Post-Match Thread and Ratings Oxford United 2-0 Southend United

[mattitouk]

It's all a matter of opinion Prague, I'm not the only on here that also thinks we were dominated. But each to their own.

 

[rigsby]

CP's a clear upgrade in terms of giving youth a chance. Dru has gone from being reluctantly used in something like 6 league starts out of 28 to being an ever present in 14 league starts out of 14. Elvis was first defender off the bench when Coker was injured - under the previous regime that would have been Wright on and Timlin switching to left-back or Ferdinand on and White switching to left-back. I would like to think he'll be an improvement on our truly abysmal cup form as well - it's hard to get worse. If those two areas see improvements then he's a clear upgrade even before considering our form of 6 wins, 4 draws and 4 defeats in his 14 matches compared to the 9 defeats, 2 draws and 3 losses in his predecessor's last 14.

But overall Powell is stuck with essentially the same group of aged players (plus 34 year old Turner and 32 year old Kightly and some last minute transfer deadline day signings) that similarly run out of steam in April last year. We shouldn't therefore be that surprised when we look jaded again and I think any manager gets a free pass until they've had a chance to put their stamp on the squad. That incidentally means as much departures as arrivals (although we haven't had an arrest yet under his watch) and on pre-season.

As for being negative, we actually had 4 attacking, creative players (Cox, Wordsworth, Kightly and McLaughlin) in the line-up. I suspect the issue wasn't so much lack of attacking intent but rather that we (a) maybe lacked some midfield bite to win the ball/cover for their forward runs or probably more likely (b) a Big Bad Barry Corr or Matt Harrold type figure to hold the ball up for them. Securing that player has to be the priority for the off-season and the search should already be underway. I'd suggest our fortune, no pun intended, next season will be dictated by our success in filling that role.

Come on Yorkshire you know that's not true.

Forget coming on as sub Elvis started at top of the table Shrewsbury because he had done well covering for Demi in his two previous games. So JD went to left back and Timlin was in at CM.

Also playing that night was a new CB called Harry Kyprianou (remember him) He was really improving under PB until his injury. Cox was dropped for a young lad getting his chance at league football his name is Dru Yearwood.

Later a young lad called Jack Bridge came on, shame it never worked out for him. I know you won't go to ceck-a-trade games but if you did you might understand why. An unused sub that night was lad called Ba who is obviously not in CP's plans.

By the way Norman Wabo says hello and he is very pleased that CP has given Harrison plenty of opportunity because after all none of us want to let Spurs down.....Do we.

 

[OldBlueLady]

He really can do no wrong in your eyes, just because he’s a nice guy doesn’t mean we should give him a new deal. Yes the talent is there, but his performances and lack of appearances due to injury are enough to let him go. He will be on of our higher earners and we could really do with spending that wage elsewhere.

I remember people saying much the same about John White whenever I defended him! Turns out more people now agree on that point.

What I'm saying is that Woody himself, has had a tough year. Not helped by Brown still playing him when he had a muscle tear, and certainly quite disrupted by the loss of his brother.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Come on Yorkshire you know that's not true.

Forget coming on as sub Elvis started at top of the table Shrewsbury because he had done well covering for Demi in his two previous games. So JD went to left back and Timlin was in at CM.

Also playing that night was a new CB called Harry Kyprianou (remember him) He was really improving under PB until his injury. Cox was dropped for a young lad getting his chance at league football his name is Dru Yearwood.

Later a young lad called Jack Bridge came on, shame it never worked out for him. I know you won't go to ceck-a-trade games but if you did you might understand why. An unused sub that night was lad called Ba who is obviously not in CP's plans.

By the way Norman Wabo says hello and he is very pleased that CP has given Harrison plenty of opportunity because after all none of us want to let Spurs down.....Do we.

That conveniently ignores the fact that the last time Demetriou went on international duty under Brown, Brown didn't actually pick Bwomono.

It ignores the fact that Yearwood, who has started every match under Powell, couldn't even get in Brown's last 18 man squad.

It ignores the fact that whilst Powell has started Yearwood (the star of pre-season) 14 matches in a row and he's been voted player of the month two months in a row, Brown never gave Yearwood more than 2 matches in a row and only once trusted him to complete 90 minutes in the league.

It ignores the fact that Kyprianou started brightly last season and then after two league matches disappeared for a year, and that your success story has actually played fewer league matches in two years than Yearwood has started in 3 months of Powell.

It ignores the fact that in the last month Wabo has actually had more playing time at Ebbsfleet than Harrison has had at Southend or than Wabo has had in the preceding 6 months at Southend under Brown.

That you have to even mention an unused sub to pad it out speaks volumes of the desperation of the position you are trying to defend. Fortunately, we now have a brighter future to look forward to.

 

[Zeuss]

The lone striker selection policy is baffling. I can see why SCP thinks we might need to cram the midfield a bit after the Plymouth debacle but playing Coxy up there alone and feeding high balls in against two tower block centre-halves is crazy. Meat and drink gobble-ups for the twin pillars. I think Cox would be better off in a withdrawn role feeding someone like Theo who likes to make forward runs instead. We could have sacrificed one of the two ineffective wingers or Wordsworth and still been more creative and penetrating, perhaps playing Timlin on the left and Mantom in the middle with Dru just ahead of him and Cox in the hole.

I think Cox would better off in a withdrawn role feeding and feeding off someone TOTALLY UNLIKE Theo!

 

[rigsby]

That conveniently ignores the fact that the last time Demetriou went on international duty under Brown, Brown didn't actually pick Bwomono.

It ignores the fact that Yearwood, who has started every match under Powell, couldn't even get in Brown's last 18 man squad.

It ignores the fact that whilst Powell has started Yearwood (the star of pre-season) 14 matches in a row and he's been voted player of the month two months in a row, Brown never gave Yearwood more than 2 matches in a row and only once trusted him to complete 90 minutes in the league.

It ignores the fact that Kyprianou started brightly last season and then after two league matches disappeared for a year, and that your success story has actually played fewer league matches in two years than Yearwood has started in 3 months of Powell.

It ignores the fact that in the last month Wabo has actually had more playing time at Ebbsfleet than Harrison has had at Southend or than Wabo has had in the preceding 6 months at Southend under Brown.

That you have to even mention an unused sub to pad it out speaks volumes of the desperation of the position you are trying to defend. Fortunately, we now have a brighter future to look forward to.

You don't seem to think so because all your posts are still anti PB. He's gone now you should find someone new to hate...How long before you turn on CP?

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

You don't seem to think so because all your posts are still anti PB. He's gone now you should find someone new to hate...How long before you turn on CP?

When I see Dru playing - not sitting on the bench - I see a bright future for us.

I've only called for one manager to be sacked in the last 18 years so if that's anything to go by it's unlikely that I'll turn on CP.

 

[Rob Noxious]

I think Cox would better off in a withdrawn role feeding and feeding off someone TOTALLY UNLIKE Theo!

Ha - well I too was pleased to see BBBC return so gloriously for Cambridge at the w/e but as Yorky suggested, that is the kind of player we need at the club. I was suggesting trying to make use of the players we have got and who knows, maybe the reinvigorated Theo that you saw against Gillingham might be someone who can get on the end of creative play again. Though some may say I'm a dreamer ...

 

[Barling Magna]

Though some may say I'm a dreamer ...

..... you're not the only one.

Theo performed well v. Gillingham and deserves to start. What about McGlashan?

 

[Rob Noxious]

..... you're not the only one.

Theo performed well v. Gillingham and deserves to start. What about McGlashan?

From the limited game time I've seen of McG, he seems to be more effective when used as a sub.