Just back...

After the 1st. 10 mins we were second best all over the park.

They were quicker than us, won every second ball, played it around with ease. We couldn't get near them.

IF we go up, then that's the pace we have to play every week. With the present squad we've got we will struggle.

Yeah i would agree, we were poor today, all goals came from stupid errors, 1st a poor corner routine and caught on the break, 2nd clay gave it away and caught on the break, 3rd poor marking! Thought paddy looked good when he came on, oxford deserved their win, Utm on tuesday

The whole team had an off day (and we weren't helped by the awful, lop sided and ineffective formation Hurst had us playing in the first half). I don't think Oxford were particularly good - we just wasted possession thoroughout with bad passing and miscontrolled balls. Mackreth, Disley and Clay were all very poor. Pittman & Arnold looked like they had no idea where to play. LJL had one good run and shot which clattered the post, but was otherwise anonymous. The back 4 was disjointed and error prone. Just a terrible all round performance.

We looked marginally better with Neilson and McLoughlin in the team, but Hannah managed to get caught offside 3 times in his short cameo, so nothing has changed there.

Fine lines.
If LJL's superb effort goes in rather than hitting the post, our confidence grows and they become jittery.

It didn't go in though and after conceding when we played a stupid short corner we were punished.

Oxford thoroughly deserved their victory, the number 16? in the defensive midfield role was superb.

Not too concerned with the defeat and would have swapped a defeat today for 3 points on Tuesday.

Important we don't get on the players or managers back. We went into the game on the back of 5 consecutive wins, one blip ( hopefully) against a side in the league above should not distract the manager players or fans from our main aim.

The 5 in midfield didn't work from the start because when we didn't have the ball Arnold or Pittman didn't do enough. Pittman looked more effective 2nd half when he went up alongside Lennie.

Pearson got the sponsors MOM. Not sure who I'd give it to? The Shop?

Put the FA Cup dream away and get your voices ready for Tuesday! GTFC needs you!

Normal cack whenever I go. Pearson at fault for first, Clay the second and multiple culprits for the third. I'd have had Mackreth as the worst till Hannah came on. Arnold and Pittman looked disinterested, Neilson probably MoM for his cameo.

Wrong tactics for me. Tried to outfootball better footballers. A more up and at em, in their faces tactic would have been better. We looked physically bigger than them but gave them way too much time and space to play. Thought Macca could have done better with both the first goals and it was an all round damp squib of a game.

Think we don't get enough runners in the box to cause problems for teams. Often out numbered in forward situations with no options.

The better side won and they aren't even that good a side going on their league record. We just cannot sustain any concerted pressure.

Another BP disappointment.

They had more pace than us but, more importantly, they looked willing to put the effort and running in to close us down endlessly. We just sat back and it was a very poor performance from the midfield and the error-ridden defence.

It helped them a bit that the wind died down a good deal at half-time as we were really struggling to clear in the first half, but they always looked in control.

Just an off-day hopefully. Up to the players to put in a proper performance on Tuesday night now to get things back on track.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Normal cack whenever I go. Pearson at fault for first, Clay the second and multiple culprits for the third. I'd have had Mackreth as the worst till Hannah came on. Arnold and Pittman looked disinterested, Neilson probably MoM for his cameo.

Don't go on Tuesday then,

We need to win that one.

A comfortable win for Oxford, quicker and sharper all over the pitch attacked in numbers and at pace and our defence did not cope with their movement. If Lenny's superb effort early on goes in instead if smacking the post then it could have been game on. After the second went in then game over, maybe suspicion of an offside in the build up and yes on another day we might have had a penalty but Oxford were comfortable and worked hard and ended up deserved winners. The lad who scored the first two was making his debut and took his chances well. The big bald guy who played the defensive midfield role controlled things. We need to dust ourselves off and go again on Tuesday and hopefully get back to winning ways.

Beaten by the better team , it happens evry now and then .  Only complaint was the change of formation thinking we could match them ................ I suppose that was Paul Hurst not worrying too much about the oposition ? Should have had at least one penno also