FAN’S VIEW 22/23 – No.38 – CAMBRIDGE AWAY

If we think we’re bad – and we certainly are bad – what does that make Cambridge?

Since we beat Ipswich in the fog we’ve lost five and drawn one, scoring three and letting in 11.

Cambridge last won on Boxing Day. Their previous win was two months before that.

They’ve lost eight of their last 10 and drawn the other two. In that period they’ve scored four and let in 16.

Am I confident? Confident in this Oxford team? Of bloody course not but given the opposition’s form and where they are in the League I couldn’t resist 6/5 on us winning.

It is nigh on impossible to write anything positive about the first team at the moment but not so the U18s who are doing our football club proud. Quarter finals next in the FA Youth Cup away at Manchester City on March 4. The same day as we have a League One fixture at Sincil Bank. Decisions to be made?

CAMBRIGE UNITED 1 OXFORD UNITED 0

This is another I don’t intend to spend much time on.

We gave our usual haunt, the Cambridge Blue, a miss this year and instead visited Calverley’s Brewery & Tap Room and the Geldart in the same area. Both are well worth a visit, the latter’s hand pumps are musical instruments.

The conversation of one group of Oxford fans in one of these establishments whilst discussing their itinerary included “where are we going for a drink from 3 to 5 o’clock?” Humour is very much needed where we’re at but despite whatever anyone might think, I travel away with the dwindling yellow army first and foremost for the football.

This was the typical OUFC same old same old performance. When I saw our starting line-up I wanted 20/1 not 6/5. Too late to get my money back.

All teams get injuries, some expected, some not. Luck probably plays a part somewhere along the line. To have lost Tyler Goodrham was a real pisser. He’s the one player who has entertained me the most this season.

As for the rest of it? WTF? Chop and change game after game after game. Shape? Pattern? Understanding of what we’re trying to do?

Josh Murphy at right wing back????

Apposite

Tyler Smith again as a centre forward alongside Sam Baldock.  Add them both together and perhaps we’d have the physical bulk to challenge an average L1 centre-half. Smith’s a crazy signing; Baldock not what we need right now. But we have not got what we need right now. We know that in a team playing good passing football with some pace and creating chances a match fit Baldock would be a great asset. Perhaps Smith too. But we’re anything but that.

I can’t think why we didn’t start with Yanic Wildschut if only for his bulk.

Then there were the substitutions. Taking Lewis Bate and Kyle Joseph off? Okay they hadn’t been great but I’d argue they’re players more likely to do something than certain others.

It only took us eight minutes to go behind. A corner with a slight touch and that was it. That’s all it takes. For the rest of the game I thought we defended pretty well. Credit to Sam Long, Ciaron Brown and Elliott Moore but knowing what’s in front of them they must feel utterly dejected.

We had 58% possession. We made 405 passes to their 292. Our passing accuracy was much better than theirs – 72% to 58%.

Apparently we had three shots on target. I can’t remember them. Did we make Cambridge keeper Dimitar Mitov earn his wages?

Confession time though, I might have missed some of the action. (Action ?? – from us, got to be kidding).

In normal circumstances I only take a comfort break before kick-off, at half time and after the final whistle. Here though I was looking for any excuse not to have to watch what was going on. I went out a couple of times whilst the game was taking place. I had no desire to get back to my seat quickly in the full knowledge that we weren’t going to do anything positive. Also tellingly there were other Oxford supporters out the back chatting and buying pies who appeared to have no interest in the game.

We’ve been brought to this.

The old argument that the fans have to really get behind the team in times like this doesn’t really wash with me. Booing the players doesn’t help obviously but when we see the same failings over and over it is nigh on impossible to portray genuinely positive support. Anyway the opprobrium was, as far as I could tell, directly aimed at Karl Robinson.

And rightly so. Nothing personal but how can anyone argue with the facts knowing full well that we’ve recruited terribly, are performing terribly on the pitch and are going backwards? Rapidly backwards hurtling towards relegation at an ever increasing pace.

One point from 21 available. Can’t beat other very poor teams below us in the table. Have a decent budget compared to these. Are paying one player £12k a week with others on a good wedge too. Have played more games than every team below us other than bottom placed Forest Green. Have lost six more games than we’ve won. Haven’t even made it into double figures in the wins column yet.

Get rid of Robinson? There’s always the “but who else do you bring in?” question. For a while now for me that has very much been the only reason to keep him but even I think I’ve gone beyond that. I suppose there is the cost of getting rid. Depends what’s written into his contract. I’ll never know the pressure of managing a Football League team. I imagine it is immense but they’re well rewarded for it. Robinson has got another year after this one.  Pity there’s not a break clause based on abysmal performance as shown in number of points gained over x number of games.

I can’t detect anything other than he’s lost the fan base.

Has he lost the dressing room? It’s been said the players are playing for him. Well they’re not playing very well for him at all. I doubt they believe in him and his methods. Perhaps for those who are putting in a shift and are trying their best (and I have no reason to believe any are doing anything other than that) it is down to professional pride and nothing to do with the manager.

Any positives?

The pie at £4.50 was very tasty. Proper meat. No gristle.

Marcus Browne returned. I’d like to think this is something to enthuse about. Never seen him as a team player though and overall have been a bit disappointed in him. At the moment we’re not playing as a team. I can’t envisage him bringing that about.

We got a few minutes out of James Henry again. Something had gone amiss with him before he took a break and he has looked nothing like the player of old but I thought there were a few encouraging signs.

What we need now is experience. He certainly has that.

We also need grit, determination and a fighting spirit. Have we got that?

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Loyal fans. All arms folded in resignation to the outcome. All having the life sucked out of them watching their football club.