University Challenge. V Oxford, home 27-10 222. 3-0'clock.0-22

[Worthy4England]

Was ‘OK’ according to the experts.

Not quite sure what they were watching...

Tuesday was not a testament to the system that failed for most of the match, it was down to the last 10 minutes when it'd largely gone outta the window, even if nominally it was the same formation.

We've seen the mystery selection machine before and sometimes it gets a result. I doubt anyone looked at that XI today and said to themselves "Yup, nailed it"

We've been plenty lucky in some games this year (and I'm always happy to have luck on our side), but this feels at the minute like a side clinging to 6th, rather that a side unlucky it's not second...

[Prufrock]

Glad we lost today. Another comeback would have continued to paper over the cracks when we need fundamental changes.

I've banged on enough about the shape but even if you're committed to 352 I just can't see how he thinks we're going to score a goal.

That team today was utterly mental to pick. You don't have any width high, so are your wing backs quick and powerful enough that they can regularly hit the byline? No, they're both good players but neither Iredale or Bradley are that. Ok so do you have height in the box you can hit from deep? No, it's two try hard short arses. Well, can you get 2v1s regularly with the outside centre-backs flying forward? Not really, Geth tries but maybe gets there twice a game, Johnstone never really ventures forward. You've talked about wanting to control games and press high. Leaving aside the inherent contradiction in this shape, given you only have 3 in midfield (with no wingers to tuck in, and wing backs not being able to leave too much in behind) do you at least pick legs? No, you have three individually good players, but none are particularly mobile or powerful. Ok then, well at least with 3 centre backs you'll be a threat from set pieces. Again, no. We had two outfield players comfortably over 6', and one has a BWFC goal tally of -2.

How are we ever expecting to score goals? And if you don't ever get out in front, the other team are always in it, and it's no surprise you're constantly going behind and eventually the cavalry can't dig you out.

I like Evatt, but I'm starting to worry he doesn't understand why we get success when we do. 352 doesn't make sense for what he's trying to do (and it's no surprise the times we look relatively dangerous with it are when we are forcing things and trying to go more direct). We changed in the first season because his hand got forced, and we changed back last season when the only way was up and so stuck with it. Hopefully it doesn't take until bastard January again this year.

[Prufrock]

And what the holy feck is Dapo at LWB?!

[BWFC_Insane]

It’s simple for me. Evatt isn’t getting the best out of our players. If he was picking our best players in their best positions then you might say ‘ok it’s down to the players’. But he’s not.

I don’t care about the cup.

Next league game I want to see our best players in their best positions. Dapo and Sadlier and Bod must play.

If this doesn’t happen then you have to look to act because a manager holding back what appears to be a good group of players is not something to continue with.

[Worthy4England]

Pretty much nails it, Pru. I suspect he might have been hoping Sheehan might make it tick from MF. Despite the ohhs and ahhs that we hear because he happens to pass it forwards, I've yet to see him come anywhere near to controlling a game, driving it and us forwards. We really should be singing "the King is in the altogether"

[Bruce Rioja]

Just home. Haven't read the comments but I can't imagine them being too dissimilar to mine.

Pretty shocked at the team Evatt picked. Again, what the feck does Sadlier have to do?

Today's result has been coming. Overall, we weren't any better or any worse than we've been in recent weeks, we've just been getting away with it. The truth is, we're not actually very good.

Now, of course, people can point to the league table, but the truth is that we've ridden our luck - that is all.

I'll go back to the point I made earlier in the week and got dug out for - we clearly do not practice set-pieces. The team I played for were better organised at set plays in the fecking Lancs Amateur, and please don't start with this utterly pointless 'well, they do stand in a line' business.

Iredale is dead on his feet. Show the boy some mercy and give someone else a go.

I haven't heard what Evatt has to say about today, but I doubt he'll be accepting responsibility.

[Worthy4England]

It’s simple for me. Evatt isn’t getting the best out of our players. If he was picking our best players in their best positions then you might say ‘ok it’s down to the players’. But he’s not.

I don’t care about the cup.

Next league game I want to see our best players in their best positions. Dapo and Sadlier and Bod must play.

If this doesn’t happen then you have to look to act because a manager holding back what appears to be a good group of players is not something to continue with.

Not sure I'm at the "have to act" stage, as naffed off as I am, not just with today, but the last few games.

[Worthy4England]

Just home. Haven't read the comments but I can't imagine them being too dissimilar to mine.

Pretty shocked at the team Evatt picked. Again, what the feck does Sadlier have to do?

Today's result has been coming. Overall, we weren't any better or any worse than we've been in recent weeks, we've just been getting away with it. The truth is, we're not actually very good.

Now, of course, people can point to the league table, but the truth is that we've ridden our luck - that is all.

I'll go back to the point I made earlier in the week and got dug out for - we clearly do not practice set-pieces. The team I played for were better organised at set plays in the fecking Lancs Amateur, and please don't start with this utterly pointless 'well, they do stand in a line' business.

Iredale is dead on his feet. Show the boy some mercy and give someone else a go.

I haven't heard what Evatt has to say about today, but I doubt he'll be accepting responsibility.

Help you out, mate and save you some reading, they're not dissimilar to yours.

[BWFC_Insane]

I said Fossey was irreplaceable. And so it has turned out. He was the reason this system worked. We haven’t come close to replacing him and that is why we look so toothless.

Pru pretty much nails the system issues. Not sure what we should play because in fairness today shows weaknesses at centre back (and Santos was dross today as was Jones) and also in midfield. Sheehan was completely useless and no way is he playing as a 6 or 8 for me. He’s simply too powderpuff.

But I know the 352 is absolutely not working.

343 or 433 we need to get Dapo on the left and Sads down the right and see what they can do and put Bradley and Iredale to full back since both are full backs and not wing backs at all.

[Bruce Rioja]

Help you out, mate and save you some reading, they're not dissimilar to yours.

You're a star.

[Worthy4England]

I've just listened to IE's post match. He's pretty much saying the same things around how we've not been very good in October...Now if only he could tell us who might fix it!

[Harry Genshaw]

We've been pretty poor all season. Today was probably the worst for me though. Individually and collectively we were hopeless. This is a good squad of players and Evatts not getting anywhere near the best from them.

I thought he was outcoached on Tuesday but our greater quality got us through. Karl Robinson outdid him today. I dont want to hear any more, that the opposition was too physical, the pitch was too small or the ref was crap again. We should have enough to be playing better than we are. No panic yet but the alarm bells are definitely getting louder.

[officer_dibble]

Pru is absolutely bang on.

No hiding behind that as an away performance now - he cannot keep doing the same fecking thing now. Pick a team and a formation to get the best out of the players who are our best! Get Dapo on the pitch as part of a front 3.

For me a team that would have won today:
Trafford
Jones/Bradley
Iredale
Johnston
Santos
MJ
Lee
Dempsey
Sadlier
Dapo
Bodvarson

[officer_dibble]

I mean where did he think the goals were coming from today? We’re lucky Charles put his contact lenses in! Kachunga has about 1 goal in 35 years, and the two wide players were defenders! Lee was about the only credible goal threat on the pitch! At home to Oxford FFS!

[TANGODANCER]

Back to the drawing board and accept we're not the next Balcelona. Lessons are there to be learned and you don't need to go to University to see our famous defence got pulled apart whilst they gave us a lesson in dogged defending and took their chances while our drawbridge was well and truly up.

[BWFC_Insane]

Pru is absolutely bang on.

No hiding behind that as an away performance now - he cannot keep doing the same fecking thing now. Pick a team and a formation to get the best out of the players who are our best! Get Dapo on the pitch as part of a front 3.

For me a team that would have won today:
Trafford
Jones/Bradley
Iredale
Johnston
Santos
MJ
Lee
Dempsey
Sadlier
Dapo
Bodvarson

I like this team. You could put Morley in for MJ too especially at home. Or Thomason.

We need to stop thinking that three at the back is the panacea it’s not. Neither is a system switch either. The system is less important it’s about putting the right players in the right places.

A 343 could work also but we really need that ‘high width’ Pru is talking about as we simply aren’t able to play through midfield.

[TANGODANCER]

Cambridge, a point better off than Oxford ( who we were going to wipe the floor with) way down the ladder are next, then Fleet wood seven points behind us entertain the Whites, both aways,. . Be nice to beat Barnsley, but it's the league we need to sort. Our recent results will obviously be noted and probably inspire a few teams into believing we're not as tough as we claim.

This is a question: Is Kachunga good enough to keep leaving two obvious strikers out for, as a front pair? Bod, a proven scorer seems to be restricted to last twenty minutes as a sub. That surely can't inspire confidence?

[officer_dibble]

Kachunga is good enough at something, it’s just not playing up front in league one. Yet another Evatism where he’s cleverer than us plebs who just don’t see it. 6 goals in that side all season yesterday apparently.

He’s got to learn. Cup game is an ideal opportunity to try something different, especially against a(nother) side who stifled us at home the other week. Do something different Ian, stop trying to prove you are cleverer than us all.

[LeverEnd]

I agree that arrogance is part of the problem here. Self belief is to be be encouraged, but rather than privately acknowledge that he's picking the wrong team and change it, he persists as if he'd planned it that way all along. Plus he added a couple of barbed comments about the criticism they got from fans at Accrington. It's obvious that we couldn't keep getting away with it with late subs and goals and he deserves every bit of criticism that comes his way after yesterday.

[officer_dibble]

I think Accrington have a load of injuries and Burton are just shite - he chucked a load of subs on v Burton and cos we have good players they found a way. Oxford are better organised and made the most of our defensive mistakes.

Lloyd Isgrove has one league start, Sadlier none. He’s the only player who hasn’t benefitted from this rotation policy.