U's vs Youse (Oxford v Carlisle)

[shoddycollins]

How youse all doing an' that eh?

A big game for both teams approaches. Well big-ish; six-pointers at the arse end of the table are relatively few and far between over the final run-in, and most of those there are seem to involve the mightly Harcelona; so it's likely those at the bottom won't be picking up many points between them and therefore any chance to pick up some points at another team's expense should be gladly seized upon, even if it isn't quite do-or-die yet.

Oxford aren't quite in trouble yet, but lose this and they will be. Carlisle aren't quite comfortable yet but win this and depending on other results they could be well on their way. A draw wouldn't really suit either team, but then again (assuming everyone below them doesn't win) it wouldn't be cause to panic either team. It would probably be looked upon as a small step, but one in the right direction.

To be fair, I feel that we need the points more than Oxford, and though we've made drawing something of a specialty in the last three games, we could do with going for the win as we don't want to do what we did last season and let an opportunity to gain points pass us by leaving us needing points from a run of promotion-chasing teams.

 

[hellogregory]

This is a massive game, it's a one we really need to win. We have Portsmouth at home next and as we can't win at home, this is the big one. Win this and we'll keep the gap at 4 at least.

Unfortunately for us Oxford are on a poor run which means we've no chance of winning. I can see a morale sapping 2 or 3 goal defeat which will ease any relegation fears they might have had, but at the same time plunging us deep into the shit and hammering yet another nail into our football league coffin.

In all honesty I think we'll be in the relegation zone by the end of the Easter weekend. The bottom 2 is nailed on as far as I'm concerned, but the optimist in me is starting to think we might actually avoid finishing rock bottom as I had been predicting for weeks.

 

[Indian Dan]

Everyone in Swindon will be cheering you on!

 

[shoddycollins]

Everyone in Swindon will be cheering you on!

I'm sure you'd love to see us win 3-0 with goals from Sean O'Hanlon, Troy Archibald Henville and Billy Paynter.

 

[Indian Dan]

How is Troy getting on, injury wise

 

[shoddycollins]

How is Troy getting on, injury wise

Kind of last season for you, he seems to be getting stronger towards the end of the season, he even played three games in a week once, although that's not something we would generally do. He hasn't had any major lay-offs since missing the first six weeks of the season (some of that through a suspension he picked up playing for you). If O'Hanlon had only been in his current form all season, we'd had a defensive midfielder in the first half of the season and we'd had a decent back-up for those games Troy can't play I'm sure we'd have been play-off contenders.

 

[Indian Dan]

Thanks.

Good luck, Saturday!

 

[hellogregory]

I see Oxford have signed Kyle Vassell from Peterborough.

He's quite highly rated isn't he? Should be a good signing for them and should get a lot of joy against some of our defenders.

 

[mase]

No idea if he's any good but can't do much worse than what we've got. Not confident at all.

 

[cufc17]

Swindon should just let us borrow some of their star players since they have no game, everyone's happy

Seriously though, could do with a win here, could go either way and I'd probably take a point if other results favour us.

Team I'd go with:
Gillespie
Young/Atkinson Troy O'Hanlon Brough
Kennedy
Monakana Dempsey Corry
Wyke Asamoah

The team Curle puts out will be completely different to this though, just hope we can win and take off some pressure.

 

[daviejones]

Team:
Hanford
Young Troy Buddle Brough
Monakana Potts Kennedy Dempsey
Wyke Paynter

Keep Hanford in for this week and see how he does, he's kept a couple of clean sheets recently and Gillespie doesn't need to be rushed back. I'm assuming Amoo and O'Hanlon are injured as we seem to have signed cover for them, so Buddle - who was supposedly one of our best players in the Cumberland Cup game - comes in for O'Hanlon and Monakana where Amoo would be. Paynter got a goal and 3 assists in the Cumberland Cup match, he has the potential to be the perfect partner to set up goals for Wyke, and Rigg by all accounts has seemed tired recently.

 

[shoddycollins]

Swindon should just let us borrow some of their star players since they have no game, everyone's happy

Seriously though, could do with a win here, could go either way and I'd probably take a point if other results favour us.

Team I'd go with:
Gillespie
Young/Atkinson Troy O'Hanlon Brough
Kennedy
Monakana Dempsey Corry
Wyke Asamoah

The team Curle puts out will be completely different to this though, just hope we can win and take off some pressure.

Oh yeah the team Curle puts out will be:

_______________Grainger__________________

Grainger___Grainger___Grainger__Grainger

Grainger___Grainger___Grainger__Grainger

___________Grainger___Grainger___________

Grainger being played out of position there

 

[shoddycollins]

Oxford might be slightly more difficult that Carlisle City though.

 

[daviejones]

Yeah but then one of Paynter's assists was for a Beck goal. On that alone he should be pushing for a start at Barcelona.

 

[cufc17]

Don't get the buzz for Paynter to be honest, has looked shite in both games I've seen him since he returned - York and Morecambe. Still looks too slow, and can't keep up with play. Barely touched the ball when he came on against Morecambe.

And if O'Hanlon is injured, I'd stick CMW back in (providing he is fit), but Curle will most likely stick Grainger at centre back again.

 

[cufc17]

Yeah but then one of Paynter's assists was for a Beck goal. On that alone he should be pushing for a start at Barcelona.

Beck always has class potential on Football Manager, shame he is terrible in reality, and he doesn't take advantage of his height.

 

[daviejones]

Beck always has class potential on Football Manager, shame he is terrible in reality, and he doesn't take advantage of his height.

I swear he's actually too tall for his own good. 6"4 is a good height for a target man, 6"6 is too tall imo. He needs to bulk up as well.

 

[daviejones]

Don't get the buzz for Paynter to be honest, has looked shite in both games I've seen him since he returned - York and Morecambe. Still looks too slow, and can't keep up with play. Barely touched the ball when he came on against Morecambe.

And if O'Hanlon is injured, I'd stick CMW back in (providing he is fit), but Curle will most likely stick Grainger at centre back again.

CMW's out for another 2 weeks at least

 

[shoddycollins]

And if O'Hanlon is injured, I'd stick CMW back in (providing he is fit), but Curle will most likely stick Grainger at centre back again.

I got the impression Atkinson could play there.

 

[daviejones]

I got the impression Atkinson could play there.

He didn't even get a game at Hartlepool earlier in the season so i'd hope he was just cover for any potential injuries.

 

[shoddycollins]

Beck always has class potential on Football Manager, shame he is terrible in reality, and he doesn't take advantage of his height.

His 3 goals this season aren't too bad a return considering he's only made 9 starts. He's made 17 sub appearances, but nearly all of those seem to have been coming on in the 85th minute (and one of them he was only on the pitch for 20 seconds). I think he gets a lot of stick for not being good with the ball at his feet, but if he still scores goals then whatever works for him is fine, whether he has finesse or not.

 

[cufc17]

He just doesn't win many headers despite having a massive height advantage, and his ball control is poor too.

Fair play to him if he keeps scoring goals, but I don't think he is good enough for us. I've only ever seen him have one good game, Blackburn in the Capital One Cup a couple of seasons back. He was great that night.

 

[daviejones]

His 3 goals this season aren't too bad a return considering he's only made 9 starts. He's made 17 sub appearances, but nearly all of those seem to have been coming on in the 85th minute (and one of them he was only on the pitch for 20 seconds). I think he gets a lot of stick for not being good with the ball at his feet, but if he still scores goals then whatever works for him is fine, whether he has finesse or not.

Bear in mind though that 2 of those goals were in the 87th and 89th minutes in the 3-0 drubbings of Hartlepool and Stevenage, so pretty insignificant goals and the other teams were probably attacking a lot and leaving holes in defence. He's nowhere near starting for us at the moment. Rigg, Wyke, Paynter, Asamoah and even Dempsey are all ahead of him in terms of starting. He makes a decent impact sub if we're looking to lump it up and hope.

 

[hellogregory]

What ever happens, the midfield of Corry and Kennedy has to stay the same. Disrupting that partnership in the middle would he madness after the way they played last week.

 

[hellogregory]

I've only ever seen him have one good game, Blackburn in the Capital One Cup a couple of seasons back. He was great that night.

And what a performance it was.

I honestly thought he was destined to play in the championship after that night. His all round game was faultless that night.

 

[shoddycollins]

And what a performance it was.

I honestly thought he was destined to play in the championship after that night. His all round game was faultless that night.

I think he suffers from the prefect storm of being sidelined most of the time, but whenever he starts immediately big things are expected of him, he seems to struggle to just turn it on at will when he gets thrust into the team but when he can turn it on he becomes a dominant figure in the attacking third. His performance against Blackburn that time really was outstanding, and there's been a couple of times since then he's approached that level though not quite there.

 

[daviejones]

He's still young but he'll have to start showing something soon or else he won't get his contract with us renewed. You just know he'd go on to fulfill all of his potential if he left us though.

 

[shoddycollins]

He's still young but he'll have to start showing something soon or else he won't get his contract with us renewed. You just know he'd go on to fulfill all of his potential if he left us though.

He already had his contract renewed, shortly after Curle came in. You're right that he's getting to the age now where he needs to start showing something consistently.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

i'd keep the same side myself, it played extremely well last week and was unfortunate not to win, I see no logic in disrupting it just for the sake of change, if first half it seems weaker than against Morecambe then change, but otherwise give last weeks another go, we seemed to have balance for first time.

Plus this is a game for me I'd like to see us on the offensive, I know away is usually contain, but Oxford seem like an unknown sinking ship, its in with a chance of relegation, but the panic and alarm hasn't kicked in yet, I feel if we went there and grabbed the lead and suddenly the horrid dawning prospect of being in deep, deep, deep sh*t hits their fanbase it should whack more pressure on their team during the game.

but I expect 4-5-1 as it is working away currently, new winger in for a forward I'd think.

 

[hellogregory]

I reckon we'll lineup something like.

Hanford
Young Troy Grainger Brough
Potts Corry Kennedy Dempsey
Asamoah Wyke​

Same as last week but Asamoah in for Rigg. Rigg is quite obviously in need of a rest and I think Asamoah's pace can be an asset away from home.

Monakana on the bench.