Current Player #10 Sam Baldock

[DannyW]

I don't think covid has finished it's influence on this title race yet.

 

[bazzer9461]

Imagine only McNally and Brown got called up !!

Hopefully Whyte would also get a call up.

 

[Sarge]

maybe Skyes will get a call up ... based on current form?

 

[windmill]

Imagine Morecambe will be postponed due to call ups.

 

[unification]

To be fair, there were many of us who felt we needed more defensive cover than we got. I agree we still have plenty of goals in us but I'm still a little perplexed why he risked Browne in two games in four days, after being out for a year and knowing full well he had a hamstring issue. Seems bizarre to me. On another note with our lack of defensive cover, with McNally playing the way he is, is there a danger he will be called up to the NI squad?

Yep. I was banging on about another LB to take the heat off Seddon. Then we changed to 3-5-2 and we didn't need full backs any more anyway! You're right though in that a number of us said the defence needed some more bodies in there.

Baldock is a disappointment. He was looking sharp and bagged us some goals. Hopefully we'll be able to see him for the end of April.

Browne is more annoying as that can be levelled at the feet of KR. He didn't need to rush him back so quickly. Again, I hope our medical team can work some miracles.

Could there be squad places for Goodrham or Oisin Smyth to be more involved?

 

[RyanioBirdio]

Could there be squad places for Goodrham or Oisin Smyth to be more involved?

Smyth was injured when he signed in January, too. Little known fun fact.

 

[Marked Ox]

Christ, for some reason I thought he was from NI. So I guess could he be called up to ROI? Possiblity I guess but maybe not as much as NI although Sykes could be called up to ROI too given his form.

Could be called up to ROI u21s as well and I would be surprised if this didn't happen.

 

[Sarge]

Yep. I was banging on about another LB to take the heat off Seddon. Then we changed to 3-5-2 and we didn't need full backs any more anyway! You're right though in that a number of us said the defence needed some more bodies in there.

Baldock is a disappointment. He was looking sharp and bagged us some goals. Hopefully we'll be able to see him for the end of April.

Browne is more annoying as that can be levelled at the feet of KR. He didn't need to rush him back so quickly. Again, I hope our medical team can work some miracles.

Could there be squad places for Goodrham or Oisin Smyth to be more involved?

Maybe a few other young gun prospects could perhaps be considered too ( for squad places)?

With Baldock ( & Browne) out, Winnall really does need to weigh-in more than he has done previously ( in his entire time with OUFC that is too), no more glaring misses like 2nd half of the Burton game- or leave him out of the squad for players who can and will produce

 

[Marked Ox]

Imagine only McNally and Brown got called up !!

Gavin Whyte is now a regular in the NI squad isn't he?

 

[bazzer9461]

Maybe a few other young gun prospects could perhaps be considered too ( for squad places)?

With Baldock ( & Browne) out, Winnall really does need to weigh-in more than he has done previously ( in his entire time with OUFC that is too), no more glaring misses like 2nd half of the Burton game- or leave him out of the squad for players who can and will produce

If he does play let’s hope for no more glaring misses.

 

[Marked Ox]

Smyth was injured when he signed in January, too. Little known fun fact.

Minor injury? I assume this as he played for Dungannon (if I have the right club) just before signing for us. And played in a behind closed doors friendly for us not long after iirc.

 

[Sarge]

Could be called up to ROI u21s as well and I would be surprised if this didn't happen.

hasnt he already been capped at U21 level for NI ? .... which , wouldn't that make him ineligible for RoI U21- but not their 'first' team? .... though admittedly Im no expert on international call ups, so that assumption of mine may well be wrong

 

[greatunclekip]

Well that is very depressing news.

Sadly I think that lack of depth in key positions is ultimately going to see us fall short.

 

[Marked Ox]

hasnt he already been capped at U21 level for NI ? .... which , wouldn't that make him ineligible for RoI U21- but not their 'first' team? .... though admittedly Im no expert on international call ups, so that assumption of mine may well be wrong

Apologies, I wasn't clear, I was talking about Luke McNally.

Sykes would be ineligible for ROI u21s based on age.

 

[OUFCGav]

Injury Update

Oxford United are likely to be without forwards Sam Baldock and Marcus Browne for a number of weeks after the pair picked up injuries in the last two games.

www.oufc.co.uk

 

[LowerSouth]

Baldock will be a big miss.
Since his introduction at Accrington, we have generally seen a real uptick in performance and his presence has been transformational for Taylor, who has flourished with 2 upfront .

 

[Joey]

Captain Hindsight! We could have signed two more defenders who then got injured. This season squad players have repeatedly stepped in and performed well when we've had injuries, hopefully that can continue. There are still loads of goals in the team.

Not sure about this as an argument! Ignoring the hindsight as there were plenty of posters saying we needed defensive reinforcements in the window but the "we could have signed players and then they got injured anyway" argument is pretty weak. May as well not sign anyone then if they might only go an get injured a couple of weeks later? The point is if we had signed another defender or two and then got some injuries we're able to roll with them. We've currently got Browne, Bodin and Henry injured or on the way back, three players who would walk into pretty much any team in the league, and you barely notice because of how stacked we are with players in those positions. Despite having three quality players out we are still bringing the likes of Holland and McGuane off the bench. We have one defender out and we're struggling, if another goes we're changing formation, playing wingers at full back or giving Mous a game when he hasn't played properly for years and turns 36 next month. We've generally got away with it as far as injuries go but I do worry about us against the better teams where I'm not sure our gung-ho strategy is likely to be as effective and they've got the ability to punish us at the other end.

Don't get me wrong, I love the style of play we're seeing at the moment and the entertainment is fantastic, but we should have prioritised defensive/Gorrin reinforcements in the window. Gutting news about Baldock as he looks a class above completely, hopefully he's back before the end of the season for the playoffs.

 

[Marked Ox]

So Gavin Whyte alongside Matty Taylor with Billy Bodin behind if fit. That would be my starting 3 for Shrewsbury. Especially as Shrewsbury must still have nightmares about Gav Whyte.

 

[chuckbert]

Willo up front with Taylor. He can do anything

 

[werthersoriginal]

Not sure about this as an argument! Ignoring the hindsight as there were plenty of posters saying we needed defensive reinforcements in the window but the "we could have signed players and then they got injured anyway" argument is pretty weak. May as well not sign anyone then if they might only go an get injured a couple of weeks later? The point is if we had signed another defender or two and then got some injuries we're able to roll with them. We've currently got Browne, Bodin and Henry injured or on the way back, three players who would walk into pretty much any team in the league, and you barely notice because of how stacked we are with players in those positions. Despite having three quality players out we are still bringing the likes of Holland and McGuane off the bench. We have one defender out and we're struggling, if another goes we're changing formation, playing wingers at full back or giving Mous a game when he hasn't played properly for years and turns 36 next month. We've generally got away with it as far as injuries go but I do worry about us against the better teams where I'm not sure our gung-ho strategy is likely to be as effective and they've got the ability to punish us at the other end.

Don't get me wrong, I love the style of play we're seeing at the moment and the entertainment is fantastic, but we should have prioritised defensive/Gorrin reinforcements in the window. Gutting news about Baldock as he looks a class above completely, hopefully he's back before the end of the season for the playoffs.

Yes of course you're right about the defenders, but that's been done to death. We were talking about attackers being injured.