v Oxford United (a) - 18/1/25

[Cherry Blue]

5 minutes ago, wilsdenrover said:

Last four defeats all 1-0, all losing goals on or after the hour mark.

Yeah we've been that close. The biggest was against dingles, no doubt on that, and the way things stand we need God's help when we play nobbers in a couple of weeks because even if we do sign creditable players they will not hit the road running. Forward thinking does not exist at Ewood. They couldn't organise a pissup in a brewery, fact.

[davulsukur]

We all knew that without adequate, quick recruitment in January, injuries/suspensions would start to bite and result would slip. 

Today, having to bring on Forshaw for a large portion of the game is exactly why we'll fall away from this playoffs position. A Plymouth reject and he's now basically a starter for us. 

Horrific.

[Lancaster Rover]

North End always win at Ewood too, we tend to reserve some of our worst performances of the year for their visit. That 4-1 haunts me to this day (even though we reversed it at Dumpdale)

[Cherry Blue]

I like JE's football but his calmnest is exactly what waggott wants. 

[martonrover]

12 minutes ago, Cherry Blue said:

I like JE's football but his calmnest is exactly what waggott wants. 

I’m not sure he’s as calm behind closed doors as he is in front of a microphone.

My belief is that he doesn’t mince his words and will be forthright in his dealings with the muppets that run the club.

[booth]

2 minutes ago, martonrover said:

I’m not sure he’s as calm behind closed doors as he is in front of a microphone.

My belief is that he doesn’t mince his words and will be forthright in his dealings with the muppets that run the club.

I hope at some point he tells Waggott what he is, but I'm sure he's no stranger to people telling him he's a self serving prick.

Edited 10 hours ago by booth

[onlyoneDuff]

with such a toothless attack would like to see Beck bomb forward like Gray and Warnock used to do down that left side...with no pace in the side we need an outlet down the line

[broadsword]

I was at the game. That is not a fantastic stadium to attend. Dear me. We're left early because otherwise we would've got tucked in in the car park. First time I'd seen rovers in ages.

Cozier duberry is admittedly fast and there is some talent there. But holy moly he is just a liability in possession. Beck has got promise, that was a bit of an in and out showing. Bit of a rough house game, didn't think much of the ref. Gueye looked to be totally agricultural. 

We just went at the races first fifteen minutes. We just couldn't stitch anything together. We just haven't got sufficient quality in the available players. Although we started to come into it, I never thought we'd get anything from the game. I think Oxford will be ok. They have some tidy players. 

Just as a sidenote. Possibly I'm an old fuddy duddy at fifty two, but the language is appalling. Singing too fast, singing the same old stuff. I don't know, maybe I'm just old and boring but where has all the wit gone? Football used to be a good craic, now it's all about screaming obscenities and declaring your hatred of Burnley every five minutes

Edited 10 hours ago by broadsword

[Waggy76]

1 hour ago, dallydally said:

We remain 5th with Boro losing at Portsmouth. How long will we keep riding our luck?

Theres one or two teams riding their luck at the moment... 

But we need reinforcements, unlikely they will arrive though... 

[Waggy76]

2 minutes ago, broadsword said:

I was at the game. That is not a fantastic stadium to attend. Dear me. We're left early because otherwise we would've got tucked in in the car park. First time I'd seen rovers in ages.

Cozier duberry is admittedly fast and there is some talent there. But holy moly he is just a liability in possession. Beck has got promise, that was a bit of an in and out showing. Bit of a rough house game, didn't think much of the ref. Gueye looked to be totally agricultural. 

We just went at the races first fifteen minutes. We just couldn't stitch anything together. We just haven't got sufficient quality in the available players. Although we started to come into it, I never thought we'd get anything from the game. I think Oxford will be ok. They have some tidy players. 

Just as a sidenote. Possibly I'm an old fuddy duddy at fifty two, but the language is appalling. Singing too fast, singing the same old stuff. I don't know, maybe I'm just old and boring but where has all the wit gone? Football used to be a good craic, now it's all about screaming obscenities and declaring your hatred of Burnley every five minutes 

Receiving your message Broadsword, good summing up... Danny Boy 😂

[roversfan99]

But...he was smiling?

[broadsword]

3 minutes ago, Waggy76 said:

Receiving your message Broadsword, good summing up... Danny Boy 😂

Best war film ever 😁 

 

The book by Geoff dyer about the film is a masterpiece too. 

 

But yeah, absolute craphouse showing today. How anyone, even guardiola , could get a tune out of that lot, I have no idea

[Exiled_Rover]

12 minutes ago, broadsword said:

I was at the game. That is not a fantastic stadium to attend. Dear me. We're left early because otherwise we would've got tucked in in the car park. First time I'd seen rovers in ages.

Cozier duberry is admittedly fast and there is some talent there. But holy moly he is just a liability in possession. Beck has got promise, that was a bit of an in and out showing. Bit of a rough house game, didn't think much of the ref. Gueye looked to be totally agricultural. 

We just went at the races first fifteen minutes. We just couldn't stitch anything together. We just haven't got sufficient quality in the available players. Although we started to come into it, I never thought we'd get anything from the game. I think Oxford will be ok. They have some tidy players. 

Just as a sidenote. Possibly I'm an old fuddy duddy at fifty two, but the language is appalling. Singing too fast, singing the same old stuff. I don't know, maybe I'm just old and boring but where has all the wit gone? Football used to be a good craic, now it's all about screaming obscenities and declaring your hatred of Burnley every five minutes

Curious to read that you think ACD is quick. He didn't take their LB on once because he was simply bigger, faster and stronger than him. 

Sadly he's a boy playing a man's game. 

[broadsword]

That's the impression I got, never mind, I have others 😆 

 

He's definitely on the Ronnie hildersley side of the height scale. I don't know, maybe he flatters to deceive when going forward. But definitely is a liability at times with gifting possession. He's not the only one in that team though

[arbitro]

A nice full English on the way down, a really comfortable drive and a parking spot three minutes walk from the ground - the day was good up to then and it went downhill very quickly after about 3.05 on when I was sure it was going to be a tortuous afternoon. And so it transpired. We were shockingly bad and for me only three players come away with any semblance of credit (Brittain, Hyam and Batth), the rest should be embarrassed. We lost too many individual battles all over the pitch and couldn't handle Oxford's movement as their players found space all over the pitch. In truth a 1-0 defeat was quite flattering to us and only in the last knockings did we apply any sort of pressure with a few corners and even then the delivery was poor. But a bigger blow could be losing Tronstad (a friend asked Eustace after the match how long he would be out and Eustace said 'a while' but he said Travis could be back for Bristol). With Buckley and Forshaw in midfield we were pedestrian and had no creativity whatsoever. My biggest frustration(apart from the result) was the performance of Cantwell. I don't like to hammer players but how on earth did he last the whole game today? He was shocking, a pouting show pony who simply wasn't anywhere near the standard I expect from a Rovers player. He looked lazy, lethargic and at times disinterested. Not a team player for me in a league where everyone needs to be. The number of times he lost possession and didn't seem interested in winning it back really riled me. His fancy flicks and little turns into trouble had me raging at times. Oxford fully deserved their win today and I'd be surprised if they haven't had a more comfortable game this season despite the narrow win.

It's back to the drawing board now but Eustace isn't being helped by the lack of transfer activity as his frustration appears to be growing. Oxford gave three debuts to January signings today so it can be done. We just have owners, advisors and executives who can't see the urgency. Shame on them.

[neophox]

1 hour ago, Exiled_Rover said:

Curious to read that you think ACD is quick. He didn't take their LB on once because he was simply bigger, faster and stronger than him. 

Sadly he's a boy playing a man's game. 

Yes he is here to learn and that's the problem ..we need players ready to compete 

[Lancaster Rover]

11 minutes ago, arbitro said:

 My biggest frustration(apart from the result) was the performance of Cantwell. I don't like to hammer players but how on earth did he last the whole game today? He was shocking, a pouting show pony who simply wasn't anywhere near the standard I expect from a Rovers player. He looked lazy, lethargic and at times disinterested. Not a team player for me in a league where everyone needs to be. The number of times he lost possession and didn't seem interested in winning it back really riled me. His fancy flicks and little turns into trouble had me raging at times. Oxford fully deserved their win today and I'd be surprised if they haven't had a more comfortable game this season despite the narrow win.

It's back to the drawing board now but Eustace isn't being helped by the lack of transfer activity as his frustration appears to be growing. Oxford gave three debuts to January signings today so it can be done. We just have owners, advisors and executives who can't see the urgency. Shame on them.

Cantwell has the same number of assists and goals as Brittain, played more games too. For a so called top level creator his returns are very poor, his tendency to lose the ball in deep possessions only compounding the issue of his lack of match winner stats. Not had an assist since boro and I’d argue that beck made the greater goal contribution in that one to boot

[Ghost7]

4 hours ago, booth said:

They've managed to go from Baker who was distinctly average to Forshaw who has no legs. Rather than no signings in January we're blatantly downgrading.

All those people who said "he's only cover" - well there's your cover. Pointless having cover that can't play football. May as well stick a football kit on a cone, though a cone may have cleared the ball better and we'd have left with a point today.

Fleck 2.0.

Embarrassing. Pulling the wool over naive fans minds.

If you don't think Venky's are anything but scum by now then... you're a fucking idiot

[arbitro]

13 minutes ago, Lancaster Rover said:

Cantwell has the same number of assists and goals as Brittain, played more games too. For a so called top level creator his returns are very poor, his tendency to lose the ball in deep possessions only compounding the issue of his lack of match winner stats. Not had an assist since boro and I’d argue that beck made the greater goal contribution in that one to boot

Aside from his first couple of years at Norwich he has flattered to deceive. The last few games have pretty much proved this to me. His lackadaisical attitude is not what we need and I get the distinct impression that other players are thinking just that too.

[Herbie6590]

3 hours ago, M_B said:

My mate didn't notice the deflection, he'd no chance at that pace from that distance.

It was deflected…significantly 

[broadsword]

I couldn't believe how slow Britain. Good man, he's slow. Like he was towing a double decker bus. He's gotta be the slowest full back I think I've ever seen

[jim mk2]

17 minutes ago, arbitro said:

A nice full English on the way down, a really comfortable drive and a parking spot three minutes walk from the ground - the day was good up to then and it went downhill very quickly after about 3.05 on when I was sure it was going to be a tortuous afternoon. And so it transpired. We were shockingly bad and for me only three players come away with any semblance of credit (Brittain, Hyam and Batth), the rest should be embarrassed. We lost too many individual battles all over the pitch and couldn't handle Oxford's movement as their players found space all over the pitch. In truth a 1-0 defeat was quite flattering to us and only in the last knockings did we apply any sort of pressure with a few corners and even then the delivery was poor. But a bigger blow could be losing Tronstad (a friend asked Eustace after the match how long he would be out and Eustace said 'a while' but he said Travis could be back for Bristol). With Buckley and Forshaw in midfield we were pedestrian and had no creativity whatsoever. My biggest frustration(apart from the result) was the performance of Cantwell. I don't like to hammer players but how on earth did he last the whole game today? He was shocking, a pouting show pony who simply wasn't anywhere near the standard I expect from a Rovers player. He looked lazy, lethargic and at times disinterested. Not a team player for me in a league where everyone needs to be. The number of times he lost possession and didn't seem interested in winning it back really riled me. His fancy flicks and little turns into trouble had me raging at times. Oxford fully deserved their win today and I'd be surprised if they haven't had a more comfortable game this season despite the narrow win.

It's back to the drawing board now but Eustace isn't being helped by the lack of transfer activity as his frustration appears to be growing. Oxford gave three debuts to January signings today so it can be done. We just have owners, advisors and executives who can't see the urgency. Shame on them.

Good summing up of the match but please next time split it into paragraphs (return key) to make it easier to read?

The standout for me is the lack of ability across the forward line. None of them - Gueye, Leonard, Dolan, Duberry (and Ohashi) - are Championship standard and we will always struggle to score goals while they are our only options.

At present our best attacker is Brittain when he gets down the line and behind the defence. Beck can get forward too but his distribution and final ball today was terrible 

Cantwell frustrates but he’s the only one in the front 6 with any creative ability. On today’s evidence I don’t see the point of the Forshaw signing and we might as well play JRC instead. 

All in all a depressing day and a 6 hour round trip to boot. Some fans are taking solace from the fact we’re still in the top 6 but that was not a potential promotion team I saw today - nothing like it. Without 3 or 4 decent signings (haha)  it won’t be long before we drop down into mid table. 

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

2 hours ago, wilsdenrover said:

Last four defeats all 1-0, all losing goals on or after the hour mark.

Running out of legs.

[DE.]

43 minutes ago, arbitro said:

We just have owners, advisors and executives who can't see the urgency. Shame on them.

Unfortunately I think it's more than just not seeing urgency. There's no ambition, which negates the need for urgency. They'll have seen JE drag this squad into 5th with barely a penny spent and be thinking there's no need to spend any more, as it's probably already wildly above expectations. Works out for everybody in positions of power - Waggot and co saving the owners money whilst the team seems to be doing well, whilst the owners get to continue putting as little in as possible.

The ones getting shafted are the fans, the manager, his staff and the players - the latter three getting no support whatsoever despite vastly exceeding expectations. Until we have owners and board members with genuine ambition we are never going to get anywhere, even when we overachieve (which I'd argue we've done quite a few times since 2018 under Mowbray, JDT and now Eustace).

[rigger]

2 hours ago, martonrover said:

I’m not sure he’s as calm behind closed doors as he is in front of a microphone.

My belief is that he doesn’t mince his words and will be forthright in his dealings with the muppets that run the club.

Is that your belief, or your hope ?