Home Match Day Thread 27/11/2021 L1: OUFC v Rotherham United

[ZeroTheHero]

Minor correction as you state he had no shots.

He had a shot on target from about 12 yards but he didn’t connect and dollied it gently into the keepers arms

You are right, I just watched the extended highlights and then remembered it. Given that it was a free strike, I am not sure it helps his cause much!

 

[MC Yellow]

Spot on. I too could not see how agyei got all the accolades. He wasn't quite a waste of space but not far off.

Maybe coming on in a difficult game with 15 minutes to go, people felt that regardless of their long terms views on his Oxford career, he deserved some support.

 

[Big Ron]

But for all his failings he proved more of a threat (meant or otherwise) than Whyte did in his time on the pitch.

I think we should acknowledge the work that Whyte did yesterday - he kept chasing, including tracking back when Holland still considers that an optional extra. Admittedly, you’re right in that he didn’t present much of a threat.

 

[MiddleBartonYellow]

I am a little surprised about the very positive reviews Agyei got on here for his performance yesterday. He *did* work hard and occupied their defence quite well, but I saw little else. He stood on the ball twice, fell over a few times, won maybe two headers and was (as is customary with him) a bit slow off the mark a few times and not really on the same wavelength as his team mates and didn't manage an effort on goal. IMO, his contribution was energetic and he wasn't awful but he didn't really look like any sort of replacement/alternative/competition for Taylor. And that's what he needs to be - Taylor was the only central striker laid low by Covid, and a similar outcome could come at any time of the season through injury or illness. Whyte is certainly not a centre forward but was preferred over Agyei and Winnall (who I presume, being on the bench, was at least somewhat fit). I say this as someone who had high hopes of Agyei and thought he was being sidelined by KR a bit harshly!

Can someone who noticed some more positive points about Dan's play please enlighten me?

Hanson on the other hand (who I had written off completely) played very well indeed! I suppose that all adds up to showing me as a poor judge of a footballer!

I would completely agree. All he has offered this season is disappointment. I actually think that he has given up and knows that his future is elsewhere.

 

[Oufcrealist]

McNally has been excellent and deserves a run in the team but who do you drop for him ? We have the 3rd best defence in the league
and i`m not sure that a straight swap for Thorniley is the answer, would McNally or Moore on the left of defence work ? I also thought
that McNally has really benefited by having Long next to him and being the biggest unit in our defence knew exactly what his job was.
Chances are that he will get some more game time before Moore and Thorniley are both ready for 90 minutes, an opportunity to make
himself undroppable perhaps.

Hanson ( 2 games ) Agyei ( yesterday ) have both done well and put themselves about to decent effect and didnt let anyone down,
both still a long way off meriting a new contract at the end of the season though imo.

PS @Sarge get well soon !

Moore can play left side. He has played there plenty of times for us and before he came here.

 

[DevilsAvocado]

I am a little surprised about the very positive reviews Agyei got on here for his performance yesterday. He *did* work hard and occupied their defence quite well, but I saw little else. He stood on the ball twice, fell over a few times, won maybe two headers and was (as is customary with him) a bit slow off the mark a few times and not really on the same wavelength as his team mates and didn't manage an effort on goal. IMO, his contribution was energetic and he wasn't awful but he didn't really look like any sort of replacement/alternative/competition for Taylor. And that's what he needs to be - Taylor was the only central striker laid low by Covid, and a similar outcome could come at any time of the season through injury or illness. Whyte is certainly not a centre forward but was preferred over Agyei and Winnall (who I presume, being on the bench, was at least somewhat fit). I say this as someone who had high hopes of Agyei and thought he was being sidelined by KR a bit harshly!

Can someone who noticed some more positive points about Dan's play please enlighten me?

Hanson on the other hand (who I had written off completely) played very well indeed! I suppose that all adds up to showing me as a poor judge of a footballer!

Thats pretty much how i saw Agyei`s performance loads of huff ( which was good to see ) but very little in the way of technical
ability, going to give him a little credit for the conditions which must have been a mare to play in.

 

[Oufcrealist]

I completely agree. I think yesterday proved that Whyte is simply not a central striker.

And if that's the case I'm not sure what the plan is if Taylor is crocked/ill !

Winnall? As good as it gets at this level!!

 

[Foley]

I am a little surprised about the very positive reviews Agyei got on here for his performance yesterday. He *did* work hard and occupied their defence quite well, but I saw little else. He stood on the ball twice, fell over a few times, won maybe two headers and was (as is customary with him) a bit slow off the mark a few times and not really on the same wavelength as his team mates and didn't manage an effort on goal. IMO, his contribution was energetic and he wasn't awful but he didn't really look like any sort of replacement/alternative/competition for Taylor. And that's what he needs to be - Taylor was the only central striker laid low by Covid, and a similar outcome could come at any time of the season through injury or illness. Whyte is certainly not a centre forward but was preferred over Agyei and Winnall (who I presume, being on the bench, was at least somewhat fit). I say this as someone who had high hopes of Agyei and thought he was being sidelined by KR a bit harshly!

Can someone who noticed some more positive points about Dan's play please enlighten me?

Hanson on the other hand (who I had written off completely) played very well indeed! I suppose that all adds up to showing me as a poor judge of a footballer!

I tend to agree.
He has a half chance and put himself around.
Hanson had a good game but I think that Hanson, Agyei, Cooper and Winnall will be off at the end of the season (if not in January)

 

[Oxford57]

Get well soon Sarge️

 

[bazzer9461]

I'd say if Jamie Hanson stays fit then he has done more to get a contract elsewhere from these 2 performances which I would be pleased for him. If he can play like that then he does provide back up to the back up for a couple of positions which is a positive.

With his last 2 performances I would say we don’t need a back up EB in January more than happy for him to cover Sam for the remainder of this season.

 

[Oxymoron]

@Sarge Hope you'll soon be up spinning this

 

[windmill]

[/QUOTE]

Proud of the club for the resilience they've shown this past week. And to think some fans were saying it was madness to play these games this week. Pipe down and toughen up!

It is easy to say this after the event. Everything was on a knife edge up until kick off on Tuesday evening. Nobody expected 4 out of 6, you included, I would imagine.

 

[5aside]

When whyte come over he was given time
When Sykes come over he was given time
When McNally come over he was given time
Cooper has returned after personal issues so needs time . Think it’s a bit unfair to right him off before he has even been given a proper chance . Maybe a loan but no more unless KR doesn’t think he’s up to it .

The question was asked about who had made a case for more first team or squad time based on the last week.

Jamie Hanson has probably been the one who has done himself the most good. We had some saying that we should just drop him from the playing squad, or pay him off. But, when fit, he is a player who gives everything and could still play a vital part in our season. Definitely worth keeping in the back ground, and could replace Gorrin as our midfield enforcer.

Luke McNally has been excellent and is certainly someone we can rotate in and out the team. A few years ago we did the same with Elliott Moore and Mous partnering Dickie, and we again have 3 very good CB's to share 2 places. I still think Moore/Thorniley slightly edge it for best partnership but have even greater confidence of knowing that McNally can come in at any time.

Sam Long. Although it's no surprise to see him step into the middle and still give 100%, the bonus was seeing his natural leadership both towards talking McNally and others through their game but also throughout the whole team. I think it was Brannagan's goal against Fleetwood where during the celebrations Long singled out a few players to talk to. A future captain and one that could follow Mous into that "future manager" role in several years.

Kane, Brannagan and McGuane. Our midfield really stood up over both games and all played roles for the team rather than their own natural game. We have an exceptional midfield, with the option of bringing in Forde/Hanson to do the ugly stuff or Henry to add creativity, this is the area that will bring us success this season.

Steve Seddon deserves a mention for showing us the player we first signed. He looked very good in his first few games, and has focused on his defending this week which was back to being solid if not exceptional. Given that he must be exhausted, he is our new Ruffels in both performance and reliability.

Gavin Whyte had a difficult couple of games where he tried and probably plated better for the team than he did for himself. I thought that he lead the line quite well, hassling the defenders and putting the hard yards in, but without ant end product. With confidence and possibly switching with Taylor after 60 minutes we may see the real benefit of him playing there.

Dan Agyei showed yesterday alone more than he has this season and played with real purpose. The ability has always been there and whether confidence or attitude it just hasn't been consistent enough in his delivery. Keep playing like that and he should get plenty of cameo performances and could be the difference to our season. I'd certainly keep him in the squad after January IF he wants to stay and fight.

Holland played as he does. Sometimes quiet, sometimes frustrating. But the ability to create something amazing once it twice a game. Henry equally looked great pulling the strings against Fleetwood, less so on the right against a very strong Rotherham. But again, that's where he is as a player.

The one player I don't think has shown us much is Billy Bodin. Admittedly he looked lively against Fleetwood but without any end product and I'm not sure how much of this is down to confidence or something just isn't clicking. I can't see him going anywhere in January but equally don't see him offering us too much unfortunately. Equally Joel Cooper, although barely played, is someone who I'm just not sure will ever make it for us. There have been sparks but far too few to see him getting a decent run and sadly I think his days are numbered more than anyone right now.
We
Finally, Karl Robinson had been excellent this week. The way he dealt with the covid situation, insisted on playing when possible, and getting his players up for the fight, shows the quality of the man. We had the usual suspects saying shite about him, but there are very few managers at this level that do a better job on the pitch, let alone everything he does off it for our club. It will upset a few, but he's here for the long haul, and rightly so.

 

[tonyw]

So I'm going to buck the trend on Hanson and say that I didn't think he was great yesterday. I think that one brilliant old school tackle is distracting people from the fact that he struggled in general against Miller, who looked a quality player, got into a ton of good positions and put in some really dangerous balls - and not just in the first half, but the beginning of the second as well. And I can barely remember any contribution from Hanson in the Rotherham half all game.

He did play great against an atrocious Fleetwood team, but yesterday cemented for me the notion that Hanson is no more than an emergency RB stopgap.

And I really don't hate Hanson as a player (only the fee we paid for him/contract we gave him). He always works hard, can tackle, and has reasonable if somewhat erratic passing range. I'm happy to have him as part of our squad. But if we're going to be juking it out at the top of League One, his role should be as a second half midfield substitute, coming on to shore up the midfield and see out tight games. No more than that.

For me, what this week showed is that we're absolutely fine in the centre of defense this season. But a good, specialist fullback (ideally one who can play either side) would still be my #1 priority in January.

 

[TailsWeWin]

I am a little surprised about the very positive reviews Agyei got on here for his performance yesterday. He *did* work hard and occupied their defence quite well, but I saw little else. He stood on the ball twice, fell over a few times, won maybe two headers and was (as is customary with him) a bit slow off the mark a few times and not really on the same wavelength as his team mates and didn't manage an effort on goal. IMO, his contribution was energetic and he wasn't awful but he didn't really look like any sort of replacement/alternative/competition for Taylor. And that's what he needs to be - Taylor was the only central striker laid low by Covid, and a similar outcome could come at any time of the season through injury or illness. Whyte is certainly not a centre forward but was preferred over Agyei and Winnall (who I presume, being on the bench, was at least somewhat fit). I say this as someone who had high hopes of Agyei and thought he was being sidelined by KR a bit harshly!

Can someone who noticed some more positive points about Dan's play please enlighten me?

Hanson on the other hand (who I had written off completely) played very well indeed! I suppose that all adds up to showing me as a poor judge of a footballer!

Agree. Can’t see it myself either. Well, he ran around a bit more than usual but still looks lost positionally and didn’t appear to worry their defence at all. I’d like him to succeed but, after years of coaching here, he still looks clueless and, on occasions, somewhat comical in his limitations.

 

[Marked Ox]

With his last 2 performances I would say we don’t need a back up EB in January more than happy for him to cover Sam for the remainder of this season.

The only thing is I'd suggest he is still behind Forde as a back up.

 

[bazzer9461]

The only thing is I'd suggest he is still behind Forde as a back up.

True but Forde is Mr versatile so with both him and Hanson I don’t we need another RB until next season

 

[Osleroad]

I am a little surprised about the very positive reviews Agyei got on here for his performance yesterday. He *did* work hard and occupied their defence quite well, but I saw little else. He stood on the ball twice, fell over a few times, won maybe two headers and was (as is customary with him) a bit slow off the mark a few times and not really on the same wavelength as his team mates and didn't manage an effort on goal. IMO, his contribution was energetic and he wasn't awful but he didn't really look like any sort of replacement/alternative/competition for Taylor. And that's what he needs to be - Taylor was the only central striker laid low by Covid, and a similar outcome could come at any time of the season through injury or illness. Whyte is certainly not a centre forward but was preferred over Agyei and Winnall (who I presume, being on the bench, was at least somewhat fit). I say this as someone who had high hopes of Agyei and thought he was being sidelined by KR a bit harshly!

Can someone who noticed some more positive points about Dan's play please enlighten me?

Hanson on the other hand (who I had written off completely) played very well indeed! I suppose that all adds up to showing me as a poor judge of a footballer!

Looking at the highlights Dan looks like he has boots filled with lead sometimes..felt he might have done something more skilful for that chance in the box but suppose so does he.

 

[Golden Dr Otto]

So I'm going to buck the trend on Hanson and say that I didn't think he was great yesterday. I think that one brilliant old school tackle is distracting people from the fact that he struggled in general against Miller, who looked a quality player, got into a ton of good positions and put in some really dangerous balls - and not just in the first half, but the beginning of the second as well. And I can barely remember any contribution from Hanson in the Rotherham half all game.

He did play great against an atrocious Fleetwood team, but yesterday cemented for me the notion that Hanson is no more than an emergency RB stopgap.

And I really don't hate Hanson as a player (only the fee we paid for him/contract we gave him). He always works hard, can tackle, and has reasonable if somewhat erratic passing range. I'm happy to have him as part of our squad. But if we're going to be juking it out at the top of League One, his role should be as a second half midfield substitute, coming on to shore up the midfield and see out tight games. No more than that.

For me, what this week showed is that we're absolutely fine in the centre of defense this season. But a good, specialist fullback (ideally one who can play either side) would still be my #1 priority in January.

Number 2 priority after a second striker!

I think Hanson defended better than normal against a very good winger but he’s not on the level of our other full backs. I don’t enjoy his passing.

 

[Mellowyellow]

When people get ratty/personal on the forum it brings it home to you, when either friends, the team, family or yourself get covid, what is important in life.
You dont realise it but whoever you argue/debate with on here, you have a closer bond with that you really realise.
COYY