Dejection for Oxford United (From Oxford Mail)
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Dejection for Oxford United
7:40am Monday 22nd March 2010 in
BOSS Chris Wilder said his Oxford United players “are a frustrated group”, after they saw their promotion hopes dip further with yesterday’s 0-0 draw at Tamworth.
The U’s are in third place in the Blue Square Premier, for the first time this season, a point behind in-form Luton Town and three behind leaders Stevenage.
It was Oxford’s fourth game without a win, and they are losing ground in the race for automatic promotion, increasing the pressure on them to now win Wednesday’s game at play-off chasing Rushden.
“We have to go again at Rushden,” Wilder said. “I’ll take a win, however it comes.
“We’re a frustrated group at the moment and we’ve got to get over that quickly.”
Oxford had opportunities to win yesterday’s game at The Lamb ground, with the returning James Constable a real threat in the first half.
“I thought he was tremendous in the way he went about the game and the chances – and on another day those go in.”
Wilder chose to keep his top scorer on for the full 90 minutes, even though the player looked very tired near the end.
“The boy ran out of steam. It was a difficult decision for me because he’s not trained much, but I didn’t want to take my leading scorer off.”
Getting goals has become a problem for Wilder’s men, and some supporters are feeling dejected.
The manager said: “I understand the fans’ frustration. I’m frustrated myself.
“Tamworth started brightly and then I thought for 35 minutes we were exceptional, created chances, but ran into an inspired goalkeeper again. Obviously, him getting man-of-the-match tells its own story.
“In the second half it was even, but I thought we lacked a bit of belief.
“There were times when we thought it was not our day and we’ve got to overcome that.
“There’s not a lot wrong with the players’ desire, the players’ attitude, and we need them to calm down a bit.
“People outside the dressing room don’t realise how desperate these boys are to do well. I know because I’m working with them.
“They’re hurting, but there’s still ten games to go, and we’re three points off the top.
“Luton are on a charge at the moment, which I fully expected them to be from the start. They’ve taken a bit of a while to get going.
“Maybe with another team in and around, it will take the pressure off us a bit, and we can get going.”
l Match report & fan’s view: Pages 38-39
Comments(16)
pater mcvey
says...
1:27pm Mon 22 Mar 10
rickenback
says...
1:42pm Mon 22 Mar 10
amershamdave
says...
2:46pm Mon 22 Mar 10
pater mcvey wrote:Two things about this comment.
Hey we can all look forward to a local derby soon. Not Swindon but the short journey To Oxford City. C'mon you Blue and White Hoops.
1. Quite funny really!
2. I wrote in lasy week, where I thought that OUFC didn't really want promotion in the early Eighties (according to a quote from the OM). We all suspect that Ka***m will milk us dry if we go up. I really hate saying this - but I don't think Oxford want promotion:
1. They are prepared to let us pay the same price as this season if we go up? Higher league = higher costs all round to the club. Doesn't make sense!
2. Playing not to lose, not playing to win? Duh!
3. Falling out with our players? Do they know something we don't?
4. Every week we have people moaning about our team. We're not all miserable gits (inc. Richard from up North) We all love our team/club. I think Oxford fans are the dog's Bol****s (meant as praise).
5. If Oxford can't afford to go up because of the bogey man (Curse-him) they should have the guts to admit it. I'd still love my blo**y team - so would all of us!
OslerRoad
says...
3:43pm Mon 22 Mar 10
If there is another logical explanation behind our down turn then I cannot think of it……
We build a team that storms the second half of last season, then dismantle it…..we build a team that storms to the top of the table first half of this season, then dismantle it.
We refuse to play contracted players over loan players that appear to be significantly weaker and with less desire to do well for the club (Grant for Midson).
We spend money on players (a luxury most clubs in this league don’t have) and then never play them (Cook).
We announce a season ticket price freeze regardless of 10-11 status.
We vote to expel Chester and lose points, we then initiate an appeal against our own decision ?
All it now needs is Luton in the Play Off Semi Final and Mick Brown gives them more than 1500 tickets or if true to form the whole of the North Stand.
Oh and by the way…..it will be very tight for Oxford United's March Player of the month presentation this Saturday, as I gather it is to close to call……………
………
Basham or Yemi !
martico1
says...
4:11pm Mon 22 Mar 10
Come on guys - just lay off! All this 'conspiracy theory' stuff takes us precisely nowhere: so let's all go to Rushden and get things back on track, then be ready for a big win on Saturday.....
Kent Yellow
says...
5:11pm Mon 22 Mar 10
Wilder
Has
A
Tendency
In
Signing
Generally
On-loan
Ineffective &
Not
Great
Overrated
Numpties
Please CW, can we at least go out with a bang than a whimper.
peter carton
says...
5:54pm Mon 22 Mar 10
All is not yet lost-though I do wish Jack midson could have a run to get some form going instead of Grant who seems to have left his scoring boots at Aldershot.
I still fancy us to win this league and we can do it without supporters booing the team as on Sunday. That helps nobody.
Extra Weetabix all round on Wednesday please CW.
Kent Yellow
says...
6:32pm Mon 22 Mar 10
peter carton wrote:Yep, I think the only thing you have missed is that a month or so ago, we were 5 points clear with a game in hand.
Have I missed something here-despite current loss of form the last time I looked we were third, within three points of top and still have to play the leaders and lots of points to play for. Yes, we are going through a poor spell-as a lot of leaders in other leagues have done- and perhaps because we are changing the team a bit too much but a run of a few wins and we will be top again. maybe CW should go for broke and stop being so cautious. All is not yet lost-though I do wish Jack midson could have a run to get some form going instead of Grant who seems to have left his scoring boots at Aldershot. I still fancy us to win this league and we can do it without supporters booing the team as on Sunday. That helps nobody. Extra Weetabix all round on Wednesday please CW.
We are now lagging and to be honest, unless things change, I really can’t see where the next win is coming from.
Why has this happened? I’m not one to believe the conspiracy theory but factually:
- There have been too many changes. Period.
- Too many average on loan players brought in (with the incredible help of the 12th man) who have quite simply, dress it up as you will, have been p**s poor. Fact.
- Let’s look at them, F Green...striker, midfielder? Who knows. CW thought so much of him he got him on loan then signed him permanently without him even making an impact. Sodje...hardly set the world alight. Fowler... Fowl-up more like. Grant...we will see. Cook – is he still alive? Wright...is he better than the Beast??? Cain.....????
- Why sign get all these players on loan or permanently if they don’t ADD something we did not already have?
- Why was Foster booted? Funny how things have gone markedly downhill since he went...
You still fancy us to win this league? An interesting comment – I really wish I could agree with you. Can you explain how you still fancy us to win this league when we cannot score in a brothel right now???
It would be a fair enough comment if others were slipping up – but they are NOT! Momentum and belief is what it is all about right now, and at the moment we have none, others have lots.
So, praise be to CW in the good times – and deservedly so - but likewise, NO praise to CW right now.
I will fully back the boys in every game until the last kick, but unfortunately, it would appear that the marvellous efforts of the 12th man have actually buggered us up this season ultimately, courtesy of CW’s tinkering.
A final thought. Though we will never know, wouldn’t it be ironic if the efforts of the 12th man ultimately prevents us from going up, due to CW’s over meddling in something that needed only fine tuning?
oxspurs
says...
7:05pm Mon 22 Mar 10
hughcurran
says...
7:07pm Mon 22 Mar 10
STFC-Steve
says...
9:32pm Mon 22 Mar 10
amershamdave
says...
9:59pm Mon 22 Mar 10
STFC-Steve wrote:Listen, sonny; the old song went: "Swindon ran, Swindon sh*t - Oxford were the cause of it! Na na na na, na - na na, na - na!
Awwwwww, where's the violin?
amershamdave
says...
10:18pm Mon 22 Mar 10
hughcurran wrote:You and me are thinking the same, Hughcurran.
we've gone from good to decent to poor & now bl--dy awful!....please chris tell us whats going on? this is more than players having a ''dip'' in form!....have the decency to tell us whats really happened!.....we the fans are not stupid....tell us NOW please.....we spend OUR money on this club.....TELL US......
Being older fans of the club, we only want what's best, don't we?
I've said before - I'll keep saying it till he's gone - Curse him Kassam is the spectre lurking around our club.
Man. U and the Glazers. Liverpool and Gillett, Gullett, gobble, whatever.
Chester and Vaughan. Portsmouth and the whole world. Big money men? BOGOFF! (Not buy one get one fu**ing free, just bog off!)
pater mcvey
says...
10:22pm Mon 22 Mar 10
STFC-Steve wrote:To be honest mate. I would prefer to stay non-league, than have to live in that sh!thole of a town that you call home.
Awwwwww, where's the violin?
amershamdave
says...
11:37pm Mon 22 Mar 10
pater mcvey wrote:Actually, Pater, he doesn't admit to living in Scumdon, but he confesses to having a deluded mental condition. That is - a team who are 2 divisions higher than us attract an average of just a few more than us and they think they are more popular than us. Our fans come from up north (hi Richard), down in Kent (yellow) America, Botswana, the moon,etc. AND WE'RE ONLY NON-F***ING LEAGUE!
STFC-Steve wrote:To be honest mate. I would prefer to stay non-league, than have to live in that sh!thole of a town that you call home.
Awwwwww, where's the violin?
Come on you Yellows!
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rickenback says...
11:59am Mon 22 Mar 10