A write-off?

Feeling unhappy, to varying degrees, at the final whistle after an OUFC game has become the norm. Sometimes, such as after Shrewsbury, I’m seething with anger, ready to boil over, ready to argue the toss with anyone about anything. On Saturday I felt totally pissed off, as you do, but have just about become resigned to it all.

For a while now I’ve been asking myself at what point will I write this season off. (By write off I mean give up all hope of a top seven finish). Yes, even I have had a tiny bit of hope up to now; but no more.

Had Darryl Eales, Mark Ashton and Michael Appleton written this season off all along under the misconception that they will be able to recruit and build a Barcaesque side for next season to win the League at a tippy tappy canter? Deluded of course because there are no players on this planet with the skills to play in the Champions League but who are willing to perform at places like the Crown Ground Accrington on League Two salaries. And if the season was written off from the start, more the fool those of us who keep paying to be disappointed week after week after week.

I sincerely hope that any write off by the owners / management has not been done in such a blasé fashion as not to factor in relegation as a risk.

Defeated by an awful side

Cheltenham tried to pass the ball from the kick off. We closed down and took it off them; an encouraging start.

The Robins were probably the worst side we’d come up against all season. They looked all over the place. Perhaps they were confused by our different approach; three at the back with Jon Meades and THD at wing back. Or more likely they really are garbage. They had not won in the League since 21st October.

We were utterly dominant but only managed one goal on 20 minutes. (13 in 12 home games – not good enough). The referee did well to allow play to continue after a foul on Andy Whing and when the ball came to Danny Hylton after James Roberts’ shot was saved, he didn’t panic, sized up the best option and placed the ball perfectly on Wes Burns head.

We didn’t get another and often didn’t take the right option with way too many shots being banged at a defender stood a few inches away with not the remotest chance of scoring.

Even though we were doing quite well it was again noticeable that we were playing it around in dangerous areas at the back and looked none too comfortable doing so. I could tell that Chey Dunkley wasn’t happy with this and saw him telling his team mates so on at least one occasion. He’s still got the “if in doubt get it out” mentality that he has brought from Kiddy of the Conference. That will soon presumably be coached out of him. And in my opinion will make him a worse player. It is better to concede possession 80 yards from goal than 20 yards. It is a no brainer.

But on this occasion my concern was not great because Cheltenham were that bad I didn’t think they would be able to take advantage. Wrong.

The equaliser was snappily hit from one of their new scouser recruits but Ryan Clarke should have done better. It was out of keeping with anything they had done before but by this time they had come into the game a bit more.

Their second was down to poor marking at a corner, taken short. Again perhaps Clarke was at fault but there is the suggestion of a deflection.

If we had anything about us we would have seized back the advantage in the second half. But we didn’t. We’re a team that lacks backbone. Amongst many other bad things we’re rather jellyfish like.

They had us sussed us out and looked more likely to add a third on the break than we did to equalise. We were so poor we gave a team devoid of all confidence their confidence back.

Deluded

The post match interviews made me want to scream. Here are a few quotes, almost but not quite word for word.

From Johnny Mullins:
“In the second half we played at 100 miles an hour. We lacked patience and composure”
“It didn’t really drop for us”
“They got a goal from a fortunate turn and strike ….”
“For whatever reason it didn’t happen in the second half. We believe in what we’re doing and will keep doing it”
“We weren’t laboured in our play in the second half”

And from Mapp:
“We lost a little bit of concentration in a small period in the first half”
“We huffed and puffed in the second half. Sometimes we’re trying to do things too quickly”
“We were trying almost too hard”
“I felt we should have scored 2 or 3 in the second half and with the right people in the right areas I’m sure that will happen”
“The message (after the game) was that in the second half we needed to calm down. It was 100 miles an hour. With composure we would eventually have won”
“I’m here to improve a football club and win games of football”
“I thought we were outstanding for half an hour”
“As for the fans if they are prepared to stay patient they’ll get their rewards. If they are not they will continue to boo. So be it”
And when asked if we had overplayed defensively he said “no”

How deluded is all of this? Or is it me and like minded fans who are deluded?

I thought we were laboured. I thought we were slow. We nearly always look slow when compared with the speed with which other teams launch their attacks. And how is this playing football in all areas going to work with the pitch continuing to deteriorate? It’s already sandy. Open your eyes man and acknowledge the facts.

Patience? This is our 5th season back in the League and we have not once been in the play-offs. Appleton has had 24 games now. All this jam tomorrow doesn’t wash with me. Next it’s the January transfer window, then it’s rebuild (again) in the summer. Then it will be you’ve got to give this new team time to gel. I see nothing from Mapp that suggests he can get us into League One.

Match day experience

I’m not even sure my match day experience at the Kassam is any better this season under Appleton than it was last season under Wilder. Happy times are fleeting. Walking past the boarded up Priory, the building site, the fly tipping towards the ground gets more dismal by the week. Going up the steps to the SSU there was no buzz whatsoever. I’ll give the East Stand its due for making a discernible noise at times but there’s only so much you can do. Should I mention the saying “you can’t polish a turd,” here? No that would probably be going too far.

There were times when it was possible to hear the shouts of the players on the pitch as if it was but a park game, the atmosphere had dropped so low. Don’t blame the crowd. Blame the layout of the stadium and what was happening before us.

Nearly every time I go out now, be it to the pub, for a meal, to the theatre or to see a gig I get much better entertainment and value for money than watching my football team. I wish I could report otherwise but that’s the way it is.

A further run down on a few players

Clarke: Obviously had one of his poorer games and never looked assured. But has been a great keeper for us and when I hear that he needs replacing I think that is probably just the frustration of the day coming out. I think he’s the least of our worries. But when the whole thing is built on sand individual performances start to suffer.

Jake Wright: Is another who has come in for recent stick. Like everyone else he has off days but again I think this criticism is unfair. Overall he’s been a tremendous servant and consistently one of our better players since he’s been here. To get a caller to Radio Oxford who has only been to two games this season being hyper critical is very wrong in my view. I think part of the problem is that JW is trying to do everything humanly possible to put the manager’s philosophy into practice by receiving the ball from Clarke in very tight situations and in trying to play his way out of trouble when a size 12 through the bloody thing is what is required. Quite possibly Applecrumble (as someone has called him) is turning our Captain into a worse player.

THD: He saw so much of the ball but often had little support because we don’t really play with understanding and don’t appear to be forming meaningful partnerships anywhere on the field. Give him his due, he kept at it and covered some ground but I don’t think he looks to be as good as when we first got him.

Whingy: After his horror show against the Shrews he improved at Plymouth but had gone backwards again this time with evidence to support the case for his removal from the starting line up. An early mistimed tackle which resulted in a yellow card may have taken the edge off his game but that doesn’t account for misplaced passes.

Josh Ruffels: For the first half hour I thought he was our best player; busy, picking the ball up and distributing it without losing possession. But to bring things down a bit it was pointed out to me that he didn’t really create anything and when he’s played alongside Whingy that becomes something of a sterile area. But hey, never mind, as long as we keep possession that’s ok.

James Roberts: Having sung his praises, he had a largely anonymous game.

John Campbell: In the few seconds he had on I thought he looked out of his depth. Early days, early days.

Wes Burns: Better than many but at times too greedy.

Appleton – In or Out?

In my head an “Appleton In/Outometer” has formed. The extreme scale at either end is 10. At present I’m a “7 Out”.

During the week I caught up on the lengthy Radio Oxford interview with Mapp. Whilst having immense sympathy with the man for the way in which his playing career was ended by botched surgery, I found it very noticeable how highly he rated himself. He reckons he can coach with his eyes closed and has a sixth sense about it all. Apparently it is all about implementing HIS philosophy and a certain style of play because he thinks it will get us out of the next division very quickly; the next division in his head being League One. He’d do better to open his eyes and actually watch a few Conference games and instead of applying a “sixth sense” give commonsense a little run out.

Is there anything I’m looking forward to?

Well, yes, the comeback of Will Hoskins, the first sighting of Patrick Hoban, promised new signings that we have not yet seen perform. They always have to be given a chance and may, just may, be some kind of solution. Solution to what though I’m no longer sure.