Oxford vs Saints - Boxing Day 3pm

[Tamesaint]

On 23/12/2025 at 09:39, Turkish said:

Great memories of the Kassam Stadium where our now infamous win of the Oxfordshire Benvelovant Cup in 2002 beating host team Oxford United. A great moment in our history, a real shame we failed at the final hurdle that that season and couldn't make it a double with the FA cup.

A great  occasion. We won it after a penalty shootout. Watching Chris Marsden lift that triphy was a great loment for any Saints fan. 

[StrangelyBrown]

19 hours ago, St Louis said:

Ive done some coaching badges over the years (as I'm sure many others on here probably have) and I'm always miffed when people here (and elsewhere) suggest that 5 at the back is defensive. Its typically seen as more attacking than a flat back 4, as you have wing-backs (who arent really defenders at all) bombing up the wings and on the overlap, making it essentially a back 3 most of the time. When we have played 4 at the back, we havent looked anywhere near as threatening going forward IMHO. 
We create more chances than most teams and have scored the 4th most in the division (despite a dismal start) and have been scoring a lot under Eckert and this formation.
By playing Fellows and Manning as wingbacks, weve had 5 (of the 10 outfield) players: Armstrong, Scienza, Azaz, Fellows and Manning in attacking positions for much of the game.
If anything I think we should consider going more defensive and a (flatter) back 4 on occasion, as we concede too many by playing too attacking, and allowing space on the flanks for opposition to put so many crosses in!

I get where you are coming from, but I guess it all depends on how you setup your team. Personally I prefer a 4-2-3-1 with fullbacks playing almost as wing backs and a narrow 3, but I understand the logic of a back 3 when it is applied well.

Speaking from my own experience I've found it really hard to coach the "spare" CB in a 3 unless they "get it" naturally, i.e. having the intelligence to step up into midfield, but I might just be a shit coach!

Watching us we seem to have a problem with the CBs being too happy to sit defensively almost all of the time, which means we are often short of an option in midfield - I'm not sure if this is deliberate or the players being a bit limited? I suspect the latter.

[Verbal]

51 minutes ago, StrangelyBrown said:

I get where you are coming from, but I guess it all depends on how you setup your team. Personally I prefer a 4-2-3-1 with fullbacks playing almost as wing backs and a narrow 3, but I understand the logic of a back 3 when it is applied well.

Speaking from my own experience I've found it really hard to coach the "spare" CB in a 3 unless they "get it" naturally, i.e. having the intelligence to step up into midfield, but I might just be a shit coach!

Watching us we seem to have a problem with the CBs being too happy to sit defensively almost all of the time, which means we are often short of an option in midfield - I'm not sure if this is deliberate or the players being a bit limited? I suspect the latter.

Do teams actually win leagues much with a five? In the Prem the only team I can think of was Conte's Chelsea. (Guardiola has used a three, but not five, during mid-game tactical switches, though that's with a CB as good as Rodri stepping into midfield.)

[Wade Garrett]

2 hours ago, StrangelyBrown said:

I get where you are coming from, but I guess it all depends on how you setup your team. Personally I prefer a 4-2-3-1 with fullbacks playing almost as wing backs and a narrow 3, but I understand the logic of a back 3 when it is applied well.

Speaking from my own experience I've found it really hard to coach the "spare" CB in a 3 unless they "get it" naturally, i.e. having the intelligence to step up into midfield, but I might just be a shit coach!

Watching us we seem to have a problem with the CBs being too happy to sit defensively almost all of the time, which means we are often short of an option in midfield - I'm not sure if this is deliberate or the players being a bit limited? I suspect the latter.

If you want the spare CB to push into midfield why not just play a midfielder?

[saintant]

33 minutes ago, Wade Garrett said:

If you want the spare CB to push into midfield why not just play a midfielder?

Nah, let's be clever and complicate things by pushing a centre back into midfield 🙂

[davefizzy14]

Great to see Ross back 😊

[Verbal]

1 hour ago, Wade Garrett said:

If you want the spare CB to push into midfield why not just play a midfielder?

It's all to do with phases, innit - although TBF we only really have one phase.

[die Mannyschaft]

I remember in this game a (1-0) Saints steward put his foot on the ball to stop Oxford player from taking quick throw in

 Saints need to master the dark arts of football and less on phases. 

[StrangelyBrown]

1 hour ago, Verbal said:

It's all to do with phases, innit - although TBF we only really have one phase.

I'm not sure we even have 1! Give it to a winger and hope for the best isn't really a phase

[Turkish]

36 minutes ago, die Mannyschaft said:

I remember in this game a (1-0) Saints steward put his foot on the ball to stop Oxford player from taking quick throw in

 Saints need to master the dark arts of football and less on phases. 

I remember this game too. Was there. This was in the days when cup games used to get bigger crowds than in the league. Oxford filled the Archers end and it kicked off before the game round by the Spa tavern. 

[die Mannyschaft]

28 minutes ago, Turkish said:

I remember this game too. Was there. This was in the days when cup games used to get bigger crowds than in the league. Oxford filled the Archers end and it kicked off before the game round by the Spa tavern. 

Needed a cup token card with stamp on for each rounds. As you say Cup games were allways sold out and taken seriously not with we can't be bothered as leaque too important.  

[AlexLaw76]

Can’t beat a game in Boxing Day, ie, Fri 26 Dec

👀