Oxford United 1 Charlton Athletic 1
I’ll take that. 7 massive points this week, and from three such different games.
We were excellent last Saturday at home to Birmingham and thoroughly deserved the 3 points. The long Wednesday trip up north to Middlesbrough saw a masterclass defensive performance and we snuffled all 3 points to take home. Today we were poor, and we contributed to a poor match, but still managed to come away with an important point.
As expected Jones, Ramsey and Bell returned. Kaminski was on the bench as Mannion continued between the posts. Dykes and TC were chosen to start, but Dykes was ill during the warm up and was replaced by Leaburn. Zach Mitchell came onto the bench.
Oxford and Charlton stunk the place out first half. It was a scruffy match where we had the majority of the possession but did nothing with it. Oxford don’t like playing with the ball, sit in and hope to catch teams on the break or via a set-piece.
The second half started in the same vein and it took until the the 55th minute for our first effort at goal. Coventry heading wide from a Clarke throw.
A couple of minutes later Oxford were awarded a very suspect penalty when Ramsey was adjudged to have fouled Lankshear. Brannagan netted from the spot and a few minutes later Lloyd Jones had to clear off our line.
There wasn’t much to give us any indication from the 60 minutes that had elapsed that we were going to be able to break down a stubborn Oxford side, who had won three in a row.
Jones brought on some game-changers, but the game remained passive. However as the clock ticked down it was obvious that Oxford were retreating further and further back to their goal.
On 90 minutes Fullah put in a teasing cross and frankly quite inexplicably their defender grabbed hold off Jones’ shirt and pulled him over. Penalty.
There then followed a long break, but eventually Kelman calmly swept the penalty into the corner and ran to the jubilant and sold out away corner to celebrate.
It has been a long but successful week, and our points gain up until today was way above the expectation, but just like West Brom, today was a game not to lose, and we didn’t.
Another big point on the board.
🎙️ “The result was all-important and the week has been outstanding, in terms of seven points from three games. Two away games, at Middlesbrough and these today. Am I happy with the level of performance? Absolutely not – especially the second half. They didn’t stick to the game plan and they didn’t do a single thing I said at half-time. That is why we came unstuck and conceded.”
⭐️ Greg Docherty
🏟️ 11,325 (1,450 Addicks)
📸 Kyle Andrews
What a week very pleased looking forward Norwich but after the game when NJ got interviewed. For a few seconds they started asking about woman’s team unbelievable getting fed up it
Frankly, Jones just loves the sound of his own voice again and again, and what version does one believe in?
One version is that not one player followed instructions for the whole of the 2nd Half, and in another one, well, the last 15 minutes we did!! Which one Jones?
Are you seriously suggesting that Jones is going to hammer his team, after suggesting what a wonderful week with a massive 7 POINTS.
IMHO delighted with the points total but as the saying goes, if we set ourselves up correctly there is no reason to get the 3 wins!!
WE still need 53 or even 54 points and yes, many teams are playing each other, so they cannot win every match,
COYR!!
Well I m not going to get that 90 minutes back i ve never been so bored I nearly didn’t watch the last 20 mins. First half I didn’t even realise Carey was on the pitch didn’t hear his name once till about 40th minute which is unlike him even though he was in the starting 11 we should have had a corner but got a throw in just before their penalty which may I add was the softest penalty decision you ll ever see. So to play like this is unacceptable especially when we ve played Wrexham, Birmingham and Middlesbrough with such heart and passion it’s mind-boggling how inconsistent we are. Great penalty by Kelman the pressure he was under would have been immense.On a positive note we have 7points in a week so that’s excellent. I watched Norwich city on Wednesday against Sheffield United if we play like we did today we ll get beaten play like we did against Wrexham Birmingham or Middlesbrough we should be OK. One more win should be enough to stay up. COYR
Well, that was the week that was a good name of a TV series way back and thankful for getting 7 massive points, but we still need 53 or 54 points!!!
Ridiculous 🙄. No clue , another 🤡🤡
Well after all that we served a pig of a game and got a point.
There was nothing more than that to say. We sit on 48 points and touching distance from safety , although I don’t think we will go down now.
One issue is the current form of TC. He appears to be struggling with the transition of the different levels in the championship, be it starting or coming off the bench. Some of the basics are dropping off and that is never a good sign.
I really hope he can turn that form around.
I think TC needs a rest. He has played more than almost anyone this season and his decision making at the moment is poor. Better off from the bench late in games.
I agree with everyone a god awful game of football if that’s what you want to call it, but 7 points this week is a great return having played two decent teams and a team that’s just won 3 on the bounce safety within reach coyr
What a difference a few days can make…..superb result at Boro and yesterday we were poor showing again we are not consistent and totally unpredictable.
I’ll happily take the point butv3 points were there for us to grab.
We still need to get points and secure staying in the Championship ……COYRs
Not a drop of tea was spilt when Kelman scored !!!
We were knackered and played like it – fair enough after the schedule. NJ does need to rotate more and why not start with Fullah then swap to TC? I suspect the Dykes injury impacted plans and it’s clear that we will need upgrades in the summer.
Just 2 goals from Leaburn, despite the step up is poor, if he was a loanee would we keep him or be as patient?
We are nearly there and may even hit 60 points given the form of some teams we face.
Two tired teams who looked like they’d had both hard weeks and seasons.
FWIW I thought they were both penalties, Kayne Ramsay didn’t need to make that challenge and you could see Lloyd Jones venting at him with back to the referee. And then Oxford committed an unnecessary foul when Ciaron Brown tried to rip the shirt off Lloyd Jones’ back.
I’d like to see Nathan Jones freshen up the starting XI a bit – for example we have Jordan Fevrier and JRC who are only getting a few minutes here and there while one or two other players need a break.
I think the inconsistency comes from the fact that we do better against teams that come at us than we do against those sit back. And the latter we are expecting to beat.
if you look at the top of the league we drew with Coventry (decent account in the other game), beat Boro, smashed Ipswich, should’ve beaten Millwall at home, drew at Hull, beat Wrexham, drew at Southampton (plus a terrible drubbing during our mid-season slump).
It means we go into games where fans feel like we should have a result and it doesn’t happen. Dare I say it, but this may have been the strategy employed at the start of the season to attempt to stay up.
A draw was a good result in a very forgettable match.
Seven priceless points for sure. But come on. Boro played us off the park. We had two goal attempts and scored one. Somehow we prevented any of their dozens of chances going in. We nicked three points and no one including NJ knows how.
Then we take on Oxford and revert to the hopeless shambles NJ usually produces and rely on a ninetyeth minute penalty to rescue the game.
Despite the criticism I’ll get for this. I’m dead pleased we’re edging to safety. But as I’ve said previously. We won’t survive because of NJ, but in spite of him.
Daggs, I think that is a really harsh analysis of the Middlesbrough game. Why do you say NJ doesn’t know how?
I don’t think I’ve ever hated a Charlton manager more than you detest Jones.
Not sure how you long you’ve been commenting on my Blog but is he worse than Fraeye, Slade, Robinson, Adkins, Garner, Holden and Appleton?
Another 🤡🤡🤡. 🙄
Totally clueless..
I agree the above mentioned managers where dreadful especially Appleton and fraeye, got to give NJ some credit where were we when he took over coyr
None of them were any good with the possible exception of Holden, who cane over alright for me.
We haven’t had a good manger since Chris Powell, who was pushed out by the Belgian buffoon, who wanted to pick the team.
Not Bowyer?
😂😂😂😂🎪🤡
It’s just hilarious to read..
I believe you are wrong about the points needed , it’s going to be a high total needed this season. all the teams below us are improving, I reckon we will need at least 57 points.
😂😂😂57!
🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡
On the topics of managers Iain Dowie takes some beating awful time under him
Definitely in the top 3 worst CAFC manager since mid 70’s.
Crikey, that reminder brings back angry memories. Sorry to go off topic, but here goes.
Dowie was personally responsible for wasting all of the momentum that the club had built up over the previous ten years or so.
When he took over from Curbs, what we obviously desperately lacked was quality in central midfield – Danny Murphy had thrown a strot and left in the previous January and our Russian loanie Alexander Smertin went back to Chelsea. But Dowie went out and blew our money on a poor left back (Traory) from Liverpool and a left winger (Reid) from Spurs. So we went into our relegation season with no Premiership quality in the midfield – with the inevitable conclusion.
I also blame Richard Murray. His pursuit of Dowie was purely out of hatred of Simon Jordan.
The first of a long line of leadership f ups that we had to suffer over the next 20 years.
I so look forward to the insightful, intelligent, cogent, debate from eaststand4ever. What an intellect…..
Oh Daggs.🤡🤡 … you are my favourite 🤡fan of the season. Keep it up.. just love it 😊…