Ratings versus Oxford (3 Viewers)

[clint van damme]

Much unfair marking & comments on McCallum here without any recognition that he was hung out to dry by a lack of support from Hiwula, and was having to cover both Henry and Cadden on his own as a result. Mason wold have also struggled under those same circumstances.

Mason has been left 2 on 1 often this season, (I commented on it on another thread), which makes his performances even more impressive, though against better opposition, which Henry and Cadden are, you're right, he'd have had a hard time.
It's an obvious weakness which teams are going to look to take advantage of, particularly when we are playing an inexperienced full back.
The only excuse for the lack of support is if Hiwula is doing the business at the other end, which at the moment he clearly isn't.

 

---

[Sky Blue Pete]

Kelly what the fuck were you thinking!!! Ffs

Watched it on highlights he thinks he can get the ball and does get some of it. Their player does a lovely bit of skill to lift it over him

 

[Exit Stage Left]

Marosi - 7. Couple of great saves.

Mcallum - 6 Played okay but did leave his man a few times. We looked weaker down that side of the pitch.
Hyam - got a few decent blocks in, one crucial one from a dangerous cross. Just feel like neither him or Rose is a keader
Rose - I don't really know how to rate the centre halves. I feel like we miss some aggression and leadership. And hard to give anyone a good mark at the heart of defence when conceding 3 goals. Might edit and come back.
Dabo - 7. Our most dangerous player on the break I think. He fucked up twice, obviously the own goal and earlier on in the game he left someone completely unmarked in the box. Other than that (lol) he was solid. Would've been an 8 if it wasn't for them.

Westbrooke - 7. Was critical of him early on but great free kick (shit keeping) and also in the second goal showed great thinking and confidence by cutting in and laying it off to Godden instead of to Jobello on his left which was the easy option. When we have a fully fit squad though he's never starting 11.

Kelly - 5. Got bullied all game by Mackie and then that fuck up at the end cost us 2 points. People might say i'm being harsh
Shipley

Hiwula - 5. Honestly he's been dog shit the last few games. Shit touch, can't shoot on his left foot. The most infuriating thing though is he doesn't have the right work ethic. Doesn't chase things down like other players. You can get away with that if you're class but if you're having a mare then you can at least put a shift in.
Godden - 8. Great headed goal. Loves
Jobello - 6 He needs to get the ball in the box earlier from a bit deeper. Godden thrives off those balls. He also think's he is faster than he is (stolen off someone on the match thread) because he tries to take people on by just running past them and can't. Looks a bit awkward on the ball.

subs:
O hare - 7. Great goal...but should've had two. I love how quickly he makes advanced runs late on from midfield and can be played through. He's also got a bit of an aggressive streak in him and isn't scared to get stuck in. I'd start over Westbrooke/Shipley.

Jordan Shipley's rating?

 

[Esoterica]

Watched it on highlights he thinks he can get the ball and does get some of it. Their player does a lovely bit of skill to lift it over him

Think that is just a very tired decision after 93 minutes of being the only one in midfield to put a tackle in, exacerbated with playing the full 90 at Watford on Tuesday.

 

[Sky Blue Pete]

Think that is just a very tired decision after 93 minutes of being the only one in midfield to put a tackle in, exacerbated with playing the full 90 at Watford on Tuesday.

In fact I didn’t add I really liked that the oxford player didn’t look to get Kelly booked. It was a good ball in but defendable even even after Kelly’s mistake

 

[Legia Sky Blue]

Watched it on highlights he thinks he can get the ball and does get some of it. Their player does a lovely bit of skill to lift it over him

If you also look at those highlights you will see Kelly visibly slow up when he realises the Oxford player will get to the ball first, which makes his decision to then dive in a particularly bad one. It would have also helped though if someone had gone to back him up, but all our players stayed rooted to the spot in the penalty area. Not sure exactly where the new lad from Reading was positioned but he would have been the obvious one to go out and support Kelly, but of course he had been placed out of position at left back, and it wouldn't necessarily have been a natural reaction as for McCallum if he had been on the pitch.

 

[fernandopartridge]

Watched it on highlights he thinks he can get the ball and does get some of it. Their player does a lovely bit of skill to lift it over him

He didn't need to commit himself it was stupidity, defensive showboating if you like

 

[Gibbo]

Just thinking what Robins could have done during this game only to negate all of those crosses pinged in from the left.

A radical switch to 3-5-2?

Marosi

Dabo Rose McFaz Hyam Watson

O'Hare Kelly Shipley

Godden Hiwula

With Dabo and Watson pressing high? In this formation and to add to our defence at corners, I'd ideally bring on Max for Hiwula but that would be 4 subs!

There is very little evidence that Robins will ever change formation

 

[KeresleyArmpit]

Marosi 7 - A few top class saves, nothing he could’ve done about the goals. Distribution good too.
McAllum 5 First half much better than 2nd, liked that he was asking for the ball of Marosi every time. Run ragged second half, in fairness Hiwula didn’t support him at all.
Rose 7 -
Hyam 7 - Think rose and Hyam both had good games. You can only do so much when the centre of midfield is so easily broken down and its backs against the wall for 90 minutes.
Dabo 5 - Despite the own goal(s) he did look a threat coming forward at times and set up the Godden goal.
Shipley 4 - Off the boil. First game in CM where Id say he’s had a bad game
Kelly 4 - Poor today, lost us 2 points at the end.
Westbrook 5 - extra point for the goal, broken down to easily as were the rest of midfield.
Hiwula 3 Shocking, half heartedly jumps into 50/50 headers with no intention of winning them, offered very little.
Jobello 4 - Worrying, not sure what was going on here, absolutely no conviction in anything he was doing. Did set up O’Hares first chance however.
Godden 7 - Let down by the midfield and wingers. Did the best he could with the piss poor service he had. Great header for the goal and does something with the ball every time he gets the ball at his feet. A clear step above both Baka and Biamou, let’s hope and pray he stays fit.

O’Hare 7 - Lively and gets into good positions. Needs to start.

 

[fernandopartridge]

Hyam was ball watching for their first goal

 

[PVA]

Dabo was also at fault for the third goal, he was ball watching and let his man get across him.

As for the own goal it was so bad it was funny!

We do need to cut out the silly goals - Pompey's goals were all a result of defensive mistakes - but at least we look like scoring lots this season

 

[LilleSkyBlue]

Marosi 7 top-drawer saves but has a shaky look about him at times

Dabo 6.5 two OGs all the same and lost the ball dangerously once trying to break too fast, nice cross for Godden's goal though

Rose 6 marked as part of defence conceding 3 - truthfully didn't notice him much

Hyam 7 any number of flying blocks at the near post after being let down on his left flank

McCallum 6 did what he could

Westbrooke 6 okay plus confident free kick

Kelly 6 busy and aggressive, decent in the air too, despite foolish sliding tackle at the endid

Shipley 6 all right but lost the ball visibly a couple of times

Jobello 5 lively-looking but, as a few have said, neither as quick nor as tricky as he looks like he's going to be

Godden 7 tireless, good goal, frequently useful back in defence too

Hiwula 4 too many bad decisions, snatched shots and no tracking back

O'Hare 8 can't ask for much more from a sub but at times he looked lightweight

Watson 7 some neat incisive passing in a short spell

McFadzean 6 did nowt right or wrong that I could see - I prefer Rose and Hyam as things stand though

 

[Ooh Ah]

I agree we played poorly, much of that down to Oxford, but saying Hiwula wasn't supporting McCallum is not true. In 4-3-3 he covers the right back and centre half. Yesterday he dropped deeper than normal to cut out the pass down the channel or track any overlap, which affected his attacking threat. Left back covers the wide player and swap players with Hiwula on any overlap; Mason plays this very well. Oxford targeted getting their player 1 on 1 with McCallum, which told in the end.

 

[robbiekeane]

There is very little evidence that Robins will ever change formation

Apart from the fact we’ve completely changed formation this year

 

[cc84cov]

Hiwula & Jobello worry me against stronger sides in the league I can see us taking some hefty losses...they should be locked in a dark room & made to watch Luke Thomas’s tracking back last season & attacking play tbh

 

[False9]

There is very little evidence that Robins will ever change formation

I'd say that's a bit unfair as he has played a different system in each of his seasons here. I would probably agree if you're alluding to in game changes.

 

[skyblueinBaku]

Marosi 7
Dabo 6
Rose 6
Hyam 6
McCallum 5
Westbrooke 5
Kelly 6
Shipley 5
Jobello 5
Godden 7
Hiwula 5

O'Hare 7
Watson 6
McFadzean 5