Tag Archives: oxford united.

Nights of Mystery

18 Monday Mar 2013

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Tuesday 12th March 2013 ko 19.45

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 1 (Raynes 90)

BARNET 0

Att 5,027 (165 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (inc Oxford Mail)

1,400 or so grounds in, and I dread to think how many games, this game is still a complete mystery to me. Why was Scotland manager Gordon Strachan watching this? There are only 3 Scots in the two squads, Peter Leven for Oxford, Craig Beattie and George Sykes for Barnet. With Leven injured long term the most likely candidate was Sykes as he’s a member of Ricky Sbragia’s Scotland U19 squad. Trouble is none of the 3 Scots actually made an appearance.

What parallel universe do I live in when Dutch legend Edgar Davids plays for a struggling League 2 outfit? For many the second most noteworthy incident of the game was journeyman pro Andy Whing’s crunching tackle on him. The song from behind the goal, ” All we want is a team of Andy Whings,” was as erudite as it was heartfelt. And while I’m thinking of it why did Barnet play in a frankly ugly shade of lilac? With Oxford playing in all yellow this season, amber and black is no great clash.

Why oh why do a series of Oxford United managers reject good strikers and sign mediocre ones? Both Alfie Potter and James Constable smashed enough shots over the bar to convince me to stop parking my car in the car park at the open end of the ground. Just when you thought the striking options couldn’t get worse, Oxford United introduced Deane Smalley (44 appearances, 4 goals). He worked hard, as he always does, but does anyone think he’ll get you a goal?

Speaking of goals when will Firoka employ stadium staff that can purchase a half-decent set of goals, and get them to last for the duration of a football match? Watching the goal at the western end of the ground collapse twice is embarrassing, even if the added time gave enough time for United to score.

Did anyone visiting the stadium bookie put a pound on centre half Michael Raynes to score the only goal? His screaming header from all of an inch was just reward for a solid display in defence, but the headed ball back to the box from Scott Davies free kick came from Tom Craddock. When I watched Oxford United’s FA Cup tie at Barnet he was extremely conspicious by his absence. Now he looks destined to depart at the end of the campaign, lost and unloved by management, but why?

From a Barnet perspective what was goalkeeper Graham Stack doing collecting a booking for a foul on his opposite number? Yes, there were seconds left, but it was pointless, and silly bookings often have a habit of punishing struggling teams later on. I have connections to Barner and have no desire to see them back in the Conference.

Still a win is welcome even if it is against a struggling team, Davids or not. Where you place it in the season’s context? Don’t ask me I’ve no idea, it was another night of mystery!

The Rustle of the P45

07 Thursday Mar 2013

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Tuesday 5th March 2013 ko 19.45

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 0

ROTHERHAM UNITED 4 (Noble 30 Arnason 33 Mullins 41 Pringle 44)

Att 5,169 (237 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (reissue from postponed game with insert) including Oxford Mail

I’m no enthusiast of computer games, but after leaving this game I imagined the “Team Selection” screen on a Football Manager game. Let’s put this in context, you’ve just beaten the 2 top sides in your division, one away from home, by switching to a one-up-front formation. You would have thought that with form like that the only change would be the change from the hideously out-of-form Adam Chapman, to the more combative Andy Whing in midfield, but keep doing what had worked previously.

Instead the baby was thrown out with the bath water, as there was a complete change in formation to a 3-4-3 with an obviously out-of-condition Michael Duberry as the focal point of 3 centre halves. In midfield Whing was supplemented by Sean Rigg and to the surprise of most Simon Heslop. Up front Deane Smalley lead the line, with Alfie Potter just behind, supplemented by wing-backs Liam Davis and Damian Batt.

Its looked odd, but for 30 minutes, and if Rigg hadn’t wasted a glorious chance blasting over in the 24th minute, who knows what may have happened. Instead The Millers scored when David Noble wasn’t picked up in midfield, but his 25 yard shot took a deflection off of Michael Raynes, wrong footing the keeper completely. It was a fortuitous goal, the next 14 minutes were anything but.

Oxford’s weakness at set-plays continues as Kari Arnason nodded home a corner unchallenged. The response was to push Michael Raynes into midfield and convert the wing-backs to full-backs. It looked half-baked, and it meant what little width there had been was sacrificed. More importantly it didn’t solve the immediate problem, ponderous, ill-advised defending. Former OUFC loanee Johnny Mullins was allowed an enternity before rifling home, and Ben Pringle must have wondered where the defenders had disappeared to, he was given so much time before tapping in for the fourth. The side were booed off at half-time, but after the break there was a remarkable transformation, even if it didn’t happen on the pitch.

Josh Parker and Scott Davies replaced the Heslop and Duberry as Oxford actually used players suitable for the formation, but the damaged was done, and Rotherham were happy to play champage football knowing they’d won the tie. Lee Frecklington missed a gilt-edge chance, but Oxford didn’t look like scoring, hardly surprising when the likes of Tom Craddock and James Constable remained on the bench.

During all this the Oxford Mail Stand kept behind the team. The Great Escape Theme, was sung throughout, a conga was started, and there can be no criticism of their contribution. It was obvious what was going to happen and once the final whistle was over and done with, the boos, and “Wilder Out,” chants started. You could hardly blame them, but there was a song earlier that summed up the night far more accurately. “All we want is a team of Andy Whings,” was a massive filip to a player that never gives up, and a wake-up all to the majority of the others, who need to raise their efforts massively if they wish to continue playing League football next season.

As I write Adam Chapman has become the first departure, making his debut for Mansfield Town at Woking last night, on loan for the rest of the season with a view to a permanent move. Perhaps the others might heed his example.

The Spark

05 Tuesday Mar 2013

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Sunday 3rd March 2013

South West Women’s Combination League Cup Quarter-Final

OXFORD UNITED 2 (Allison 28 80)

SWINDON TOWN 4 (Collings 9 64 Shell 78 Picton 82)

Att 57 (h/c) at Abingdon United FC

Entry FREE

Northcourt Road and I go back a long way. I was there in November 1994 when Abingdon United unveiled their floodlights with a game against Oxford United. They were expecting the youth team, but since the first XI had embarrassingly lost at Marlow in the FA Cup so as punishment the first team played the first half and the reserves the second. The second half was notable for keeper Mark Deegan chatting to the substitutes warming up, only to look up horrified as he was lobbed from 40 yards!
I also remember visiting in August 2003 when as part of the Hellenic League’s 50th anniversary celebrations, Oxford United sent a mixture of youth and trialists who were obviously bored, and unprofessional. They were soundly beaten by an unimpressed Hellenic League select XI and all of the trialists were shown the door the next day. I have never been so embarrassed to be an Oxford United fan as I was that day.

Since then Northcourt Road has been a regular destination for North Berkshire League Cup finals, mostly it seems involving Continue reading →

The Stretch

05 Tuesday Mar 2013

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Saturday 2nd March 2013 ko 15.00

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 2 (Potter 10 Smalley 76)

PORT VALE 1 (Loft 16)

Att 6,322 (865 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (inc Oxford Mail)

This was the game that proved, if such a thing were needed, that I clearly know nothing about football! As ever I drove to the ground, buoyed somewhat by the unlikely away win at top-of-the-table Gillingham. That had come about due to a change in tactics, from a pretty but often ineffectual passing game, to a horrible niggly, but direct style. That saw a recall for Deane Smalley as a one man attack. He doesn’t score enough goals, but if you don’t concede you only need one yourself! Chris Wilder has set his stall out on the passing game, so I expected a home game to produce a return to the usual style, and as ever I was wrong. Similar line-up, same tactics, but here’s the thing; not only did it work, and well, Oxford actually played good positive attractive football, and beat the side second in the table! 6 points from games against the top 2 on League 2 is as welcome as it’s surprising.

The goals came from 2 players who frankly loked like they couldn’t buy a goal. Alfie Potter’s been passing to avoid shooting, his confidence shot, so his lofted finish following former OUFC defender Darren Purse’s suicidal backpass, was as welcome as was Smalley’s goal later on. That was a touch an shot from 6 yards following a sublime layoff from Andy Whing. His introduction was the one controversial moment of the game. Yes, Adam Chapman had a dreadful first half and needed replacing at half time. To withdraw him during first half stoppage time served little purpose other than to destroy his confidence. That commodity still looks fragile despite the two excellent results. The other notably point was allowing Sean Rigg to take the penalty. Yes, a former Vale player would love to score against his old club, but that is also a club that knows him well. Clearly with regular penalty man Peter Leven out for the time being a stand-in needs to be found.

Tuesday sees Rotherham as the visitors, another good side. It also means the antics of manager Steve Evans will be much to the fore. Still, he does give me plenty to write about!

 

 

All Things Being Equal

24 Sunday Feb 2013

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Saturday 23rd February 2012 ko 15.00

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 0

YORK CITY 0

Att 5,808 (319 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (inc Oxford Mail)

I’ve been in colder grounds, and I’ve seen worse games of football, but this encounter was definately the worst combination of the two I’ve seen in many a long year. The club designated the game as “Military Day” so real heroes were much to the fore, with Chelsea Pensioners, and the Royal British Legion providing a guard of honour for the two teams. It really should have been the other way round.

It was plain embarrassing to watch the officials rope in substitute keeper Max Crocombe to first measure one goal, then once it had been proven it wasn’t level to help the groundstaff to level to offending frame. Having Rugby at the ground does mean the goals do get removed regularly, but to not check something as basic as this is indefensible.

It came as no surprise that Chris Wilder selected an unchanged team from the eleven that provided a welcome, away win at Plymouth. It’s fair to say that whilst the United’s defence had precious little to do, the attack, save for Josh Parker looked as unlikely as ever to trouble the scoresheet. Passes were miss-placed, shots disappeared into the ether, and there was a distinct lack of ideas of how to change things to beat a frankly poor York side, that were more than happy with a point.

Alfie Potter replaced the anonymous Tom Craddock, and Deane Smalley was brought on to play out of place on the wing to replace a specialist in that position, Sean Rigg. Oxford puffed, York prevaricated, and the crowd shivvered, frustrated in the cold. Chris Wilder glumly looked on, hands in pockets, shoulders hunched against the cold and the brickbats.

It really was a nothing game in a nothing season. They’ll be no playoffs, or looking the other way, relegation. Just a series of underwhelming games to see out the season, before there’ll undoubtedly be a mass cull of the personnel. The only question is who, and does it involve the non-playing staff too? Given the lack of information eminating from the club, your guess is as good as mine.

Out Through The In Door

13 Wednesday Feb 2013

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Tuesday 12th February 2013 ko 19.45

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 1 (Davis 89)

FLEETWOOD TOWN 2 (Crowther 28 Brown 55)

Att 5,003 (76 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (reissue from postponed game with insert that cost £1 if sold separately)

A few years ago I watched a man get fired. It wasn’t the brief, loud, slanging match, with the loser being shown the door, that you see in tv dramas, it was a slow painful process. The man concerned was gradually demoralised, and when he realised that there wasn’t a suitable job for him to resign and slip into, he grimly held on, until one Monday he wasn’t there. The whispers amongst the staff over the next few days confirmed the awful truth.

Since then I’ve learned the signals, the isolation of the dismissee, with the head bowed, the body language, and the repetition of the mistakes that got him into that position in the first place. I saw many of those signs in Oxford United manager Chris Wilder last night. A man lost in his own thoughts, alone yet surrounded by his management team and just over 5,000 supporters.

The groundstaff managed to produce a new line in appalling pitches, this one had trenches made by tractor tyres pulling the spikes to aerate the grass/mud. With Justin Richards out for the season (was he given a medical?), Deane Smalley accompanied James Constable up front, without there ever being a jot of understanding between the two. United had enough possession, but on the odd occasion it produced a chance it was wasted. Alfie Potter’s choice to pass when it looked simpler to shoot, spoke volumes for both his, and the team’s lack of confidence.

You knew it was going to end in tears. Fleetwood moved the ball neatly, but hardly devastatingly from right to left, and there was Matt Crowther in a Damian Batt shaped hole to slot past the Oxford United keeper. On the subject of the keeper, Max Crocombe spent the end of the first half warming up, and the player brought in his place played the second half with his left thigh heavily strapped up. If that’s his hamstring, then I suspect Crocombe will get the nod on Saturday.

With few options on the bench and still fewer ideas on the pitch, the second half carried on in much the same vein as the first. Even Fleetwood’s second goal bore similarities to the first, a high ball was nodded back across the 6 yard box, and the defence stood a watched at Junior Brown stooped to nod home.

James Constable hit the post then watched as Sean Rigg blazed the rebound into the stand, and Damian Batt watched his strike well saved by Scott Davies. Eventually United did score, Liam Davis’ fine 25 yard pile-driver, which was out of character from the dross that had preceded it. And here’s the rub, Fleetwood were no more talented than Oxford. Better organised, fitter, and definitely more aggressive, all traits that United should be showing. Either they want to make the playoffs, or there’s a relegation battle looming. There are no half measures in League 2 this season.

I left pondering how long you can leave someone in a position this hopeless, when it would clearly be kinder to take the burden away. With as many as 14 players’ contracts up in July it’s now the time to look at what should be retained, and what should go. Its become clear, sadly the man to do that isn’t Chris Wilder.

 

The Commitments

11 Monday Feb 2013

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Sunday 10th February 2013 ko 14.00

South-West Women’s Combination

OXFORD UNITED 2 (Beaver 26secs Caswell 53)

NEWQUAY 1 (Taylor 23)

Att 10 (h/c)

Entry FREE

Programme None

Normally speaking Oxford United’s women’s team play their fixtures at the former Rover Cowley Ground, on Romanway, but with the pitch waterlogged the tie was switched to to Oxford City’s new 3G pitch at Court Place Farm.

The Community Arena incorporates a pavilion and 6 netball courts together with the full-sized, caged 3G pitch. It opened in January 2012 at a cost of £2.1 million, but there are two flaws if you’re a spectator, there is no cover, and you have to watch from the outside of the cage. The latter isn’t too bad, I’m old enough to remember fences at football grounds, but it’s difficult to track the ball from left to right as the fence gets more dense. That I won’t remember, what I will, was the freezing cold, and the driving rain that slowly turned into sleet.

Oxford are top of the division, 4 points ahead of Keynsham Town, who have 2 games in hand. That is because Oxford have had a run in the Women’s FA Cup, in fact they play Premier League Newcastle United at Grenoble Road on Sunday 24th, their first appearance at the main stadium. With the Cornish Peppermints down in eighth place I expected a straightforward home win, even if, sensibly the visitors had stayed in Oxford the night before. That would be in marked contrast to their male counterparts!

It started so well,  Lauren Allison outpacing her marker; her shot was saved but Catherine Beaver was sharp enough to bury the rebound. I waited for the goals to come with a metronomic efficiency but despite Oxford having the vast majority of the possession, the goals didn’t come. Chances were spurned, and the inevitable happened. A Newquay free-kick was tipped on to the bar by keeper Hannah Cox, a follow-up shot hit the post, but Victoria Taylor was on hand to bundle home the equaliser.

The second half followed a similar patten, albeit with Natasha Caswell coming more to the fore, pushing the side forward from the centre. Eventually the pressure paid off, a clumsy challenge allowing Caswell to convert from the penalty spot. It’s a win that maintains United’s lead, and you can see how they’ve progressed so well in the cup, they maintain pressure on the opposition so well. Whether that run can be continued will be fascinating to watch.

Desolation Row

11 Monday Feb 2013

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Saturday 9th February 2013 ko 15.00

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 0

BRISTOL ROVERS 2 (Brown 56p Richards 90)

Att 7,608 (1,932 away)

Entry S/T

Programme (including Oxford Mail) £3

Today a friend of mine sent me a text message. He’s just bought a book, ” Oxford United Who’s Who,” and remarked just how many poor players the club have employed over recent years. I’m not convinced how many of the current crop will be remembered with any fondness. Before kick-off I spotted Simon Heslop glumly looking out from the press box. He must have thought, “How could I fail to get into this squad?” Indeed Simon, indeed!

With the news that the creative midfielder Peter Leven is out injured for the long-term, and that a string of players were signed without undertaking medicals, there was pessimistic feel about the ground. It proved to be well founded as not only did Oxford look unlikely to score, but in an attempt to counteract the dreadful pitch, the tactic was to thump the ball in the direction of Justin Richards, but James Constable doesn’t deal in knock-downs, and with a 4-3-3 formation looking narrow the first half was non-event.

Oxford’s one player who looks worth a transfer fee is Jake Wright, yet it was his sliding challenge on Ryan Brunt that irrevokably swung the tie in the Gas’s favour. It looked a clean challenge from my seat, but few complained, as the retaken spot-kick easily beat the Oxford United keeper.

So with the clock running down, how do you change things? Put the out-of-favour striker Deane Smalley on? Or put the out of favour centre-half Harry Worley on?  When Worley joined the forward line, it didn’t take a psychic to imagine what Smalley was thinking. I wonder whether another loan out can be found for him, his stay at Oxford United clearly hasn’t worked out.

The tremendous away followimg masked another poor attendance, and that figleaf won’t be there on Tuesday night, when Fleetwood are the visitors. Will there be a short-term replacement for Leven? Will there be a 20 goal a season striker to replace Craddock? Somehow I doubt it.

 

Surrender to the will of the wind

09 Saturday Feb 2013

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Wednesday 6th February 2013 ko 19.30

Oxfordshire Senior Cup Quarter-Final

OXFORD UNITED 1 (Smalley 69p)

CHINNOR 0

Att 151

Entry £5

Programme 50p

When you follow a League club, County Cup competitions tend to pass you by. That’s particularly the case in Oxfordshire, where there’s only one League Club, and some of the larger Non-League clubs are in the Berks and Bucks FA, as in this part of the world, football still follows pre-1974 county boundaries. Theoretically the ties still take precedence over league fixtures but the larger clubs have long since negotiated to play reserve teams, and away from any fixture clash. Continue reading →

The Max Factor

01 Friday Feb 2013

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Tuesday 29th January 2013 ko 19.45

League 2

OXFORD UNITED 1 (Constable 50)

BURTON ALBION 1 (Maghoma 71)

Att 4,906 (65 away)

Entry S/T

Programme £3 (including Oxford Mail)

On Tuesday morning this fixture looked like a routine, if rather dull fourth division division encounter, and I found it rather difficult to raise any enthusiasm for it. The advantage of writing this on Friday is that this fixture can be put into full perspective with what followed.

My mood changed on the way to Grenoble Road, when the news broke that Max Crocombe was to get his first start in goal for Oxford. New Zealander Max is a first year professional, but with Ryan Clarke, and Wayne Brown above him in the pecking order in was hard to see how he was going to get a game, a problem exacerbated by there being no reserve team this season. Back in November I’d taken my friend Kellie to watch United’s FA Cup at Barnet, and after the game we’d lingered to take a few pictures of Underhill. Kellie had a chat with Max, not really knowing who he was, and we were both struck by what a thoroughly decent young man he is. But with Clarke out for the season, and Brown in poor form, the young lad got his chance.

He let no-one down either, nice lad or not. He even coped with the early loss of Michael Duberry to a hamstring strain early on, and I think all present bar the pitiful away following would have been pleased to see a home win courtesy of James Constable’s header at a corner, and Max collect a clean sheet. It wasn’t to be as Jacques Maghoma lost his marker, Michael Raynes, and fired home past Crocombe who was in no sense at fault. Even so there was a feel-good feeling around the ground at the final whistle, but that was shattered over the course of the next few days.

The first piece of bad news was shirt sponsor Bridle Insurance announcing that they will not renew the arrangement when it expires in the summer. Hardly a surprise when the firm now owns Eastleigh FC, but its a income stream that will need replacing. Another worry was that the club lost £450,000 during the last trading year, one would assume due to falling attendances. Clearly players wages and a high stadium rent are contributing factors, and ones that little can be done about, at least in the short term. The club is tied to its lease with Mr Kassam, and with him unwilling to sell, that’s a fixed cost that won’t go away. As for players’ wages, thats’s up to owner/chairman Ian Lenagan to set a sustainable budget and recruit and retain a manager that can work within it. Its questionable at best whether any of this is happening now, and certainly losses of this magnitude are not sustainable.

All this rather paled into insignificance with the signing of Luke McCormick last night on a contract for the rest of the season. I’ll leave the debate as to whether another keeper is necessary to another time, save to point out that Crocombe is set to represent his country at the under-20 World Cup in March. McCormick is a former Plymouth Argyle keeper, and his credentials are beyond reproach, but for one terrible detail.

In 2008 he was convicted of causing the death of children aged 8 and 10 by crashing his car into a vehicle driven by their father on the M6, whilst over twice the drink-drive limit. The father is still suffering from the injuries he received in the crash, and McCormick served 3 years and 7 months of a 7 years, 4 months prison sentence, being released in June 2012. So will no doubt say that McCormick has served his debt to society, and everyone deserves their their chance of redemption.

Oxford United have a precedent with midlfielder Adam Chapman who served just over a year of a 30 month sentence for causing death by dangerous driving, he was sending texts on his Blackberry. Chapman was successfully re-integrated into the team on his release, which is in marked contrast with McCormick who will be entering a new club with new players. Chapman was notable for showing remorse, and contact was made with the family of the gentleman he killed, so as not to cause any offence from his public job. None of this has taken place with McCormick, and you wonder why Oxford United would feel the need to taken on a player with so much baggage. Is it really simply a case of acquiring a good player at a knock-down wage?

On another level, the club likes to stress how it is a “Family Club,” and won the “League 2 Family Award” last season to prove the point. How does the signing of McCormick sit with that? Would his presence be a barrier to a company thinking of becoming shirt sponsor? He hardly fits the image a prospective sponsor would look for.

The shame of all of this is that Luke McCormick may well be a fine goalkeeper, although 10 games for Truro City in the Conference South since his release is hardly a ringing endorsement. I can imagine his presence being a massive distraction with everyone concerning themselves with him and not matters in hand. I can only conclude that he’s the wrong player in the wrong club, at the wrong time. The question now is whether his performances will make up for the inevitable circus that will surround him. I wonder also how Max Crocombe will deal with all of this, as unlike McCormick, he’s done nothing wrong.