agree that Cort played well but what has Devite done wrong to be dropped? Was pleased Piggott was allowed to take the pen as he deserved a goal for his efforts. Cook was the big plus on the night. On that performance we don't need to worry about cover for Harriott. Two good finishes by Church, missed the easiest chance he had otherwise he'd be taking home the match ball. Hollands was my MOM as he was everywhere. Stephens had a few good spells during the game but still too much going backwards for my liking. Two full backs both done well. Wood looked decent. Green too.
If we are looking to strengthen the squad then for me it has to be a quality midfielder and another striker to compliment those we have already.
All in an an amazing night. A cup game and we win. Who'd have thought it.
Hmmm, apparently Boro were a shambles in losing their cup game, so Saturday will be interesting.
IMHO Boro are a side on the way down the leagues and Mowbray is on his last legs there, they have done their dough and its hard to shift the momentum once you are on the slide - as we know only too well.
Jordan Cook is in the last-chance saloon, if he doesn't make it this season with us then he'll not get another club so this is a huge year for him.
Just got back - buzzing. I can't remember the last time I enjoyed a cup game so much. Certainly not a League Cup Game. Cort was MoM for me, not only for his heroic defending but for getting forward and having a go at shooting. Church looked very sharp. I've seen Pigott a few times in pre-season friendlies and thought he looked a good striker; tonight he looked a good all-round forward. He held the ball up well and showed great awareness of where his team-mates were and played some lovely balls in for them. Credit to him for taking the pen and to Sordell for letting him. It was interesting that as soon as the ref pointed, Pigott went straight for the ball and Sordell went straight to the spot. At that point they both looked so keen I thought there'd be an argument.
Lots of funny little incidents too: The ref playing a perfect one-two; Cort trying his hardest to beat the forward to get the ball back to Hamer when he could have turned an gone - or just booted it out; All the calls for handball and other Charlie Cairoli style stuff. Wonderful entertainment.
Agree entirely with you, Stig: the ref tonight was not Andy D'Urso. Joking apart, there was a fifteen-minute period in the second half when we set that pitch on fire. The tempo increased, the midfield moved forward, we played intelligent, crisp and incisive balls to runners - who actually controlled those passes, got round the defenders, and crossed to the danger-zone - and we scored!
About Middlesbrough on Saturday: with Solly and Kermorgant in, there's a very good argument for saying - why not forget about the accepted midfield of Hughes, Gower and Pritchard? If we can keep the strength, accuracy and quickness of tonight's second-half performance going, we will frighten the living daylights out of any team in the Championship.
You've obviously not seen the likes of watford and brighton. Don't get me wrong we played well today albeit against oxford but think the performance tonight has got to some people's head.
If we can keep the strength, accuracy and quickness of tonight's performance going, we will frighten the living daylights out of any team in the Championship.
You've obviously not seen the likes of watford and brighton. Don't get me wrong we played well today albeit against oxford but think the performance tonight has got to some people's head.
O Jay - I can assure you I have seen Watford and Brighton. I can also assure you that I saw our home defeats last season against Barnsley, Middlesbrough, Ipswich, Derby, Sheffield Wednesday, Forest, Burnley, Palace, and Millwall - and Huddersfield in the Cup - and in all of those miserable defeats we barely had a shot at goal. For fifteen minutes in the second-half tonight we stamped our authority, used some intelligence, made it quick and instinctive, and peppered their keeper. Forget Pritchard! Let the good times roll.
Wow! Such wide variations in players scores that you have to wonder if we were all watching the same match! Never ceases to amaze me how differently people see the game.
Agree Henry. Amazed they took him off. Am still buzzing. Great night. They all played their part. But Pigott was the most exciting young lad I've seen down the Valley for a long while. So pleased he got the pen. Happy Addick xx
thought danny hollands was unreal.Should be third name on the team sheet saturday behind yann andsolly.He made stevens look better by winning the ball back on numerous occasions and having A run with it.Great win boys.And well done wood,piggott and church,all played well.COYR
Wow! Such wide variations in players scores that you have to wonder if we were all watching the same match! Never ceases to amaze me how differently people see the game.
Indeed. I asked my mates for their scores on the way home, we went for the average and I went a touch lower as I though Oxford were poor, didn't offer much and passed it off the pitch at least five times.
So my marks were a bit (too?) low, nethertheless none of us were raving about Cort or Hollands (who although doing a job were IMO a bit cumbersome with feet and slow on and off the ball respectively).
Judging by the other comments though I must have being watching in shocked enjoyment to concentrate on the performances.
Fantastic night, wonderful performance. Expect Hollands or Stephens, Wood and Wilson or Green to hang onto the shirt. Piggot is definitely ready now, held it up and showed he could beat a man. shame there were so few prepared to pay a tenner to watch it. Makes me laugh that people come up with schemes about thousands of punters investing £5000 each when we couldn't get 5000 people to invest a tenner to watch a match! Still, great night's entertainment that demonstrates that we have a group of players happy to and capable of fighting for a spot in our side. Nice to stick it down the throats of some of the "experts" in the match thread that rubbished our team and squad. Loyal supporters indeed.
agree that Cort played well but what has Devite done wrong to be dropped? Was pleased Piggott was allowed to take the pen as he deserved a goal for his efforts. Cook was the big plus on the night. On that performance we don't need to worry about cover for Harriott. Two good finishes by Church, missed the easiest chance he had otherwise he'd be taking home the match ball. Hollands was my MOM as he was everywhere. Stephens had a few good spells during the game but still too much going backwards for my liking. Two full backs both done well. Wood looked decent. Green too.
I agree with pretty much everything Large has said here other than Cort was my MotM and I wish Green would stop trying to score from corners. The people saying Stephens utterly bossed the midfield must have been watching a different match to the one I saw. Other than a couple of decent moments he was his usual self in the first half, ie slow, indecisive, weak in the tackle, losing possession too easily and only able to pass backwards or sideways. He improved in the second half when Oxford were tiring and we started to move forwards more but we have to remember who we were playing against and realise that someone of Stephens' alleged quality needed to completely control a game like this, which he absolutely did not do.
Loved that Pigott seized the ball for the penalty and insisted on taking it. I like that sort of confidence in a young striker!
a great result and a real morale booster .. I had been in favour of picking the 'first' team but the 'reserves' really did the business against a decent Oxford side. It shows that we have a very good squad and that team spirit is 100% proof. Super debuts for Church and Pigott (nice to see that the team had the confidence to give him the penalty) .. roll on Saturday ... Middlebrough? ... beware
Very impressed with piggot! Strong on the ball with a decent touch, great work rate and ran the channels effectively, also quite good in the air although mistimed a good chance there. Put in a lovely pass to church in the first half and a great cross to him in the second half. I also noted how happy he was when he scored the penalty, it was clearly some kind of dream come true for him.
I was also impressed by cort, brave and put his body(and face) on the line for the team as always, although didnt win as many of his headers as I would have liked. Hollands and stephens controlled The midfield exceptionally. Green was hit and miss but was good at set pieces and more hits than misses. Wilson looked solid and strong with good link up play down the wing Wood had a good game, solid in defence and the air, Cousins was decent in the air, tidy and made a old run to get the penalty Church was always lively, used the wings well and making runs, he may have missed one sitter because he was off balence but he took his other two chances very well. Sorrel Edina and Harriet aRe VERY fast I noticed as I sat near the touch LIne for a change
Very impressed and optimistic for the season ahead
Posting without reading. We were a couple of levels better than Oxford, who huffed and puffed and had the odd foray forward but even when they worked an opportunity it was usually comfortably at Hamer. It was funny in their appeals for handball (and I thought the first one was a penalty), when we appealed for handball from then on, and ironic we got the only penalty of the game. The Oxford support was a good turn out, but did anybody else notice the Oxford number 16, Wing? Concrete bollards have more mobility, he seemed to spend the whole game marking the ref! He did a good line in pointing and shouting with the odd gesticulation thrown in. I wondered if he was the coach driver, or a supporter who won a competition, but then I noticed he could actually control a football, which he then promptly gave away, or kicked off for a throw, accompanied by lavish gestures. We resisted the temptation to play it long, the odd time we did the ball would be lost. Long periods of passing it amongst ourselves were brilliant in my view, if we have the ball they don't score. Danny Green tried a couple of selfish attempts before his goal, and when he actually scored I thought he would dink the ball into the area, but typical of Danny he had to have a go...and he scored, he probably thinks he has Pritchards place in the team sewn up because of it. Decent performance from the team, with Joe Piggot probably just about our best player, got the goal he thoroughly deserved. Don't get carried away, Oxford were a very low average side on that showing, mind you we had mainly our reserves out. Yann has had a haircut.
Aussie on loan from Fulham. I'd have him in the squad.
I'd have him in the team, wide right, better than anything we've got for that position. was very impressed.
I just emailed my Aussie mate who is involved in youth football over here at a national level about this kid (I had never heard of him!).
Quote: "He's got a lot of skill, enough to play at a pretty high level, his problem is that he has very fragile confidence and if it starts going wrong for him he finds it pretty hard to get back into the game."
That suggests that he has promise - or Fulham would not have bought him - but that he is still (only being 19) developing as a player in the pro game.
Comments
If we are looking to strengthen the squad then for me it has to be a quality midfielder and another striker to compliment those we have already.
All in an an amazing night. A cup game and we win. Who'd have thought it.
IMHO Boro are a side on the way down the leagues and Mowbray is on his last legs there, they have done their dough and its hard to shift the momentum once you are on the slide - as we know only too well.
Jordan Cook is in the last-chance saloon, if he doesn't make it this season with us then he'll not get another club so this is a huge year for him.
About Middlesbrough on Saturday: with Solly and Kermorgant in, there's a very good argument for saying - why not forget about the accepted midfield of Hughes, Gower and Pritchard? If we can keep the strength, accuracy and quickness of tonight's second-half performance going, we will frighten the living daylights out of any team in the Championship.
Aussie on loan from Fulham. I'd have him in the squad.
Am still buzzing.
Great night. They all played their part. But Pigott was the most exciting young lad I've seen down the Valley for a long while.
So pleased he got the pen.
Happy Addick xx
Good to see Church and Piggott played well as they'll be needed during the season
So my marks were a bit (too?) low, nethertheless none of us were raving about Cort or Hollands (who although doing a job were IMO a bit cumbersome with feet and slow on and off the ball respectively).
Judging by the other comments though I must have being watching in shocked enjoyment to concentrate on the performances.
Not fussed as long as it's not a side from our division. Someone new like Newport or Accrington would be nice.
roll on sat
Loved that Pigott seized the ball for the penalty and insisted on taking it. I like that sort of confidence in a young striker!
Super debuts for Church and Pigott (nice to see that the team had the confidence to give him the penalty) .. roll on Saturday ... Middlebrough? ... beware
I was also impressed by cort, brave and put his body(and face) on the line for the team as always, although didnt win as many of his headers as I would have liked.
Hollands and stephens controlled The midfield exceptionally.
Green was hit and miss but was good at set pieces and more hits than misses.
Wilson looked solid and strong with good link up play down the wing
Wood had a good game, solid in defence and the air,
Cousins was decent in the air, tidy and made a old run to get the penalty
Church was always lively, used the wings well and making runs, he may have missed one sitter because he was off balence but he took his other two chances very well.
Sorrel Edina and Harriet aRe VERY fast I noticed as I sat near the touch
LIne for a change
Very impressed and optimistic for the season ahead
We were a couple of levels better than Oxford, who huffed and puffed and had the odd foray forward but even when they worked an opportunity it was usually comfortably at Hamer. It was funny in their appeals for handball (and I thought the first one was a penalty), when we appealed for handball from then on, and ironic we got the only penalty of the game.
The Oxford support was a good turn out, but did anybody else notice the Oxford number 16, Wing? Concrete bollards have more mobility, he seemed to spend the whole game marking the ref! He did a good line in pointing and shouting with the odd gesticulation thrown in. I wondered if he was the coach driver, or a supporter who won a competition, but then I noticed he could actually control a football, which he then promptly gave away, or kicked off for a throw, accompanied by lavish gestures.
We resisted the temptation to play it long, the odd time we did the ball would be lost. Long periods of passing it amongst ourselves were brilliant in my view, if we have the ball they don't score.
Danny Green tried a couple of selfish attempts before his goal, and when he actually scored I thought he would dink the ball into the area, but typical of Danny he had to have a go...and he scored, he probably thinks he has Pritchards place in the team sewn up because of it.
Decent performance from the team, with Joe Piggot probably just about our best player, got the goal he thoroughly deserved. Don't get carried away, Oxford were a very low average side on that showing, mind you we had mainly our reserves out.
Yann has had a haircut.
Quote: "He's got a lot of skill, enough to play at a pretty high level, his problem is that he has very fragile confidence and if it starts going wrong for him he finds it pretty hard to get back into the game."
That suggests that he has promise - or Fulham would not have bought him - but that he is still (only being 19) developing as a player in the pro game.