1-1. Oxford Park the bus after taking a one nil lead thanks to Pinnock giving away a penalty. Trundle becomes the first manager to get a red card. Moore misses 3 open goals. Mowatt equalisers with 30 yarder against the team he spent most of last season with.
Why not !?!?! We had a great squad that should in no way have been relegated. But but but ...... we haven’t replaced the loan players and the players that have moved on - example Hammill, Gardner, Barnes, Yiadom, McBurnie. All what’s happened is that very young players are being brought in to the reserve side. Remember that term ...... the reserves.
The squad was too big last season, we had about 25 senior pros, way too many attacking midfielders & too many full backs. I think we need either a winger or a striker dependent on how Stendel sees Thiam. We’ve got two first choice wingers in Isgrove & Hedges, have probably promoted Mottley-Henry to a squad player & have Thiam who can play there. Up front we’ve got Moore & Bradshaw as well as Adeyabajo (I need to learn to spell his name!) who people are saying looks good & then Thiam. Also we have the option of only going with one striker & playing a Potts, Moncur or McGeehan off a striker as we still have plenty of attacking midfielders. Two loanees in Gardner & Williams have gone & been replaced by Dougall & the returning Mowatt plus McGeehan has also returned. We had 3 right backs & 2 left backs last season. Cavare’s more than good enough for league one & McCarthy’s won player of the season for his club at this level. We don’t need another right back to replace Yiadom. Basically we probably could do with either a striker or a winger, I’d prefer a winger as I don’t trust Isgrove & Hedges’ injury records
1-3 plus the statutory opening day red card. Probably Mowatt against his ex loaned club as he tries to overly impress
I have just had an email from an Oxford mate. He is pleased that they have a 'team,' but is concerned that it will not yet be a 'unit.' Their stand-out signing is Jamie Mackie, but the full-backs, McMahon and Garbutt, are also useful and will give them strength down the flanks. I told him that we had had no real problems in scoring in pre-season, but that the old defensive frailties were still around. I am predicting 3-1 to the Reds. We ought to be too strong for them and they will not yet have gelled into Robinson's new team.