Oxford United v Blackpool Matchday Thread

Setting off in a few minutes. Hopeful of an improved performance today and a good result. Time will tell....
 
Am not sure why but I have a good feeling about this one, I think Oxford might be thrown by losing a couple of players and we should have a bit of energy and competition for places in the side with the new players. Some big decisions for Grayson - just hope he goes with his head not his heart,
 
Yeah pretty confident about today. Think it will be the day we turn it around and go back on a decent run. 2-1.
 
I think the biggest problem Larry will have today is whether to risk some of the players who have arrived in the last week. Can imagine a few noses have been put out of joint with some of these arrivals. For instance would you risk the Bristol City kid straight away, give Edwards (who I think has been unlucky) a chance or Thorniley, who seemed poor last week another go.

For me, the problem remains the fact that we rarely look like scoring and so I would try both Gnanduillet and Madine up front and see if we can make that work. We need a couple of wingers as well to supply them and so maybe he will go back to a 4-4-2? The problem with options is there are rarely more than a couple which are right!
 
My attempt at the line-up today.
Maxwell
Turton Heneghan Thorniley
Feeney Bola
Dewhurst-Hall, Spearing, Ronan
Gnanduillet, Madine.
Bench:
Sims, Ward, Fonz, Howe, Virtue, Nuttall, MacDonald.
 
Does that help with how exposed Bola was in the last game? I haven't the faintest idea now - feels like the start of the season again when you have to look at squad numbers to work out who everyone is!
 
some of the new lads won't have been registered in time?, think they had to be registered by 12noon yesterday
 
Limechase said:
some of the new lads won't have been registered in time?, think they had to be registered by 12noon yesterday
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Doubt the Warrington lad will play. Suppose this will reveal whether Tilt signed on Wednesday for Rotherham as some suggested or if his deal was too late for him to play today as well?
 
I've left Moore out for that reason. Not sure about Howe.
Edit to add.
Husband and Howe are in tbe squad. There's a picture on twitter of their shirts hanging up in the changing room.
 
Seasiders make FOUR changes: IN: Maxwell (debut), Dewsbury-Hall (first start), Feeney and Gnanduillet OUT: Howard, Ward, Delfouneso and Nuttall TEAM: Maxwell, Turton, Heneghan, Thorniley, Feeney, Bola, Spearing, Dewsbury-Hall, Ronan, Madine, Gnanduillet
 
Well as long as we offer Bola a bit more protection then I don't think that's a bad side - wonder if Nuttall made the bench?
 
Not made it today , hope for all there that it's a bit warmer than last season , didn't thaw out until about 9pm . I'll take a draw under the circumstances.
 
Spot on Hertford. I think this has been the real disconnection between the coaching staff and the players. Larry says that he wants them to go out there with freedom and no pressure and yet you can just tell by the way they play there is nervousness and hesitancy. I think Dewsbury-Hall will add that today. We just need to score the first goal and have a decent first 15 minutes on the ball. I think they will feel a bit of pressure today and so I hate to say 'first goal wins' but I can't help but feel that will be significant especially for us.
 
If you're superstitious and you believe in 'lucky ends' - Oxford have been made to switch ends and are so not playing towards the goal they would have liked 😁
 
Early doors but I see Jordan Thorniley was booked in the first minute! Hardly ingratiating himself to the fans and with Taylor Moore waiting in the wings, you wonder if he could be the man that Larry was hoping he'd signed?!
 
Conditions aren't great.. very windy.

Oxford like to pass it about but aren't getting anywhere. We've been working hard and closing them down well out of possession. I'd say a grest start with or without the goal.
 
Jeez that didn't last long - what happened zgire?

According to the Gazette: A goal out of nothing for the home side as Marcus Browne's shot deflects past Chris Maxwell. Cross came from Sam Long down Blackpool's left-handed side again...
 
Sounds like we're giving it a go - some decent play between Ronan and Dewsbury-Hall and I'd imagine with Gnando, Heneghan and Madine up there from set pieces we're a bit of a handful.
 
incredible_edibles said:
Early doors but I see Jordan Thorniley was booked in the first minute! Hardly ingratiating himself to the fans and with Taylor Moore waiting in the wings, you wonder if he could be the man that Larry was hoping he'd signed?!
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Scrafton says he's struggling again in this game. Where has Edwards gone? Not even on the bench.
 
First post on the new site! Are the two lads Ronan and Dewsbury-Hall getting forward much zgire? Listening on the radio and neither seems to be getting many mentions (which might be more to do with the commentators than the two players!).
 
"A free kick played into the Blackpool box is half-cleared to Marcus Browne at the back post, who is left completely unmarked before picking out the top corner of the Pool net. So, so basic."

Strange how our defence has arguably saved us earlier in the season whilst we were struggling to get goals at the other end and now the whole thing just seems a bit of a liability. Apparently the new lad is watching in the stands - shame he's not got his boots with him!
 
Better performance - Maxwell kept us in with a good save from last kick of the game. Two soft goals from poor defensive play -
 
TangerineBayern said:
Need to regroup at half time and hopefully pick up where we started.
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Just annoying isn't it - I said before the game that we need to get the first goal. We do that and then we concede two!! I agree with Morrell on the Radio Lancs commentary that attack is our best form of defence and we sound as if we're a threat going forward. Just hope he doesn't sacrifice Gnando or Madine early doors in the second half.
 
Sounds like Taylor Moore will be a shoe in for Thorniley next weekend.

Elsewhere Ipswich losing at home to Peterborough, Pompey beating Sunderland and the Cods beating Doncaster.
Think I'd take the draw now 😟
 
This, for me, is where Larry can earn his stripes and get some credibility back. Oxford are no great shakes this afternoon and we've had a similar amount of shots on goal, even if we've had less possession. Just need to get some possession and play to our strengths which at the moment, unlike most of the season sounds like it's down the centre. Also important that Larry doesn't start to mess with the formation and subs too much and start throwing players on in blind panic.
 
I wonder if I'd take Spearing off and stick Fonz on just try playing a little higher up the pitch through midfield and let the defenders look after things at the back?
 
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