Oxford tomorrow | Page 9 | Vital Football

Oxford tomorrow

The only positive of this whole shitshow is that no one has had the misfortune of being in the ground to see it. The attendances would be pitiful (6k tops) and the atmosphere toxic. Some of the goals we’ve given away. I’ve said before imagine what it would have been like at the Chorley game. The best we can hope for at this point is no fans allowed back until the start of next season, where a new owner a new manager and a whole new squad may possibly persuade people to buy into a fresh start, allbeit L2 will be a very tough sell. I don’t envy the marketing staff, then again marketing at the club has never been that good anyway.

The entire club needs a reset. A quit game and start again option so to speak.
 
It'll be interesting if Gregor Rioch stays in charge for a few weeks will the younger players mentality change?
Perhaps half the problem is a confidence one. They've gone from a manager basically slagging them off in public to a manager who'll put his arm around them and give them that bit of confidence.

Hopefully the young lads will grow in confidence and will try to express themselves rather than be worried about a HT bollocking and a public humiliation.
 
So what's going on with Richardson and a number of our senior players - have they just wrapped in ?
A very good question
As per the interview with GR on page 1, Richardson had "family commitments" at the back end of the week, (though he was around at the start of it).

Now I have no more idea than anyone else what those commitments might be (had to babysit, kid's birthday, put up some shelves, someone got Covid, death of a close relative), but I can't see any reason for us speculating on here.

As for the other senior players, they're on the way back to recovery.

(It helps if posters actually listen to/read the stuff put out by the club before getting nowty about there being no news :whist:)
 
The lack of understanding around youth development on this forum is frightening. 6-8 lads have made their senior debuts this year and have been thrown into the deep end. It certainly doesn't mean they aren't good enough to play professional football as they are inexperienced at this level and like any young boy making their way in the game will need time. Without the club signing them as prospects we would have been in a far worse position (look at some of Bolton early results last year for example. Three consecutive 5 nils. A 6-1 and a 7-1) and have been competitive in most games.

Wigan has been a Category 3 academy and hasn't been invested in until very recently. Why Whelan never supported its development is beyond me but we were one of the few sides in the Premier League who remained at such a low level. To fully see the rewards of this I presume would take around 10 years. We are now a Category 2 academy and it will take time to see the picture change. The likes of Weir, Devine and Gelhardt were picked up later on at high school so have showed the system can work. For what it's worth Wigan Athletic's u14 team team drew 2-2 with Manchester City yesterday so we are not without talent. This is despite the fact City massively invest in their academy and privately educate the majority of their kids. It's also worth pointing out Foden aside I'm struggling to remember another local player who has come through their over the last decade. So it's not easy to create first team players at any level. Let alone with hardly any investment.
 
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As per the interview with GR on page 1, Richardson had "family commitments" at the back end of the week, (though he was around at the start of it).

Now I have no more idea than anyone else what those commitments might be (had to babysit, kid's birthday, put up some shelves, someone got Covid, death of a close relative), but I can't see any reason for us speculating on here.

As for the other senior players, they're on the way back to recovery.

(It helps if posters actually listen to/read the stuff put out by the club before getting nowty about there being no news :whist:)
Now now Moonay......!
Some posters do read the stuff put out by the club - a fair majority of said output being smokescreen and b.s at the moment IMO.
Hence the question posed in the original post as with the takeover seems we are being offered bare minimum, if any info on what is going on 😉
 
Now now Moonay......!
Some posters do read the stuff put out by the club - a fair majority of said output being smokescreen and b.s at the moment IMO.
Hence the question posed in the original post as with the takeover seems we are being offered bare minimum, if any info on what is going on 😉

No mischief intended on my part Hampton. I just felt it strange that you'd ask a question to which the answer had already been given in the GR interview, or in the "team news" article on the website.

Anything else that any of us come up with would more than likely simply be speculation or worse, made up.

I may be wrong, but I doubt you look at the club website for news ............... which makes it head-scratching that you bemoan the lack of comms by the club !
 
As per the interview with GR on page 1, Richardson had "family commitments" at the back end of the week, (though he was around at the start of it).

Now I have no more idea than anyone else what those commitments might be (had to babysit, kid's birthday, put up some shelves, someone got Covid, death of a close relative), but I can't see any reason for us speculating on here.

As for the other senior players, they're on the way back to recovery.

(It helps if posters actually listen to/read the stuff put out by the club before getting nowty about there being no news :whist:)

People do read them, like they read Boris Johnson's latest statement....but, they don't necessarily believe them.
 
People do read them, like they read Boris Johnson's latest statement....but, they don't necessarily believe them.
OK, I can get that .................. but why would you expect someone on a message-board to have a better explanation?
 
No mischief intended on my part Hampton. I just felt it strange that you'd ask a question to which the answer had already been given in the GR interview, or in the "team news" article on the website.

Anything else that any of us come up with would more than likely simply be speculation or worse, made up.

I may be wrong, but I doubt you look at the club website for news ............... which makes it head-scratching that you bemoan the lack of comms by the club !
Never assume Moonay etc etc.....!
My point was I had seen the club website - no explanation for Richardsons absence - if it's personal fair enough of course - but no timeline.
Our missing seniors - we know they are "injured" / "swinging the lead" (delete as appropriate) but when will they be back to bale the kids and the cast offs out ?
 
Never assume Moonay etc etc.....!

I would never dream of it .........even though the old saying may be half right. ;)

Our missing seniors - we know they are "injured" / "swinging the lead" (delete as appropriate) but when will they be back to bale the kids and the cast offs out ?

However, following on, if you had read the website prior to Saturday, you'd have seen ......

"Matty Palmer is back available for selection and he'll be joined by Curtis Tilt, Joe Garner, Dan Gardner. Jamie Jones and Gav Massey, they'll all be available. That really brings more strength and experience to the group."

The trio of Kal Naismith, Lee Evans and Darnell Johnson continue to work towards their returns from injury.

On Kal and Lee, Gregor continued:

"They're both doing really well at the moment, they're working hard with the physio team, who in turn are working over time to get them back fit as soon as possible. This weekend will probably come too soon for them, but we're looking forward to getting them back in the near future."

Viv Solomon-Otabor is Latics' long-term concern, having received surgery for his injury last week.


.........and again, if you've read it tonight, you'd see......

It could be too early to see returns from injury for Kal Naismith and Lee Evans, but the duo have made excellent progress in their recoveries in recent weeks and are expected to return to action in the near future.

Will Keane is currently on the sidelines and is set to miss the next two to three weeks, whilst Viv Solomon-Otabor and Darnell Johnson have posed longer term problems.

Curtis Tilt made his return to action on Saturday against Oxford, but picked up a slight knock in the second half and is being monitored ahead of Tuesday's game.


That said, feel free to continue to make up your own little conspiracy theories.
;)
 
I would never dream of it .........even though the old saying may be half right. ;)



However, following on, if you had read the website prior to Saturday, you'd have seen ......

"Matty Palmer is back available for selection and he'll be joined by Curtis Tilt, Joe Garner, Dan Gardner. Jamie Jones and Gav Massey, they'll all be available. That really brings more strength and experience to the group."

The trio of Kal Naismith, Lee Evans and Darnell Johnson continue to work towards their returns from injury.

On Kal and Lee, Gregor continued:

"They're both doing really well at the moment, they're working hard with the physio team, who in turn are working over time to get them back fit as soon as possible. This weekend will probably come too soon for them, but we're looking forward to getting them back in the near future."

Viv Solomon-Otabor is Latics' long-term concern, having received surgery for his injury last week.


.........and again, if you've read it tonight, you'd see......

It could be too early to see returns from injury for Kal Naismith and Lee Evans, but the duo have made excellent progress in their recoveries in recent weeks and are expected to return to action in the near future.

Will Keane is currently on the sidelines and is set to miss the next two to three weeks, whilst Viv Solomon-Otabor and Darnell Johnson have posed longer term problems.

Curtis Tilt made his return to action on Saturday against Oxford, but picked up a slight knock in the second half and is being monitored ahead of Tuesday's game.


That said, feel free to continue to make up your own little conspiracy theories.
;)
And yes I read that my concerns specifically are Evan's and Naismith and as nicely confirmed no details on what their injuries are or likely return date 🤔
 
And yes I read that my concerns specifically are Evan's and Naismith and as nicely confirmed no details on what their injuries are or likely return date 🤔
Ooh, that's lovely, .........you know, that when you write "a number of senior players", that you actually just meant those two.

Mate, your ability to tell porkies is about on a par with the ability of Jamie Jones to command his area, or of Gavin Massey to ghost past a full back.
😉
 
Ooh, that's lovely, .........you know, that when you write "a number of senior players", that you actually just meant those two.

Mate, your ability to tell porkies is about on a par with the ability of Jamie Jones to command his area, or of Gavin Massey to ghost past a full back.
😉
Despite the wink a little harsh that generalisation Moonay - could be reaching for the Moonay off button !
Last time I checked 2 is a number and clearly these 2 are the key ones in terms of upping our game
 
Despite the wink a little harsh that generalisation Moonay - could be reaching for the Moonay off button !
Last time I checked 2 is a number and clearly these 2 are the key ones in terms of upping our game

Come off it mate ..........you're made of sterner stuff than that !

If that's really what you meant, then I genuinely take it back. However, if you were specifically interested in those two, then surely you'd have mentioned them by name ...... or at least say "a couple" (more focused) rather than "a number" (implying more than two, don't you think?).

Any road, they aren't ready, for whatever reason. I just think it's a touch rough on the players for us fans to think that they're swinging the lead, with. no foundation for that conclusion other than ..........what?......... the need to apportion some "blame" somewhere?

For what it's worth, I agree that they may well be the key ones, but that still doesn't lead me to conclude they're making up notes from their mum to say they can't play.
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