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Reply | Oxford United v Swansea City : Match day thread
at 14:35 3 Nov 2024
I don’t think he’s an impact sub. I just don’t think he’s ready to be a championship centre forward yet. He hasn’t had the luxury of being bedded in.
His fitness is improving, I’m not sure about his sharpness, he’s second to everything. I just don’t think he reads play very well yet.
He did for his goal in fairness. Initially I thought he should have bust a gut to get in front of the defender and take him out of the equation. Having watched it back though, it happens so quickly he didn’t have time. |
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Reply | Oxford United v Swansea City : Match day thread
at 12:44 3 Nov 2024
This is a fair comment. I think there’s a lot being expected of a player who doesn’t look like he’s ready for it.
He’s at the stage where he should be coming on for 10 minutes here and there, playing in the cup games and for the under 21s. We don’t have the option of being able to develop him gradually, he’s straight in at the deep end.
I’ll criticise his performances because they affect results, but I can understand he’s in a difficult position. |
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Reply | Oxford United v Swansea City : Match day thread
at 12:26 3 Nov 2024
I’m happy he scored and I’m happy we won. I don’t rate the player at all though.
He is young, he’s stepping up in quality and he’s probably learning the language as well, so nothing to say he won’t improve, but at the moment he needs to improve nearly every aspect of his game substantially.
The chance he nearly scored from was straight at the keeper from a couple of yards out. Not going to be overly critical on that, because it came at him fast and he did well to get it on target. Either side of the keeper from there and he does score. |
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Reply | Oxford United v Swansea City : Match day thread
at 09:56 3 Nov 2024
Yes, Grimes was generally further up the pitch. He did drop between the centre backs now and then but more often than not, they played out from the back without him.
We played with more zip in midfield and moved the ball quicker. Allen made a difference to our tempo.
The highlights of our first goal started a bit too late. Key actually got turned over while he had players committed forward and they had a decent break on. We were a long way up the pitch, but it looked for a second like Key was either going to get outpaced or bring his man down. He recovered brilliantly though. Once he’d won it back and driven into space, their defence was caught off guard, leading to the ball to Ronald and cross to Vipotnik.
Back to your first point, Allen, Grimes and Franco is a cracking midfield and they all moved and linked well with each other. First half was dominant and that was the main reason IMO |
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Reply | Oxford United v Swansea City : Match day thread
at 08:49 3 Nov 2024
We don’t broadly agree on Williams. Overall I think he’s doing a very good job, but have to admit I don’t see the point in some of the changes he makes.
They seem to be a bit formulaic. Some need to be pre planned, Allen is the best example as we know he won’t last all game, but he doesn’t seem to make many reactive substitutions.
Bianchini certainly improved us. I’m not sure Cullen is the best move for Allen when Abdulai is sitting next to him and agree, Franco didn’t look like he was tiring.
Virtually every game of ours highlights the need for a strong bench. |
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Reply | Ollie Cooper 🙄
at 08:06 3 Nov 2024
I’m pretty much in agreement with this. I to think he’s improved this season, but he’s still better suited to the impact sub role.
Only places he could realistically have played yesterday were Francos and Peart-Harrises. I don’t think he would have done as well as either.
But, when we did have to make substitutions, I’d pick him over Cullen, Christie or Abdulai in the positions they came on. |
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Reply | Oxford United v Swansea City : Match day thread
at 07:55 3 Nov 2024
We were 2-0 up on 83 minutes against a team that weren’t really threatening. Whether it was a calculated gamble in a three game week or a pre planned, stats based substitution I’m not sure.
Williams does make fairly predictable substitutions. Give me the starting line up for Tuesday and I can probably tell you four of the five he’ll take off. Franco would be one of them. |
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Reply | Oxford United v Swansea City : Match day thread
at 07:47 3 Nov 2024
I went yesterday due to my mates wife pulling a late sickie.
We were watching from closer to the pitch than I am at home and I’ll be honest, he didn’t impress me again.
He’s just second to everything and doesn’t physically impose himself. Even for his goal he was fortunate the centre back who was goal side of him couldn’t reach Ronalds cross.
He did make more effort to get involved in the build up which was great to see. I can’t accuse him of being unfit or static, which I have in the past, I just don’t think he reads the play very well and is often out of position or flat footed.
We can put the ‘give him service’ thing to bed too. He had plenty yesterday, though a lot of that is down to him getting more involved and making more runs.
I’ve criticised Bianchini too. Thought he looked good up front. May be an option going forward. |
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Reply | Christie signs
at 06:42 2 Nov 2024
We’re genuine relegation candidates this season if either or both go in January.
What is Leveins end goal here? Surely he knows he loses a lot of value and we generate a lot less income in league one.
Is he playing who blinks first or trying to prove a point or something? I just can’t put myself in his position and make it make sense. |
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Reply | Christie signs
at 19:20 1 Nov 2024
I’ve read your post and that’s exactly what it says.
Like you’re blaming Williams for us not signing a striker. I’d put good money he’s even more upset about that than you are. |
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Reply | Christie signs
at 17:33 1 Nov 2024
You can’t seriously believe Williams would have preferred a right back to a striker
None available for what we would be prepared to pay would be the logical assumption |
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Reply | Cullen signs
at 12:56 1 Nov 2024
I’m not knocking myself. Very few on here can analyse a game in as much detail as Richard.
Just illustrating that some fans are more knowledgeable than others. Thinking otherwise is either delusion or a defence mechanism. |
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Reply | Cullen signs
at 06:15 1 Nov 2024
Some fans do know more or better than others. I’ll learn things from RichardO’s posts. I doubt he’ll learn anything from mine.
It’s not some woke school sports day where everyone has to cross the line at the same time. |
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Reply | Cullen signs
at 06:13 1 Nov 2024
Just illustrating that there are players even one of the best managers of all time couldn’t handle. In fact, he also bombed out Beckham, Stam and Keane rather than dealing with their egos.
Anyway, the part you responded to was a fairly insignificant part of my post. The gist of it was Whittaker left because of our owners in my opinion. Martin had already gone. |
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Reply | Cullen signs
at 18:59 31 Oct 2024
How’s Balotelli doing these days? Ravel Morrison? |
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Reply | Cullen signs
at 16:59 31 Oct 2024
Martin left before Whittaker did. He also did play the goalscorer (Piroe) but that’s beside the point.
While I have no doubt whatsoever there were issues between manager and player, the reality is both wanted him to stay at Plymouth and he was brought back (amid Rangers interest) against both of their wishes.
Duff has gone on record saying Whittaker asked to leave on his first day as manager. I can only assume he either really wanted to be at Plymouth or was unhappy about the way our owners handled him. In fairness to them, he does have a reputation for being difficult.
But I agree he’s a better player than Cullen. |
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Reply | Cullen signs
at 12:02 31 Oct 2024
I agree with that. And the Gillingham one in the first round. |
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Reply | Cullen signs
at 11:50 31 Oct 2024
I’m sure Vipotnik has a higher ceiling. He’s shown very little so far though. If Oxford was a cup final, I’d start Cullen.
Not a great situation, but those two and potentially Wilson are our options.
Not every post has to Segway into Grimes mind. |
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Reply | Cullen signs
at 21:47 30 Oct 2024
You’re entitled to your opinion.
We haven’t scored for 7.5 hours because our striking options are Cullen and Vipotnik and we’ve got no creativity behind them.
Just wait until both our centre backs leave for nothing and we start conceding goals as well.
Maybe if and when Levein becomes more and to a change of ownership structure, we will be able to afford better players. |
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Reply | Cullen signs
at 18:53 30 Oct 2024
Whatever people think of Cullen, he’s our best striker at the moment. Sure Vipotnik has more potential, possibly Wilson does too.
I’d far rather we be a well run club who could keep hold of our centre backs and attract 15/20 goal a season strikers, but while Levein is here, that really doesn’t seem likely.
It’s a far better scenario than him walking for free in the summer, even if he would only be a squad player at most championship clubs.
Slagging him off because he missed a penalty in a game he scored in and we won anyway, says far more about the poster than the player. |
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