Oxford v Rovers

[Rockford's Love Child]

I think Perkins has been fine this season and is one of the few that definitely are up to it.

 

[Sparky]

Perkins was out of favour at Rochdale for non-footballing reasons. Don't think he's done that badly so far, though sounds like not at his best today.

I agree RLC. Was just making a point. Banks never made it at league one. Morris was shipped out by Walsall. Mullins never done anything at that level - it’s whether you stick with those types of players and try to improve them - or buy better players if we can afford them

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I agree RLC. Was just making a point. Banks never made it at league one. Morris was shipped out by Walsall. Mullins never done anything at that level - it’s whether you stick with those types of players and try to improve them - or buy better players if we can afford them

Yes, I agree completely. Perkins is a key player for us but was just a squad player at Rochdale, which emphasises the gulf between us and most other clubs. As Boz says, we can't do anything until January so we have to hope there is improvement in some of the squad.

 

[Sparky]

Woods came off with a calf injury. Always a risk signing players with a history of injuries.

Tuesday could be a goal fest

 

[Boz]

With regards to Morris,he was a near regular for Walsall for 3 seasons, where they were a L1 side, they got relegated the season they shipped him out. He's not been consistent for us and isn't an out and out winger, but not one I'd write off yet on his past record.

It seems we're a lot more brittle defensively than I would have expected even though Ray has reasonable experience at this level and Nelson and Ridehalgh some. The injury to the right-backs has made things more difficult. Thought we'd find goals hard to come by and that seems to be the case. Maybe things will pick up when Ferrier returns, but don't think he's going to be in contention for a few more weeks.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

A pretty depressing afternoon which emphasises the job we have got on our hands this season.

I thought we were actually the better side for the first thirty minutes, looking bright and lively and creating a couple of half chances against an Oxford side that looked low on confidence. However, once again we conceded the first goal and as on previous occasions this season, our problems were self-inflicted. It was a soft penalty but it seemed to me there was definite contact from Ridehalgh (who had a torrid half) who should simply have tracked their forward to the touchline without making a challenge.

The response to the goal was disappointing. Our performance gradually deteriorated in quality and, despite some decent possession at the start of the second half in particular, we struggled top create and never looked like scoring. Attacks went down blind alleys and simply petered out on the edge of the eighteen yard box. Oxford were not scintillating and it was by no means a battering, but they had enough movement and quality on the ball to prize us open for the goals.

I think the major problem today was the lack of quality we showed in the final third, but the 433 formation did not work. In the previous two games when we started with two strikers, we had begun to look more threatening and put the opposition under genuine pressure, but today we were impotent again. I can understand Mellon starting with a front three to bring RHM into the side, but Payne was too isolated and we could not occupy their defenders. I was also surprised we did not bring Banks on at 1-0, as we did at least start to play forward and pose some kind of threat when he and Morris were on the pitch.

There were a few positives: Potter and Monthe had decent games, RHM was lively and probably our best player, and Borthwick-Jackson looked tidy on the ball. However, the injuries to Woods and particularly Payne certainly don't help.

With displays like today's it is difficult to see who exactly we are going to beat this season, but we have to try and get at least three points from the upcoming home games.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

With regards to Morris,he was a near regular for Walsall for 3 seasons, where they were a L1 side, they got relegated the season they shipped him out. He's not been consistent for us and isn't an out and out winger, but not one I'd write off yet on his past record.

From what I have seen so far, I think Perkins, Potter and Monthe are definitely up to it, probably Morris and possibly Payne and Ferrier. However, there are questions regarding most of the others.

 

[Boz]

Sounds like the formation was more of a 4321 from your comment above, RLC? I'm not sure it either suits Payne being deployed as more of a lone striker or Mullin out wide.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Sounds like the formation was more of a 4321 from your comment above, RLC? I'm not sure it either suits Payne being deployed as more of a lone striker or Mullin out wide.

Mullin and RHM were either side of Payne, with Jennings just behind Payne. So a 4231 I suppose.

The tactics did not really work, but we should still be offering far more threat regardless of the system. The formation was not that alien, but the players were not good enough individually or collectively.

 

[ADD]

My take on today after thinking about it for a while is that it was thoroughly disappointing! We played well for the first 15 minutes and I thought here we go this is going to be good but after that the play was awful.
Rides I have to say is just out of his depth at this level - the guy is a genuine "give it all guy" but he can't be enjoying his football at the moment surely... especially as every side has now wised up and are targetting him relentlessly.
So what do we do - yes leave him on his own with no cover and wait for the goals to flow although Perkins terrible pass started the problem for the first goal.
I appreciate we have injuries and a very limited budget but surely the answer cannot just be a better "tempo" as MM keeps on saying - if that is the best he can offer as manager then we will be going down for sure - simply not good enough.
I was not one of those who thought we came up to L1 too early initially and thought some of the recruits showed promise but I think I may have been over optimistic as right now as RLC said above I don't see us winning many/ any games playing as we are.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I am sure that Mellon is doing plenty on the training ground other than talking about 'tempo' but if the players are limited there is only so much he can do.

 

[ADD]

One other thought - I watched today's game on Ifollow with the TRFC Radio commentary and I have to say the constant references by them to how bad the referee is are now getting beyond a joke - yes they make mistakes but they are not the reason we are losing games! We played poorly today and deservedly lost as they both admitted at the end of the game despite boring me and I am sure the other listeners about the ref for 95 minutes...

 

[ADD]

I am sure that Mellon is doing plenty on the training ground other than talking about 'tempo' but if the players are limited there is only so much he can do.

Fair point RLC!! but I would just like to hear something about how we are going to change shape/ create more chances etc. etc.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

We have actually changed shape several times, but without looking convincing. I don't think the problem is fundamentally tactical, it is about the ability of the players.Watching his interview today, I just think he is reluctant to keep criticising the players in public for what they are not doing, because of the impact on morale. I am sure plenty is said in the dressing room regarding our deficiencies and where we need to improve.

 

[Ooh Johnny Johnny]

Thanks for your commentaries. Family commitments do not enable me to go to many away games (I can get to our 'local' away games in addition to all our home games). So it is unreasonable for me to comment specifically on this match. But I do have two thoughts as I write dispassionately this Sunday morning:
- Once again, it seems that Micky tinkered with the formation, resorting to a lone striker (correct me if I'm wrong). The lone striker formation worked with Norwood because of his work rate and press. Post-Norwood it just hasn't worked, so why does Micky keep at it? Last weekend, we turned the game on its head by returning to a 4-4-2 or 4-3-1-2 in the second half.
- Summer recruitment and pre-season were below-par - I don't think we signed enough hardened League 1 professionals. A combo of knackered players and mainly Championship B team youngsters was perhaps not the way to go. Although it's easy to judge in hindsight!
We have a small budget, it's true, but not an uncompetitive one. A manager must manage the resources he has at his disposal. There is a wealth of sympathy for a struggling team and its manager, but dispassionately, I believe that ANY manager's shelf life is finite. I think it is perfectly legitimate to suggest that, at some point, one has to ask the question "Is there anyone out there who can do a better job with our existing resources". Of course, we haven't reached that point yet. But, how many games do you give a manager to turn it around?

 

[Ian]

I really don't think it's helpful to start questioning the manager. We know what Micky can do. What we need is a lot more quality in the squad. Without further investment it's going to be a very long season.

 

[Boz]

I've now seen the highlights. Seems we started brightly as RLC reports and the turning point was the penalty incident. While it was a Perkins error that led to Oxford gaining possession, that was in the Oxford half, so plenty of opportunity for the defence to recover and in my view unfair to blame him(as some elsewhere have) for what followed. Ridehalgh's handing of the situation was poor, although I'm not 100% certain it was a penalty as opposed to a coming together, it certainly gave the referee a decision to make. Their second goal seemed to be through poor defending, players out of position in the build-up and no closing down of the scorer. The other penalty conceded by Potter was stupid and clearcut. While it may have been academic in the context of this match, goal difference could be a factor in our survival and we shouldn't be giving chances away like that.

While Micky's management is not flawless, it's far too early to start thinking about changing things. However to repeat my earlier comment, it is basically the squad we've got now that we're reliant on until January and we have to get the best out of them until then.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I really don't think it's helpful to start questioning the manager. We know what Micky can do. What we need is a lot more quality in the squad. Without further investment it's going to be a very long season.

Exactly. I am not sure how anyone can state that our budget is 'competitive' at this level. What do we mean by 'competitive' ? It is almost certainly a bottom six budget , in which case we are currently performing pretty much in line with expectations. If we finish outside the bottom three this season it will be an achievement and manager and players will have done as much as could reasonably be expected.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I don't think we signed enough hardened League 1 professionals.

We could not afford to. Mellon and Palios know who those players are, and we were linked with several of them, but we could not afford to sign them.

 

[ADD]

So if I am understanding this thread correctly we generally believe that we have a bottom 6 budget now rather than the top 1/3 budget which MP was saying previously he hoped to have every season irrespective of which division. Appreciate we cannot match Sunderland, Ipswich etc. but if we are that low budget wise we have a long hard season ahead and what worries me more than anything is that the extra fans who have started coming regularly over the past 2 seasons will melt away pretty quickly if this form continues...