlay - not pretty, but we look so much more solid at the back when he is playing. Says so much about the manager that he has been sidelined (seems like far too many seem to be).

Sidelined by the petulant idiot. KR is obviously bigger than the club!

 

[headingtonoldboy]

I am a season ticket holder and am the first to admit that I can't go to every home game due to family or work but always go when I can. Last night was the first time in a very long time that I just couldn't be bothered to go, sensing what would happen. I'm not proud of my decision, but recent results have brought it about. Having said that, I'll be there on Saturday, all being well.

 

[Madox80]

Can't be bothered to go through the 33 pages, sorry if its been mentioned but anyone notice or know where LBS and WB were yesterday? I know WB posted something on social media on Monday from Cornwall

 

[Up The U's]

I’m confused as to why the players are being praised for not giving up, when that should be a given, i mean, they’re professional footballers for god sake, and they’re always gonna try, this isn’t Sunday league, although we do play like a Sunday league team.

Another awful display, people can desperately clutch at straws all the want, and claim we had a good 15 minute spell after the goal, but we didn’t, we just upped our intensity a little bit, while Barnsley’s surprisingly shite defence had a little wobble, and we still couldn’t score!

We looked shite from start to finish, we’re simply awful, a team of individuals, and I can honestly say there isn’t one single player in our current squad that I’d want here next season, with the exception of Brannagan (just) although he’s been utter shite this season, regardless of the goals he’s scored.

It’s time we accepted that we’re just not very good, in all departments, on and off the pitch, and until some big changes are made, including the communication between the club and fans, then this is all gonna end in tears.

Our board need to stop being such weak little cowards, and take the club by the scruff of the neck, and shake things up with the necessary changes needed, before too much damage is done, and it’s too late.

Spot on.

 

[arthurturner]

Until now I’ve not been in favour of singling out a man of the match because football is team game. However, as we have become a collection of individuals pretending to be a team may be it’s now appropriate.

 

[OxfordYankee]

Can't be bothered to go through the 33 pages, sorry if its been mentioned but anyone notice or know where LBS and WB were yesterday? I know WB posted something on social media on Monday from Cornwall

They were ill. Some sort of sickness bug, apparently.

 

[Swaby39]

Tend to agree
When Matt Taylor did play there were often chants for O'Donkor and very few for Taylor

It was always going to happen. If anybody other than KR had let him go it would’ve been a progressive move. Instead, it’s a catastrophe.

I wouldn’t have let him go until the end of the season but then again I also wouldn’t fall out with my best players and go to bed on an argument every day of the season.

The point is Taylor was ineffective in the way we’re approaching games. Yesterday was no different but you can see already that Tyler Smith is expecting it and his movement is clever. He gave Barnsley a headache. The ball over the top won Leicester city the premier league, but you need someone who will go after them (Vardy) on the off chance one falls right in to his lap or a defender makes a mistake. Taylor isn’t that player. You could say he was wasted on us, in the end, as we don’t play any football anymore in forward areas.

 

[Marked Ox]

Herbie Kane & Nicky Cadden were Barnsley’s best players.

What could’ve been; hey.

Disagree on Cadden, unimpressed with his performance.

Barnsley were not very good at all. With a bit of luck and a better bounce of the ball we could have undeservedly* won that game.

*As said earlier, a draw would have been a fair result.

 

[The mighty Aldo]

Heard last night that Taylor has gone to PV with a view to a contract next season,so don’t blame him for that

As to the waffle KR was spouting pre game regarding old players becoming life long friends enabled him to dodge the questions that should have been asked about the transfer window being so bad……………again

 

[Upthecowboys]

I thought Wycombe and Barnsley showed what could be achieved with effective team play and with players effectively carrying out their roles. They looked like proper teams, whilst we still play like a team of individuals.

I don't think either team were stand out teams, but they had a coordinated team approach which ground out results. I thought Wycombe were more in control of the game than Barnsley. Both had stand out players (Wycombe had Mehmeti, and Kane ran it for Barnsley), but the stand out for me was that their teams were greater than the sum of their parts. The only summary can be that those teams are more effectively coached, and have more balanced teams.

 

[Marked Ox]

It was always going to happen. If anybody other than KR had let him go it would’ve been a progressive move. Instead, it’s a catastrophe.

I wouldn’t have let him go until the end of the season but then again I also wouldn’t fall out with my best players and go to bed on an argument every day of the season.

The point is Taylor was ineffective in the way we’re approaching games. Yesterday was no different but you can see already that Tyler Smith is expecting it and his movement is clever. He gave Barnsley a headache. The ball over the top won Leicester city the premier league, but you need someone who will go after them (Vardy) on the off chance one falls right in to his lap or a defender makes a mistake. Taylor isn’t that player. You could say he was wasted on us, in the end, as we don’t play any football anymore in forward areas.

It isn't just down to how we play, MT has missed some very good chances as well and hasn't been getting on the end of the ball in the box like he has in the past. He has not been the same player from previous seasons.

It isn't all down to KR and that argument is getting laughable already. Matty Taylor is a grown, intelligent man and experienced player so he is quite capable of thinking for himself and make his own decisions and mistakes as a result.

Maybe a move helps him refresh. I wish him the best anyway just not at our expense.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

I thought Wycombe and Barnsley showed what could be achieved with effective team play and with players effectively carrying out their roles. They looked like proper teams, whilst we still play like a team of individuals.

I don't think either team were stand out teams, but they had a coordinated team approach which ground out results. I thought Wycombe were more in control of the game than Barnsley. Both had stand out players (Wycombe had Mehmeti, and Kane ran it for Barnsley), but the stand out for me was that their teams were greater than the sum of their parts. The only summary can be that those teams are more effectively coached, and have more balanced teams.

Spot on. Barnsley were aggressive and well-drilled. Bit dodgy at the back but ultimately, whether you like it or not, every player knew what their job was and put the graft in. Just as Wycombe do.

Robinson doesn’t really build teams. He generally gathers a load of individuals and then throws them together in the hope that it clicks or someone produces a bit of magic. If he has to play all ten outfield players ever so slightly out of position to shoehorn them all in, that’s what he will do. As I said recently, he’s like a kid who throws all his favourite foods into a mixing bowl. He likes pizza and chips and chocolate, so that’s what he’s putting in the cake.

Whether it be a more robust and aggressive side like Barnsley or Wycombe, or a more slick and polished one like Ipswich, the best teams in this and any other division are exactly that - teams.

 

[OX14]

Anyone experience the farce of season ticket not being found when scanning through turnstiles last night? Had to go to the ticket office where they printed out tickets to scan.

 

[Yellow River]

Spot on. Barnsley were aggressive and well-drilled. Bit dodgy at the back but ultimately, whether you like it or not, every player knew what their job was and put the graft in. Just as Wycombe do.

Robinson doesn’t really build teams. He generally gathers a load of individuals and then throws them together in the hope that it clicks or someone produces a bit of magic. If he has to play all ten outfield players ever so slightly out of position to shoehorn them all in, that’s what he will do. As I said recently, he’s like a kid who throws all his favourite foods into a mixing bowl. He likes pizza and chips and chocolate, so that’s what he’s putting in the cake.

Whether it be a more robust and aggressive side like Barnsley or Wycombe, or a more slick and polished one like Ipswich, the best teams in this and any other division are exactly that - teams.

Sometimes amongst the group of individuals there’s a specialist CDM and specialist FBs, sometimes not.

Karl was just unlucky this year.

 

[ECYellow]

We played with a bit of energy for 30
minutes or so during the second half. Question is, why does it take us to be 2-0 before we start having some urgency in our play?

There is no doubt that Barnsley were distinctly average - like many of the teams we have seen this season! It’s a very very average league 1 this year.

For Robinson to come out and say the first half was ‘even’ is a complete joke. Is he now speaking for affect? Is he deliberately trying to get a reaction from the fan base?

Anderson, Long & Moore were truly horrendous in the first half. Barnsley got in on countless occasions and the fact it was 1-0 at half time was a mini success.

The support was unbelievably patient throughout, arguably bordering on soft! It was good to hear some discontent at the end and the there was audible displeasure VERY close to the Directors box.

Let’s prey that CB isn’t carrying a bad injury as If he is, I have very real concerns for the rest of the season. We simply have failed to get any cover in the CM position and that will expose us.

Attendance of 7,3…yeah, ok! 6,200 at best.

Edit: Where was Murphy (I actually know he watched the first half from the SSU) but wondered if KR elaborated on his ‘stiff legs’ from 4 games ago which have kept him out. Must be really quite stiff!

 

[Joey]

Anyone experience the farce of season ticket not being found when scanning through turnstiles last night? Had to go to the ticket office where they printed out tickets to scan.

Was that SSU, blocks 9-10? There was a hell of a backlog getting in which nearly caused me to s**t my pants. As an aside apologies to anyone who used the toilets after me.

 

[OX14]

Was that SSU, blocks 9-10? There was a hell of a backlog getting in which nearly caused me to s**t my pants. As an aside apologies to anyone who used the toilets after me.

No east stand. It was showing up I only had half season tickets when I've got full season tickets. Couple in front of me experienced the same.