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Oxford United win the PO Final.
- Thread starter PL2 Pilgrim
- Start date
They can always hold onto the fact they were the last winners of the trophy under the Papa John's banner!
Hello Greens from a Yellow.
We’ve joined you in the big boys league and now I hope we can push on to become an established Championship club.
Our day out at Wembley turned out to be a breeze, I along with a lot of other yellows, went thinking it’ll be a good day out. we’re playing the team that finished 3rd, 10 points ahead of us and we were told by Bolton fans that they were ‘the best team in League One’, unfortunately for them, they just didn’t turn up. Not one shot on target in 104 minutes and we could have added 2 or 3 to our deserved 2-0 win.
It’s now starting to sink in we’re at a bigger table, with some wealthy clubs.
I’m expecting everyone to think we’ll be the Championship whipping boys, but am quietly confident we will stay up. There seems to be a togetherness about the club, partly due to the manager Des Buckingham. He’s an Oxford boy who coached in NZ, Oz and India and was brought in last season, after Liam Manning left after 16 games to join Bristol City. His leaving left a bitter taste, here one day gone the next. It was galling as he was brought in to replace Karl Robinson (urghhh), who was sacked after an eight game losing streak and Manning managed to keep us in L1 on the last day of the season. The board backed him financially in the close season and he was able to bring in 10 players. Then Brizzle came calling and he jumped. Probably for a massive pay increase and a Championship club, so understandable, but it still hurt. Des has had to pick up the pieces and on arrival had 12 players injured, so to turn it round has been brilliant. Now we face you guys in a different league, where Funds will need to be made available. It’s going to be a long close season.
I’m looking forward to seeing you boys again, you’ve always travelled in numbers to our place, which for you is nearly akin to a local game!
Good luck for the season.
We’ve joined you in the big boys league and now I hope we can push on to become an established Championship club.
Our day out at Wembley turned out to be a breeze, I along with a lot of other yellows, went thinking it’ll be a good day out. we’re playing the team that finished 3rd, 10 points ahead of us and we were told by Bolton fans that they were ‘the best team in League One’, unfortunately for them, they just didn’t turn up. Not one shot on target in 104 minutes and we could have added 2 or 3 to our deserved 2-0 win.
It’s now starting to sink in we’re at a bigger table, with some wealthy clubs.
I’m expecting everyone to think we’ll be the Championship whipping boys, but am quietly confident we will stay up. There seems to be a togetherness about the club, partly due to the manager Des Buckingham. He’s an Oxford boy who coached in NZ, Oz and India and was brought in last season, after Liam Manning left after 16 games to join Bristol City. His leaving left a bitter taste, here one day gone the next. It was galling as he was brought in to replace Karl Robinson (urghhh), who was sacked after an eight game losing streak and Manning managed to keep us in L1 on the last day of the season. The board backed him financially in the close season and he was able to bring in 10 players. Then Brizzle came calling and he jumped. Probably for a massive pay increase and a Championship club, so understandable, but it still hurt. Des has had to pick up the pieces and on arrival had 12 players injured, so to turn it round has been brilliant. Now we face you guys in a different league, where Funds will need to be made available. It’s going to be a long close season.
I’m looking forward to seeing you boys again, you’ve always travelled in numbers to our place, which for you is nearly akin to a local game!
Good luck for the season.
Another Yellow here, well done on staying up, feel like it's going to be a major challenge for us.
What are the main differences between L1 and the Champ on the pitch, I know the quality is going to be better. Is there a noticeable difference in fitness or is it more just the on-the-ball quality that stands out?
Is it a little less physical in terms of fouling/pushing and shoving than L1?
What are the main differences between L1 and the Champ on the pitch, I know the quality is going to be better. Is there a noticeable difference in fitness or is it more just the on-the-ball quality that stands out?
Is it a little less physical in terms of fouling/pushing and shoving than L1?
It's a different kind of physical in this league, everyone can just run forever.....and are usually huge as well (though our lads aren't the tallest side in the main)
Apologies for what a dump our place is to visit. We should have a new stadium in a few years but lots of politics/barriers in the way still.
Ideally for me we would both stay up, maybe I'm wrong but I think most neutrals like Plymouth. For me Devon and Cornwall is the nicest corner of England, I love it down there.
Ideally for me we would both stay up, maybe I'm wrong but I think most neutrals like Plymouth. For me Devon and Cornwall is the nicest corner of England, I love it down there.
Weird question but what were the biggest changes you noticed in Championship from L1?
My guess would be the quality of the finishing?
Much much faster pace, physically stronger, relentless, unforgiving. The league is full of experienced players at this level. Hardened players who are street wise.
Lack of time on the ball against the better teams. We looked very hurried against some of them. Decision making of players is also better. You see more bad decisions on passes in L1 imo
Yea much faster game play, more physicality but in a skillfully way, fitness is at the next level. We were the fittest team in league 1 when we got promoted but boy the lads were blowing at end of games last season. To win all our team to a man had to perform at 7 or 8 of 10. If a couple were off we struggled.
Mistakes just get punished🤦.
Good to see you up and look forward to a couple of decent games.
You're right about the finishing, that's where the real difference is - the three players who socred more goals than Morgan Whittaker were all really good and would not look out of place in the top flight.
More generally, I think everything is (at least) a little bit better than in League One, and that compounds to a significant step up.
Another thing is that almost every other clubs thinks it should be in the Premier League, which is quite eye opening in terms of delusion from some, but not far wide of the mark for others. As a side that effectively had a weaker squad than the one that won League One the previous season, almost every week (Rotherham aside, and we only just beat them at home) the gulf in budgets was quite evident and our players had to be completely on it to get a win.
I would add to this that the gulf in fitness standards will look worse as you'll have less possession than in league one. It's exhausting chasing the ball, and that's why the best teams tend to score late in games as the weaker team tires. Think of the number of times Fergie's United were 0-0 at 70 minutes, yet ended up winning by three. Some of our key players were spent by the end of the season, brought more into focus by the smaller clubs having shallower squads
In League One there were a few ‘easy’ games, in the Championship there are literally no easy games. As mentioned by others the first obvious difference is the speed and speed of thought, it is very very noticeably above League One. In League One Hardie could run on to a long ball and get past every CB, in the Championship there are quite a few CBs who have no trouble keeping up with him in a sprint.
However, the good news is that the Championship is so much more enjoyable and entertaining to watch.
However, the good news is that the Championship is so much more enjoyable and entertaining to watch.
The division is brutal. If your standards drop a couple of percent you're toast - and the way in which the games come in batches it will catch up with you from time to time and a flat performance will come out of nowhere.
The games are not decided so much on the general balance of play but more about making sure you take your chances. You'll get good chances to score goals in every game but you have to take them. Whatever our result pretty much every game ended with the feeling for the losing team of that's what you get if you don't take your chances.
And wait until you meet Georginio Rutter. You will not believe how someone that big and strong can also be so quick, mobile and skilful.
The games are not decided so much on the general balance of play but more about making sure you take your chances. You'll get good chances to score goals in every game but you have to take them. Whatever our result pretty much every game ended with the feeling for the losing team of that's what you get if you don't take your chances.
And wait until you meet Georginio Rutter. You will not believe how someone that big and strong can also be so quick, mobile and skilful.
