Match Day Thread versus Oxford

After an enforced lay off here we are again. Oxford were a strong side last season but somehow haven't started this one off quite so well to follow it on. I still think anyone on their day can beat anyone else in this league but I will still go for a Home win. Argyle to continue where they left off.





COYG

 

Talk of Oxford having a few players out because of injuries....we'll see in a moment or two.

 

Cooper, Gillesphey, Scarr, Butcher, Edwards, Hardie, Mayor, Mumba, Azaz, Randell, Lonwijk.

Subs
Burton, Houghton, Wilson, Ennis, Cosgrove, Whittaker, Galloway.

 

.........................................................................Cooper

....................................Lonwijk......................Scarr........................Gillesphey

...Edwards,,,,,..............,,,,,,Randell.................................Butcher.................................Mumba

................................................Azaz..............................................Mayor...................................................

........................................................................Hardie.......................................................................

 

0-0...H/T.

 

1-0...Whittaker...70 mins.


1-0...F/T

 

Not as convincing as we expected but just about deserved against a team who after all are in the top 10.

I understand the need to spread the load of a long season but we need to start our best 11 and at the moment that means Morgan Whittaker MD not Azaz and Ennis or Cosgrove not Hardie.

Better at the back perhaps against less menacing attackers.

Adam Randell. Superb.

 

Another clean sheet and a single goal achieved another 3pts....and kept a 100% home record....although Argyle didn't play to their ability......a win is a win.

 

I would have been hard pressed tonight to pick a MOM. Stilll not sure which one. My son said Scarr but I didn't notice him that much so maybe that's why he was. It was hard fought tonight and Argyle huffed and puffed against what I would describe as an average side. They weren't bad but on the other hand were not tearing up trees either. We should have been home and hosed at halftime if truth be told. That's the huffed and puffed bit. We had decent chances but I think all of the Argyle players were wearing each others boots rather than their own. They had a couple of chances but we defended most things well. Second half and it started much the same. But, finally we managed to put one in and that was that. They never looked much like scoring except for one glorious chance. The boy skied it from a couple of yards over the bar. It was a slide in but on another day when you aren;t in luck it goes in. After that we controlled the game and were favourites to score another rather than them an equaliser. Comfortable in the end.

 

I forgot to mention the minutes silence and singing of the Anthem tonight for those interested. It was impecable. I could not bring myself to do the God Save the King bit but remained standing and quiet whilst those who wanted to did the deed. They did it very well and I think a lot were putting two fingers up to the FA who clearly didn't trust them to do it on Saturday.

 

I did stand and sing in my computer room Mr. Sensible at 7am.

 

And I'm sure you did it very well also BC.

 

With a 7.45pm kick-off time BC....I would have thought that Vancouver time would have been 11.45am ?

 

From the TV vantage point, Scarr was outstanding - won everything in the air. I thought the three of them did well as a unit.

We can't complain so far: 3rd and a little gap between us and those behind. The result at Charlton is a blot on the landscape. We'll lose now and then for sure but hopefully not as catastrophically as that.

What I neglected to say earlier is that what we have achieved so far has been with real problems at wingback. I'd bet a small sum of money that had Joe Edwards had the chance that came to him in the middle of the first half on his right foot and not his left, we'd have been 1-0 up quite early on. Similarly, he'd have got better crosses in throughout. Edwards & Mumba both did OK under the circumstances but obviously Edwards is compromised on the left.

PS I can speak with some authority on this subject as when I started playing for my school, I was given a No 3 shirt. I'm so right sided that I don't get issued with a fork at mealtimes but wherever I played thereafter, it always seemed to be on the left. It's infuriating as every time you try to pass or tackle you're on your wrong foot. As nobody that knows me says, without that 3 shirt, I'd have been a Premier League multi-millionaire.

 

At your age you would have just about earned the deposit on a Fish and Chip shop or the purchase price of a taxi..........

 

Looking at this video again....how did the referee miss the nailed on penalty against Lonwijk....he was dragged to the ground by his shirt....were his assistants getting a speck out of their eyes or something ?

 

How did he not spot the two footed lunge by Brown on Mumba at 80 mins? He booked him but from the TV angle it was quite clear he'd gone in completely airborne with two straight legs and feet raised. That's a leg breaker and a rad card.

Also, when normally you aren't allowed a quick free kick even if the ball's 15 yards BEHIND where the offence occurred (as happened to us v Derby), how did he come to allow Oxford to take a free kick without warning just as their substitute put his foot on the pitch? That led to them hitting the bar from 2 yards and could have cost us at least 2 points.

Consistency. We need consistency all the time.

 

The Ref is generally crap in this league and the Linos are even worse. The one on my side of the pitch is hardly ever up with play and on Tuesday missed numerous clear off sides. We should be used to it by now.

 

The offside thing is a shocker. We usually sit not a million miles from you and we always get that one where you're looking right along the line, you can see it's offside and yet you can see the lino out of the corner of your left eye 5 yards or more behind the play....

What we need is a system of cameras sending video to a conference room full of referees who review these things and can even hold the play up for 20 minutes trying to decide if a protruding hair on the striker's right knee cap was in an offside position or not... no, wait... hasn't that been tried?

 

The thing about VAR is that it takes away the pleasure people like me have at shouting obscenities at the man/woman with the flag. I don't want VAR at any price but I do want a lino that is half way fit enough to keep up with play. They will make mistakes regardless of fitness but maybe not quite so many.