Home Match Day Thread 16/4/24 Oxford United v Lincoln City

[Northstandboy]

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Interview - Des Buckingham

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COYY

Let’s do this!

 

[Amarillo88]

I don’t think it was an “awful” OUFC performance, we’ve seen some awful ones don’t get me wrong.

First half we played ok, they played deep and, to be honest, 0-0 at half time suited us with them having to push forward second half. The penalty destroyed any HT discussion or plans. I suspect as the game had opened up we’d have looked to take them out on the counter.

I think in some respects we got the performances the wrong way round. I was hoping for 4 points with 3 against Lincoln. Harris looked a bit leggy (don’t blame him), Leigh looked off it for the most part etc. Murphy was marked out of the game mostly when going forward. Dale made a couple of errors we didn’t see on Saturday etc. etc.

With the way Lincoln play and the size of their team/use of ‘gamesmanship’ we may as well have thrown the ball back to them at corners and floated FKs. Tbh, anything whipped into the box wasn’t going to beat them.

I had a nagging feeling today wouldn’t go our way, ever since our return to league football we’ve had these 2-1 or 1-0 defeats against teams that have been bigger, outmuscled us, got a goal and killed the game. Happened under Wilder on several occasions as we sat back.

Good to see Cam Bran back, thought JM played well though and I like the shape he gives. I’ve been very disappointed with Long at RB but I think he’s performed very well at CB and I’d not be disappointed to see him stay there.

I agree with your last point on Long, he had some shoddy performances at RB but has been solid at CB (unless it was him that gave away the pen). Stevens has been sharp IMO since his return so no reason to change that.

 

[VancouverYellow]

I agree with your last point on Long, he had some shoddy performances at RB but has been solid at CB (unless it was him that gave away the pen).

I believe that was Ruben

 

[carefreeoufc]

I agree with your last point on Long, he had some shoddy performances at RB but has been solid at CB (unless it was him that gave away the pen). Stevens has been sharp IMO since his return so no reason to change that.

Long was out of position too much and we ended up with huge amounts of space to exploit. Stevens there closes those holes and Long plays well in his (natural?) position. With Long at RB and Cam Bran in there instead of JM you lose some of the shape and create too much space. IMO

 

[Swaby39]

2 ways of looking at that really. Didn’t deserve the loss on events of play (nor did we deserve to win) but sometimes you do deserve to lose when you continue to play in to their hands as we did and ask no further questions of them. After the goal Lincoln sat back and forced Murphy and Dale to go deeper and deeper for the ball. They had far too much to do and Harris became absolutely anonymous by the end as Lincoln completely snuffed us out. I have to say it was a defensive masterclass second half, they completely controlled an entire half of football against a side that’s been rattling in goals for fun. Seeing Brannagan rattled minutes after coming on annoyed me - we needed calm, composure, focus. Not bitching on at their midfielders.

It wasn’t the worst we’ve been under Des by any stretch and some of our good
qualities were evident but certainly a throwback to uglier times under him. We looked a bit spent from Saturday and with another 90 mins now in their legs I’m anticipating a fairly similar game on Friday.

 

[Osei Yaw]

I thought that was a game of fine margins really. On Saturday, Peterborough played into our hands and everything we did came off. Tonight it didn't. I think Lincoln were clearly well organised and to score so early into the second half really set things up perfectly for them. I thought Erhahon was very good for them, the exact sort of player I'd like to see at the base of our midfield in this set up.

Marcus Browne's appearance reminded me why he's so frustrating - both the yellow card and the half volley attempt from 30 yards were the very worst of him.

Stevens' distribution was exceptionally good I thought.

I agree with others that a big lad up top was an option we badly needed tonight. They had worked out the out ball to Murphy and he regularly had 3 or 4 round him. We struggled to play through them but really lacked an alternative.

 

[m]

Second half was awful. We completely regressed to the worst version of us? Really, really f*****g slow moving the ball. MM didn't help that in the last 5 but I also think the CB sub was wrong...Owen/Murphy/Goodrham across the 3 is what was causing problems.

Terrified now. Which is my problem but it feels particularly cruel to have to play anti-football Fatty now, given he knows we can't deal with the gritty niggly stuff.

If CB comes in then it has to be for JM- and he HAS to be disciplined and not hold on to the ball for too long and give it to the front 3 and RR and sit in.

Feels like the day after Boxing Day when I was a kid.

Did you wet the bed then too?

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

If Saturday reminded me why I love football so much, tonight was the perfect antitode.

Do you remember when Lincoln were a skillful, compelling side - and one game away from promotion to The Championship (having beaten Sunderland over two legs in the Play-Off Semi)? Yeah, different club now isn't it? Great job as Skubala has done, I'm not envious having watched that.

Someone will be along to tell me how the 'dark arts' are integral to modern football. But they can get f*cked. It's gross. We need to deal with it and be more efficient in our own performance, of course. But I would never want us to be that team.

I've always been sceptical that there is an 'OUFC brand' of football, but I'm definitely on on board with what it isn't.

Saturday was exceptional. Tonight wasn't. But consisently give me a side capable of the former and you'll have my respect.

Still fancy us.

 

[Oxford84]

What a f*****g w****r their 6.is

Brilliant defensively though.

 

[WEYellow]

Not too high when we win, not too low when we lose.

Frustrating more than anything tonight, Lincoln done a job on us, and the ref. Was impressed with how they defended at the end but to be honest, the ball was probably in play for about 15 minutes of the second half. I can’t see them getting 6 from 6 playing like that.

We had enough chances to take the lead and Tyler should have lifted it over the keeper when it was pulled back to him, funnily enough if that’s 20 yards out he probably nestles it in the bottom corner.

Dale and Murphy both looked leggy as did Harris and I think the lack of another striker on the bench really hindered us tonight, you do wonder if getting GOD back would be worth it, just for the alternative on the bench.

What was disturbingly obvious tonight was how much our play changed once Browne, Bodin and Mcguane came on. Everything was sideways and slow and we didn’t look like penetrating at all bar Cam’s customary long shot. Browne shooting from miles out on 90+1 was utterly infuriating and he has previous for that, completely selfish play and it really fucks me off. Get rid of him in the summer. Same for Mcguane, arguably Bodin.

Referee playing 97 minutes when a minimum of 6 were added and the substitutions took THREE MINUTES was just beyond hilarity and was so obviously going to happen. He had a fairly decent game up until the red card then completely lost it. The pen was soft but it was always going to be given as soon as the Lincoln player threw himself over, ref bought it and it’s not the last time it’ll happen.

A shoutout to Stevens and Long though, think there was a lot of trepidation (probably fairly so) about them being on our right side but they’ve managed today and Saturday pretty well, Stevens especially who hadn’t had many minutes up until recently. Also, JMc was MOTM for me and he’s looking excellent now he’s up to speed and our play is going through him.

It’s still in our hands and we could be looking very comfy come Saturday evening, Friday will be a grim encounter with a lot of gamesmanship but up against a team with little to no hope of doing anything. UTO

 

[JOHN BOY]

95th minute, he gets the ball with space to drive into......and he turns around to go backwards and almost runs into their striker.

In a nutshell why he doesn't fit Des' style, why we've been better since he was dropped, and why we shouldn't be triggering his extension at season's end, and instead be looking for someone better for this system.

He wants out anyway.

 

[uptheus]

Lincoln are a team full of thugs and play route one football. Some may say they came and did a job on us, but I felt the referee needed to manage that game a lot better than that. How he didn’t give a free kick for the foul on Brannagan is beyond me, and to only add on 6mins when there were stoppages and substitutions in injury time was unbelievable too.

Long was our MOTM, but we weren’t switched on from the start of the 2nd half and you could see they were fired up/going for the jugular.

Thought we looked jaded tonight too!

Got to go again Friday, and need a win now!

 

[Oxford84]

Absolutely f*****g hate teams like this

They are undeserving C***s that constantly get rewarding for f**k all. Score first and they are fucked .

 

[greatunclekip]

They are undeserving C***s that constantly get rewarding for f**k all. Score first and they are fucked .

I’m not actually sure Lincoln always play like that. They are direct and physical for sure, but tonight they knew exactly where to target us, not to give our wingers space, slow down play, and shut Harris out as we don’t have a plan B.

They did that exceptionally.

You don’t score the amount they do by constant shithousing. They are very well drilled and prepped.

 

[Sarge]

Brilliant defensively though.

hed be a fans fave if he played for us

 

[uptheus]

It will go to the last day. On the plus side, Cheltenham are fighting for their life’s so Lincoln won’t have an easy game.

I think they’ll batter Cheltenham through brute force! but hope you’re right

 

[East Stand Fan]

Very poor display tonight especially in midfield. I think Des got the subs wrong and we did very little to combat their clear game plan - we actually played into their hands throughout by playing predictable passes and trying to get things going through the same players doing the same stuff. 2-3 men on Murphy and he was largely shut out especially second half. We could’ve easily switched Dale on the left allowing Murphy to challenge 3 players on yellows in the first half but we missed a trick there.

Didn’t create enough and Lincoln were very comfortable even with 10 men. Not sure why McGuane came on either. A massive reality check after Saturday and huge pressure on us now for Friday.

 

[LeftSideLarry]

A frustrating and ultimately disappointing game that must be put behind us quickly.

Onto Friday and I expect us to win, which will load up the pressure on Lincoln and Blackpool.

COYYs!

 

[Yellowarmy]

2 ways of looking at that really. Didn’t deserve the loss on events of play (nor did we deserve to win) but sometimes you do deserve to lose when you continue to play in to their hands as we did and ask no further questions of them. After the goal Lincoln sat back and forced Murphy and Dale to go deeper and deeper for the ball. They had far too much to do and Harris became absolutely anonymous by the end as Lincoln completely snuffed us out. I have to say it was a defensive masterclass second half, they completely controlled an entire half of football against a side that’s been rattling in goals for fun. Seeing Brannagan rattled minutes after coming on annoyed me - we needed calm, composure, focus. Not bitching on at their midfielders.

It wasn’t the worst we’ve been under Des by any stretch and some of our good
qualities were evident but certainly a throwback to uglier times under him. We looked a bit spent from Saturday and with another 90 mins now in their legs I’m anticipating a fairly similar game on Friday.

Can't believe we were tired. We have had a pretty light schedule recently. This was just a sat then tues game schedule

 

[Oxford84]

Same old same old. We beat the shite and the teams who give us space to play. Give us some gamesmanship and we don’t have a clue.

I would kill for an Erhahon in the middle.

Its about scoring first really, C***s like Lincoln are then totally fucked as their one limited game plan is finished.

 

[Oxford84]

95th minute, he gets the ball with space to drive into......and he turns around to go backwards and almost runs into their striker.

In a nutshell why he doesn't fit Des' style, why we've been better since he was dropped, and why we shouldn't be triggering his extension at season's end, and instead be looking for someone better for this system.

Also committed that foul where he just runs into the back of the player towards the end, totally needless.