FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.24: LEEDS AWAY

DES’S DEPARTURE

We’ve all had a bit more time to process this but that still doesn’t make it easy to understand exactly where we’re at right now.

There’s no getting away from the fact that our current form has been shocking. One point from the last six games. One win in 15. In most parts of most games we’ve looked second best. On top of that we’ve not played entertaining football. Many reasons to sack a manager.

But Des Buckingham is a nice bloke. He was liked by the fan base. And why wouldn’t he be? A local lad who got us back to tier two after all those years. It didn’t look like that was how it would pan out initially, but then after that humiliation at Bolton all mostly went rather well. That was over a period of just 11 games in a two month period. A very short space of time albeit a very defining one. These 11 games also included only drawing at Shrewsbury and at home to Stevenage plus being beaten by Lincoln at the Kassam.  

The five nil hammering of Peterborough, clinching top six at Exeter and the three play-off games will go down as some of the most memorable games witnessed by Oxford fans, even those who have been around as long as me. We have to thank Des for these experiences but we’re four months and 20 games into the 24/25 season and look at us. Did our manager get lucky in that Josh Murphy suddenly came to life and propelled us upwards out of L1?  I’ve heard that said but you never hear comments that managers are unlucky if their players perform really badly.

Closer examination of the entirety of 23/24 is quite revealing and somewhat overlooked I think. We’re all supposed to dislike Liam Manning who was in charge for the first 15 games of that campaign. His record was won 10, drew 2 and lost 3. That’s a return of 2.133 points a game. Extrapolated over a season that equates to 98 points. That total would have made us champions. In Manning’s last four league games we only picked up five points and some argued that we had peaked and were going backwards. I wouldn’t subscribe to that because all teams have dips in form. And remember he was achieving what he did with an ordinary unfit Murphy, not the magical version that Des had at his disposal at the back end of the season. Or was it that Des was able to sprinkle some star dust on the now departed winger?

We obviously can’t discount that galvanising effort at Orient when Craig Short’s one game in charge bagged three away points. Without those points we would have been seventh. That though was a one off.

Des was in charge for the remaining 30 matches. His record won 11, drew 9, and lost 10. That’s 1.4 points a game which equals 64.4 over the entire season.

Draw your own conclusions. Perhaps we were blinded by the ultimate success.

I think there’s little doubt that something wasn’t right leading up to him going. Players were arguing with each other on the pitch. The togetherness and everyone putting their bodies on the line that very much helped get us up was noticeably lacking. Probably a lot harder to maintain such input in the Championship. When certain things that worked in L1 aren’t working at a higher level that will have a negative impact and cause crumbling of the edifice elsewhere.

Was Des too nice? Too young? Did he have it in him to give a bollocking when that was required? Some players will react positively to a kick up the arse, others won’t. Some need an arm round their shoulders.

I found it slightly alarming that the players headed way up north for their Christmas bash immediately after losing to Wednesday. Young men obviously want to go out to play but I’d much prefer it if they did their playing whilst wearing the colours of my club. Would a disciplinarian of a manager have told them they needed to be in for training at 8 o’clock on the Sunday morning? What would Fergie have done? Probably have cancelled their Christmas do even though it was in their own time.

Would it have made any difference? If they’re not good enough they’re not good enough. I was having a chat the other day with a few football friends whose opinions I value even if I don’t always agree with. The brutal question was posed “being honest how many of our squad did we think were Championship standard?” 

One or two received a “yes they are” but clearly none are standouts where we are now. Some were “yes, just about.” Others were “don’t think so” and then there was some who “are nowhere near”.

No surprise that we’ve struggled then. So many of the players we recruited over the summer have disappointed. They’ve either not looked up to it or have been more noted for being injured than playing football. Whose fault is that? Is that on the recruitment team? Did Des have much input?

Can a new manager fix things to such an extent with what we have and what we are about to receive in the upcoming transfer window to keep us out of the bottom three? That’s “keep us out of the bottom three” not “get us out of the bottom three” although I very strongly suspect after we leave Elland Road we will be occupying one of the relegation places.

Unibet are giving 22/1 on an Oxford win. I’d wager they’re the longest odds you can get on any away side in the English professional game this Saturday.

The best odds on relegation that a punter can get are now Plymouth 1/3, Oxford 17/20, Pompey evens, Hull 5/2 then QPR 4/1. This was after our new manager was formally announced.

We’re not very good at communication. Poor in fact. Sky posted the news before the club officially did so. But no surprise there given all the club said initially when they told us Des had gone was this, “Oxford United can confirm that Des Buckingham has left his role as Men’s First Team Head Coach. Des was appointed in November 2023 and led the Club to promotion to the EFL Sky Bet Championship at the end of the 2023/24 season. The Club would like to place on record its thanks to Des for everything he has done during his time with us and wish him well for the future.”

It was only after the most dignified of statements from Des himself that we got more on Monday from Chairman Grant Ferguson which included “Although our expectations are realistic, we firmly believe that our current position and recent form are not reflective of the potential this squad holds.  Many factors are taken into consideration with decisions like these but, ultimately, results are the defining one. Given performances over a number of months, and following the recent defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, we as the Board agreed that a change had to be made now.” Yes, absolutely fine with that and very supportive. Probably more helpful if this had been part of the original announcement.

It was also quite telling that nothing came from the players until Elliott Moore “opened up on the sacking” to the Oxford Mail days later. “I can only speak from what I feel on the pitch and around the lads. Something’s not been right, something’s got to change, and whatever’s happened outside, for us as players, we’ve got to make sure that we start turning the tide in our favour.” I went through the whole article where he rightly agreed that the players have a responsibility for the predicament we’re in but my reading between the lines is that he places a lot of it on the now departed manager. “I’ll always say it, the players go out on the pitch. The coach pays a price because that’s the job, but it’s down to the staff and the players that we go out with the best intention and the best idea of how to win the game.”

Pains me to say it but I think the correct decision has been made. We’ll never know what would have been if we’d stuck with the same manager and given him the chance to pick up points in supposedly very winnable home games against Argyle and Cardiff. A Sheffield United supporting friend who saw the Blades beat Plymouth when we were annoying him by losing to Wednesday said they played really well and wouldn’t go down. You can’t take anything for granted in football, although if I was Leeds fan I would have already inked the three points in with a permanent marker pen.

GARY ROWETT’S ARRIVAL

Not unhappy with this appointment – and even if I was it would only be fair to give the bloke a chance. There were names on the list of potential incumbents that had me going “no bloody way”.

Rod Liddle, a sports writer in the Sunday Times (I’ll ignore his political views and behaviour towards women) is a Millwall fan and in the edition on 15 December he wrote about a few of their fans expecting the Lions to be challenging for promotion by playing thrilling attacking football reminiscent of Barcelona at their peak. When they have tried to play that way they have come unstuck and plummeted down the table, the majority understanding that pragmatism and survival is the sensible approach and that Neil Harris their manager was delivering that. Survival was what he was brought in to achieve after they were utter crap under Joe Edwards. Trouble was the owner James Berylson, who took over from father John, who died in 2023 in a car accident, has ambitions more akin to the minority and Harris was side-lined in the acquisition of players. He stepped down on 10 December referring to that minority being “thickos” and was probably aiming the comment at Berylson the younger too. Some people never learn. Liddle writes “My suspicion is that this hankering for an attractive style of play has been the source of tension all season between the chairman and owner on one hand and Harris on the other. Harris understands, as Millwall’s former manager Gary Rowett did, what can be achieved on a small Championship budget.” Got there in the end with reference to OUFC.

I’ll take a steady practical approach for now and the foreseeable as long as it gets us enough points to stay up. Perhaps it won’t be the prettiest football to watch, perhaps not as pleasing on the eye as some of the stuff we’ve been served up in the not too distant past, but what we’ve been subjected to over the past few months has been mostly dire anyway.

From our new head coach in his first local interview “What I want to try and do is play winning attractive football in an ideal world, but at the same time, it’s the Championship and sometimes you have to win games in different ways and you have to be flexible. That’s certainly what I like to try and do.” And “It’s about maximising the resources you have available and trying to outperform the resources you have available, and trying to show a clear ambition and define a way of playing so that the players understand that and can succeed and perform well.” Makes sense.

Before he can get down to work we have that little matter of the trip to Elland Road. That comes under Craig Short. A free hit? What’s the realistic target? To keep the score down probably.

LEEDS UNITED 4 OXFORD UNITED 0

This weekend is supposedly one of the busiest of the year on the roads but no evidence of that here. It took less than three hours to get to the centre of Leeds. Time for a couple of pints but first the car park challenge had to be overcome. App needed. Pay without being timed out. App then refuses to recognise the clearly marked reference number on the signs. I’m convinced this is all set up to catch people out and then fine them £100 (or £60 if you meekly pay up quickly). Legalised robbery. Have we paid or have we not? Have we paid in time? I’m with you Rosey Hudson.

Not all pub prices up north are cheap and not all pub prices down south are extortionate. On Friday I went into Oxford and attempted some Christmas shopping. Largely a failure but I took refuge for a pint in the White Rabbit. Cost of a good drop £4.40. It was more than that in the centre of Leeds. Well over five quid a pint and some around about six quid even with a CAMRA discount.  

But I don’t mind paying for quality and that’s what we got. Leeds is a very good city for drinking top ale. The Bankers Cat is an interesting establishment. A former bank including seating and a pool table downstairs is in the old vaults and former safe. I messaged a mate telling him we were downstairs there. Or rather I thought that’s what I did. I’d actually said “… in the Black Cat.” No idea why and I don’t think I can blame auto-correct. Not that I knew it but there is a Black Cat Club very close by. He went in there and when unable to find the stairs asked where they were only to be told “We have not got a downstairs”.  I had a little chuckle when he eventually found us.

I’ve been in the Head of Steam before and was impressed. Same again this time. The 5% Amber Ale from “Vocation and Friends with FLOC” was one of the best beers I’ve had for a long time. Amber is usually nowhere near my favourite beer style but this was different to the norm. Described as “rich, malty, and fruity” it had the smoothness and tight head of top range stout. (Bored yet?)

As it was too far to walk and we’d only paid (we think) for two hours in the car park we set off again with the driver being confident he’d find somewhere closer to the ground. Risk taker that he is he did. Very close. Up the pavement onto a grass verge behind a burger van. My concern that a tow truck would do its worst and I’d be looking for a hotel for the night or alternative transport home were unfounded. The only downside was it took over 20 minutes to progress less than 100 yards afterwards. No matter, we were back in Bicester before 8:30.

Not knowing for sure where the away turnstiles were I followed a couple of blokes with Oxford scarves. “Away fans?” said a steward. When the answer was yes the yellow coated one pointed the way. I followed. There weren’t many of us. After being searched and walking past a sniffer dog there was a walk along a caged concrete path which I assumed would lead directly to the entrance. It kind of did but not before coming out the other end and mingling with both home and away fans waiting to get in. Many of the visitors I believe had by-passed the route I took. Bizarre.

Inside the facilities were woefully poor. Much too crammed. No room in the concourse. Stairwells so narrow timely evacuation in the event of an emergency would have been impossible. At least on a par with Loftus Road. I actually found my allocated rail seat. If I had remained there I wouldn’t have had a full view of the pitch. The Flamingo Land advert attached to the roof obscuring my view of the far touch line. As there were spaces I manoeuvred myself through the rails into the row in front. Even from there I lost sight of the ball on the few occasions when it went very high. Colin helpfully suggested this edition could be called “Fan’s No View”.

The outcome was oh so very predictable. Yes, Leeds have vastly more wealth than us, are still in receipt of parachute payments, have 30k plus home fans every game and a squad that dwarfs ours in terms of value and ability. These are all givens. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to say unlucky lads you were always up against it or accept any “what can you expect” type comments.

I could accept losing by such a wide margin if we’d done the right things to the best of our ability and had just been out-played by a much more technically gifted opponent. Of course they’re way ahead of us in the skill stakes but we gift so many goals. We don’t do the basics correctly. It is error after error, many of which you can hardly called “forced”.

There was more evidence here that we’ve got players who are nowhere near the standard now required and never will be. We have not learned from our mistakes. We’re riddled with them like woodworm working their way through a previous solid structure – just about everyone is now affected. For crying out loud even Josh McEachran was losing the ball when he came on.

The players came over at the end to clap the travelling support. Fair play to them for doing so. I couldn’t return the compliment. It would have been hypocritical to do so. It had been hard not to shout critically at certain individuals during the game. I did on a couple of occasions. It is all getting to me that much. I’m so frustrated. I’m seeing everything we achieved with the promotion slipping away immediately and without much fight. What a mean spirited Christmas Grouch I am.

I never actually called for Mark Harris to come off but a fair few around me did. I couldn’t argue with that. Dane Scarlett was hardly an improvement and the head scratcher is why the **** didn’t Short start with Will Goodwin or at least give him a run out? He’s bigger, he’s different and would surely offer the chance to try a plan B. If he’s another that’s way off Championship level then let’s get it proven and then get rid. That’s unlikely though as some have shown they’re much more suited to L1 or perhaps L2 yet have still been persisted with. This may of course be because alternatives in the squad are even less viable.

Goodwin was injured when we acquired him nearly a year ago. In that time he’s made one start and come on as sub 10 times. He’s scored one. It looks an absolutely insane signing particularly if we’re not going to use him when the forwards we have are offering nothing. Is he that bad in training?

Shall I go as far as saying we need a whole new set of forwards to replace Harris, Scarlett and Goodwin? But who would take those that are permanent members of staff on loan? And how on earth do you persuade better players to join us on loan or permanently when the window opens? Every club will be looking to strengthen. Plus the chance of signing a proven Championship goal scorer will be about as likely as Prince Andrew showing sound judgement.

I feel sorry for Gary Rowett and what he’s got to work with but surely he can get way more out of them than has been evident in recent weeks. Cameron Brannagan is not the player he was. Is it all getting to him? Is too much of his time and attention being taken up by his Football Academy?

We were under the cosh from the off but when the first Leeds goal came in the 9^th minute we’d been attacking. Us attacking wasn’t something that happened a lot but what happened emphasised the chasm between the two teams. It looked like we were doing okay but we weren’t. Okay in L1 will get points but here being okay is not okay. In fact it truthfully probably lies somewhere between mediocre and poor.

Harris’s first time pass to Tyler Goodrham was moved on down the right wing sending Przemyslaw Placheta away. Our Polish winger now had the chance to show his pace and what ability he has to beat an opponent. He did a couple of step overs and with three defenders converging on him had a shot which was inevitably blocked. To his left was an unmarked Owen Dale. Some may think having a shot in such circumstances is okay. Not me. Maybe harsh but I categorise that as not good enough. When the ball cannoned out it was picked up by Manor Solomon who is on loan from Spurs. I thought Will Vaulks’s attempt to stop him getting away lacked total determination, but referee James Bell being in the way may not have helped. With the pace and incision we can only dream of Solomon was away and after exchanging passes he had got into the final third before crossing low for an un-marked Dan James to slide home from close range. We conceded 15 seconds after Placheta’s shot. The commentator on the extended highlights clip told us there was “nobody anywhere near James”.

That showed what a top side Leeds are so I wasn’t anywhere close to being as critical when this happened as I was later on.

In fact we could even have gone in at half time level. The home side could have had more but as they didn’t that must have been down in some measure to our shape and defending, desperate or otherwise. That gave some hope, particularly as we would have the very strong wind at our backs after the turnaround.

Our first chance was missed by Placheta. We’d stopped a Leeds attack and played out well, going forward for a change. The ball swiftly went from Brannagan to Greg Leigh to Vaulks to Dale who played a pass through to Placheta. His reading of the situation and timing of his run had been excellent and meant he was through one on one with keeper Illan Meslier. No composure from our man though and he blazed wide. Has he got a right foot? If he had would he have slid the ball to Meslier’s left and into the net? Placheta has Championship experience. Thirty two starts before he joined us. This wasn’t good enough.

Just before the break we had a throw in which Vaulks launched into the box where there was a crowd scene. Meslier might have got a fist on it but not effectively and Tyler Goodrham nodded back towards goal. It went narrowly over and on to the roof of the net. Sod pretty football. When the opportunity arises get it “in the mixer”. Play the percentage game. Looks like that might be our best hope. Leeds didn’t look comfortable.

At the start of the second half, as if to prove my point, Ciaron Brown sent a flying header not too far over having got on the end of a free-kick after Placheta had been fouled. Possibly our centre-half should have done better but at least he went close.

Was this a sign of things to come, could we actually get something from the game?

Not a chance. We’re incapable of not being error strewn.

Before the hour mark we were two behind. Again I can’t be overly critical as this was another example of what Leeds can unleash. They walked through us. It was delightful football, unless you’re the ones on the receiving end. Jayden Bogle was all dynamic movement while we were more in sleepy statue mode. Perhaps we’d been hypnotised by the skills on display. “Intricate football in a tight area” the commentator said. It was indeed.

It was ten minutes later that I became mega angry. That anger was directed at Vaulks. He received a throw from Leigh and, without looking, played a square pass which went straight to Solomon. There was no yellow shirt anywhere near the Leeds man. This was criminal. Schoolboy error. Vaulks has bags of Championship experience. There are no excuses. This pisses me right off. He’s given away so many goals like this. I’ve had enough of him. This was one too many.

As Leeds progressed the gifted attack we had players coming back, some with more conviction than others. But like moths to a flame we had five going to the man with the ball and no-one marking, or trying to mark, the runners. Pathetic. It was as if they’ve never been coached.

It only took another six minutes for the fourth to go in. The ineffectual Harris had his pocket picked with utmost ease. He doesn’t appear to be able to control a football let alone hold on to it. I also thought his attempt to retrieve the ball was half-hearted. Again we got bodies back but they might as well have been sat in the stand. At least try and bloody well mark the white shirts. Did any single player have a clue who was meant to be marking who? Do the players communicate with each other?

It could have been more but it wasn’t.

At least we’re not bottom. Hoorah!

But we are in the relegation zone. Boo!

One point from the last seven games. In the last five games we’ve scored two and let in 13. We’ve now got the second worst goal difference in the division.

The other teams at the bottom are picking up points at a faster rate than us. Some very slowly but nonetheless at a speedier rate than us.    

We didn’t have a single shot on target in Yorkshire. All the match stats make horrendous reading and tell it how it was.

Hope GR is a miracle worker.

The good news is we don’t have to play Leeds every week. But if we lose to Plymouth and Cardiff that will be even worse news than getting nowt on Saturday. What on earth can our new man change in such a short space of time? It has to be something otherwise we’re all doomed.

Happy Christmas one and all. Have a good one and like me I’m sure you’ll be deeply aware a football team is for life. May ours bring some festive joy in the upcoming games to take into the New Year.

Meanwhile try and forget our current woes and focus on family as you sit down together and stuff yourselves with all the usual delights. Boxing Day will be here before you know it and by then perhaps you’ll be pleased to get out of the house.