Two carbon copy 25 yarders from Mamadou - was hoping all last season he would do that. A cracker from our human greyhound - Bradley Potts. I know it was a bit of a stumble from Mowatt but Brad just LASHED it in and it came from THEIR corner only seconds before. Last one was beautifully worked. So pleased for Victor and I think we will be seeing a lot of him this season
As soon as thiam got the ball for the 1st he only had one thing in mind was like a man possessed first half. Potts goal was a great strike too.
There were a couple of flashes of his speed and ability last season when he ran great distances to get on the end of crosses and scored. Not enough though. We won't miss a natural winger if he and Mama play like they did today. Brad has his critics (or rather he had them LAST season) but I think he will win everyone over this year. We must keep him. He is part of our Stendel Blitzkrieg! With him and Dimitri Cavaré powering their way past and through defenders we are going to be spending a lot of time on the edges of our seats this season.
I tried a VPN earlier for the cricket highlights but it was obviously in virtual snail mode so nothing would load. Whitey will put them on YouTube soon, it'll be reyt.
Both of Thiam's were as a result of our fast raiding. The Oxford defenders had no idea how to stop us and, as soon as he got the ball (in a virtually identical position for both) he just looked up and arrowed the ball into the same corner, all along the ground. Brilliant as Westwood was all day he had no chance with either shot. Similarly he had no chance with the third. Absolute lightning movement from our six yard line, from their corner, to their penalty area. It looked like Mowatt was going to make something of it but he stumbled under a probably fair tackle and the ball went loose behind him to Potts. A couple of steps to his right and WHOOSHHHH - top corner, unstoppable. The fourth came from a speculative Potts cross which Tom Bradshaw couldn't connect with but, again, the ball went loose for Cam McGeehan to try to stab it in. He managed to direct it goalwards where Victor was lurking unmarked two yards out. So pleased for the lad to score on his debut. Of course, what the highlights missed was an outrageous half way line shot from our new Aussie star. Kenny picked up a poor keeper's clearance and launched it goalwards. It was dropping in but Eastwood made a brilliant recovery. I hope that is on the Quest highlights but I suspect it won't be.
The beauty of the game how different eyes of the same thing, see things differently. Playing devils advocate if those had been us conceeding the goals..... 1st Goal: No closing down by the defence. 2nd Goal: Questions to be asked of Eastwood for not learning from the first goal, to let in two near identical. 3rd Goal: Defence stood around allowing a free shot from close range. 4th Goal: Scuffed pass/shot luckily going into the path of someone unmarked to put in from close range. Oxford fans seeing them goals for the first time are probably thinking they should have kept us down to 1 maybe 2 goals.
Last season that's what we were saying. Personally don't care how bad the opposition are. It could have been 10 today if we wanted to.
But all of us there will have seen that in addition to the four that went in we could have had three, or possibly four, more. I know you can point the finger at slack defending but the goals were still beautifully taken. I'm not trying to go over the top about this but that was a thoroughly entertaining afternoon from start to finish. Our overall play just overpowered them.
We had a much darker version of Mal Shotton playing right back today. Neither player took any prisoners but the new version is better going forward. The Oxford forum comments didn't have anything good to say about their Everton loanee Luke Garbutt. Poor lad had Dimi and Brad turning him inside out all day, so he had no chance!
I am happy One step closer to my champions and 100+ points prediction. Apart from our first one I wouldn't call them a stunning collection though. Now if the lob had gone in, it would have been better than the Beckham effort.
Potts running looked laboured and cumbersome last season, my car had a smaller turning circle. Today he looked much less so and his work was all direct and purposeful. I think losing a few pounds has helped him no end and a manager who has given players purpose has probably also worked wonders.
As I said, there were a couple of times last season when he showed his pace to good effect. That goal at Preston last September, for example. He ran a heck of a long way to get on the end of a cross and guided it in for his first goal. I thought that was going to be a sign of things to come but his season petered now, and his wasn't the only one. He's got something worth hanging on to and I hope we resist any efforts to prise him away. If he asks to go then that's different, but if he is happy to stay he is going to have some season.