Home Match Day Thread +++ 20/01/2018 OUFC v Bury match thread +++

[ljs]

Awful performance today but talk of sacking the manager is baloney. He’s just signed three new players, two of whom we haven’t seen.

I still maintain our injury luck has been terrible. Three of our best players out for ages - 1 international badly injured before he could even play a game.

I think you are giving him far too much leeway with the injuries excuse. Maybe we have had over the average, but every team has them.

Also, performances as bad as yesterday have not just been recent. The performance against Cheltenham months ago was just as bad... And I can honestly say we have had 7 or 8 performances this season just as bad.

It's not just a one off, or due to injuries, it has been a constant for many months. Ironically we had a few really good games early in the season.... Before CloTET had a chance to impose his style....?

 

[horseman]

Probably about 300k reasons and Maybe DE has told him there may not be the funds available.

so it's fine for the players to be allowed to move on as their ambitious and cannot turn down moving higher but not Appleton?

 

[beyondthefourth]

I think you are giving him far too much leeway with the injuries excuse. Maybe we have had over the average, but every team has them.

Also, performances as bad as yesterday have not just been recent. The performance against Cheltenham months ago was just as bad... And I can honestly say we have had 7 or 8 performances this season just as bad.

It's not just a one off, or due to injuries, it has been a constant for many months. Ironically we had a few really good games early in the season.... Before CloTET had a chance to impose his style....?

I'd say it was before teams worked out what Pep's style was, what we were weak to, and could then set out to exploit it.

"Overload the midfield. Stop Payne. Get our full backs narrow, they don't like playing wide. Target their full backs with long balls. Put the ball playing centre-backs under pressure. Send extra men up for set pieces, they've got everyone back anyway."

Pep always speaks of mistakes in a vague sense, I really want him to come out and say "This is what we're doing wrong". At least then I would know if he's aware of, and looking to rectify, the things that are actually killing games for us.

 

[The mighty Aldo]

Do you not think Tiendalli cost is the first with that awful back pass to Eastwood?

It wasn't the backpass that cost us ,all that did was give them a throw in.

The marking from the throw in is what cost us

 

[The mighty Aldo]

The other thing that really hurt us yesterday was the loss of Payne and until we get a replacement we will struggle to get enough chances to win games.

The player who frustrated me most was Mehmet .he was looking for a foul every time he went near the ball and it was embarrassing to watch.

 

[MattyGreensLeftBoot]

TBH I’d forgotten that but I still think over all his was the best performance. Maybe I’m being a bit lenient as I’m seeing steady improvement from, admittedly, rather a low starting point. But you can see there is, or was, a pretty accomplished footballer in there somewhere. Or am I grasping at straws..?

A bit of straw grasping, but any ball over the top into the left back area he was outrun each time. Yes it was his better game but it is a really low bar.

 

[holdsteady]

Mehmeti likes a theatrical dive doesn’t he? Just a shame he didn’t do much else.

 

[eraser]

What i want to know is why did it take until Bury going 2-1 up for us to try and push forward and actually create chances? Why wasn't this the case when we were 1-0 up or even 1-1? It's like Pep has the mentality drilled into this team that we have to play a certain way until we're losing and not gaining points.

Agree. I only have a lowly level 1 coaching badge but if I've got two strikers on the pitch and I'm playing a team at the bottom who are low on confidence then I;m going to instruct the players to close down, play high, use the wings, get behind the full back and put the bloody ball into the box! Oh and shoot.... I felt sorry for IBR - pacy right winger / forward so played him on the left - shameful tactic...

 

[windmill]

I could not believe that second half performance. Scoring close to halftime should have given the team a lift. Bury looked deflated when they restarted after the goal. But no. We should have pushed on after the break, but nothing happened. A period of pressure, surely? We just faded away and to be honest, Bury deserved the points. Speaking to many fans on the way out it is clear something has to happen fast. There is so much apathy on the terraces at present. Just get enough points for safety and get the season over ASAP. Most people I spoke to were relieved we do not have a home fixture for 3 weeks. Me included.

 

[Deleted member 462]

What i want to know is why did it take until Bury going 2-1 up for us to try and push forward and actually create chances? Why wasn't this the case when we were 1-0 up or even 1-1? It's like Pep has the mentality drilled into this team that we have to play a certain way until we're losing and not gaining points.

Agree. I only have a lowly level 1 coaching badge but if I've got two strikers on the pitch and I'm playing a team at the bottom who are low on confidence then I;m going to instruct the players to close down, play high, use the wings, get behind the full back and put the bloody ball into the box! Oh and shoot.... I felt sorry for IBR - pacy right winger / forward so played him on the left - shameful tactic...

We seem determined to make this work. Even mapp used to do it at times. It’s just doesn’t work at this level. A decent winger on his correct side can cause trouble at this level, even maguire played down the right broke into the box and got crosses in when here. Jordan graham ripped teams a new one. Play ibr down the right hall down the left and we will win games. But I have no faith that we will

 

[headingtonoldboy]

He had enough of a pre-season to bring in his own bunch of crocs. That's his legacy. He picks the team, and he tells them what system to play.

Yes he picks the team and tells them how to play but what they actually do when they are on the pitch is down to the players and not the manager. The players have to take responsibility for their own performances. Pep can only do so much. He cannot be held responsible for players' mistakes and indecision.

 

[Northstandboy]

Anyone got the photo of Henry shushing the fans?

 

[yellowbow]

Mehmeti likes a theatrical dive doesn’t he? Just a shame he didn’t do much else.

I thought the same. Another issue when you sign overseas players with no understanding or experience of lower league English football. It got quite comical in the end..

 

[Mellowyellow]

Yes he picks the team and tells them how to play but what they actually do when they are on the pitch is down to the players and not the manager. The players have to take responsibility for their own performances. Pep can only do so much. He cannot be held responsible for players' mistakes and indecision.

If we lose matches it's the manager that gets sacked, as it is his responsibility to get the best out of the players. Clearly something he is not able to do.

 

[Discoland]

Didn't want to come on here too early because I was so annoyed.

Who sits back at 1-0 against a team who have nothing to lose?
Who shushes the fans after scoring against the lowest team in the league?
Who is happy with such insipid performances?

Absolutely dreadful. IBR the only bright spark. Give the job to Faz.

 

[beyondthefourth]

Give the job to Faz.

Faz is probably closer to retirement than management. I'm sure he's had enough offers to take a top job with L1/L2 teams.

Besides, he's primarily a defensive coach. Unless Pep isn't giving him any input whatsoever, I'd say he's among the more responsible people for how we're set up at the back.

 

[bazzer9461]

so it's fine for the players to be allowed to move on as their ambitious and cannot turn down moving higher but not Appleton?

Of course players will move on it’s called a transfer free, when MAPP left we were compensated, obviously we all would have preferred MAPP to stay unfortunately he didn’t and Pep was hired who recruited to the exact opposite of what MAPP did, and look at us were P**s poor.

 

[Gary Baldi]

Sadly, central midfield has been a black hole for us this season and the loss of Nelson has rather exposed us in that area. The manager has tried every combination he has available and nothing has really worked for us. Yesterday was the exclamation point on that. With the unfortunate injuries to anyone with pace, we've been left with a humdrum team that desperately needs to both settle down and more players into it.

As for the whole shushing thing. Perhaps the idiot last week with his proud abuse of the players caused that reaction yesterday from the management and players.

Tiendalli's back pass was bad, but our defending on that throw was worse. Certain players just do not concentrate enough at set pieces and I suspect if they weren't in the team, we'd look a lot better instantly. I don't think we can wait any longer to get Dickie and Brannagan in the team. Need to get them right for next season.

 

[Jason N]

How many times have opposition forwards just ran through the centre of our defence. Mousinho scares me sometimes when he tries to be clever and turn the forward. He did this a couple of times with Maguire and fortunately got away with.

I'd love to see Dickie and Raglan come in as centre backs. Surely they cannot do any worse.

 

[eraser]

How many times have opposition forwards just ran through the centre of our defence. Mousinho scares me sometimes when he tries to be clever and turn the forward. He did this a couple of times with Maguire and fortunately got away with.

I'd love to see Dickie and Raglan come in as centre backs. Surely they cannot do any worse.

This is the problem isn't it. Nobody really knows the best team as there seems to be no philosophy. We could see MApp's philosophy from the start but he adapted quickly when it wasn't working until he got the settled side and players he needed. Pep is like Mourinho in his last season at Chelsea - just swap players around and hope it works....