Let's talk about the Oxford United game

[selby]

  Carl Robinson aided by Shaun Derry bring an Oxford side to the Keepmoat who have yet to win an away fixture in a league game this season, although they have only lost four and drawing the other seven fixtures, so not an easy game in prospect.
   Their current form  is also impressive, having only being beaten in one of their last fourteen games, with  James Henry after being switched to midfield  scoring eleven goals, so a test for our midfield and an interesting clash with Herbie Kane against a player who has also impressed this season.
   There is no doubt that imposing our game, and winning the personal battles will be key to getting a result against them, which knowing their management team they will be well aware of our strengths, and will not make it easy for us.
    Another important home game , where results have taken a turn for the better lately, and we have played with more confidence and freedom, although having witnessed every game up to press this season I think we have reserved  a couple of our better displays in away games, and would like us to turn on a display for our home fans.
  Congratulations to Hebie, and Danny Andrew, who won a place in the team of the week in the Football League paper for their displays against Scunthorpe, and to John Marquis who bizarrely was picked out as the star man of the match in the report,  but  didn't make the team of the week, I am trying to work that one out.
    Would you make any changes?
    Can we  keep up the pressure on the top five clubs in the division?
    Given the two in charge of Oxford, what type of approach do you expect them to take against us in this game?
     Do you expect a bigger gate on a day that is usually one of the worst for attendances, the game before the Christmas fixtures?
    Lot's to discuss please have your say.

[Campsall rover]

I envisage a very tough game. Think they will try to frustrate us and stop our free flowing football. 1st goal will be very important and as long as we get it then i am confident we will win. That’s not to say of course we can’t win if we conceed 1st.

 

[Campsall rover]

Didn’t mention gate above. Think around 7.000 is likely.
Possibly 7.500 as Oxford have a decent away following and will bring around 500.

[drfchound]

Hi selby.
First of all, your third paragraph is one that could probably be applied to any team that we will play against.
They will all have their opponents watched (as you know) and plan their approach based on what they or their scouts have seen.

Given that Oxford have drawn seven and lost four of their away games I will be expecting them to pack the midfield and sit back hoping to contain and frustrate us.
Their recent form suggests that they are a decent enough side and we will have our work cut out to secure a win.
I would happily take a 1-0 victory.

On the expected attendance, I mentioned elsewhere that Oxford will be unlikely to bring many fans with them and games on the last Saturday before Christmas are invariably poorly attended.

I hadn’t noticed that a Herbie and Danny Andrew had been included in the team of the week and to be honest, I am surprised at their inclusion.
Herbie had one of his less influential matches and although Andrew had a good game I didn’t have him down as having an outstanding one.
There must have been some really good CB performances in L1 for Anderson or Butler to be excluded.

With some of the quality players we have in our team we have the skills to unlock any team in the division and I think we can beat Oxford and continue to press on for a top six finish.

[colincramb]

Hoping for another clean sheet and a couple of goals - got a feeling goal difference could be important this year and ours isn’t the best in comparison to the teams above us

[Draytonian III]

Gavin Whyte who plays on the wing for Oxford scored with his first touch on his international debut in September.

[selby]

Draytonian, looking at their highlights of their game at  Peterborough yesterday their wide players were instrumental in their attacks and will need watching closely.
   When we have played well it is when we have played at a high tempo, as we started against Scunthorpe, Charlton being the only team that stopped us lately  by hitting the area behind our full backs, and pulling our central defenders wide, and exposing our central defenders two on one.
  Since then Crawford has played much more and has allowed Whiteman ,Coppinger, and Kane to get on the ball much more by closing down and getting the ball back when we are not in possession, in fact all of them have done the dirty work and those three have pulled the strings. in our winning streak we have been much better at retaining the ball and not half as sloppy with our passing.

[Campsall rover]

Hi selby.
First of all, your third paragraph is one that could probably be applied to any team that we will play against.
They will all have their opponents watched (as you know) and plan their approach based on what they or their scouts have seen.

Given that Oxford have drawn seven and lost four of their away games I will be expecting them to pack the midfield and sit back hoping to contain and frustrate us.
Their recent form suggests that they are a decent enough side and we will have our work cut out to secure a win.
I would happily take a 1-0 victory.

On the expected attendance, I mentioned elsewhere that Oxford will be unlikely to bring many fans with them and games on the last Saturday before Christmas are invariably poorly attended.

I hadn’t noticed that a Herbie and Danny Andrew had been included in the team of the week and to be honest, I am surprised at their inclusion.
Herbie had one of his less influential matches and although Andrew had a good game I didn’t have him down as having an outstanding one.
There must have been some really good CB performances in L1 for Anderson or Butler to be excluded.

With some of the quality players we have in our team we have the skills to unlock any team in the division and I think we can beat Oxford and continue to press on for a top six finish.

Hound even though last Saturday before Christmas I still think Oxford will bring 500+ fans.
They are in good form and have a good away following. Last season I think I am right in saying they brought 700+ fans.

[drfchound]

Hi selby.
First of all, your third paragraph is one that could probably be applied to any team that we will play against.
They will all have their opponents watched (as you know) and plan their approach based on what they or their scouts have seen.

Given that Oxford have drawn seven and lost four of their away games I will be expecting them to pack the midfield and sit back hoping to contain and frustrate us.
Their recent form suggests that they are a decent enough side and we will have our work cut out to secure a win.
I would happily take a 1-0 victory.

On the expected attendance, I mentioned elsewhere that Oxford will be unlikely to bring many fans with them and games on the last Saturday before Christmas are invariably poorly attended.

I hadn’t noticed that a Herbie and Danny Andrew had been included in the team of the week and to be honest, I am surprised at their inclusion.
Herbie had one of his less influential matches and although Andrew had a good game I didn’t have him down as having an outstanding one.
There must have been some really good CB performances in L1 for Anderson or Butler to be excluded.

With some of the quality players we have in our team we have the skills to unlock any team in the division and I think we can beat Oxford and continue to press on for a top six finish.

Hound even though last Saturday before Christmas I still think Oxford will bring 500+ fans.
They are in good form and have a good away following. Last season I think I am right in saying they brought 700+ fans.

I hope they do bring 500 Campsall.
It adds to the atmosphere at games, unless they are two down in 10 minutes, after which they remain silent for the other 80 odd minutes.

[1879Rovers]

Oxford have a decent following and I would expect them to bring 500.

They have started this month well and drew at Peterborough in their last away game.

Fans were calling for the sacking of Karl Robinson not so long ago. Marcus Browne and James Henry are the two lads to watch.

Living in the area, we must win this or my life will be unbearable. I still haven't got over their 97th minute winner at the Kassam last season.

[adamtherover]

How on  earth does one loss in 14 only elevate you to 3 pts above the.bottom 3?

[the vicar]

As long as we don't get above our station we should be OK and have to much for them

[Alan Southstand]

Wasn't last season's game away at Oxford where we got a written apology from the referee? I think it was part of DF's rant about ref standards.

[NickDRFC]

I’m pretty sure that they’ve not won away from home (in the league) all season but plenty of draws. Play anything like we’re capable of and it should be a home win.

[Alan Southstand]

Oxford's position in the league is misleading, given their new found bit of form and I think this could be a tricky fixture for us (let's face it, they all are in one way or another).

Hopefully, we will have Wright back on the bench, which gives us a bit of insurance at the back. Personally, I'd prefer Mason back at right back but we are where we are on that one. In midfield, Whiteman is going to have to be careful of another booking, as is Kane. Up top, I don't see any changes that will benefit the team.

Our confidence levels at the moment is like playing with 12 men, so let's hope we have another happy Saturday night.

[selby]

  Alan, seconded.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Echo that. We will have to be on top of our game for longer periods than v Scunny I suspect but I felt we could go up a gear when we needed to.

Signs are there that we can score at will as long as we remain more ruthless around the box and continue the pressing game.

Not a time to worry about suspensions, whatever will be, will be and if Fleetwood has to be sacrificed to avoid Manager of the Month, so be it!

[Alan Southstand]

Nah, we owe Fleetwood one!😏

[Colemans Left Hook]

Nah, we owe Fleetwood one!😏

walsall somehow won 3-0 here last season all goals second half and in the return match I said the same thing about owing them one and predicted the correct score 3-0 trouble is walsall won it again 3-0.

deja vu is not required here 1-0 away win at Fleetwood will do nicely. 


Oxford play Tottenham U 21 tonite by the way

[RedJ]

Nah, we owe Fleetwood one!😏

walsall somehow won 3-0 here last season all goals second half and in the return match I said the same thing about owing them one and predicted the correct score 3-0 trouble is walsall won it again 3-0.

deja vu is not required here 1-0 away win at Fleetwood will do nicely. 


Oxford play Tottenham U 21 tonite by the way

No they didn't? they beat us 4-2 at home.

[RoversAlias]

Not like Coleman to have no idea what he's on about.

[selby]

  Oxford have fielded a strong side against Spurs U23's tonight and are currently leading 2-0, when asked about his team selection Robinson said he wanted to keep the team's form , going and  Henry's goal scoring run going.
  Quite a refreshing attitude to the Chekatrade Trophy, and at the moment is paying dividends, and making the club money.

[scawsby steve]

  Oxford have fielded a strong side against Spurs U23's tonight and are currently leading 2-0, when asked about his team selection Robinson said he wanted to keep the team's form , going and  Henry's goal scoring run going.
  Quite a refreshing attitude to the Chekatrade Trophy, and at the moment is paying dividends, and making the club money.

Zzzzzz

[selby]

  What are you doing there Steve? head in the sand? 3-0  now McMahon making something of a come back to first team football after a long layoff with injury has two assists and a goal to his name, so could well be back in the squad at the weekend.

[scawsby steve]

  What are you doing there Steve? head in the sand? 3-0  now McMahon making something of a come back to first team football after a long layoff with injury has two assists and a goal to his name, so could well be back in the squad at the weekend.

Instead of telling us how the game's going Brian, why not tell us the most important aspect of this sh*tpot trophy, what's tonight's attendance?.

[selby]

  I am not interested in the competition, the club I support fielded tin pot teams and were not good enough to progress. I am interested in the better form however being shown by our next league opposition and how the game was going for them, and if they had picked up any injuries etc.
 However I have to report that they used the competition to get returning players who are important to their first team game time, one of them was the star of the show,their team got a good victory, making it one loss in fifteen games  in all competitions, and their fans are as pleased as punch over the progress their team is making after a bad start to the season.
 And it looks like their fringe players can actually be part of a winning team, and we could have done with having a fixture against them earlier in the season.

[PDX_Rover]

Looking forward to this one. We’re home for Christmas and this will be my 8 year old’s first Rovers game in person. He can’t wait. We watch on iPlayer every game. Bit of a rite of passage for him. I’ll be remembering my first game with my Dad back at OBV in 1974... I was hooked and never looked back.

[knockers]

  I am not interested in the competition, the club I support fielded tin pot teams and were not good enough to progress. I am interested in the better form however being shown by our next league opposition and how the game was going for them, and if they had picked up any injuries etc.
 However I have to report that they used the competition to get returning players who are important to their first team game time, one of them was the star of the show,their team got a good victory, making it one loss in fifteen games  in all competitions, and their fans are as pleased as punch over the progress their team is making after a bad start to the season.
 And it looks like their fringe players can actually be part of a winning team, and we could have done with having a fixture against them earlier in the season.

Selby, why are you obsessing about the opposition ? Have you not noticed the run we are on?

[drfchound]

How on  earth does one loss in 14 only elevate you to 3 pts above the.bottom 3?

Because some of those games are cup games, including the Micky Mouse Cup which doesn't even count as a first team game.

[selby]

  Knockers, the clue is in the title of the thread, I sincerely hope you will be able to work it out.