Home Match Build Up 28/11/2023 L1: OUFC v Bolton Wanderers

[Malc]

Going to be very dificcult to get anything from this game Bolton are really flying.

Keep the faith.

 

[tonyw]

It's hard to see how we play so poorly against second bottom to beating top of the league who are coming off the back of a 7-0 win in the space of 3 days.

Barnsley won their first game of the season 7-0 as well - they didn't win any of their next four, including being well beaten at home by us.

More worrying than that one result is the fact that Bolton have won their last eight in all competitions and haven't conceded a goal in more than a month!

They seem to play strictly three at the back, with that monster Santos in the middle of the three. Harris is going to get absolutely zero change from any balls lumped long so we're going to have to a) get the ball down and b) focus on the flanks and force their wingbacks back to defend. Performance of our wingers is going to be key, so I'm fascinated to see who Des is going to pick there.......

 

[Older Shotts]

Any news on backroom staff joining to complete the job started over a week ago when appointing
"The Buck?"

Yes, listen to the latest "Dub". Apparently we are approaching other clubs to see if people are available to replace Chris Hogg and the analyst chap.

 

[Scrongo]

How come away fans can pay cash for a ticket & home fans can't????

 

[ECYellow]

Tough one. I'd take a point right now.

I'd be looking to bring Moore back in for JT and i'd play Bodin through the middle instead of Harris, with Murphy playing in the 10. Bodin is much more effective when playing more centrally and i think the lack of confidence in Harris means he needs to be taken out if the firing line.

Mills & Edwards (if he's fit enough) to start in the wide areas.

I fancied Bolton to win this league at the start. With their strike force of Adeboyejo and Charles, i've seen nothing to deter me from that opinion, yet.

 

[greatunclekip]

With Leigh out, our goal threat is even more depleted. I simply can't see how we score more than them.

 

[Foley]

With Leigh out, our goal threat is even more depleted. I simply can't see how we score more than them.

If we win 2-1, I will have seen at least 100 games which will have surprised me more than that.
I know that there was fog, but we beat one if the best L1 sides if all time last season at home ( when we were a sh1t shower according to many on here).
Football is a funny game. Brannagan, Bodin, Edwards Moore from dead balls, Harris, are capable if getting a goal or two between them.
We will have to play well, maybe get a break, but we have seen that we are a good team and Bolton are very good but hardly Man City.

 

[LeftSideLarry]

I'd take a draw, but we have players of great quality and I think they've demonstrated multiple times already this season that they can deliver great performances.

It will be tough, but if we were to win tomorrow, no one should call it a shock result. To do so would be disrespectful of the work done by the players and staff to put us only 3 points from the top.

 

[Followtheox1]

Tough one. I'd take a point right now.

I'd be looking to bring Moore back in for JT and i'd play Bodin through the middle instead of Harris, with Murphy playing in the 10. Bodin is much more effective when playing more centrally and i think the lack of confidence in Harris means he needs to be taken out if the firing line.

Mills & Edwards (if he's fit enough) to start in the wide areas.

I fancied Bolton to win this league at the start. With their strike force of Adeboyejo and Charles, i've seen nothing to deter me from that opinion, yet.

Not convinced with Murphy as a no 10, not sure he has the guile needed. His pace out wide could be really useful though. I would say Bodin, Goodrham and possibly Edwards more suited to no 10.

Key in my view is going to be not necessarily winning aerial battles outright with their defence but picking up the second balls well.

 

[tonyw]

I'd be looking to bring Moore back in for JT and i'd play Bodin through the middle instead of Harris, with Murphy playing in the 10. Bodin is much more effective when playing more centrally and i think the lack of confidence in Harris means he needs to be taken out if the firing line.

Agree about Bodin - but are you not blunting Murphy's effectiveness by playing him in the #10?

Feels to me that the reason that people are starting to get excited about Murphy again is because they're seeing him taking on defenders, getting to the byline and whipping in some wicked crosses. But what we need from our #10 is someone able to drop into pockets of space and be creative. Which, in the absence of RR, is the role that fits Bodin like a glove.

I get the worry about Harris, but the fact is that the biggest failure over the summer was forward depth and we don't have any other decent options right now, other than to play Bodin ahead of Rodrigues, which we obviously can't do when the latter is suspended. So unless Des has seen enough to want to roll the dice on Perkins, I can't see any other option than to play Harris tomorrow night.

Unless Edwards is fit enough to start, I'd go Murphy left, Mills right, and Bodin in behind Harris. And they'll all have to play well because the best way to blunt this slightly scary-looking Bolton attack is to force them back.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

Winning this one after losing on Saturday would be the most Oxford Unitedy thing to Oxford United since Oxford United last Oxford Uniteded.

 

[PottersRightBoot]

Play Murphy and Negru. Thorniley doesn’t have enough pace and strength. Crowd will be important for this one. If we get all fatalistic then we’ll lose.

I’d also play Bodin as the false 9. They’ll be expecting Harris who is extremely predictable at the moment.

Surprise them Desmond.

 

[Dubai Yellow]

I was preprepared for a blip before the weekend. So i wouldn't be surprised to see us lose tomorrow as well.

However, i do think Des do the biz and get us promoted, either this season or next.

Keep the faith people!.

COYY!!

 

[Mellowyellow]

Yes, listen to the latest "Dub". Apparently we are approaching other clubs to see if people are available to replace Chris Hogg and the analyst chap.

I did listen to said dub, 2 days on simoly asking has anyone heard anything else or it still all quiet on the western front.

 

[LeftSideLarry]

I did listen to said dub, 2 days on simoly asking has anyone heard anything else or it still all quiet on the western front.

2 days on? The Dub was released at lunch-time today.

 

[Wanderlust2]

Hello again folks!
Never imagined we’d be chatting about a top of the table clash but here we are.
A lot of pressure on both sides but it’s still early in the season and it’s only 3 points - and I’ve no idea how this will go. From our perspective I’m hoping we can maintain the standards we’ve achieved recently and put in a good performance with some fluid passing football. But we never know with the Wanderers.

 

[neyo]

Hello again folks!
Never imagined we’d be chatting about a top of the table clash but here we are.
A lot of pressure on both sides but it’s still early in the season and it’s only 3 points - and I’ve no idea how this will go. From our perspective I’m hoping we can maintain the standards we’ve achieved recently and put in a good performance with some fluid passing football. But we never know with the Wanderers.

Let's hope you've had your quota of goals for this week mate. Should be a good game...

 

[Farmer-Cee]

Should be a cracking game tomorrow between two good sides and it could go either way but Wanderers are playing so well at the moment that I just can’t see us not winning. I think it will be confidence not complacency because every part of the team is excelling at the moment and with what we have on the bench to come on doesn’t weaken the team at all. I think missing Rodrigues will be a blow for you, I think he’s an excellent player and I’m surprised Notts County didn’t keep him, though they seem to be performing without him. Let’s just hope the weather holds out and the ref realises that this is a top of the table clash which means a great deal to both sides and doesn’t spoil things?

 

[Wallop]

Agree.
3rd v 1st and some of our supporters are suggesting that we have no chance.
Bolton will lose games going forwards.

The bookies reckon a home win is more likely than an away win.

 

[Wandering Yellow]

Sam Purkiss is the referee. So we can guarantee that he will be taking centre stage rather than the actual football.

 

[dickwalton1964]

Unfortunately I see a bit of a battering. Not Wigan-esque but 4-1 to Bolton, a late Brannagan penalty our consolation goal. My fear will be if they go 2 up in first 20 minutes, that could then get messy. They will fly out of the blocks and we will be doing really well if this game is level after half hour.