Wilders not thrilling 'em vs Gillingham (League 2)

The first home match for a few weeks. Last time out at home we managed to lose to a 10 man Torquay team. Many of us couldn't stand it and went to sit in our cars rather than watch the last few minutes.

This time we were playing a Gillingham team who hadn't won away for over 18 months and 30 games. As soon as I found that particular fact out I knew what was going to happen.

A very good crowd of over 7000 (bolstered by some excellent and fairly noisy Gilingham support) watched the inevitable unfold. We started with a 4-3-3 formation which as always mutated faily quickly into some sort of 4-5-1. In as far as we were playing any sort of recognisable system at all that is. Purkiss kept his place, Tonkin didn't. Kinniburgh took his place with Jake Wright back after his ban and Ben Futcher completing the back four. Wotton, Payne and Clist made up the midfield and Craddock, Potter and Maclean were up front. As at Rotherham (we didn't really bother 'em) Beano started on the bench. Apparently his virus has been diagnosed as Secondhalfitis, which means he has to sit down for a while before he is allowed to play. But we aren't allowed to say that he's been dropped to the bench.

Gillingham showed an illogical desire to break their record away streak, and were by far the best team in the first half. They managed to squander some decent chances (including a couple of headers where our defenders watched in awe as the dastardly attackers jumped into the air when not even having the decency to stay close to their markers) that they should probably have put away, before Jake Wright decided to end the uncertainty by making a hash of a back pass which the grateful Gillingham striker collected, went round the stranded Clarke and put the ball into the net. OK, so one down, but ages to score a couple and get back to winning ways, surely? Errm no.

From an Oxford point of view the first half was a total shambles. It was the same old, same old. Lack of tackling in midfield, lack of quality on the ball or movement off it. Lack of passing was another old habit to come back - apparently the grass is electric and if the ball is allowed to run directly on the surface, all the players - and their loved ones in the stands - get a massive electric shock. But worst of all was the total lack of any plan. Any tactics. What were they trying to do? The main mode of defence was to hack the ball up in the air which was marginally better than the other way of doing so, the famous 'fanny about with it across the face of our own goal while the other teams players get closer' tactic, so beloved of pub teams up and down the country. The main mode of attack was to hack the ball up in the air a bit further and to hope that it would somehow bounce kindly or a Gillingham head would conveniently miss it. This isn't playing against St Albans in the middle of a park for God's sake. The midfield got a bit bored of watching the ball whistle over their heads. Some of them went back to join the defenders, others joined in the hoofing when they got the ball. Which wasn't often since when we got the ball we couldn't keep it, and when Gilingham got the ball we didn't bother to try to get it back. Half time came and it was some cause for comfort that we were only one down.

The half time 'entertainment' was rubbish, apart from PRB getting soaked by the sprinklers which was karma for his stupid 'Stay Positive' comment before the match started. Speaking of sprinklers, our players were slipping all over the place, including Jake when he gave away the goal. Should we not be a) watering the pitch a bit less just before kick off since it makes our players slip and we don't pass the ball on the floor anyway and b) wearing slightly longer studs so we don't wind up on our arses half the time.

Second half. Constable came on for Payne. What? Our midfield was getting overrun, so we take off our only vaguely attacking midfielder and replace him with a forward. 4-2-4? Okaaaaaaaaay. Well it was obvious fairly early on that the Gills had settled for the goal they had got and simply put bodies between us and the goal, although they did still look dangerous on the break. They did this by simply running forward with the ball when they got it and passing it to each other. They did NOT immediately hare off towards the wing with it before stopping dead, turning round, passing it to a team mate behind them who passed it across the pitch to someone else who then passed it back as they were being closed down, and then passed it back to the goalie on his wrong foot to hack it up the pitch in the air. Spot the difference? Constable seemed to strike up a decent understanding with Maclean (who must be praying for his loan month to end as soon as possible), Heslop came on for Wotton and finally the usual Potter for Green swap was made. None of it made much real difference. Perhaps we were maginally less rubbish than in the first half - mostly because Beano actually looked as if he wanted to be out there and tried bloody hard to make something happen. The ref put us out of our misery, sparking huge jubilation amoung the away support - a sound that has become all too common at the Kasstad this season.

So I walked back to my old clapped out car, fairly miserable. Only to turn the radio on and hear Chris 'My Lord' Wilder having a pop at the fans for 'not being positive' and forgetting whereabouts we were playing a couple of years ago. He also claimed that 'everyone knows what we are trying to do'. Well let's take these one at a time shall we, Chris?

Firstly, we are two points above the bottom of the bottom league. In the last 8 matches, we have managed one win and lost all the other seven. We have scored eight goals (three of those against Northampton in the one win, only one in the last five matches) and let in 17, without keeping a clean sheet. The team is now playing consistently worse than at any time this season, with no sign of improvement. Without improvement, we will be back playing in the godforsaken Conference - if the club actually manages to survive financially. Positive enough for you?

Secondly. Last time you lost the plot you claimed that 'history doesn't matter'. So stop banging on about where we were two years ago then. Concentrate on NOW.

Lastly, 'everyone knows what we are trying to do'. I don't. Really. We are playing Atkins style hoofing without the benefit of players who would be useful in that situation. We have a 'youth policy' that means we must get rid of Bulman and Crieghton. We then discover that we have a whole team of inexperienced youngsters. Who'd have thought. So we bring in Wotton and Futcher. Any better than the experienced players they have replaced? Not judging on current evidence, no. So what exactly are we trying to do? Get rid of all the team that played at Wembley? (Midson, Deering, Creighton, Day, Bulman) Please tell us. At the moment the only journey you are taking us on is up the garden path.

If you keep burning your bridges with the fans (who pay good money to watch the team home and away, year in year out, whatever division we are in, whoever is the manager) then you might find that you have alienated the very people you are relying on to keep you in a job, Chris.

Next up - Chesterfield on Tuesday night. They are top of the league, we are rubbish. I'll probably go.