Gary Waddock

[Jimski]

Three of our next four games are against teams in and around the play-offs. If our recent form in this kind of fixture carries on, our season will be over quicker than we could ever have imagined.

Yes, looking at our final 7 fixtures, only the 6th of the 7 gives me much hope at all. Unless we seriously up our game, we'll finish around 9th (third season in a row, anyone?)

[JoeyBeauchamp]

Looking at tonight's results, which actually went slightly better than I had expected in terms of the teams below us, a few things have become clear:

1. Automatic is surely beyond us.
2. Dagenham, Newport and Hartlepool are probably out of the play-off race
3. The last two play-offs places are likely to be between us, Southend, York and Plymouth.

Four wins out of seven would probably cement our place. Win on Saturday, beat Fleetwood (whose form is patchy), and Accrington, leaves the last game of the season as the clincher. Who is that against again?

Clearly this is the glass half-full outlook - the alternative is that we don't pick up another point until we beat an already safe Northampton 4-0 to secure a brave 9th place

[Brahma Bull]

Looking at tonight's results, which actually went slightly better than I had expected in terms of the teams below us, a few things have become clear:

1. Automatic is surely beyond us.
2. Dagenham, Newport and Hartlepool are probably out of the play-off race
3. The last two play-offs places are likely to be between us, Southend, York and Plymouth.

Four wins out of seven would probably cement our place. Win on Saturday, beat Fleetwood (whose form is patchy), and Accrington, leaves the last game of the season as the clincher. Who is that against again?

Clearly this is the glass half-full outlook - the alternative is that we don't pick up another point until we beat an already safe Northampton 4-0 to secure a brave 9th place

That's more like it. To much defeatism about in other quarters and yes it's been a poor fare of late but we do have a stonking chance compared to previous seasons. We haven't been in this position at this stage in the last few years, we've always been chasing it down.

We need our fans to start believing because some of them don't or don't want too. We need to all be united once more for one common cause. The side need to know it, the management need to know it and we all need to play our part.

[GodalmingYellow]

Looking at tonight's results, which actually went slightly better than I had expected in terms of the teams below us, a few things have become clear:

1. Automatic is surely beyond us.
2. Dagenham, Newport and Hartlepool are probably out of the play-off race
3. The last two play-offs places are likely to be between us, Southend, York and Plymouth.

Four wins out of seven would probably cement our place. Win on Saturday, beat Fleetwood (whose form is patchy), and Accrington, leaves the last game of the season as the clincher. Who is that against again?

Clearly this is the glass half-full outlook - the alternative is that we don't pick up another point until we beat an already safe Northampton 4-0 to secure a brave 9th place

That's more like it. To much defeatism about in other quarters and yes it's been a poor fare of late but we do have a stonking chance compared to previous seasons. We haven't been in this position at this stage in the last few years, we've always been chasing it down.

We need our fans to start believing because some of them don't or don't want too. We need to all be united once more for one common cause. The side need to know it, the management need to know it and we all need to play our part.

Rousing mate!

[slappy]

I didn't realise their striker Jomar Loza was on loan from Norwich. We needed Williams starting, he's about the only player with the balls to attack defences at the moment. OK he get's knocked off the ball four out of five runs, but if he scores or sets up a goal every match with the fifth that's good enough for me.

After the match I called in at The Fish House in Prittlewell as I had fifteen minutes to catch my train back home. However I had to wait a while to get served, as half of the counter was taken up with a large cardboard box being filled up with umpteen wrapped packets of fish and chips. I wonder who those were for?

[Kernow Yellow]

To much defeatism about in other quarters and yes it's been a poor fare of late but we do have a stonking chance compared to previous seasons. We haven't been in this position at this stage in the last few years, we've always been chasing it down.

That's not true though, is it? After 39 games 2 seasons ago we were also in sixth, and with a bigger gap to 8th. We were still in 7th two weeks before the season ended! But I'm not sure that's got much to do with anything.

We need our fans to start believing because some of them don't or don't want too. We need to all be united once more for one common cause. The side need to know it, the management need to know it and we all need to play our part.

I think most fans are perfectly happy to believe that we *can* do it. But the belief does start to ebb away when you keep getting beaten heavily by teams you're supposed to be as good as. We haven't beaten a team in and around the top seven for a very long time now. It's up to the new manager to get the players to believe that they can do it again. And when they do, the fans will be celebrating as much as anyone. Gary Waddock's appointment has come not a moment too soon to get our season back on track. I sincerely hope it hasn't come too late, because there's very little more leeway in terms of bad results given the teams we play in the next few weeks.

[Jimski]

I think most fans are perfectly happy to believe that we *can* do it. But the belief does start to ebb away when you keep getting beaten heavily by teams you're supposed to be as good as. We haven't beaten a team in and around the top seven for a very long time now. It's up to the new manager to get the players to believe that they can do it again. And when they do, the fans will be celebrating as much as anyone. Gary Waddock's appointment has come not a moment too soon to get our season back on track. I sincerely hope it hasn't come too late, because there's very little more leeway in terms of bad results given the teams we play in the next few weeks.

Well said.

[Brahma Bull]

To much defeatism about in other quarters and yes it's been a poor fare of late but we do have a stonking chance compared to previous seasons. We haven't been in this position at this stage in the last few years, we've always been chasing it down.

That's not true though, is it? After 39 games 2 seasons ago we were also in sixth, and with a bigger gap to 8th. We were still in 7th two weeks before the season ended! But I'm not sure that's got much to do with anything.

We need our fans to start believing because some of them don't or don't want too. We need to all be united once more for one common cause. The side need to know it, the management need to know it and we all need to play our part.

I think most fans are perfectly happy to believe that we *can* do it. But the belief does start to ebb away when you keep getting beaten heavily by teams you're supposed to be as good as. We haven't beaten a team in and around the top seven for a very long time now. It's up to the new manager to get the players to believe that they can do it again. And when they do, the fans will be celebrating as much as anyone. Gary Waddock's appointment has come not a moment too soon to get our season back on track. I sincerely hope it hasn't come too late, because there's very little more leeway in terms of bad results given the teams we play in the next few weeks.

I stand a little corrected. 2011/12 we were 6th on 1 April but we then went and took 3 points from 21. Of course that could happen again but that was some blow-up with hindsight.

Now we have a new man taking over and I hope/expect a reaction. Whilst he took charge for Monday his first proper day was Tuesday and I hope 3/4 days of his work will start to shake things up. That's a positive.

Reading YF has been quite depressing - I accept the counter-argument is that the peeps who are writing the season off are citing realism - but we do have a good chance. We need our fans - that's the large majority to start really believing. I sense people are holding onto some thin piece of hope out of some kind of duty. I accept having been to Rochdale and Chesterfield then watching SKY, it's been hard. Yet we could really make a difference with positive results from Daggers, Accrington and Fleetwood.

I too hope Waddock has the time to really find this 'bounce' we need. I cannot wait for him to encourage the Yellow Army to come out in force over the next few games and we need to keep turning up.

[GodalmingYellow]

To much defeatism about in other quarters and yes it's been a poor fare of late but we do have a stonking chance compared to previous seasons. We haven't been in this position at this stage in the last few years, we've always been chasing it down.

That's not true though, is it? After 39 games 2 seasons ago we were also in sixth, and with a bigger gap to 8th. We were still in 7th two weeks before the season ended! But I'm not sure that's got much to do with anything.

We need our fans to start believing because some of them don't or don't want too. We need to all be united once more for one common cause. The side need to know it, the management need to know it and we all need to play our part.

I think most fans are perfectly happy to believe that we *can* do it. But the belief does start to ebb away when you keep getting beaten heavily by teams you're supposed to be as good as. We haven't beaten a team in and around the top seven for a very long time now. It's up to the new manager to get the players to believe that they can do it again. And when they do, the fans will be celebrating as much as anyone. Gary Waddock's appointment has come not a moment too soon to get our season back on track. I sincerely hope it hasn't come too late, because there's very little more leeway in terms of bad results given the teams we play in the next few weeks.

I stand a little corrected. 2011/12 we were 6th on 1 April but we then went and took 3 points from 21. Of course that could happen again but that was some blow-up with hindsight.

Now we have a new man taking over and I hope/expect a reaction. Whilst he took charge for Monday his first proper day was Tuesday and I hope 3/4 days of his work will start to shake things up. That's a positive.

Reading YF has been quite depressing - I accept the counter-argument is that the peeps who are writing the season off are citing realism - but we do have a good chance. We need our fans - that's the large majority to start really believing. I sense people are holding onto some thin piece of hope out of some kind of duty. I accept having been to Rochdale and Chesterfield then watching SKY, it's been hard. Yet we could really make a difference with positive results from Daggers, Accrington and Fleetwood.

I too hope Waddock has the time to really find this 'bounce' we need. I cannot wait for him to encourage the Yellow Army to come out in force over the next few games and we need to keep turning up.

A bit harsh on YFD there BB.

Like most of us YF just reflects what we see, and that doesn't stop us going out next game and giving full support.

[SmileyMan]

My counter argument is simply: why do the fans have to 'believe' and 'get behind the team' before the players will start to do their effing jobs? In most other lines of work you put the effort in and get rewarded for it afterwards.

[Jimski]

We need our fans - that's the large majority to start really believing.

No, what we need is for the team to start playing well and winning football matches. All that belief stuff is just trying to deflect blame onto those who pay good money to watch.

[recordmeister]

I agree. People always seem to get it the wrong way around: good support does not lead to good football but good football does lead to good support. People tend to moan (or stay away) for a reason: the quality of the on-pitch entertainment.

Even when we were 'top' this season we couldn't get fans into the ground. Whyt? Because people believed that the on-pitch entertainment wasn't very good. The support was poor and moany in the main, but we were still top. 'Poor' support didn't seem to have an effect on results or league position then.

[ty cobb]

Looking at tonight's results, which actually went slightly better than I had expected in terms of the teams below us, a few things have become clear:

1. Automatic is surely beyond us.
2. Dagenham, Newport and Hartlepool are probably out of the play-off race
3. The last two play-offs places are likely to be between us, Southend, York and Plymouth.

Four wins out of seven would probably cement our place. Win on Saturday, beat Fleetwood (whose form is patchy), and Accrington, leaves the last game of the season as the clincher. Who is that against again?

Clearly this is the glass half-full outlook - the alternative is that we don't pick up another point until we beat an already safe Northampton 4-0 to secure a brave 9th place

That's more like it. To much defeatism about in other quarters and yes it's been a poor fare of late but we do have a stonking chance compared to previous seasons. We haven't been in this position at this stage in the last few years, we've always been chasing it down.

We need our fans to start believing because some of them don't or don't want too. We need to all be united once more for one common cause. The side need to know it, the management need to know it and we all need to play our part.

I find this post quite offensive, regardless of a fans view of what has happened this season we ALL want to believe and are united in wanting OUFC to kick on and get promotion, find me a OUFC fan that doesn't want to believe? The problem is the evidence on the pitch suggests all is not well, recent events have had a devestating impact on our season and we very much look like dropping out of the play offs.

Won't stop me turning up on Sat and shouting myself hoarse for 90 minutes.

Worrying article by Dubes on the Oxfordmail site today, if true hardly suggests GW is this forward thinking modern manager that seems to have been suggested.

[recordmeister]

And for those of you looking for the Dubes piece, here it is:

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/sport/oxfor ... y_Waddock/

[tomoufc]

The support was poor and moany in the main, but we were still top. 'Poor' support didn't seem to have an effect on results or league position then.

Perhaps some people stayed away precisely because there was such a moany, negative atmosphere. I have no reason to doubt that people on this forum sing their hearts out when they're actually at a match, but there is a significant contingent of cretinous curmudgeons among our fan base that seemingly turn up to moan and discourage. They do our club no favours whatsoever, save for providing us with an income. On the other hand I'm quite pleased with the efforts of a number of fans to improve the atmosphere with banners 'singing sections' and the like. I only wish more fans would help them and get involved with it.