Home Match Build Up 12/02/2022 L1: OUFC v Bolton Wanderers

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Howdy U's.
What to expect from Bolton Wanderers:
Newly promoted, the Wanderers had a good start to the season playing manager Ian Evatt's attacking possession-based style - a season in which the aspiration is to stay in the division to consolidate after being less than 24 hours away from financial ruin and closure just 20 months ago when Sharon Brittan and Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason stepped in at the last minute. The squad has been rebuilt from lower league signings, youth team and freebies and was doing OK until Covid hit which along with injuries affected 20 staff and players at the club - at which point it became obvious that whilst the first choice eleven could just about hold their own in League 1, the squad was paper thin. Throughout the latter end of 2021 we lost game after game, tumbling down the table to the point we were flirting with relegation back to L2.
Problems were compounded by a dispute with our talismanic captain Antoni Sarcevic who walked out unexpectedly over what was described as an "unspecified disciplinary matter". Striker Owen Doyle was released by mutual consent and the decks were cleared ahead of the January transfer window. Unusually, the club took a government loan and struck a deal whereby the debt was converted into shares - so now the government owns 8% of BWFC. (There have been chants about wanting to pay more taxes) :)
Having finally cleared the club debts the long -standing transfer embargo was lifted and in January we made our first cash signing for seven years - striker Dion Charles from Accrington affectionately known as "Celine" (someone must have been up all night thinking up that one). Three others were brought in, one for cash (Dempsey from Gillingham) alongside 2 loanees. Total January spend was around half a million however we are now a lot nearer to having strength in depth.
At the same time Ian Evatt changed the system to suit the players, adopting 352/532 and it has brought results, moving us up to mid table.
Basically the team play a high energy press, and attack with pace at every opportunity (previously we had tons of possession in useless areas) - now it's mixed up with the occasional long ball.
In the last two games, this approach has taken it's toll with the lads looking a bit jaded - well, knackered TBH - so we're expecting him to ring the changes on Saturday.
There is a lot of trepidation about this. The new signings who have brought us recent success have proven themselves to be competent at this level but there are still questions over the others notably Bodvarrson, Amaechi, Dempsey and to a lesser extent, Sadlier - all of whom we think may get a start at the Kassam.
Frankly we don't know what to expect performance wise, but have every confidence in the system/style of play.
Evatt is a bit of a fanatical firebrand, but he has proven himself to be tactically astute and may tweak things slightly to try to contain your attacks - but the general approach is to play attractive attacking football so it should be an entertaining game whichever way it goes. For us it will be our first proper look at some of the new signings.
It's likely we'll bring our full quota of fans - we always do - and the vast majority are lovely people but we do have some dickheads which the club is trying to address - 14 were banned this week so they are being rooted out as the revitalised club continues it's drive to re-engage with the community after years of dodgy ownership since the late and great Edwin Davies passed away.

I won't go as far as wishing you good luck for this game for obvious reasons, so I'll just say I hope it's an entertaining watch regardless of the result.
Many thanks for this very helpful assessment and your warm and friendly tone. Much appreciated.
 
🤔
Who’s voted for the away win? Scrongo, Kip, or Mellowyellow…

Someone is clearly not an OUFC fan.
🤔I don't do predictions, so count me out.I leave that to the expert's. Keep the faith🐂🐂
 
I'm going to predict 4-2 Taylor finds his scoring boots again and brannagan scores another long range shot I think the back four will be forde long Moore Seddon
But I guess who knows really in recent weeks we've won when we looked like drawing we lost on Tuesday and we wasn't very good let's say
So I suppose let s just see what tomorrow brings
COYY
 

Robbo could sell sand to the Arabs, he really could. I’m a fan of his, always have been, but boy can he turn a negative into a positive. Hard to argue with much of what he says and he makes a valid point about where we’ve got to in our development in that we aren’t a top six side in current L1 company, club size wise, but are nearing the point where we’d be in an awful lot of peoples predicted top six at the start of a season.
 
Robbo could sell sand to the Arabs, he really could. I’m a fan of his, always have been, but boy can he turn a negative into a positive. Hard to argue with much of what he says and he makes a valid point about where we’ve got to in our development in that we aren’t a top six side in current L1 company, club size wise, but are nearing the point where we’d be in an awful lot of peoples predicted top six at the start of a season.
I like the line “I know what gets sent to me”
I hope he means from the current board members.
 
Who’s voted for the away win? Scrongo, Kip, or Mellowyellow…

Someone is clearly not an OUFC fan.
I'm one. Unfortunately I have to because I accidentally did so about 3 months ago and we won. Since then my "win ratio" is terrible: I keep predicting losses and we don't lose. I didn't get round to voting for Stanley, and the result only went to confirm my flimsy superstition.
 
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I'd like to see more of a ball-playing defender.
.... take your point @m ... though personally, I think a ball-winning defender would be very handy to plug our porous backline
 
Gavin Ward the man in the middle, can't remember the last time he did an Oxford game mainly a Championship ref these days
 
Gavin Ward the man in the middle, can't remember the last time he did an Oxford game mainly a Championship ref these days
25 games this season 94 yellow cards 3 red cards

last Oxford game he refereed was the away game V Pompey ( 1-1 draw) July 2020
 
Edit: like the 12-man approach though

Touche...and the amusing thing is that I REALLY thought I'd struck upon some hitherto undiscovered miracle formation.

Back to the drawing board, then.....just remains for me to decide which of Jack or Elliott makes way in Karl's brave new world.
 
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