Match Thread: Lincoln City v Oxford United | Page 21 | Vital Football

Match Thread: Lincoln City v Oxford United

The young midfielders are clearly struggling especially Connolly, he was clearly having a mare but McCombe left him out there, poor lad
We are definitely missing our older heads in the middle of the pitch.
Over run far too many times, weird thing is I thought we weren't that bad for the spell between the first and second goals but once they got the third we just went to pieces.
Lots to do for Mr Appleton between now and the transfer window with our very unbalanced squad.
Tbf McCombe tried to change at half time but made us worse not better.
 
Your losing heavily time to give Eardley a rest for 15 minutes and give Lewis a run, young and energetic, good experience but no. Pleased we have a new man in as I would have been concerned. Were struggling to change the team with what we've got but as somebody said the wingers used to swap during the game but that's even stopped. Two holding midfielders and we needed to attack, so much was going wrong and Jamie looked clueless. Onto next week.
 
McCombe will get the pelters but in all honesty he’s taken a role on that isn’t one he is comfortable in, and a real poor communicator at that level of management.

However as a collective the players have to take responsibility aswell, they are hiding behind the hard luck story and its a shame as we have a talented bunch.

MA cannot take over quick enough.
 
What to say about that. On one hand it looks like the Cowleys controlled everything do tightly the players are incapable of playing without detailed instructions. On the other maybe we just got lucky early on by playing poor teams. Either way big job on Appleton’s hands.
Looking at it dispassionately 6 was a bit of a freak as in some of the most random goals going in I’ve seen. Conversely we don’t look like creating a chance, good job Walker has a pretty good conversion rate in previous games
 
Yes said this after they’d left
They quickly realised L1 is very footballing
Every team we’ve played so far are very competitive and comfortable with passing football ,we’ve tried to turn ourselves into a pressing attacking side against teams who are more than complete at ignoring the press with a switch of play across the pitch
What to say about that. On one hand it looks like the Cowleys controlled everything do tightly the players are incapable of playing without detailed instructions. On the other maybe we just got lucky early on by playing poor teams.

What on earth is going on here? Have so many people really taken leave of their senses?

I'm a returned follower, therefore plastic by definition, but some of you thickandthinners have got too used to winning all the time.

We've beaten Accrington and Southend easily (not good sides) but also Rotherham and Fleetwood and should, in the end have won at Rochdale this week.

We should not have lost to MK, Doncaster or Bristol Rovers. The defeat at Wycombe, and today (naturally) were fully deserved.

Meanwhile, there also seems to be a school of thought that, having decided the squad, and their tactics, aren't good enough for L1, the Cowleys jumped and immediately joined a side at the bottom of the Championship with the worst record in England to test their tactics, which don't work in L1, in the Championship?

You want me to believe this? It's crackers. Get a grip.
 
Meanwhile, there also seems to be a school of thought that, having decided the squad, and their tactics, aren't good enough for L1, the Cowleys jumped and immediately joined a side at the bottom of the Championship with the worst record in England to test their tactics, which don't work in L1, in the Championship?

As we now know, the Cowleys were looking to jump ship for a while. I'd suggest only Huddersfield actually offered them a job.
 
First thing MApp has to do is to bring the phycologist in.
The players are most certainly suffering from losing the Cowley's.
I know that sounds stupid but when you have been with someone for up to 3 years and that time is cut in an instant it will definitely affect your mindset.
The players trusted the Cowley's, they knew they could depend on them and the Cowley's had reassured them that that they were loyal to their players and they they wouldn't be leaving anytime soon. So when they announce they are leaving virtually overnight that is going to effect the players big time.
The players are suffering the loss of their leaders , the people they could depend and the people who filled them with confidence.
I know we were on a bit of a down turn before the Cowley's departed results wise but the confidence of the players has been totally drained out of them and it's not that they are bad players or that we are a poor team it's all in their heads and that something that was so good before is now missing and that leaves a massive void.
Hopefully once MApp gets started and gets on the training field with the players he will be able to restore that confidence and get the players back to doing what we, the fans, know they are capable of.
 
Terrible, not felt like that for a long time, had it so good for 3 seasons now. Where was the intensity!? Not the same side from first 4 games.

If I was Appleton I would draw a fresh line in the sand Monday, wouldn’t watch the game back or even mention it - hit the F5 button.
 
As we now know, the Cowleys were looking to jump ship for a while. I'd suggest only Huddersfield actually offered them a job.

I realise that Graeme, we'd discussed that on other threads, and I agree that it looked liked that (others didn't).

The problem I have is with this current rationale about their motives built on a couple of bad results and performances.