I’ve seen a TEAM. Everyone of them dug in tonight. Subs came on and put a shift in. Not one of those games where you play a team off the park but that for me is the best performance of the season. Well Done Neil Collins. Got everything spot on tonight.
Watched on iFollow tonight and my overriding impression from the game was how poor Oxford were for a team in 6th place in the league.
Tbh, I think that's because we didn't allow them to play. I don't say that lightly either, having often been a critic on some of our performances and tactics. Tonight I think we did what we had to do, and a game plan (with the odd exception of a mistake) was near on perfection. And I have to give that credit to Collins as well as the whole team.
It's eleven undefeated absolutely no idea how though. Robert's keeping us in games. The number of defensive errors in recent games not punished shows the poor standard of this division. Great team effort aside from that.with all the injuries and missing players. We do need to cut those errors out, not seen a Barnsley side give so many chances away. I really hope we can bring in a couple of players to strengthen the side especially if we are going to lose one or maybe two in the last few days of the transfer window.?
While I agree with you that we're still giving away too many chances, most of which would be mercilessly punished at Championship level for example, last night I thought we generally coped brilliantly with the conditions. Even top level international defenders would have struggled to get through a match like last nights without making one or two mistakes.
Last night we played the high press better than we have all season. Cole Mcatee Kane Phillips are really suited and good at the high press. High press way of playing isnt suited to Watters Cosgrove Jalo Styles that's why we look weaker when they play. Also Collins doesn't always play high press but last he did and it worked.
Great team effort.....puts to bed the rumours that one or two(can’t remember names) on here who suggested Neil Collins had lost the dressing room not so long ago!
The conditions were terrible last night would have been bad enough anywhere but that ground with it's open end made it ten times worse. Thought the old battling Barnsley tag got dusted off not pretty but it was never going to be three great points.
Last 3 times we’ve been promoted from this league I always thought it took a while during season to look like we had that great team ethic that’s needed to go up. It is usually from about this stage in the season too. I saw that same togetherness last night that’s needed to achieve our aim......hope I am right, let’s all get behind em now lads n lasses !,,,,,
I remember someone saying it was obvious he’d lost the dressing room so I asked why it was obvious & never got a reply
I commented a few weeks back saying, the head coach had lost the dressing room. I retract that statement after watching the team ethic last night. I was wrong.
Would it be wrong to say that we've possibly traded some footballing ability for a bit of character / better mentality in the squad?
I'm not sure , but I am certain that there's the odd player that is just going thru the motions. I am sure the head coach can see this too.
