Oppo Forum: https://oatcakefanzine.proboards.com/ So just three days have passed since we got taken apart by a very organised and drilled Bristol City, and we are back in action at the Vic for our final game of 2023 against another side who are enjoying a new manager bounce in Stoke City. After demolishing Wayne Rooney's Brum 1-3 away, the travel south to Hertfordshire for what must seem like another winnable game. I thought we were pretty poor against Bristol and we made a lot of mistakes, one of them obviously continuing to persist with TDB as a makeshift RB option. Andrews is young and I get the need to rotate the side, but you have to play the players you have in the correct positions if they are fit enough to play. Hamer had a bit of a nightmare game, but I guess after how well he has played recently hopefully one off game hasn't knocked his confidence. We beat Stoke 2-0 in a dead rubber end of season game last season at the Vic, but this time it will be interesting to see how the side responds to Boxing Day's game. Not much else to add to that, it's about can VI get the players' motivated and wanting to correct the mistakes of last time. Stoke are a very tough side to break down and are looking an improving side since starting the season well then falling away. I am going to be honest, I do worry about the fragile state of the side and has three days been enough to get over such a thrashing? I just don't know. Watford 1 Stoke 2
Got to agree. Think this will be another defeat. That Bristol match, with the ease in which they destroyed us, will be damaging. Stoke are on the up, so for them, it’s a very good time to play us. I’d like to see the end of the TDB experiment, Bayo or Healey starting and Bachmann recalled.
What did Hamer do wrong? First came through a crowd of players and was in the corner, second no chance, third he made a decent save and was left massively exposed for the fourth.
Stoke were lucky they got Wayne Rooney’s Birmingham City, as they are currently named. We had to face Birmingham, which was a stiffer, more resilient team, although John Eustace kindly had them roll over for us. My cat is currently snoring in the corner. I’m going to take that as a sign. Watford 1-0 Stoke. But underwhelming.
Lewis out till the Plymouth game . Sema at left back then ? https://twitter.com/androofrench/status/1740348034397987265
Unbeaten in 4 with a new manager bounce. I’d say that’s on the up. Nice try, but you can draw your claws back in now.
My prediction for the match is that SEJ's "Your Song" on the tannoy will last to about 20 seconds after KO.
As long as we are brave, look like we want to be hear and try hard, it doesn’t matter if we win or not.
Tough one to predict this one, Stoke coming in off the back of a four match unbeaten run (one win and three draws which is not to be sniffed at) and we have hit a small blip. Start Bayo and Martins and we have a great chance on this one. Sema to left back for me over Morris. I'm going for an optimistic 2-1.
I was trying to remember what Hamer did wrong when I read Skyla Roses preview. I couldn't remember him making a glaringly obvious mistake.
They have one win in 10 games which puts them 23rd in the Championship form table. Fair enough tbey did win their last game but they did play Birmingham who get beat by almost everyone since Rooney come in.
He’s been in charge for two them. Not sure what the claws comment is about? Is it because you think everybody is after you? If you think that then I think you have an inflated opinion of yourself as I imagine most people couldn’t care less about you but just question some of the things you post. Let’s not ruin another thread though. Move on
Would be good to see a reaction and really starting on the front foot . Sema seems to be the best option at left back with Martin’s wide left
You’re just looking for faults to pick up on. It was an innocent comment of mine, that you had to ridicule for whatever reason. As for inflated opinion, I write for myself and don’t give a damn who reads it. Happy if the entire forum put me in ignore. I’m happy in my skin and always aim to post my honest feelings, at the time. Many hate it, and take every opportunity to discredit. I’ve never understood it, but it’s rife in this place. I use the forum as an open diary if you like. I don’t expect people to wade back to March 2021 to post “you said this, what a contradiction”, but it happens. I know your game. You’ve been playing it for years. I’m going to call it out every time. Meow.
Schumaker is a good manager who did an excellent job at Plymouth, and will get this Stoke side singing a tune. If we don’t up our game I see another defeat. But hope springs eternal, I pray Val has given em a roasting and we come out of the blocks in 3rd not 1st gear. 2-1
