|
|
Post by OohMac on Mar 12, 2024 10:05:42 GMT
Well no matter what happens we won't be out of anything tonight and we can still say "there's a lot of games to go, you need to stay by us" but in reality I think its obvious that unless we win we aren't going up.
The were still 3rd crew haven't realised we've failed to see off Barnsley and now Peterborough are back in.
As said we've only beaten a 10 man(no keeper) Derby with a fluke of a goal. Play offs won't suit us when we can't beat the teams around us.
We have to win. Maybe with the 3 strikers we have. No goals and cannot complete 90m none of then. It may be time to go 451 with Ramsay out wide and maybe Williams wide left to JDB. Collins maybe saved for 2nd half or Derby.
None of the midfield lend themselves to playing more advanced really. Or do we think a Sheehan/Morley could play behind Collins.
Well 6 points needed really in these two and then a break and hopefully someone can return.
|
|
|
|
Post by realtrottersforever on Mar 12, 2024 10:50:21 GMT
well, we're odds on faves at 8/11. Oxford 15/4, but not sure the bookies are truly factoring in the recent form and the personnel changes behind that. i had a look at the soccerbase player filter. not used it for yonks. www.soccerbase.com/teams/team.sd?team_id=354&season_id=156&teamTabs=resultswin % with Coleman and without. with = 47% with Baxter = 65% but then you've got to use your knowledge to make that make a bit more sense. take out the mickey mouse games in efl tin pot cup that Coleman played in. purely lge games only. played 9 . won 3. so win % down to 33%. HALVED !! drew 4. lost 2. the 3 wins are 2 vs Cambridge and 1 vs Wycombe. how many clean sheets in those 9 ?. just 1. home to cambridge, where he didn't face a shot on target. Evatt tried to put it down to a bad 5 mins against Exeter, but they had more shots on target than us. 7 to our 5. we didn't protect the keeper well enough either, and in the end he made one or 2 very good saves. in the 1st half he was well protected . we're down to just 3 strikers.... or 2.5 maybe, for Jerome  or 2.25 even . in a funny way, it might well help Collins. all the chopping and changing hasn't let them build partnerships and get bedded in etc. it feels like that Doug-loss Freedman promotion attempt when, whoever had scored the previous game would almost certainly be dropped for the next one. Oxford don't really impress me. they just don't have the threats they had when they had Matt Taylor banging in the goals. Brannagan has 9, but 7 are from pens. Mark Harris has 9. could be one to watch, but can't say i've noticed him watching the weekly hi-lites show. Rodrigues and Goodrham also 7 and 8 between them. their away defence ain't great. 3 clean sheets in 18 games. and none of them against the top 8 away. prediction. i'll go 2-1 win but could be a very nervy one. oh btw, Evatt saying get behind the team. we will if you play a decent style. circling it round the back 3 for the first twenty mins would kill any atmosphere. |
|
|
|
Post by davidm on Mar 12, 2024 11:58:02 GMT
It’s getting a regular thing this but, again, this is a must win game.
We have a load of difficult matches between now and the end o f the season so we must take advantage of being at home.
Of the promotion contenders, we also have the hardest match:-
Carlisle v Barnsley
Derby v Reading
Portsmouth v Burton
with Peterborough v Stevenage tomorrow.
Team wise, I would expect the same back 6:-
Coleman,
Jones, Toal, Santos, Iredale, Williams although our manager does seem to chop and change at wing back so Dacres-Cogley, Ogbeta or Ashworth may get a start.
I expect the same midfield – Sheehan, Thomason and Maghoma
With Bodvarsson and Collins upfront.
I seem to be in a minority but I like Collins. There is something about him that shouts goals to me. We haven’t seen them yet but he has a bit of class about him.
Not an easy game tonight with Oxford desperate to get back into the play-off spots. They have been out of form (like us) until the last 2 games – a win and an unlucky defeat at Portsmouth.
We desperately need a win so I go for an extremely nervy 2-1 win.
|
|
|
|
Post by OohMac on Mar 12, 2024 12:37:07 GMT
My worry with playing Bod and Collins is that it gives us no serious alternative. Ideally they get us a good lead and we can rely on Jerome and an other for respite but if we need a goal there's seriously no viable option. So that makes me wonder if we could start one of JDB and Collins and bench one for in case. (And also with one eye on Derby)
Think the injuries have once again shone a light on the woefully unfruitful B Team set up. Who's playing up front for them and can they really not be considered above Jerome?
|
|
|
|
Post by whitesince63 on Mar 12, 2024 12:37:37 GMT
I agree with you on Collins David, he does have something about him but we’re not really seeing it yet as I don’t think he’s really sure where he should be and he hasn’t been able to formulate a relationship with anyone else either so it’s all a bit piece meal. I actually thought he was just starting to blend with Victor so I’m really disappointed that we won’t now see that with Vics injury. It’s surely time for others to step up now and if we are going a bit more direct for players to be encouraged to shoot more instead of pass pass pass. I’m usually confident and I’ve no doubt we’ll be better than Oxford but will we score is the question? I’ll be positive and go with your 2-1 forecast but it will be a nail biter all the way and certainly not a surprise to me if we don’t win.
|
|
|
|
Post by riochforthereebok on Mar 12, 2024 13:24:07 GMT
How’s that for sitting on the fence W63😂😂😂 are you going for a win or not???
Some on the BN are going for Jerome and Colin’s up top!!!!
Yeah
I know
I thought that too😂😂
Jerome to start🤔🤔🤔
Although, you’d think with his experience he’d be able to manage a below than average Oxford defence, in the same way he did v AccyStan when he looked ok
On the emergency striker loan option which Evatt completely flat refuses to do, there’s been some agreement here and there that Derby’s signing of Dwight Gayle is a Paul Warne master stroke (I do)
I won’t predict a win tonight, because I can’t predict a goal scorer and I think we’ll fall short.
Coleman and the back 3/5 worry me every game and after 37 games already, we still haven’t perfected the Pep Play Out From The Back system (mind you, neither has Pep)😬
The so called ‘quality’ we have in midfield (Sheehan GT Morley Mag) isn’t it about time they started acting the part, crikey, they’ve had enough chances to achieve consistent rave reviews and they haven’t yet
Actually think OoooM’s 4-5-1 option doesn’t a bad idea at all, but who would be the ONE??
How’s that for negativeness🤔🤔
0-0 at best
|
|
|
|
Post by OohMac on Mar 12, 2024 14:40:35 GMT
The only case I could make for Jerome to start would be it gives us a choice of brining on a striker capable of changing the game. And if we were to get a comfortable lead we could save that option to keep fresh for Derby.
How many minutes do we think Jerome can put in though. Genuinely looks spent after 10m of football. One run and done.
If it was 451 the 1 for me would be JDB because I do think he's the best finisher. And the wider play, I would hope means more crosses into the box. Also Collins may be able to play in that wider position as he has good delivery.
I think our best threat comes from Toal. Again I'm not sure why Santos can't chip in more like Toal does.
Have talked myself into it as do think it makes most sense.
Coleman
Jones Toal Santos Iredale
JDC/Ramsay Sheehan Maghoma Thomason Williams
Bodvarson
But if its the same old then
Coleman
Jones Toal Santos Iredale Williams
Sheehan
Thomason Maghoma
Dempsey Collins
|
|
|
|
Post by chip on Mar 12, 2024 16:49:14 GMT
I'm back at home for this tonight and after watching the Exeter game back in full our defence was crap with our goalkeeper being villain/hero in the same game I really don't know were the goals are going to come from as the last of our so called strikers have about 4 or maybe 5 goals between them all season and Ian isn't worried, well I am could this be the end of our challenge who know's COYWM
|
|
|
|
Post by whiteofthesouth on Mar 12, 2024 17:51:49 GMT
In my view, Collins has disappointed so far. Yes, he looks skilful, the goal he scored was exquisite and he has a very smooth style, but there’s also something rather casual about him. Those little flicks and back heels just aren’t coming off. Maybe it’s because other players aren’t used to him yet and aren’t anticipating them, but they are losing us possession high up the field and we on occasions we don’t deal well with fast turnovers.
However, fundamentally, he’s not (yet) scoring enough goals.
|
|
|
|
Post by whiteofthesouth on Mar 12, 2024 17:59:13 GMT
Regarding general goal scoring, it’s true to say that our only fit strikers haven’t been prolific. However, we’ve had an excellent contribution from both midfield and defence. I think we will find ways to score despite the problems strikers are having. However., we do need to tighten up our defence.
Coleman is by no means a terrible keeper, but he’s not as good as Baxter. But can a L1 team really expect to have two top class keepers. Coleman looks a good shot-stopper and his distribution has largely improved, although he was undoubtedly responsible for putting Thomason’s into a bad position for the opposition goal the other week. The problem he has is positioning. For example, he shouldn’t have been lobbed for Exeter’s first goal on Saturday.
|
|
|
|
Post by OohMac on Mar 12, 2024 19:13:06 GMT
Coleman isn't great. He fumbles quite a lot. His positioning, its like he's opened a can of red bull. Its given him wings and he's flown miles out from where he needs to be.
But what GK is going to come here. His agent will say "they have Baxter and they don't name a keeper on the bench" so expect that's the calibre we can expect a home grown lad probably signed for a short commute and spend more time in his garden.
We need to change that policy otherwise we'll only ever have 20 year old kids or 38 year old men happy to train and have weekends off.
|
|
|
|
Post by whitesince63 on Mar 12, 2024 19:18:13 GMT
To be fair wots there are better rated keepers than Coleman who’ve made blunders and despite a couple of mistakes I’ve been overall pretty happy with him. Conversely I’m not happy with our defence but I consider that’s as much due to it constantly changing and Rico looks way off the pace and whether it’s still from his injury or just a lack of form he’s been nowhere near the rock he has been. Obviously up front we’re very light now but as you say we have other players in midfield and defence who can score for us and we need that tonight because a win is essential if we’re to continue our push for top two. One of the top boys will slip up tonight so let’s just hope it’s not us?🥴
|
|
|
|
Post by riochforthereebok on Mar 12, 2024 19:43:24 GMT
I thought we’d gone to 7:45 kick-offs!!!
Any reason for the change to 8 or has it always been 8 and I’m not with the program
|
|
|
|
Post by OohMac on Mar 12, 2024 19:53:28 GMT
I thought we’d gone to 7:45 kick-offs!!! Any reason for the change to 8 or has it always been 8 and I’m not with the program On Sky. |
|
|
|
Post by riochforthereebok on Mar 12, 2024 20:03:50 GMT
I thought we’d gone to 7:45 kick-offs!!! Any reason for the change to 8 or has it always been 8 and I’m not with the program On Sky. Oh That’s a bad omen is it🤔 |
|
or 2.25 even 
