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mjgrays

Guest
Firstly, congrats on you lot turning things around at your club, as an Oxford fan I know all too well how depressing a time it is when your club is under threat. I never made the game last night but just wanted to get your opinions on some of the big talking points from our point of view. Should Batt have been sent off, Radio Oxford thought the challenge was no more than a booking. Also, they said that Moshni's challenge which he was booked for was as bad, if not worse. The ref has come in for a lot of stick from our fans/management too, he failed to play an advantage late on, when we were through on goal, and Radio Oxford seemed to be in disbelief at many of his 2nd half decisions.

From how it sounded you put us under lots of pressure and didn't allow us to play our usual game. Ryan Hall seemed to be the name I heard most and according you our reporters was your best player. Our manager doesn't seem to like Anthony Grant too much though!! http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/sport/8826113.Oxford_United_boss_angry_over_Batt_s_red_card/

Good luck with making it into the playoffs, I still think we can make it there too, I hope to avoid you lot though as you seem to be our bogey team at the moment!!!
 
Pretty much spot on about Grant to be honest. He has been doing that for the last few seasons and has won an absolute **** load of free kicks for us. But he does go down to easy. Last nights red card was right in front of me and Grant sold it and got him sent off without a doubt.
Grant is one of those players that everyone hates to play against but everyone wants someone like that in there side ala Gary Alexander, Sean Thornton oce upon a time. If one of our players was sent off last night for something similar we would all be spitting feathers this morning. But ladies and gentlemen thats football.
 
For me mate the challenge on Granty was somewhere between a yellow and a red, pretty reckless and could have gone either way but IMHO I don't think we could have had too many complaints if only a yellow was given. As for Mohsni's challenge down by the corner flag it was a genuine attempt to win the ball but he did catch him and deserved a booking but nothing more than that.
 
i think the ref was crap for both sides all round a poor performance from him and was only to happy to get the cards out, on overall play i think southend deserved to win the game as we had so much of the ball and some good chances, how ever i thought with the chances constable had in the first half had he taken them you could and should have won the game by half time but his poor finishing and constant moaning got the better of him for this game, still his is a good striker and would love him at roots hall, good support from you lot as well on the night.
 
MJ Grays i couldnt really see , but it looked reckless. I have seen people go for less and stay for more.

Good luck for the season i think oxford are a reasonable side, although the result was a fair reflection of the game.

Do oxford have any decent forums i can check out mate?
 
From what I saw, Batt's challenge sent Grant flying about 3-4 foot in the air mainly because it was very late, looked pretty dangerous and was definitely NOT a dive but instead the result of being clipped at a fast momentum. I couldn't tell you whether it was 1 or 2 footed, but Mohsnis was definitely 1 footed. To be honest, the difference for me was that Grant was running at full pace when Batt "appeared" to take him out, whereas Mohsni's looked less dangerous as your player wasn't running at full pace. I know that sounds a bit stupid and if I'm honest, I have seen yellow and red cards given for that kind of challenge on both Grant and your player. Maybe we were fortunate not to be issued a red card for mohsnis challenge and vice versa for Batt. That's football for you I guess :s

I'm not sure what your manager has against Grant, the simple truth of the matter was that Grant antagonized your midfield and defence all night. In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if the stats reveal that none of your players managed to dispossess him at all, he was THAT good.

The game was won in the middle of the park for me last night. We outplayed your guys until Batt was sent off when your ten players seemed to up their game (you could argue that being reduced to 10 increased your chances of getting something out of the game as before that, it was one way traffic) and give us some serious "edge of the seat" drama as we looked to keep your forwards at bay. Some have said your strikers were ineffectual, but I disagree. They looked sharp and a handful. The problem for them was that they received little to no service as a result of being dominated in midfield.

Good luck for the rest of the season (unless we somehow make play-offs and have to play you again)
 
Personally i thought the ref had a shocker.
The Oxford goal looked offside, Constable went in studs up on Evans and seemed to spend a lot of his time bending the refs ear.
I also felt that the one of the Centre backs should have got more than a talking to for the revenge challenge on Blair, BS had run into the back of him as the CB sheilded a ball running through to the keeper (what ever happened to that bit in the Laws about "playing distance" . The CB took umbrage and followed BS up the pitch, the next time BS got the ball he went straight through him , shocking challenge and the player was so obviously out of position (a CB over the halfway line about 10 yds in from the left wing when the opposition keeper has got the ball !!!) it had to be nothing but a spiteful challenge.

Hall was regularly held back or tripped, Grant was targetted as a wind up and recieved several thumping tackles without any protection before he chose to start going down at the first touch. That said my first thought was that it was not a red, but the ref did need to put a stop to the blatant thuggery being meted out to any Southend player who had the temerity to be a little bit skillful and Batt was probably the last straw.

To be honest the Manager has made all the same old blinkered vision comments often made by lower division managers when their immoble battering rams get caught out by players with fast feet.
 
Personally i thought the ref had a shocker.
The Oxford goal looked offside, Constable went in studs up on Evans and seemed to spend a lot of his time bending the refs ear.
I also felt that the one of the Centre backs should have got more than a talking to for the revenge challenge on Blair, BS had run into the back of him as the CB sheilded a ball running through to the keeper (what ever happened to that bit in the Laws about "playing distance" . The CB took umbrage and followed BS up the pitch, the next time BS got the ball he went straight through him , shocking challenge and the player was so obviously out of position (a CB over the halfway line about 10 yds in from the left wing when the opposition keeper has got the ball !!!) it had to be nothing but a spiteful challenge.

Hall was regularly held back or tripped, Grant was targetted as a wind up and recieved several thumping tackles without any protection before he chose to start going down at the first touch. That said my first thought was that it was not a red, but the ref did need to put a stop to the blatant thuggery being meted out to any Southend player who had the temerity to be a little bit skillful and Batt was probably the last straw.

To be honest the Manager has made all the same old blinkered vision comments often made by lower division managers when their immoble battering rams get caught out by players with fast feet.

I sit in the East Blacks pretty much dead level with Constable's position for the goal and IMHO the assistant definitely got that one right, he looked level at worst.
 
Hi Mjgrays

Trying to be balanced here - I was opposite the challenge on Grant by Batt and it looked bad from where we were, late and as Grant was running at full pelt he was always going to go forwards a long way. I don't think it was a dive - however as one other poster suggested, Grant does go down well, and wins us a lot of free kicks! On another day, with a more lenient ref Batt may have got away with a yellow, but this was Keith Hill!

The Mohsni challenge wasn't as bad, but did deserve a yellow - no more.

Keith Hill is an awful ref. - so picky - moving the ball 6 inches on free kicks etc. - he was equally bad for both teams.

I thought you were a very physical side and to be honest wouldn't have been surprised to see another one of yours walk for two yellows!

Will be interested to see the video replays to see whether my gut feeling on the decisions was correct.
 
Been on there forum but no post match thread. So difficult to see the reaction of opposition fans at the game.
 
"I’ve watched three videos of Southend now, and I imagine every opposing manager will be saying the same, in terms of him going down at every opportunity and when there’s any touch."

Simple answer is stop touching him.
 
Firstly, congrats on you lot turning things around at your club, as an Oxford fan I know all too well how depressing a time it is when your club is under threat. I never made the game last night but just wanted to get your opinions on some of the big talking points from our point of view. Should Batt have been sent off, Radio Oxford thought the challenge was no more than a booking. Also, they said that Moshni's challenge which he was booked for was as bad, if not worse. The ref has come in for a lot of stick from our fans/management too, he failed to play an advantage late on, when we were through on goal, and Radio Oxford seemed to be in disbelief at many of his 2nd half decisions.

From how it sounded you put us under lots of pressure and didn't allow us to play our usual game. Ryan Hall seemed to be the name I heard most and according you our reporters was your best player. Our manager doesn't seem to like Anthony Grant too much though!! http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/sport/8826113.Oxford_United_boss_angry_over_Batt_s_red_card/

Good luck with making it into the playoffs, I still think we can make it there too, I hope to avoid you lot though as you seem to be our bogey team at the moment!!!

I was over the other side of the stadium to where the incident with Batt & Grant happened, so I can't really comment much on it. It did seem a little harsh though, yellow card at most? I didn't see Mohsni's challenge, so I can't comment on that. As for the the poor ref decisions.... remember, Keith Hill was refereeing... need I say anymore?

I personally thought we played our best game all season last night, Oxford are a good side, and I thought we played really well. As you mentioned, Ryan Hall was outstanding last night, along with Easton, Ferdinand, Mohsni, Gilbert, Grant, and a few others, and it certainly looks like a team which could contend for a play-off position, but it's still early days, and anything can happen, but play-offs would be a fantastic achievement considering we barely had a team at the beginning of the season. Good luck for the rest of the season.
 
grant never dived. he was a full sprint and was sent flying, yes he does go down easy but not this time. that being said it was a yellow nothing more. moshni's tackle was nothing a standard yellow never even a thought of a red.

lets remember the ref was rubbish for us aswell not just you. your plays were lucky they didnt get a few more yellows and also your no 9 should have been off for going in late on our keeper.

I do think we were the better team and deserved the win although the first 25 mins i thought your team looked very decent but then we found our feet again and got back into our game and their was only going to be one winner.

must say though you have a moany bunch of players. no9 was always throwing his hands in the hand, in the refs ear kicking the ball away etc. he was lucky to stay on the pitch imo but of course your manager wouldnt pick up on that like most to be fair.

could maybe see us meeting in the play-offs.
 
If our players went down a bit more easily we might have had a penalty late on, so I heard, but potter decided to stay on his feet. We have had players who go down easy in the past, perhaps we could do with one now!! If you guys think the refs are bad at this level, then think yourselfs lucky your not likely to go to the Conference. They defy belief!!!

Going back to Grant, It was probably his pace which stopped Batt having his usual effect. He is a very attacking full back, fantastic going forward but not as great defending. Therefore the danger if Grant meant we never had our usual outlet on the right, seeing as Batt had to be more disciplined, and probably resulted in frustration, hence the lunge. Ironically Batt himself has been taken out by bad challenges worthy if reds in the last 2 matches, but no sending offs!

It seemed you got lots of crosses in last night too, our defence is struggling at the moment with crosses and individual errors, yet it's difficult because the back 4 are all good players, so solution is not easy. We haven't kept a clean sheet in 23 games now, despite our good form.
 
Personally i thought the ref had a shocker.
The Oxford goal looked offside, Constable went in studs up on Evans and seemed to spend a lot of his time bending the refs ear.
I also felt that the one of the Centre backs should have got more than a talking to for the revenge challenge on Blair, BS had run into the back of him as the CB sheilded a ball running through to the keeper (what ever happened to that bit in the Laws about "playing distance" . The CB took umbrage and followed BS up the pitch, the next time BS got the ball he went straight through him , shocking challenge and the player was so obviously out of position (a CB over the halfway line about 10 yds in from the left wing when the opposition keeper has got the ball !!!) it had to be nothing but a spiteful challenge.

Hall was regularly held back or tripped, Grant was targetted as a wind up and recieved several thumping tackles without any protection before he chose to start going down at the first touch. That said my first thought was that it was not a red, but the ref did need to put a stop to the blatant thuggery being meted out to any Southend player who had the temerity to be a little bit skillful and Batt was probably the last straw.

To be honest the Manager has made all the same old blinkered vision comments often made by lower division managers when their immoble battering rams get caught out by players with fast feet.

I was in the RBS, dead level and watching the forward wondering why no-one was picking him up. He was easily onside. Also, re the challenge on Evans, it was studs up but going away from the player and ball. The reactions of the players usually tell you loads and Evans wasn't bothered and neither was Mohsni or Barker who were fairly close. I think the crowd reacted to that one and made it feel worse that it was.
 
From where I was sitting (in the West) it looked like a very bad challenge, and was definitely high. Moreover, we had a very promising situation developing should Grant have got away, and the challenge was a cynical attempt at preventing an attack, regardless of how bad a challenge it was.

Grant is very good at drawing fouls from opposing teams. I suspect that is also because he's very good at getting under their skin. On the odd occasion he does go down too easily, but he usually just falls to his knees and certainly doesn't roll around pretending he's just been shot. To say he tries to get opposing players booked and/or sent off is way off the mark. If he were trying to do that, he would be rolling about all over the place.

I usually rely on my gut reaction at the time of an incident, and my thought at the time of Mohsni's challenge was that he would be off for a second bookable offence, because I erroneously thought he had already been booked. At no point did I think it was worthy of a red card.

As for not playing the advantage. I think you have a case. The ref got that wrong. By the same token he did the same to us in the first half. He was also very picky with regards to the position of free kicks, but allowed you lot to steal about 5-7 yards at every throw in. Surely if you're going to be picky at free kicks, you should be picky at throw ins. However, I thought the ref had a pretty good game, and got most of the important decisions correct. He did make some mistakes, but I don't think a human making the odd mistake is headline news.
 
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It was right in front of me and it was shin high feet off the ground. Some give it some dont, but Batt can have no complaints.
 
If our players went down a bit more easily we might have had a penalty late on, so I heard, but potter decided to stay on his feet. We have had players who go down easy in the past, perhaps we could do with one now!! If you guys think the refs are bad at this level, then think yourselfs lucky your not likely to go to the Conference. They defy belief!!!

Going back to Grant, It was probably his pace which stopped Batt having his usual effect. He is a very attacking full back, fantastic going forward but not as great defending. Therefore the danger if Grant meant we never had our usual outlet on the right, seeing as Batt had to be more disciplined, and probably resulted in frustration, hence the lunge. Ironically Batt himself has been taken out by bad challenges worthy if reds in the last 2 matches, but no sending offs!

It seemed you got lots of crosses in last night too, our defence is struggling at the moment with crosses and individual errors, yet it's difficult because the back 4 are all good players, so solution is not easy. We haven't kept a clean sheet in 23 games now, despite our good form.

That is horrific.

As for the sending off, Harding and Moussa have been sent off for similar challenges in the last couple of years for us.

It's a reckless challenge, moreso with Keith Hill as ref. I don't like seeing red cards for mistimed challenges, but it was late and over the top of the ball.
 
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