Oxford United boss Wilder calls out for a hero (From Oxford Mail)
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Oxford United boss Wilder calls out for a hero
9:00am Thursday 26th April 2012 in Prem & F League
JP Pittman is in contention to face Southend
Chris Wilder is looking for a hero on Saturday to keep Oxford United’s promotion hopes alive with a win against Southend United.
A run of five games without a victory has seen the U’s drop out of the play-off places in npower League Two, meaning they are no longer in control of their own fate with just two games of the season remaining.
Back-to-back wins are needed to stand a realistic chance of making up the two-point gap to Crewe Alexandra in seventh, starting with the final home game of the season this weekend, followed by a trip to Port Vale.
Wilder feels there has been little wrong with recent performances, but with an entire season on the line, admitted it may need something special from an individual to beat high-flying Southend.
He said: “It’s the 45th game and we’ve still got a chance of promotion. It’s not the way we would’ve liked, because I truly believe we should have been settled in the play-offs.
“But it’s not (the case) and we have to take that on the chin and affect the next two games.
“I’m desperate for us to finish on a high at home. Hopefully we’ll have a big crowd and the players can put in a performance, maybe somebody will come out of the pack and be a hero.”
Jon-Paul Pittman and Damian Batt will both be available for selection after missing the 1-1 draw at Plymouth with minor injuries.
James Constable remains a doubt after picking up a thigh problem at Home Park, but it is not believed to be as serious as first feared and the top scorer could be available this weekend.
With United having to rely on a favour from elsewhere to reach the play-offs, Wilder knows even some of the club’s own supporters think it is a long shot, but the United boss is fired up to prove the doubters wrong.
He said: “Other people may have written us off, a certain few of our own supporters might do the same and think that’s us done and dusted.
“Out of a little bit of adversity you have to show your true colours and your true character.
“We’re all together and whether people have their views about where we’re going to end up, we have to do it for ourselves and ram certain comments down people’s throats.
“We can only do that by showing the same commitment.”
Comments(40)
yellowhoods
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11:15am Thu 26 Apr 12
northampton yellow
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11:21am Thu 26 Apr 12
Major Oxford
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11:47am Thu 26 Apr 12
Abingdon Voter
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12:09pm Thu 26 Apr 12
Abingdon Voter
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12:09pm Thu 26 Apr 12
BigAlBiker
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12:09pm Thu 26 Apr 12
Major Oxford wrote:I agree, he is tactilly inept and plays (in my opinion) the wrong tactics in this divison, 433 will get you nowhere when others over run you in midfield, its either 442 or 4141 to outwit quick fit teams.
Wilder out if we dont make play offs
Thanks Chris, but your time is up.
Major Oxford
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12:10pm Thu 26 Apr 12
mandate
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12:34pm Thu 26 Apr 12
We have a huge fanbase that is worthy of many clubs in the Championship. With upwards of 9-10,000 fans expected to attend saturdays game, we deserve better.
Apart from the thousands of loyal fans, everything about the club is below par. We are still in League 2, we still have a 3 sided ground and worst of all we constantly are told that the club is ambitious, but nothing is done to fulfill these ambitions.
I feel it is time for massive changes at the club. Fresh blood is needed in all departments, even at the top.
If Oxford United FC is to move forward then heads have to roll.
martico1
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1:03pm Thu 26 Apr 12
Manor Born
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1:14pm Thu 26 Apr 12
Stick him on the bench and if we're losing, throw him on with 20 minutes to go. He'll inject some youthful enthusiasm into the side and as I say, has nothing to fear. He can't do any worse than those older, more experienced heads.
But, no matter who plays Saturday, we have to get behind the team. The last month has been a massive disappointment, but now is the time for the team to come good. Remember Crewe travel to Torquay on Saturday and they could easily lose or draw that game. We get the result we need against Southend, it's back in our hands...
Supporters should get behind the team and the manager. We have two games left, two massive games. Win them both and we will be in the League Two play-offs. Did anyone realistically think we would ever say that only 3 years ago?
Just think how much Luton would give to be in our position right now...
Major Oxford
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1:31pm Thu 26 Apr 12
Adman
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1:32pm Thu 26 Apr 12
Taffy Duck
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1:36pm Thu 26 Apr 12
How many managers/years had we gone through since our last successful period under Denis Smith? At least 15 years and I have lost count of managers, so in all your wisdom the answer is to risk halting the progress (and we are making progress year on year) under CW. You are the same type of fans who would have called for Fergie's head 25 years ago.
CW makes mistakes, but as long as we keep on progressing we will get there.......do not forget that we are only one league away from obscurity! Remember how easily we got sucked into the conference........bu
t of course, we are too big to go down in the same way we are too big for league 2. Wake up......have you learnt nothing from the last 15 years?
adlibber
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2:02pm Thu 26 Apr 12
yellowhoods
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2:06pm Thu 26 Apr 12
LeGod
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2:07pm Thu 26 Apr 12
I feel it will be a long time until we play you again.
PAOLO DI CANIO
FOREVER IN OUR SHADOW
LeGod
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2:11pm Thu 26 Apr 12
Southend will have 1000 there so wheres all theso called Oxford fans unlike us we have sold out for saturday just under 15000 for our game.
THE REDS ARE GOING UP
yellowhoods
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2:18pm Thu 26 Apr 12
mandate
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2:34pm Thu 26 Apr 12
I just feel that if the club wants future success, it has to constantly make changes for the better.
Chris is not a bad manager. The problem is his inability to get the best out of his players.
Good and capable strikers are the difference between failure and success.The mental mind set of our strikers is something that Wilder has failed to address.
We have had the talent here (Matt green, Jack Midson), both players went on to score goals for fun after they signed for new clubs. Wilder failed to realise both players potentials and accordingly wasn't able to give them the confidence to raise their games.
JP was on loan to Crawley earlier in the season, and he came back a better striker and he was filled with confidence.
Booing the players is perhaps not the best way to address the recent blip, but the fans are only reacting to the mediocre performances of certain players (strikers).
We need a manager who can put things right. Is Chris Wilder the man to do this?
gnash21
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2:41pm Thu 26 Apr 12
COYY
yellowhoods
says...
2:50pm Thu 26 Apr 12
gnash21 wrote:Another dreamer, swindon will win the title, and we will bottle the play offs, wilder must go!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nice to see Scum fans reading the OXFORD Mail again. Everything will be ok just have faith. Could be worse could be fighting relegation. COYY
LondonOX
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3:05pm Thu 26 Apr 12
Major Oxford
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3:10pm Thu 26 Apr 12
yellowhoods
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3:19pm Thu 26 Apr 12
Major Oxford wrote:London ox sort your life out you mess.
we should get di canio in when wilder leaves he aint good enough for league 1
LeGod
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4:34pm Thu 26 Apr 12
WE ARE GOING UP
This makes up for all your gloating earlier in the season when we started the season badly and as i kept telling you lot its a marathon not a sprint and cream always comes to the top.
We will have new players coming in and Paolo has laready been inundated from agents whose players want to come to us - so be prepared you OX fans be very prepared because we are on a roll and heading even higher so sorry we will be leaving you behind.
adlibber
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5:09pm Thu 26 Apr 12
BigAlBiker
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5:19pm Thu 26 Apr 12
Our top man has 11 all year, not exactly league 1 style is it?
Time to learn how to play simple effective football and score goals.
CW is I think past his sell by date.
LeGod
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5:29pm Thu 26 Apr 12
ers-Plymouth and whichever teams dont make it this season.
Rotherham with fat boy evans will be the tam to watch as he has money and a new ground and despite my total dislike for him his team will be challenging if not made favourites for next season.
CamView
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5:31pm Thu 26 Apr 12
disco80
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9:50pm Thu 26 Apr 12
Wilesy
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11:44pm Thu 26 Apr 12
Wilder out? I'm not sure, you all know best, but on the 2 derby games I've seen this season he got big results, got you the bragging rights and you looked a good defensive unit.
If you get to the play offs I wouldn't back against you based on those performances, and in any case should you not make them, keep Leven, add one or two strikers and you won't be far short next season.
Fair play to Crewe, they are the ones who have come good when it matters, and once again have unearthed a 16 year old talent, and it may be that if Oxford are to reach the play offs then you have to actually overtake Cheltenham who are in free fall.
bigchet
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9:31am Fri 27 Apr 12
Major Oxford
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9:55am Fri 27 Apr 12
Pep Guardiola seen in the bowlplex at kassam
Wilder out
Manor Born
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12:53pm Fri 27 Apr 12
For every Alex Ferguson (who very nearly got the sack before his first cup win) or Brendan Rodgers (who was sacked by Reading before going to Swansea), there is always going to be a Darren Patterson, Graham Rix, Brian Talbot, Ian Atkins, David Kemp, Mark Wright, Bill Asprey, Mick Brown. The odds of appointing someone better are remarkably low.
Year-on-year, we have finished in a higher position than the previous season under Chris Wilder. That suggests to me we are making steady progress in the right direction and it certainly does not warrant the dismissal of the best manager we've had for over a decade.
History shows that the most successful teams are the ones with stability, who don't make knee-jerk reactions and who, in times of adversity, stick to their guns, stick to their objectives and see through the "sticky patch".
We have played well on the whole in the last 3-4 games, but haven't been able to make the most of the chances that have come our way. Forget Midson - he showed against us both times exactly why we let him go - he was ineffective and didn't look that bothered both times. Did he even manage a shot in either game? Too easily bossed about.
As for Matt Green, he's scored goals in the Conference, but has never really made it in the Football League - why were Torquay happy to let him go after they won promotion? Because they knew in order to progress, they had to and could do better.
We've been unfortunate with Craddock's injury this season. He's a natural goalscorer and may well have got the goals that would have turned some of those draws into wins. As said, previously, maybe it's time to stick the young lad Marsh on the bench and give him a run out if needed.
The amount of injuries we've had this season, would have derailed most teams. Look at the sides at the top, they're the ones who have been able to consistently name a corps of key players week-in-week-out. We've not been able to do that. Clearly this is something that needs to be addressed in the summer. What is the fitness/conditioning coach doing? The amount of strains, sprains and pulled muscles has been ridiculous.
Simple man
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6:30pm Fri 27 Apr 12
Anyone who actually knows a little about lower league football, overnight success doesn't happen without a price, and that usually means a struggle next season - is that what all you Wilder haters want?
It staggers me how some OUFC fans have such short memories. Do you really expect us to go from lower conference to a stable L1 team in 4 years? And what would happen if we were in L1 mid table... Would you all be moaning that we weren't pushing for Championship?
Enough of the moaning, and get behind your club - team and manager.
the wizard
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9:43pm Fri 27 Apr 12
Manor Born wrote:You list a load of managers, but the choice of a replacement is down to the Chairman, and the board, and the applicants have to meet the ambition of the board, pay peanuts and you gets monkeys, well that is a bit harsh but you only get what you pay for.
Ok, all you "Wilder Out" folk, who do you replace him with?
For every Alex Ferguson (who very nearly got the sack before his first cup win) or Brendan Rodgers (who was sacked by Reading before going to Swansea), there is always going to be a Darren Patterson, Graham Rix, Brian Talbot, Ian Atkins, David Kemp, Mark Wright, Bill Asprey, Mick Brown. The odds of appointing someone better are remarkably low.
Year-on-year, we have finished in a higher position than the previous season under Chris Wilder. That suggests to me we are making steady progress in the right direction and it certainly does not warrant the dismissal of the best manager we've had for over a decade.
History shows that the most successful teams are the ones with stability, who don't make knee-jerk reactions and who, in times of adversity, stick to their guns, stick to their objectives and see through the "sticky patch".
We have played well on the whole in the last 3-4 games, but haven't been able to make the most of the chances that have come our way. Forget Midson - he showed against us both times exactly why we let him go - he was ineffective and didn't look that bothered both times. Did he even manage a shot in either game? Too easily bossed about.
As for Matt Green, he's scored goals in the Conference, but has never really made it in the Football League - why were Torquay happy to let him go after they won promotion? Because they knew in order to progress, they had to and could do better.
We've been unfortunate with Craddock's injury this season. He's a natural goalscorer and may well have got the goals that would have turned some of those draws into wins. As said, previously, maybe it's time to stick the young lad Marsh on the bench and give him a run out if needed.
The amount of injuries we've had this season, would have derailed most teams. Look at the sides at the top, they're the ones who have been able to consistently name a corps of key players week-in-week-out. We've not been able to do that. Clearly this is something that needs to be addressed in the summer. What is the fitness/conditioning coach doing? The amount of strains, sprains and pulled muscles has been ridiculous.
As goes the injuries, it is down to fitness, under Wilson, Swindon had repeated hamstring injuries, because the fitness was all wrong, under diCanio, and he unrelenting policy, the injuries have been minimal, which brings you back to the manager, and his team. It's often a package, and sometimes as many have indicated here, despite their success in bringing you this far, this far may be the limit of their ability, so fresh faces needed ?, that is for the chairman and board to decide.
That said, many of you say OU is a well supported club, so do the board look for more backers to exploit this, or , do they look for a ground share to brake the grip, and high rent payments to Kassam, who it seems, saved the club, at a price and now it is drip, drip, drip, paying him back. Perhaps a fresh start is what is needed, anyway, good luck for your last two games, maybe see you next season, with a new manager, somehow, I don't think your Chairman has the stomach to make the change.
A Scroat
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10:11am Sat 28 Apr 12
yellowhoods
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1:35pm Sat 28 Apr 12
Taffy Duck
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1:24pm Mon 30 Apr 12
yellowhoods wrote:Fool......he needs another year, if we do not progress next year, then we miss out on the playoffs, which will not be good enough.
Wilder out, wilder out!!!!!!!!??
It will be time to deliver.
gnash21 says...
9:47am Thu 26 Apr 12
COYY