City v Oxford Utd Matchday Thread

[geoffwp]

I think the scales for this season are very much weighing in sweenz favour. We seem to have had far more positive comments about his contributions than negatives and there have been enough times where he has been the glue holding our defence together. On that basis I'll cut him a lot of slack for yesterday's **** up.

 

[Red Bill]

Shame we couldn't have extended our run to 10 games and keep the too half position, but I thought the game was exactly what any outsider would have expected. A team with nothing more than pride to play for, who didn't all look too bothered (Sweenz in particular), against a team with everything to play for who clearly wanted it much more.
I actually though we started OK, but the mistake by Sweenz completely changed it. First half it didn't look like we were too interested in progressing up the field and everyone seemed to want 3 or 4 touches before moving the ball on, usually sideways or backwards.
I disagree with those saying the penalty was soft, for me standing right behind the goal, it was a penalty all day long and if it had been the other way round, everyone in the home stands would have been screaming for it.
The ref and lino on the cowshed side were truly awful which didn't help, but in all honesty the Oxford defence were having a pretty easy time of it anyway in the first half.
I thought the game was crying out for an attack minded player who'd get at their defence, and when Rabkine came on he provided just that and we looked much more of a threat, which made the game far more exciting.
When we signed Carroll in the summer, I thought wow, what a signing, but in all honesty now I don't really care if he stays or goes. He just seemed to bring the game to a standstill every time he got the ball. I thought Watts looked to be trying hard but was pretty ineffectual and the formation first half did no favours to either Cox or Harris. Ali looks to be a great signing and with more time to bed into L1 football and a full pre season, he could well be a star player next season.
As I said at the beginning, a bit disappointing that we couldn't have at least have got a draw to keep the run going, but the much better second half meant I still had an enjoyable afternoon.
This has to be considered a successful season, would have been nice to get top half, but we've improved both points and position on last season, despite the terrible run before Christmas, and 13th is still our 4th highest ever in the 4 teir structure. UTC!!!

 

[Egg]

A team with nothing more than pride to play for, who didn't all look too bothered (Sweenz in particular), against a team with everything to play for who clearly wanted it much more.

I think you're being a bit harsh on Sweenz, who, it seems to me, has bee running on empty for a while now.

As I recall, in the last home game he went down two or three times before eventually bowing to the inevitable and coming off; he was pictured in a protective boot in the post-match celebrations after the Port Vale game, having turned his ankle in training 24 hours earlier; and was plainly struggling, again, before he came off yesterday.

 

[Bridgy 81]

I’m not using hindsight to try to be clever but I would have thought that yesterday’s match would have been an ideal one to have given Fitzwater a runout.
Sweeney has been injured and Fitzwater had to be subbed early recently for tactical reasons in one of his rare appearances.
As he’s due to be with us next season as well it would have been worth having a longer look at him in a big game.
Plus he could have played on the right enabling Aimson to play centrally.

 

[Grecian Max]

Carroll finds a team-mate with unnerving consistency

Only the short balls, continually gave away anything over 15 yards yesterday

He's not a bad player, far from it - my issue is we are obviously paying him big money for us and he does a job that any mid ranking ball-ticker-overer in League 1 could do

Woods, on the other hand offers far more expansive options

I honestly believe Carroll was brought in to replace MacDonald and he's failed with that, becoming instead a short ball (back to Jules, back to Sweeney) merchant which could easily replaced..... IMO

 

[grecIAN Harris]

I’m not using hindsight to try to be clever but I would have thought that yesterday’s match would have been an ideal one to have given Fitzwater a runout.
Sweeney has been injured and Fitzwater had to be subbed early recently for tactical reasons in one of his rare appearances.
As he’s due to be with us next season as well it would have been worth having a longer look at him in a big game.
Plus he could have played on the right enabling Aimson to play centrally.

Fitzwater plays down the middle where he played last week. Aimson was deployed right in part to use his pace to deal with Murphy.

 

[Colesman Ballz]

This has to be considered a successful season, would have been nice to get top half, but we've improved both points and position on last season, despite the terrible run before Christmas, and 13th is still our 4th highest ever in the 4 teir structure. UTC!!!

Actually it is the fifth highest ever. In three consecutive seasons from 1978/9 we finished 9th, 8th and 11th, then under the Cheese we also recorded an 8th place finish although that had followed a last day escape from relegation and preceded being relegated 12 months later !

 

[Bridgy 81]

Fitzwater plays down the middle where he played last week. Aimson was deployed right in part to use his pace to deal with Murphy.

Seems odd to me then that of the thirteen players we currently have signed up for next season three of them have central centre back in a three as their preferred position.

 

[tea stand]

The first half 'playing out from the back' or more accurately 'playing around at the back' doesnt work. The 'out' bit often doesnt happen and usually ends up with unnecessary pressure, poor balls and ultimately goals conceded. Oxford may be a good team, they may be better than us but we didnt do ourselves any favours with this type of play.
Glad that second half started differently, we were a much better team and at times caused them problems.
I was really hoping we would upset their party! and their Harris, what was he all about?

 

[grecIAN Harris]

Seems odd to me then that of the thirteen players we currently have signed up for next season three of them have central centre back in a three as their preferred position.

I'm not sure why you find that odd when we play with three central defenders and we have six. Aimson and Sweeney can play to the right. Chieck and Fitz are central and Jules and Purrington play to the left side but all of them are central defenders.