Match Day Thread Sunderland v Oxford – Friday 2nd April - KO 15:00

I had some family stuff on yesterday so wasn't able to follow the game like I'd normally do, so I've only seen the highlights and you're right. It was a time wasting attempt by Oxford that backfired on them for the second goal. If they'd not did as much **** housing and time wasting earlier they might have got away with it, but karmas a bitch, screw'em!

 

Oxford were made out to be a classy side but I saw little of that tbh.

Their chunky awkward manager obviously had them riled up about their 'arrogant' hosts and they let it go to their heads.

They were basically a long ball team trying to rile their opponents and it backfired on them.

At one time we'd have folded and hidden away from the challenge ...

... happily that's no longer the case, well done lads.

 

I must admit that our second half performance yesterday was back to Portsmouth away level. Dominant and complete control. That is a good sign for the run in.

I thought Stewart coming on helped push them back a further 10 yards. Gooch kept the pitch really big, which is even more important against 10 men. Then Scowen did the job of two midfielders. It was a second half where everyone was on top of their game. We should take massive confidence.

 

I think Oxford would have done better to play football as opposed to all the niggley stuff, they seemed pretty effective on the break, a bit like Lincoln.
I was very impressed with Charlie as provider, some excellent passes and crosses and I can't recall him doing that so well before, though he probably has done.
As for the surfer, 2 goals and 2 assists recently is pretty good for a lad who is off form and playing several different positions, often in the same game.

 

They're all having to adapt, but unlike with previous managers they're not using it as an excuse.

Power used to hide when things were going badly, but he's changed massively.

I'd really lost it with him, but I admire him now.

 

With you completely there smug. Power was a player I thought had finished with SAFC. Never looked good enough even for league 1. Looks a completely different animal now. I’m trying not to get carried away but Johnson looks like exactly what we’ve needed. Picks a side fir a game. Picks adaptability in the side so he can change mid game if needed. Uses subs superbly well. Not scared to make the tough decisions. Long may it continue

 

O’Nien was outstanding yet again. His pass to jones for the equaliser and his match saving header at the end was fantastic. What a player.

 

now that is a valid point and something i noticed more than a couple of times with teams in this division, their overall play can actually be quite good to watch but for some reason, managers have them falling over, complaining, having 'niggly little tackles' in areas where there is no danger etc.

i used to think it was a premier 'illness' where every trick in the book would be employed to try to get a win but this league is even worse and most teams can play good football at times...that said, i am pleased that we seem to have added some of it to our game now as we play them at their own game now and they 'dont like it up em' do they?

 

He started off well for us. Those red cards, although rescinded, knocked his confidence. He's showing up every game now.

 

If that goal was scored by 'a big club' then the media would be coming in their pants.
But as they literally don't care about anything under Championship level it will go totally unnoticed which is a shame, 09s pass was Beckenbaur esq, Jones dribble was Best at his best and Goochy's movement made it a tap in, but like I say no one will take any notice.

 

I know **** housery happens in every league now but like you, I was surprised at the lengths Oxford were going to to put us out of our stride and it came to bite them on the arse. Are teams that wary of us now that they'll resort to those lengths and if so, it's important that we don't rise to it. I don't think we will and we do seem to have that little bit of a nasty streak in us now that wasn't there before but we seem to be more subtle on how we go about it.

 

To be honest, a lot of teams at this level have done it to us since we came down. O remember being at the Oxford game under Ross when Power got his 11st red card, and they were **** houses then. Add in Wycombe, Fleetwood, Plymouth, Shrewsbury among others and you can see it happened pretty regularly. I think the difference now is in the past it would have got to us and we'd have dropped points. Now we seem more resilient to it as well as finally dishing some of it out ourselves.

 

Thankfully Johnson has stuck to his own beliefs and kept faith in his team/squad/players.

He's also proved me wrong a few times with his selections, formations, tactics, substitutions.

It's a great feeling to be able to watch the game knowing Johnson is doing all the thinking ...

... can't wait to see what he does on Monday.

 

Official Highlights:
https://safc.com/news/team-news/2021/march/oxford-united/highlights-vs-oxford
Full 90:
https://safc.com/news/team-news/2021/march/oxford-united/full-90-vs-oxford

Access All Areas: (abridged version)

 

They need to get those cameras in the tunnel sorted, I used to enjoy seeing them coming back in at the end of the first half

 

Right gobby shìthouse.
Imagine the scenes at a packed SOL .

 

Another win for the U23s yesterday v Reading. Another goal for Hawkes

https://www.safc.com/news/academy-news/2021/april/u23-report-vs-reading-away

 

Think Karl Robinson tried to start a fight there as well...

 

Robinson telling porkies

 

shock horror