Match Thread Oxford Utd vs Coventry City Saturday 30th August 3pm KO (18 Viewers)

[shmmeee]

I don’t blame Rushworth for the first. I know he palms it out but the Oxford player reacts better than our defenders. 2nd one is poor to concede at that post even though he’s a powerful shot. EMC and Wright just have to score them chances.

2 points dropped but it’s a good and solid start. My concern is soft goals. We need a new CB but what im not sure about is whether that’s the problem or FL system. Everywhere he’s been has been attractive going forward and soft at the back.

This is partly why I’m thinking if we’ve got £10m to spent get a winger and a CF in and just lean into our strengths and make sure we can out score our mistakes.

 

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[capel & collindridge]

Good chance straight away0

 

[skyblu3sk]

Fuming still, without those shitty niggly fouls we win today easily. Both Thomas And Kitching acted like scared little boys today when they needed to be strong and make it count. Yes the keeper should have had the wall position a bit more over but we can't give free kicks away in the places we are.

 

[SkyblueTexan]

Everyone going on about subs but we still looked dangerous when attacking

Always anytime we don't win it has to be a blame game. Silly

Blame can also be attributed to wins - like the goals we have conceded in all our wins which also came from set-pieces. What is up with that? We cannot outscore every team, but our defence needs to sorted out asap if we serious about mounting a promotion challenge.

 

[blunted]

I said before the match that the conditions may play against us. Both sides were poor with the wind largely behind them. Both goalies were hitting the ball out from long kicks, and players overhitting passes. I know it sounds counter intuitive but, the ball holding up against the wind was an advantage.
Both sides had good chances not on target due to the wind. We missed three sitters (EMC, Milan and Haji) and loads of half chances. They had two in the second half.
I assume Lamps thought the game would play out like Derby so did not make changes. Also it was more of a scrap in midfield so difficult to know who to bring on other than Sheaf.
I have said for a long time our away form has let us down, then Derby happened. Lets see where we go from here.

 

[skybluecam]

Conditions. Horrible wind.

Beans for lunch?

 

[M&B Stand]

Some draws just feel like a loss. Saw it coming a mile off

 

[quinn1971]

can blame the keeper or thomas but what’s more worrying is that was probably the strongest bench we’ve had for ages and never used it,, grimes had gone MVE was struggling and da silva was getting run ragged, we had good options in all of those positions ?

 

[AFCCOVENTRY]

MVE was exposed today and that’s probably because BTA was ahead of him and not giving the cover Tatsu does.

 

[Gynnsthetonic]

Some draws just feel like a loss. Saw it coming a mile off

I was more cheesed off after they got the first. 2nd half you could see it coming and they deserved it

 

[skybluecam]

MVE was exposed today and that’s probably because BTA was ahead of him and not giving the cover Tatsu does.

Yeah. He made some crazy decisions to push/press forward. Another reason why I’m surprised we didn’t see KKH

 

[SkyBlueMatt]

Every Derby fan, even if you exclude the bias. FL teams are great going forward but f*cking clueless defending.


Sent from my M2101K6G using Tapatalk

 

[oscillatewildly]

I think we’ve been found out. FL needs to bring on subs earlier 60-65 mins. Happy in the end to get a point . Very very lucky

We’ve always been ‘found out’ in the last 5 seasons but look at what we’ve achieved with that Achilles knock.

 

[oscillatewildly]

Yeah. He made some crazy decisions to push/press forward. Another reason why I’m surprised we didn’t see KKH

We’ve been scoring goals for fun.
Why would you not pursue that tactic to close a game that admittedly hasn’t gone your way in the second half?

 

[Pezza]

Appreciate it’s all been said but watching today, just like against Derby, as soon as Bobby gave away that foul I knew a goal was coming. We are incapable of going a game without making so many mistakes and giving away goals. Bobby and Kitch are infuriating, the fouls that they commit are not even subtle, its embarrassing. I expect to see it on a Sunday morning, they are not even clever with it. It’s so school boy it’s untrue. I said at HT that we won’t win this without a third goal, because you could feel the sway of the game. Oxford are poor and that’s points dropped against them and Hull, both will be bottom 4 or 5. Game should have been wrapped up. I am trying to remain positive as we are unbeaten but today irritated me, big style.

 

[MusicDating]

Really was a game of 2 halves. Frustrating to concede in the manor we did. Find the game management from Lampard almost stubborn at times. Grimes and Torp were both limping for a while, wingers were anonymous for the latter part of the half. Would have thought Sakamoto had more minutes in him than that if he made the bench. Unlucky from Wright there at the end, slightly leaning back on it.

Positives, we look so much better going forward if we can be more clinical, then even better. They look like there is a lot more fight in them so far this season, these are the types of games we were going on to lose at this point a year ago.
Goal scoring records being broken.
Still unbeaten in the league, it took us 8 games to get to 8 points last season.

They haven't played at the Manor for years m8

Like everyone, I'm really annoyed we didn't win, but people forget these players are championship players for a reason. They will make mistakes. It's why Prem sides aren't in for Hughes.

We all wanted a good start and we've got it. Could it have been better, yes. But that's the nature of Champ players.

Let's get through the transfer window without losing anyone, get a CB/winger in and enjoy the international break

 

[Jimmy87]

They haven't played at the Manor for years m8

Like everyone, I'm really annoyed we didn't win, but people forget these players are championship players for a reason. They will make mistakes. It's why Prem sides aren't in for Hughes.

We all wanted a good start and we've got it. Could it have been better, yes. But that's the nature of Champ players.

Let's get through the transfer window without losing anyone, get a CB/winger in and enjoy the international break

Whoops, bad typo there.

Yeah it was frustrating, the whole thing with the moving of the ball and nobody picking up on that, silly free kicks to give away etc. Like you say though, they are championship players, and they'll watch the game back and have to learn from it. This is why it's good to have decent competition coming in, it can help to step their game up.
It's not the end of the world, looking at the Championship this year and results so far, it's not going to be as cut and dry as everyone thought.
Ispwich barely scraped through today against Derby, Southampton drawing, Sheffield Utd's start to the season. I think anyone can beat anyone on any given day.

Hopefully we make it through without losing anyone, i was told at the beginning that the he'd heard the idea was to build on what we have. So far it looks as though that's the plan.

 

[wingy]

Appreciate it’s all been said but watching today, just like against Derby, as soon as Bobby gave away that foul I knew a goal was coming. We are incapable of going a game without making so many mistakes and giving away goals. Bobby and Kitch are infuriating, the fouls that they commit are not even subtle, its embarrassing. I expect to see it on a Sunday morning, they are not even clever with it. It’s so school boy it’s untrue. I said at HT that we won’t win this without a third goal, because you could feel the sway of the game. Oxford are poor and that’s points dropped against them and Hull, both will be bottom 4 or 5. Game should have been wrapped up. I am trying to remain positive as we are unbeaten but today irritated me, big style.

I wondered about being undercooked against Hull,, same as today really except the start today was much better, but then you look from a club perspective and clearly an exercise in keeping the pressure off, I just got the impression against Tigers that we really try hard enough to warrant winning and we didn't, anyway Two points per game produces a play off berth

 

[shepardo01]

From the other side;

 

[Great_Expectations]

There is no excuses for the subs thing.

If players aren’t fit enough to come on and change the game, then don’t have them on the bench.

It’s a waste of a space and invites criticism from fans too.

Not personal to Lampard, loads of managers do it.

But specifically today, he had KKH, Simms, Rafa all fit with the potential to change the game.

 

[Captain Dart]

Whoops, bad typo there.

Yeah it was frustrating, the whole thing with the moving of the ball and nobody picking up on that, silly free kicks to give away etc. Like you say though, they are championship players, and they'll watch the game back and have to learn from it. This is why it's good to have decent competition coming in, it can help to step their game up.
It's not the end of the world, looking at the Championship this year and results so far, it's not going to be as cut and dry as everyone thought.
Ispwich barely scraped through today against Derby, Southampton drawing, Sheffield Utd's start to the season. I think anyone can beat anyone on any given day.

Hopefully we make it through without losing anyone, i was told at the beginning that the he'd heard the idea was to build on what we have. So far it looks as though that's the plan.

Monday's training session is going to be wall positioning drills all day.

 

[Jimmy87]

Monday's training session is going to be wall positioning drills all day.

Hope so

 

[Potbellypig]

The best bench that I can ever remember and we make one sub at 85 minutes. Lampard clearly knows loads more than I do, but surely we had lads that could change the game on the bench.

Disappointing game, but got to be delighted with where we are after 4 games.

 

[MusicDating]

There is no excuses for the subs thing.

If players aren’t fit enough to come on and change the game, then don’t have them on the bench.

It’s a waste of a space and invites criticism from fans too.

Not personal to Lampard, loads of managers do it.

But specifically today, he had KKH, Simms, Rafa all fit with the potential to change the game.

Yes but you don't know that the subs would have improved things. They may have made us more disjointed.

I agree that it's odd that Lampard would include players on the bench that aren't fit to play more than 5 mins, but if Haji had scored his gilt edged chance, we wouldn't be having the subs conversation.

 

[skybluecam]

We’ve been scoring goals for fun.
Why would you not pursue that tactic to close a game that admittedly hasn’t gone your way in the second half?

Not really a style thing, just a few times I thought he made the wrong split second decision.

Pressing high is obviously effective when done right but any mistakes are more likely to be punished.

He wasn’t great in the final third today either.

 

[ccfc922]

Everyone going on about subs but we still looked dangerous when attacking

Always anytime we don't win it has to be a blame game. Silly

It's our defence that is gash. Going forward we are dangerous.

 

[ccfc922]

Doesn't help that FL is stuck with Robins' deadwood.

We have a strange squad. A lot of players who we spent money on and can't shift them for a profit. Doug won't lose money, we've seen that.

Who would you say is MR deadwood?

 

[Speedie's Head]

Who would you say is MR deadwood?

Even Grimes was being looked at well before Lampard but it was probably Lampard being here that persuaded him to come in the end. Only Rushworth in the starting 11 you can really call a "Lampard signing" then you have KKH and Brau.

 

[clint van damme]

Even Grimes was being looked at well before Lampard but it was probably Lampard being here that persuaded him to come in the end. Only Rushworth in the starting 11 you can really call a "Lampard signing" then you have KKH and Brau.

But a lot of the players left over aren't deadwood though.
And even some of those that are have served us well, (Allen for example), even if it is time for them to move on.

 

[CCFC96]

The best bench that I can ever remember and we make one sub at 85 minutes. Lampard clearly knows loads more than I do, but surely we had lads that could change the game on the bench.

Disappointing game, but got to be delighted with where we are after 4 games.

This is it isn’t it - I don’t know why he doesn’t make changes. I was hoping he’d have learned from the second leg vs Sunderland where he sat on his hands all of extra time but he clearly hasn’t.

 

[CCFC96]

I’d also love one of the journos to ask him the logic behind why he doesn’t use his bench. Rather than just describing the game to him and saying “what do you think?” at the end

 

[Speedie's Head]

But a lot of the players left over aren't deadwood though.
And even some of those that are have served us well, (Allen for example), even if it is time for them to move on.

Exactly! It's a horrible expression! What I was trying to say was all of our players are Robins era players.

 

[Seymour_East]

The miss from EMC, the miss from Wright, gormless defending. 2 points dropped really.

Miss from Wright is criminal. Space and time.

 

[Speedie's Head]

Miss from Wright is criminal. Space and time.

He's just connected a bit too sweetly, that happens but Airwick's miss in the first half is a true howler!

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

He's just connected a bit too sweetly, that happens but Airwick's miss in the first half is a true howler!

3 inches out
Should have scored of course