Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

Who on Earth is fit in defence then??!?! God knows. With the injuries I would go with this..................


...........................Nicholls.
......Joyce....Murphy......Willis...........Mcinty re.
....................Barnett........Hatfield.
......Devitt...........Lindfield...............Gra nt.
.........................Podge....................


Subs

Bavs
Craney
Evans
Hopper
Guthrie

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

Annoying thing for me.........

With the likes of Winnard, Hessey, Hughes & Coid we have a cracking looking side !!!

Come on the patched up reds :)

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

Hell of a task fer a patched up side.:eek: Meself i would give Craney first 60 mins, instead of Barnett.

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

Really dont think Ian is fit enough to play an hour yet mate !

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

Also heard an interesting Tom Bender rumour......................... ;)

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

Fair enough if he aint, but first 45 then,;) whats the Bender rumour?

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

He is North West Bound aparently........................ ;)

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

Hoping that Bavo is ok to play. Lee Nicholls is talented but in my eyes, the team misses Ian. He has his faults but he gives his all for the side and the players respond to him. We're going to need that kind of character to take us through the tough times ahead. For this reason I agree with Cashy about playing Ian Craney. Unsure about the speculation based on a rather vague tweet by Tom Bender, but we can hope.

So, here goes:

GK: Dunbavin
RWB: Barnett
CB: Murphy
CB: Willis
LWB: McIntyre
DM: Joyce
CM: Craney
CM: Hatfield
RW: Devitt
LW: Grant
ST: Lindfield

Joyce to sit just in front of yet another fresh pairing at centre-half; hopefully breaking up the play before it gets to the last line. In theory, this gives us an Italian back three which enables us to play wing backs in Barnett and McIntyre. Going forward, we have more than enough attacking players to move the ball well and cause problems in the final third. Lindfield has really impressed me in recent performances.

Cooky really does have an unenviable job picking the team for tomorrow.

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

I honestly find it absolutely staggering you put Bavs in after the amount of mistakes he has made this season.

Ian C is nowhere near fit enough to start either.

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

My reason fer starting wi Craney,is the football we have produced in the first 45 mins of last 2 games, I think is tailor made fer craneys style of play, fair enough substitute him when he gets knackered.:)

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

Whilst Craney has talent........................

1. He is clearly overweight.
2. Has not started a game for a LONG TIME.
3. When was the last good spell he actually had in the side.??? 12 months ago, longer.

For me, on the bench. Chuck him on with 20 to go and maybe he can conjure up something.

As great he was in the Conference side. Has not contributed enough this time around. Simple.

Swansea, Huddersfield, Morecambe and Fleetwood all realised the same.

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

I offered to play right back, as long as they move the game back 30 years ago :)

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

I like Joycey at RB, has played there before and for me personally has not been his usual self in the last few games in the middle of the park.

A pairing of Barnett & Hatfield looks fine to me. :)

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

The Gills main goalscorer is clearly overweight.;)Consistency i agree aint his strongest suit, but hes had some good moments since he returned, n whilst were clutching at straws wi players at the moment, Craney to me is one of the few remaining ones that can win a game simple as.

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

Rochdale, by any chance? :o

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

Classic underdog stuff for the Reds tomorrow night

I am looking forward to it no expectations will be good to see some of the fringe lads get a chance to stake a claim and maybe something beyond the end of the season?

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

Not if he wants to improve himself.:D

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

I thought the transfer window shut last week?

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

I like Shakers attacking formation. Not sure about Craney. I think he's only fit enough to hang about up front waiting for the ball. I know what Cashy means he can be a game changer, but quite a luxury who the others have to carry. Hatfield could be the new Craney (but with running legs). We need to roar the lads on tomorrow night, no matter what the score. They will need our 12th man....like never before.....

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

Comes with a guarantee of League 2 football just over the horizon ......:o

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

I disagree with Craney being past it. He had people slagging him off all last season and although he may not be the box to box midfield dynamo he once was, he remains one of few players we have who can turn a game in an instant with a piece of magic.

I recall last season he did naff all for months then thumped in two wonder goals in a week to grab us 6 points (think it was Torquay and Crewe at home.... I'm too lazy to Google).

Although I can understand why he irritates people. He is one of these players, who has such a laid back demeanour it is easy to tag him "lazy" which isn't always true.

But all in all if the walking wounded men in red snatch a point tomorrow it would be a great result.

No more of this please :hesoff: :)

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

Good man Alvin agree 100%.;)

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

i aint got a problem with Craney but I wouldn't start him purely because he isn't fit and we can't afford to lose another big player for the sake of a quick fix - and the attacking players aren't really a problem at the moment.

Joyce to right back, Merf and Willis at Centre half and Kev Mac at left back (gives us a kinda English back four ;))

Grant and Devitt wide, Hooper/Hopper wotsiface protecting the back four, Amond and Hatfield in front of him and Lindisfarne up front

as for goalkeeper? Dunbavin. T'other fella doesn't seem that clever anyway so why upset your own player for a borrowed one? we may need to free up loan spaces anyway

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

Kenny Arthur... 'nuff said. :tongue:

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

I would have Kenny back tomorrow!!

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

Without Doubt, were is he now?:confused:

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

i'd be giving the young ginger lad ryan hopper a game in centre mid. We're gunna finish mid tabel so might as well give the youngun's a chance to shine.

gk:Nicholls
rb:Joyce
cb:Murphy
cb:Willis
Lb:Mcintyre
Rm: Devitt
cm:barnett/Craney
cm:hopper
lm:Lindfield
St:Amond
St: Grant

4-4-2 basic football. Winners :)

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

Well if you believe everything you read on Wiki, he's still technically at Grimsby but "In January 2012, Arthur was told he could leave Blundell Park if a Scottish club wanted to sign him on a free transfer".

I wonder if the same'd apply if we stated an interest? I know Kenny has mentioned he'd like a move back to Scottish football, but surely he'd still have a soft-spot for us? Or is that just wishful thinking... lol.

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

Freeeeddddoooommmmmm!!!!!

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

I'd have Kenny back in a shot.

without the injuries though please

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

Would also like Hopper to get a chance.

Along with Willis :)

Both looked good V Oldham in the Lancs Cup !

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

Liddle's back so straight back in one would imagine

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

why? nowt against him or his coming back but why does Willis not get given a go? If he's crap then let him go and save the cash, if not get him on!

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

I think the words......... Clinical + Finishing sum up the game. Though with a patched up defence I think we didnt do THAT bad. 1st 45 minutes was pretty dire, but with a great save from Clarke and the goal line clearance we could and should have scored.

They had three decent chances and scored two, we had five and scored none. Story of the game for me.

Nicholls hardly made a save all night. (Though he did well when called upon)

Liddle looked massively off the pace for me, agreed with the Willis point, why keep him and not play him????

Thought Lindfield did ok in a VERY unfamiliar role. Nice to see young Hopper get a chance, and by no means did he look out of place, well done lad.

As for Grant's miss............. Oh dear. Why try and smash it from there??? That goes in, makes it 1-1 all to play for.

Well done to the Oxford fans who travelled in a decent numbers for a Tuesday night.

Much work to do at the back for Saturday.

On Stanley On.

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

Don't think we did as bad as score suggests, considering a defence that aint played together, Smudge sums it up pretty well, We aint got a finisher,Ignore mole its just a rodent anyway.:rolleyes:

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

They actually played better than I expected with the team they had out. Not sure what work they can do at the back before Saturday, won't it be the same personnel given thats all they have available ?

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

I thought our performance was better than expected after all the injuries and Toto's ban. We played some good football at times. Murphy looked quite composed at centre back and Linfield was my man of the match at right back. With a bit of luck we could have been two up before the gift goal for Oxford just before half time. For me, Liddle had played really well up to that point. I felt we should have been one up at half time which would have reflected the play in the first half. Some our passing from midfield was still going astray and it was another mistake that led to Oxford's second goal. In all honesty the ref should have blown for a free kick to us just before this. Not blaming the ref for the result but he did not have a good game. He seemed to be waiting for the Assistant Ref on the main stand side to make decisions on fouls. Bobby Grant and Jamie Devitt had good games and we do seem to be developing some threats down the wings. Wish we could just get a lucky break and for something to go right for us. However, we have to stop giving the ball away, through loose passes in midfield which simply put us on the back foot in our own half. Keep the faith. On Stanley On.

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

I still can't believe we didn't get a goal there.

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

We thought the game shaped as a spectacle second half,when I thought we played well and with a lot of heart, even after the second goal they made chances and kept their heads up. The Oxford goals were down to composure in the end,something maybe we lacked in the box,. but apart from that they offered little.Their keeper made one excellent save second half.
I didn't feel Liddle did too badly, he might have seen a bit laboured at times but I thought he defended solidly and his distribution was sound. Just felt a bit , well, sad tonight we lost. The BBC had us down as 70/30 possession tonight- thought we bossed it but who does these bloody sums? Has anybody ever met any one who actually does these calculations for a living?

Anyway, was cheered up utterly by some fantastic anti-Westley bile on Radio Lancs on the way back over the hill , sometimes you just feel so smug following the Reds. I just hope that when he signs on the dole he remembers that 'attitude is more important than ability'.
Any way roll on Saturday, maybe the ball will run for us then, it just didn't seem to run at all tonight.

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

I hope the dole make him stay until 5pm when he's signed on ...

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

It was a strange experience for me last night as I was struggling to get either of my 2 hearing aids to work for more than about a minute, so I missed whatever atmosphere was going on. Like watching footy on TV with the sound turned off - horrible. I was really sorry for the lads as they gave their all in a patched up side 100% without getting the little bit of luck their efforts deserved. Agree about Lindfield and thought he was a revelation at right back, one of the rare breed these days who can actually tackle. None of this backing off stuff followed by the winger getting a cross in which drives me nuts. He was great going forward too, and on that showing I would consider giving him an extended run in that position if I were Cooky. Choirboy is right about us giving the ball away though - arggggh!
Hearing aids OK now. Think they got too hot and sweaty on yesterday's big walk along the Dalesway in upper Wharfedale..

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

How long is Toto suspended for? Is he back for the Wimbledon game?

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

No 3 game ban.

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

3 Games

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

I wouldn't disagree with a word of that.

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

BBC Sport - Accrington 0-2 Oxford Utd

BBC bias - views from the dressing room not ours yet again. Wilder dissing our wonderful pitch, too!!

Re: Oxford United Match Thread..............
 

BBC Sport - Highlights: Accrington 0-2 Oxford Very unlucky bring on the Wombles:)