royalp-we oxf*rd me reading this is depressing
It was awful - but we’ve just come off the back of 3 clean sheets. There’s a vast improvement in this side to 12 months ago, whatever way you wish to look at it.
This season our problem is that we simply do not create enough at home. We would be in the promotion race otherwise.
Our well overhyped midfield aren’t doing enough in the final third at the mad stad. And unfortunately, Bowen is on a hiding if he drops any of them too.
We do not play to the strikers strengths and admittedly we should have worked this out by now. But We need to give Bowen the summer to put his spin on things as he’s completely turned the team around.
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Had he 'completely turned the team around' around we wouldn't have experienced such an appalling sequence of home performances and results (third worst in the league) and absolutely shyte performances like last night with just 1 shot on target! Under Bowen we are actually averaging fewer shots (both total and on target) per game than we were under Gomes.
He has avoided relegation with a large squad full of very talented individual players, the like of which many managers in our division can only dream of having on their books. In avoiding relegation the Bowen way, the long suffering supporters have had to endure largely dreadfully boring negative defensive games (was that 8 defenders on the pitch v Charlton?!). Yes, there have been a few entertaining exceptions but they have been very few and far between.
Bowen only appears to have a Plan A and that is built entirely around Joao, even when he's not in the squad! It beggars belief that after last night's game, and despite the fact that there is nothing left to play for, Bowen was still talking about the possibility of getting Joao to play again this season! Such is his dependence on that one player that he seems unwilling to play safe and give him until the start of next season to fully recover.
In his post match interview last night, the result and dire performance seemed to come down to everything and everyone bar Mark Bowen and his coaching staff! So just what is he getting paid for?
We're chasing the game, with 7 minutes left, despite having adopted such a negative defensive lineup and tactics at home, yet what does Bowen do? Bring on as much attacking threat as he has at his disposal on the bench? No, let's bring on McCleary and swap Blackett for Obita at left back!
He made two signings during the January transfer window. What was the point? Aruna has disappeared without trace (is he injured?) after what I thought was a promising debut. Masika gets given just a few cameo minutes when the game has pretty much gone to shyte and those around him on the pitch have largely lost the plot and/or any real desire to turn things around.
With this sort of entertainment value and home record under Bowen, the club won't have to worry too much about social distancing, if/when supporters are allowed back into the stadium next season.
Being made to look like an idiot will be a small price to pay if Bowen manages to turn us into an entertaining team pushing for at least the playoffs next season. I will then gladly eat humble pie. However, I think there is a greater chance that it will be more of the same and the fans and owners will lose patience with this management/coaching team.