The Yellows Take a Step in the Right Direction

Today, Oxford finally got to play their rescheduled match against Barnet. As I said at the end of the last post, Oxford really needed to start winning. Well that idea looked very grim at this match’s beginnings. As this match was again during the work day for me, I could only check the live match tracker every so often when work was dead. To my grief, Oxford were already down by the time I first checked the score. I joined the match probably around the 20^th minute, but Barnet had taken the lead in the 16^th. It must have been a good crisp shot too because Barnet weren’t taking many shots, just two in that first half. Oxford were again taking shots, but again just not getting anything past the keeper. Luckily the law of averages caught up and Oxford leveled just a few minutes before halftime. New loanee Lee Holmes crossed the ball into the box to fellow loanee Scott Rendell who headed the ball into goal. That would be Rendell’s first goal for Oxford since he joined a few weeks ago.

The second half started off better than the first for the Yellows, with Oli Johnson getting a near goal with his shot hitting off the post in the 53^rd. James Constable would get one inside the goal though just a few minutes later in the 56^th to give Oxford the 2-1 lead. Oxford looked to be taking the 2-1 win through the end, but they would do so just by the skin of their teeth. Barnet was awarded a penalty in the 83^rd minute with Oxford defender tripping their Ricky Holmes in the box. Luckily, Ryan Clarke, Oxford’s keeper was up for it and stopped the penalty kick from going in the bottom corner. With that dramatic save, the Yellows officially sealed the deal and beat Barnet 2-1.

Of course, Oxford still stay in 7^th with the win. Again they’re not going anywhere any time soon. They did at least gain some distance away from those below them in the standings. They are now five points ahead of 8^th place. They play Macclesfield, a team in the bottom half of the league table, this weekend but the competition will be stiffer for the two matches after that. Current league leaders and rivals Swindon Town come to town on March 3^rd and current 4^th place team Shrewsbury hosts Oxford for a Tuesday match on March 6^th. I have a feeling that getting points from these two fixtures will be crucial for Oxford’s progress towards promotion at the end of the season.

Just the Colors This Weekend

Newcastle United were out of the action this weekend due to it being a weekend for English FA Cup action so it was just a weekend (and a Saturday specifically) for Nurnberg and Oxford United. With Newcastle’s club colors being black and white, that left the clubs with colors (Nurnberg are red and black, Oxford are yellow and blue) in action.

FC Nurnberg vs. FC Cologne – With Newcastle not playing, I made it a point to find a live stream of Der Club’s match against Köln (Cologne to the English speaking world). I was rewarded too as Nurnberg looked much more lively than in last weekend’s match against Augsburg. They actually were attacking. If you can believe it, Der Club were also the first team to score. In the 28^th minute, Nurnberg got a corner, crossed the ball into the box which then bounced around in the crowd. The ball then came outside the box where a shot got taken (didn’t note who shot it) that deflected back to Esswein who ripped one pasts Köln’s keeper for the 1-0 lead.

Shortly after that goal, I lost my live stream and kept searching for another one through halftime and most of the second half. I got it back around the 60^th minute though, to see Nurnberg get a few close chances. The ball traveled a twice across the face of Köln’s goal. The 63^rd minute also brought a near chance as their keeper had to make a foot save to keep Der Club from getting a second goal. The 66^th minute though brought action on the other pitch with a fast break by Koln that seemed to catch Nurnberg’s defensive line off guard. Schaefer, Nurnberg’s keeper had to come out a bit to block Köln’s resulting shot which he did deflect, but not quite enough to keep it from rolling towards the goal. Schaefer made a final lunge to keep the ball from crossing the line, but alas it was a split second too late. He argued his case with the officials fervently (enough so that he picked up a yellow card), but the replays showed clear space between the line and the ball past it. The match was even at 1-1.

By then I had settled at a good live stream online, and was watching and hoping for a second Nurnberg goal. Der Club were in a 4-2-3-1 for the match, the popular German formation as of late, and it seemed to be working for them today. The lineup also seemed to be gelling better today too. With the better lineup and formation, Nurnberg would indeed get the go-ahead goal in the 85^th minute. They got a break into the Köln half and played a long cross to Tomas Pekhart who headed the ball into the bottom corner, off the post, and into goal. Not that Köln’s keeper could have done anything about the perfectly placed shot, but he seemed to not expect the header from Pekhart. I have no sympathy of course for the Köln keeper of course, because the Nurnberg would hold that 2-1 lead and take the 2-1 win.

That was a much needed win that Nurnberg needed to move up the table and away from relegation. Der Club now sit in 12^th spot, seven points away from relegation. There are only a dozen games left in the campaign, some against very tough competition, but if Nurnberg play as they today, they should be in fine shape to avoid relegation.

Oxford United vs. Bristol Rovers – This match unfortunately was a game of “what ifs” and “should have beens” for the Yellows. From reading reports and looking at the match tracker, they were a bit flat in the first half against Bristol, but very nearly had a goal before the break. The ball was past the Bristol keeper and heading towards the goal but was cleared by one of Bristol’s midfielders. That seems to have been the most excitement of the first half, with the teams only taking three shots each.

In the second half, Oxford worked their shooting boots a bit more, getting off nine shots, six of those being on goal. However, the Bristol keeper was able to keep them all out. The match would end a 0-0 draw. Oxford was the better side in the day, but you can’t win if you don’t get the ball past the opposing keeper and into goal.

The Yellows are still in 7^th place with the draw, but go down from three to two points above the 8^th spot (now held by Port Vale). They are also still eight points away from 6^th place. As I mentioned last week, the way the teams are falling in the standings, it will be much harder to move up in the standings compared to falling down, which could happen easily. The Yellows sit at 47 points in 7^th place. The 1^st through 6^th place teams in the standings are all between 59-55 points. Closer to the Yellows are the 8^th through 14^th teams, all between 45-40 points. If Oxford fall further, they’ll join a muddled mess of competition.

Tomorrow Oxford play Barnet in their make-up match from February 4^th. I’m hoping for a win, one that starts a winning streak and moves the Yellows upward.

The Yellows Get to Play

After not playing a match since January 29^th, Oxford United returned to action today against Dagenham & Redbridge. Pre-match, D&R (I have to abbreviate that long of a club name) sat 22^nd in the league tables, third from the bottom and the last spot before the relegation zone. Oxford were definitely looking to win this one.

The match also marked the debuts of many new faces for the Yellows. Scott Rendell and Oli Johnson were in the starting eleven, but Mehdi Kerouche and Lee Holmes were later substitutions.

D&R had also not played for a few weeks because of England’s cold weather, so the match started out slow to say the least. As this was during the work day for me, I only took a peek at the match tracker periodically. Normally when I do this with most matches, a shot will be mentioned after a handful of minutes. Something usually happens. With both teams trying to score, you don’t go too long without seeing a shot. Well, you could tell both Oxford and D&R were rusty for this one. The first half was more than halfway through before either team managed to take a shot. Even after then though, things weren’t too exciting in the half. The first half ended with only three shots total combined from both teams.

The second half was better, not fantastic, but better with a combined nine shots taken. Luckily for some excitement in the match, three of those found the back of the net. New Oxford signing got things started in the 51^st minute with a headed shot. He’ll be happy to commemorate his first start for Oxford with a nice goal like that. D&R alas made things even again though in the 72^nd minute with a header of their own. Their leveler had me quite concerned that Oxford would draw for the third match in a row and again be a draw against lesser competition. Happily for worries were unwarranted, as Oxford’s “ol’ reliable” striker James Constable put them ahead 2-1 with a goal in the 79^th. The Yellows would hold off D&R from scoring for the rest of the match and take the 2-1 win.

Oxford United squeeze into 7^th place and into the lowest promotion playoff spot with the win. They are three points above the eighth placed team, Rotherham United, but are a far eight points away from the sixth place team, Shrewsbury Town. Basically that means Oxford have to be careful. It will be hard to move up in the standings, but it will be very easy to move down.

Another Oxford Transfer

Today, Oxford United announced another month long emergency loan deal. This signing was for yet another striker, Lee Holmes. You can read the article from the club site here, but Holmes comes on loan from Championship side Southampton. He basically comes in as a replacement for the injured Jon-Paul Pittman, but I think he will fill JPP’s boots very easily. He seems to have had very early success as a teenager and maybe hasn’t seen as much success in his twenties, but from what I can find online, still seems to be a very good player. Oxford United’s article says he’s only made eleven appearances for Southampton this season, so he will most likely be geared up to get some ample playing time and to make an impact.

Not the Greatest of Weekends

With much of England still under cold temperatures, Oxford United were again out of action as their game was postponed. However, Nurnberg and Newcastle United did still play, but had very little to show for it.

Oxford United – Before I get into the actual match action, I thought I’d briefly mention Oxford’s rescheduled fixtures. They were to play Accrington Stanley this past Saturday. That match is rescheduled for Tuesday, March 27^th. Their postponed match from last weekend which was to be played against Barnet, has been rescheduled for Tuesday, February 21^st. Adjust your calendars accordingly.

Newcastle United vs. Tottenham Hotspur – Newcastle played Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Saturday, a match, that to be forward right away, will probably be the worst of the season. This match was so dismal as a Toon fan that I checked out at halftime and went for a run outdoors instead. I should mention that it was a -3 degree Farhenheit (-19.5 degree Celsius) wind chill outside. It was miserably cold and windy outside, but it would have been more miserable watching Newcastle play.

I’m not even going to go into a match report – there wasn’t much good to say about Newcastle. At halftime, I left the score with Tottenham leading 4-0. That’s a thumping for a full ninety minutes, let alone forty-five. Spurs only added a second goal in the second half, but the damage was done by then anyway. The final, a 5-0 drumming by the hands of Tottenham was just depressing. Newcastle drew 2-2 with Spurs earlier in the year so it should have been better than this. I’ve read that the Toon were really missing Cabaye (still serving a suspension) and Tiote (still returning from the Africa Cup of Nations) were really missing, but the drop down from then to their replacements is it that great to go from a 2-2 draw to a 5-0 defeat. Ryan Taylor was also missing with his injured leg.

It’s sickening to realize the problem was the defense. The aspect that was so great for the Toon earlier this season, putting them as high as 3^rd in the standings, is now their weakest link. A lot of it is injuries, sure, but it’s still damn depressing. This match sure didn’t show it, but I think that if the defense could be solid as it was in the beginning of season and now with Ba and Cisse up front, I think Newcastle could make a charge for the top of the league. Ok, that might be too much, but they could at least get to a Champions League spot.

FC Nurnberg vs. FC Augsburg – After the disappointment on Saturday with Newcastle’s match, I was looking for some excitement with Nurnberg’s clash against local rivals and relegation zone inhabitants Augsburg. I however was looking in the wrong place. With Nurnberg and Augsburg tied for second fewest goals scored in the league, the keepers wouldn’t be spending too much time picking the ball up from the back of the net. Nurnberg and Augsburg, especially when playing tough opposition, are “park the bus” teams, moving back the lines/formation to protect the goal, only going with the odd counter attack in hopes of scoring. That mindset is tough to shake for just one game, so I suppose it shouldn’t be surprising that there were only four shots total from both teams in the first half, three for Augsburg and one for Der Club. I was following a live stream online for the match, but I may as well have just been following a match tracker with so little offense.

The second half did improve offensively, probably because of halftime talks and players getting tired as the game wore on. Of course, each team made some substitutions to try to have an advantage of fresh legs over tired legs, which did lead to more shots. Augsburg took six shots, with Der Club improving with taking eleven. Still, rather sadly, neither team managed to get one past the goalkeepers and shake the net cords. The match ended in a boring 0-0 draw. With that, Nurnberg goes nowhere in the league standings. They remain in 14^th. I guess they did however get a point more away from relegation. That’s still just a dismal four points away though from the relegation playoff spot.