Well we certainly met our Waterloo tonight, Oxford kept their nerve and the Winner Takes It All. Three penalties missed, Mamma Mia! I wonder if Roland, our own Dancing Queen, even knew we were playing tonight. Did anyone play well, was anyone our Super Trouper? Scoring goals is the problem and that is The Name Of The Game. Please Roly Gimme Gimme Gimme a goalscorer. Have we anyone in the reserves telling Robbo to Take A Chance On Me? If Oxford make the final it will be them in the Money, Money, Money and not us. Robbo, you keep playing the same formation, Does Your Mother Know? We are a Club in turmoil, anyone out there thinking of taking us over then please, please do so asap, I'm sending you a SOS tonight.
Well we certainly met our Waterloo tonight, Oxford kept their nerve and the Winner Takes It All. Three penalties missed, Mamma Mia! I wonder if Roland, our own Dancing Queen, even knew we were playing tonight. Did anyone play well, was anyone our Super Trouper? Scoring goals is the problem and that is The Name Of The Game. Please Roly Gimme Gimme Gimme a goalscorer. Have we anyone in the reserves telling Robbo to Take A Chance On Me? If Oxford make the final it will be them in the Money, Money, Money and not us. Robbo, you keep playing the same formation, Does Your Mother Know? We are a Club in turmoil, anyone out there thinking of taking us over then please, please do so asap, I'm sending you a SOS tonight.
No way was Reeves equal or worse than Mag, Reeco or Lapslie.
I thought Reeco was ok. Mag was disgraceful, Reeves annoys me with his dreadful shooting from anywhere. I can't bring myself say anything negative about Lapslie.
Who was our last penalty taker we could rely on? Buyens?
Mark Reid
In my time: Mark Reid, Clive Mendonca, Darren Bent, Yoni Buyens. Everyone else you were at least a bit nervous watching them run up, but it has been a particularly bad crop since Buyens left. We must be running at less than 50% success rate for the last 2 seasons, possibly even if you exclude shoot-outs.
Who was our last penalty taker we could rely on? Buyens?
Mark Reid
In my time: Mark Reid, Clive Mendonca, Darren Bent, Yoni Buyens. Everyone else you were at least a bit nervous watching them run up, but it has been a particularly bad crop since Buyens left. We must be running at less than 50% success rate for the last 2 seasons, possibly even if you exclude shoot-outs.
Tommy Caton
RIP, can't believe this year is 25 years since he died.
Who was our last penalty taker we could rely on? Buyens?
Mark Reid
In my time: Mark Reid, Clive Mendonca, Darren Bent, Yoni Buyens. Everyone else you were at least a bit nervous watching them run up, but it has been a particularly bad crop since Buyens left. We must be running at less than 50% success rate for the last 2 seasons, possibly even if you exclude shoot-outs.
Tommy Caton
Yup. I must be older so will add Bob Curtis and Derek Hales.
So glad I gave this one a miss. Two dire games in five days were enough. The thought of three in eight was too much but feared I might miss something really good. Should have known better.
So glad I gave this one a miss. Two dire games in five days were enough. The thought of three in eight was too much but feared I might miss something really good. Should have known better.
It's s bit more like two dire second halves, first half last night and most of the first half in Saturday were average. Now I've written that down I've realised it sounds pretty terrible!
I'm honestly surprised that Lifers haven't picked up on the fact that we've been betrayed!!
Napa ended up appearing for Oxford early in the second half and then Mehmet (Seems he tried to disguise himself by adding an "i" to the end of his name) goes and scores the winning penalty!!
The 3-5-2 looked good for the first 30 minutes when we were well and truly on top and I was happily praising Karl for trying something different. Then Oxford committed more men forward and suddenly we looked very open as the wing backs, particularly Marshall, were too far up the pitch. Also KAG going off didn't help as he was looking sharp. The second half began all Oxford but and they equalised during their best spell of pressure. Although Mavididi looked rusty and Lapslie a bit raw, I thought they energised the team and we looked more likely to score in the last 10 minutes with the former putting a good effort wide and then Marshall missing a header from a good position.
The less said about the penalties the better but seeing Jackson heading up to take the first one didn't exactly fill me with confidence and his kick went exactly as I expected-smash down the middle / hit the keepers legs. If ever a shoot out summed up where a club was, that was it.....
A couple of other observations: I am desperate to like Marshall and think he will come good for us but he continued to frustrate last night, with some good things mixed with some bad. Maybe we're setting our expectations too high on a lower league winger? Same for Reeves-gets in some good positions but doesn't always make the best decision. Thought Ezra, Aribo and Dillon Phillips looked good and it is a particular shame for Dillon that we're out as can't see him getting any game time again this season save for an injury to Amos.
I know it's pilloried by the majority on here but I'm gutted we're out as saw it as a good opportunity to get to Wembley and be competitive rather than just to make up the numbers like we would have done if we had beat AFC and played Spurs at the weekend.
The 3-5-2 looked good for the first 30 minutes when we were well and truly on top and I was happily praising Karl for trying something different. Then Oxford committed more men forward and suddenly we looked very open as the wing backs, particularly Marshall, were too far up the pitch. Also KAG going off didn't help as he was looking sharp. The second half began all Oxford but and they equalised during their best spell of pressure. Although Mavididi looked rusty and Lapslie a bit raw, I thought they energised the team and we looked more likely to score in the last 10 minutes with the former putting a good effort wide and then Marshall missing a header from a good position.
The less said about the penalties the better but seeing Jackson heading up to take the first one didn't exactly fill me with confidence and his kick went exactly as I expected-smash down the middle / hit the keepers legs. If ever a shoot out summed up where a club was, that was it.....
A couple of other observations: I am desperate to like Marshall and think he will come good for us but he continued to frustrate last night, with some good things mixed with some bad. Maybe we're setting our expectations too high on a lower league winger? Same for Reeves-gets in some good positions but doesn't always make the best decision. Thought Ezra, Aribo and Dillon Phillips looked good and it is a particular shame for Dillon that we're out as can't see him getting any game time again this season save for an injury to Amos.
I know it's pilloried by the majority on here but I'm gutted we're out as saw it as a good opportunity to get to Wembley and be competitive rather than just to make up the numbers like we would have done if we had beat AFC and played Spurs at the weekend.
Agree that Marshall is frustrating, I was very excited when we signed him but have been really disappointed so far.
Last night was his best game yet but he still seemed, particularly in the first 25 mins, to have little confidence and often he didn't look as though he actually wanted the ball. He also has that frustraiting habit of trying to do complicated stepovers to help beat his man, causing him to look down at the ball, when, if he lifted his head up, he would see that there is a pass/cross/shot on that he could make straight away.
Thank god we lost. Now instead of a day at Wembley we can concentrate on finishing lower to mid-table in the division and congratulate ourselves on another season consolidating our hold on League One status.
First half was promising, albeit frustrating with so many Kashi passes going backwards/astray, and there was an air of confidence after KAG scored, but the game got slower as our midfield over-thought the passing. Oxford were always going to push on more 2nd half, and we encouraged this by dropping deeper. The equaliser, sadly typical of recent goals-against, with no discernable cover, tracking or attempt to tackle, with their guy getting goal-side of AD and having the pace we lacked. The last 20 was all attack by us but, as usual, no finish, with wasteful efforts by JDS, Marshall and Reeves. Good to see Phillips in goal, inspires confidence, commands his area, good distribution. Reeco and Lapslie contributed well, Josh didn't look overmuch bothered- a couple of 20-yard sprints to arrive too late, but off the pace where it mattered.
Comments
First half, good
Second half, not so good
Marshall and Dasilva had lots of space to attack and KAG and Mag looked dangerous.
Good goal from KAG which we didn't build on.
Reeco is very good in the ball, not quite there with his link up play and passing.
Reeves should have dominated in a five but was flat.
We missed Kashi when he went off.
Dijksteel looked very good but for their goal which I think was their first real chance.
Konsa was my MOTM just ahead of a very solid Philips who distributed the ball well helped by formation.
2nd half Oxford adapted and we lost momentum without Mag, Kashi and KAG but the game was still even and we might have won it.
Terrible penalties which we clearly missed on purpose so we went out.
Finished with a very young side and while I want us to win every game I wasn't too bothered driving home.
Met the Oxford chairman in the car park, nice chap.
Napa ended up appearing for Oxford early in the second half and then Mehmet (Seems he tried to disguise himself by adding an "i" to the end of his name) goes and scores the winning penalty!!
The less said about the penalties the better but seeing Jackson heading up to take the first one didn't exactly fill me with confidence and his kick went exactly as I expected-smash down the middle / hit the keepers legs. If ever a shoot out summed up where a club was, that was it.....
A couple of other observations: I am desperate to like Marshall and think he will come good for us but he continued to frustrate last night, with some good things mixed with some bad. Maybe we're setting our expectations too high on a lower league winger?
Same for Reeves-gets in some good positions but doesn't always make the best decision.
Thought Ezra, Aribo and Dillon Phillips looked good and it is a particular shame for Dillon that we're out as can't see him getting any game time again this season save for an injury to Amos.
I know it's pilloried by the majority on here but I'm gutted we're out as saw it as a good opportunity to get to Wembley and be competitive rather than just to make up the numbers like we would have done if we had beat AFC and played Spurs at the weekend.
Last night was his best game yet but he still seemed, particularly in the first 25 mins, to have little confidence and often he didn't look as though he actually wanted the ball. He also has that frustraiting habit of trying to do complicated stepovers to help beat his man, causing him to look down at the ball, when, if he lifted his head up, he would see that there is a pass/cross/shot on that he could make straight away.
leaguetakeover speculation.PS No post match views thread?