v Banbury

[Mark44]

There's a big call for some new blood which is understandable but for me just starting the game with Matt Lench and getting Dunny and Floody back to fitness would go a long way to help. 

 

Have to agree on Simon Dunn....we have missed him a great deal the past few weeks

[Reading Rebel]

Really poor performance today, why did we spend the whole game trying to play long ball for Banbury to clear up every time ? When will we learn ? It hasn’t been paying off why not change things around when the game is not going to plan and play the ball on the floor where we play it best, At this rate all our games in hand are going to count for nothing, we did not look like a team competing for the play offs we had no fight and lacked ideas today and it cost us.

 

 

Disagree that we had no fight but agree that we lacked ideas/creativity. 

[Reading Rebel]

Long ball game did not work against a tall and strong defence

 

Not enough shots on target

 

Three/two points lost

 

Beaten on the break to concede a goal.

 

Opposition came with a game plan.

 

Deserved a win/draw but got draw/nothing

 

We go again Tuesday/Saturday

 

Boys played well but did not get the result we deserved.

 

Opposition used game management to see out the game – we did not use game management to hold onto a lead.

 

 

This is turning into a recurring theme and the above are almost copy and paste responses to a large number of league games since the beginning of November, where we have won 5 and picked up either only one or no points in the other 8 games.  That level of performance would put us 11^th.

 

I disagree with Neil and John looking at three players – it should be more.

 

Carry on like this and the likes of Royston or Tiverton will be in the playoffs.

 

 

If only we had a lead to hold onto.

[Reading Rebel]

Have to agree on Simon Dunn....we have missed him a great deal the past few weeks

 

 

IMO Matt Lench and Simon Dunn are not only two of our most creative players but both (Lenchy in particular) pose a real goal threat. 

[HorshamRebel]

Match Photos, including a frame sequence of our disallowed goal

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/horshamrebel/albums/72157665601246948

[Hammer_rebel]

I am so confused! Are they in our kit???

[HEAVY TRUCKER]

why oh why is it when we play teams that have players physically bigger than us do we play the long high ball game, playing to their strengths and not ours, i know away on the natural pitches they do not lend themselves to a passing game (always an excuse at beaconsfield and probably justified) but at arbor park, not convinced.

[Sir Rebel1965]

I am so confused! Are they in our kit???

They turned up in their yellow kit as they did not know we played in amber!  How many times have they played us?

[Hammer_rebel]

They turned up in their yellow kit as they did not know we played in amber! How many times have they played us?

Wow serious how dumb must you be to do that! Fair enough if never played us. But do some research.

[maidenheadrebel]

RR are you seriously suggesting more than one or two players at this time of year! Surely you understand the whole team could be undermined by the wrong players turning up and playing for the wrong reasons. Then nothing will be achieved. The team, club has come a long way in short period of time. Really surprised a few using this forum seem to forget that and the season we have already.

[redwine rebel]

To be fair to our boys one look at that Banbury kit would throw you out Lol!

 

Yellow shorts, our purple shirts and red tops underneath, I mean come on as a kit man you have one job to do how hard is that !!

[Hammer_rebel]

To be fair we should just start again

Jack he doesn’t make saves every time, guy doesn’t throw far enough, dobbo doesn’t score every free kick, Warren doesn’t run fast enough, manny doesn’t work hard enough...... shall I go on?

 

P.s this is a joke. If you touch guy or josh Mum will hurt u and if u touch lenchy I will hurt u. Kids too funny to lose

[Sir Rebel1965]

Seen the video, clear foul on the keeper before ball goes over line by Webb - always going to be a foul.

[HorshamRebel]

A brief point about the football - we can kiss goodbye to the playoffs if we play like that (games in hand or otherwise).

 

Now onto my main point which is the conduct of some of our fans at the end of the match. Rude gestures, effing and blinding, all aimed at their goalkeeper and all for absolutely no reason (there isn't a referee in the country who would have given that goal). It got a bit heated briefly, and many of our younger fans got caught up in the swearing. I'm sorry to say this was more than one or two individuals.

 

Completely uncalled for.

 

I had one fan effing and blinding at the goalkeeper behind me, shouting all of the swear words you could think of, and he was only 5 or 6 years of age !

[redwine rebel]

So before some of you give up on this team totally, just remember we did have quite a few strong players missing yesterday and like it or not that makes a big difference.

 

We need to also remember that they have done us proud in a lot of games this season and we are NOT going to win every game like it or lump it!

 

As for their keeper if he wants to play "silly Mr slow snail" them he's going to get stick I'm afraid as im sure our Jack did at their end.

 

And no I don't agree with really abusive behaviour but instead or airing it on here do as Matt said, if it's that bad do something about it, go find a steward

 

Or do like I did at Gainsborough tell them yourselves!!

[Reading Rebel]

RR are you seriously suggesting more than one or two players at this time of year! Surely you understand the whole team could be undermined by the wrong players turning up and playing for the wrong reasons. Then nothing will be achieved. The team, club has come a long way in short period of time. Really surprised a few using this forum seem to forget that and the season we have already.

 

 

MR, I'm only repeating what our managers have been quoted as saying.

 

You should have read by now either in the match day programme or local rags that we have put in three 7 day approaches because the squad needs freshening up due to some indifferent performances.

 

Of course, for obvious reasons it's more than likely that we will not get all three players that we've approached.

 

You must also trust our managers to find the right type of players who are not only good players but will also fit in with our existing squad.

Edited February 11, 2018 by Reading Rebel

[Curtis]

We are exactly where we were last season...... 27 games & 54 points.

 

We’ve achieved it in a very similar manner..... a very strong first 20 matches and then a fall in form between matches 21 & 30.

 

In all likelihood, our form will pick up again soon, and we will probably finish fifth and be in the play-offs.

 

Whether you are happy or disappointed at this particular point is all a question of your expectations of the Club..... if you spent years following the Club struggling then you might be content, if you have recently become a supporter or have hopes of the Club getting back to the glory days in the Conference Premier then you may be disgruntled.

 

Personally, I would like to see continual year on year improvements on the field, and 4th would achieve that and is entirely achievable with a squad of players which are definitely better than last seasons squad.

[Rebel Nobby]

Start of 2018 we were certs for top 3 seem to have lost our way lately now now on fringes of play offs will struggle unless we find someone to stick ball in net, Saturday was poor at the moment all we got to rely on is Dobsons free kicks

[Irishadrian]

Curtis Good post and substantially correct Some are talking as if we are coming to end of the season and its too late to do anything but we are a handful of games past the halfway point in our season with a lot still to play Do we have a problem? Absolutely Yes After yesterday we've lost more than 50% of all points lost all season since 23rd December! But our managers know this and don't have to rush to do anything Nothing will be resolved till May I'm sure the 3 they have so far approached have all the attributes necessary to fit into the squad On top of that the better weather is coming and we do seem to have a few who don't like getting cold or wet or muddy Reasoned thinking will prevail not knee-jerk panic.

Edited February 11, 2018 by Irishadrian

[3spirit]

MR, I'm only repeating what our managers have been quoted as saying.

 

You should have read by now either in the match day programme or local rags that we have put in three 7 day approaches because the squad needs freshening up due to some indifferent performances.

 

Of course, for various reasons it's more than likely that we will not get all three players that we've approached.

 

You must also trust our managers to find the right type of players who are not only good players but will also fit in with our existing squad.

 

I'm amazed fans were expecting our best football against Banbury, when we are missing our number one striker that of Chris Flood and have issues with Mark Nesbitt, Simon Dunn, Ben Harris, Harrison Gilkes.

 

We also have players that haven't had a lot of back to back game time/minutes ie Alan Inns, Guy Hollis, Nathan Webb, Gavin James,Nathan Smart, for whatever reason and so appear out of sorts, yet we expect them to do the business.

Get real please.

 

I do happen to think that we could have/ should have, got a replacement in for Brad Wadkins a lot sooner, as we've missed out on a big strong presence and a healthy alternative to what we have up front.

 

Listened to the Mike Ford interview [banbury manager] and he was drooling about how good his midfield three were, against Slough's centre midfield of Sean Fraser and Lee Togwell, so perhaps this element has something to do with our lack of creativity,as alluded to by Reading Rebel.

 

I do think our managers are feeling the pressure somewhat, given the high expectations of some of the fans

for promotion.

I, myself, was hoping for a title shot this season but that dream for me has gone. The FA Cup run took care of that.

However, we still have a very good chance of a play off place. May not work out, as high a one as envisaged but still a very good chance of making it in them, nonetheless.

 

Strengthening our squad with new additions seems the right thing to do, given our erratic form but I think we need to be mindful, that changing loyal players for new ones isn't always a recipe for success.

 

To me I would put Harrison Gilkes out on loan for the rest of the season but get him back for next season, as it's a big ask to expect him to be the answer to our prayers currently, and so we should look for another right winger to give competion to Wazza and to give our creativity a boost.

A replacement for Brad is a must,too  especially with the amount of away games on heavy pitches to come, so that would take care of another addition.

 

It seems we are going for three new players, so. I can envisage either Nathan Smart and/or Nathan Webb being let go of.

For me I think both will be hard done by, if they are shown the exit door and I wouldn't be in a rush to get rid of either of them.

 

My choice of player to make way for another newbie, would be controversial, so I'll leave that one for another day !  ha ha ha !