oxford blue

Just going back to early in the thread - I agree we should have a statue. However, it's very easy to get a statue wrong (remember the Ronaldo statue in madeira airport (now removed). Therefore, I think King Power should draw up a short list of designs (once a reed at the end of season hopefulyl) and put to all STH's and members. I would like one with hand in air celebrating. A long link but this picture demonstrates: https://www.alamy.com/leicester-uk-23rd-apr-2024-jamie-vardy-and-conor-coady-of-leicester-city-celebrate-at-full-time-during-the-leicester-city-fc-v-southampton-fc-sky-bet-efl-championship-match-at-the-king-power-stadium-leicester-england-united-kingdom-on-23-april-2024-credit-every-second-mediaalamy-live-news-image604131666.html?imageid=9A340DD5-4BE2-470B-9618-C17C734B9EC8&p=1839372&pn=2&searchId=a482e74dcad10423e8b42f2839435159&searchtype=0 Other ideas?

I take your point. I always thought we would have been better to take the points deduction with KDH, particularly when we 'saved ' £10m in buying Skipp. (i realise a different accounting period) When it comes to Nelson (and Chelsea have an interest if rumours are correct) we should most definitely keep. There is no point in selling players unless there is an obvious replacement eg Stolarkysk)- or past their best with reference to too many of current squad. Nelson has been with City sine he was 9; I cannot see he would want to leave to become a squad player with another club in the PL. He must stay for at least next season, and hopefully beyond. Consistently good with Oxford: not sure if we could have said same about other central defenders we have.

Two interesting posts. I agree with andy peake in post as far as Vestergaard comparison; is there a comparison apart from how different they ar?. As you say he has good positional sense, play a pass (looking to move forward) but also will move forward with the ball when situation allows. I think he will continue to improve next season in a better team than Oxford, and no doubt his physical presence will increase. However, good positional play is far more important., and difficult to coach into a player. Alongside a player like Souttar we could have a decent centre back partnership next season. It's a pity he got injured, but he has come back the same player with consistently good performances.

Interview with Gary Rowett, Oxford manager (after Oxford 1-0 win v Sheff U) : GARY Rowett foresees Leicester City loanee Ben Nelson having a ‘big future ahead of him’. The 21-year-old centre back has made 12 appearances for Oxford United this season, with four of those coming under Rowett. A significant quad injury has disrupted Nelson’s campaign, but the defender has made a big impression with United. Nelson suffered cramp in the closing stages of Saturday’s 1-0 win at home against Sheffield United, but played on as the U’s had already made all of their substitutions. READ ALSO: Our player ratings after U’s upset the odds to beat title hopefuls -Nelson got 8 United head coach Rowett said: “I’m proud of the team. Someone like Ben Nelson, a young player, got cramp for six or seven minutes. “We’ve made all of our subs, and he’s just got to dig in. It’s men’s football. You’ve got to dig in and do whatever it takes to get the three points.” Rowett added: “He’s got a big future ahead of him. Games like this where he’s got to learn you’ve just got to go and do the hard yards, put your head on it, and go and compete against people like Kieffer Moore, which is a good learning curve for him, and not make mistakes. “That’s the thing. You can play really well in these games for 88 minutes, and if you make one mistakes, it’s game over. “I thought it was a big performance from him. He got cramp near the end, but these are the things that build that resilience and build that belief in a young player.”

This does seem very likely. I have averaged age of a few typical teams (excluding goalie) and it s around 29. It must be one of the oldest teams across all the divisions. Technical expertise in the oldies may counteract their runs etc but there is not a huge amount of that evident either in current squad.

The Life Scientific is nearly always an interesting listen; this recent episode about this very topic , with Brian Schmidt who won a Nobel prize for his work on this https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00298nf

I am surprised there is a majority (currently) who would want him back. It is true many Chelsea fans would like to see him dismissed because of the boring football they play. Wasn't there similar boring football at Leicester last season - how many times were you frustrated with 20 plus passes to end back where possession started? Interesting article in Guardian: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/mar/16/chelsea-sancho-maresca-premier-league-analysis Given the ability of the Chelsea squad, they have under-performed this season. Of course , most notable (apart from first few games) is Palmer; he must be so frustrated with playing style. Given the talent (or lack of it) in the squad, we would be in a similar position in PL had we stayed. And if reports are true, it was Maresca's call to give Vestergaard a 3 year contract - which made no sense at the time and even less now.

Good news is he is back playing. Played nearly 30 mins in midweek (as a sub) and started today playing nearly 70 mins

https://www.skysports.com/cricket/video/33723/13325079/three-absolute-stunners-but-which-glenn-phillips-catch-is-better And this is just from Champions Trophy And from Christchurch: https://www.tiktok.com/@tntsportsfootball/video/7442618537631436065?lang=en And v Australia: https://circleofcricket.com/category/social_scoop/90705/nz-v-aus-2024-watch-glenn-phillips-plucks-a-one-handed-stunner-at-gully-to-dismiss-marnus-labuschagne-in-2nd-test And v South Africa: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x8sqf5u The most extraordinary fielder!!

I have looked through most if this thread. Is there anyone who thinks we should Rudkin should stay in his post? It would be interesting to know if anyone thinks he is doing a good job. If we have seven pages of agreement could thread be locked to show unanimity? (It would be a problem for Top, as he seems inextricably linked. Of course that raises a different question as to the ownership of the club.)

Yes, goal nets in football (UK) do have to meet certain standard size regulations, though there is some flexibility regarding the amount of netting used. Standard Size of Goalposts and Nets: According to the Laws of the Game, as set by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the goalposts and the surrounding netting must be of a certain size: The goalposts must be 7.32 meters (8 yards) wide and 2.44 meters (8 feet) high. The netting itself should be positioned in such a way that it doesn't interfere with play but catches the ball when it crosses the goal line. Netting's Optional Amount: While the basic dimensions of the net are regulated to ensure consistency and safety, the amount of netting or how the net is designed can vary slightly from club to club. The net must be strong enough to withstand the force of the ball but doesn't need to cover every inch behind the goal. Clubs can adjust the depth of the net or the material used based on their preferences, as long as it does not hinder play. So, in short, the size of the goal and the net's position behind the goal are standardized, but clubs do have some leeway in terms of how much netting they use, as long as it serves its purpose of catching the ball without disrupting the game. [Courtesy Chat GPT!]

Although I don't want a managerial replacement (I think there still some who agree?) , I wouldn't object to JM. A name I advocated before Maresca was appointed when there was no doubt a very lengthy thread!. He had done really well at Oxford in a player coach role, well respected as as PFA chairman,. Got Portsmouth promoted after appointment in Jan 23. A few setbacks with Pompey but does seem to learn and Pompey are some places above relegation zone. An intelligent manager with a good future in management.

Choose the best manager in the world and we still get relegated. It makes no sense to sack RVN now, nor over the summer. He must be given the chance to work with his players; we had no arrivals during the transfer window apart from Coulibaly, described by RVN as a good back up and addition to the squad. Don't forget both Ipswich and Southampton brought in several players; both concede as many as we did on Friday. We must stick with RVN and give him a decent run next season. And Dyche is not going to be our saviour!

I don't think that's right. He has PL experience which was key to Cooper's and Rudkin transfer strategy to ensure we are a PL team next season. It's players like de Cordova-Read, Edouard (and perhaps to a lesser extent) Ayew have demonstrated how successful policy has been. We should be grateful Fulham could not meet his justifiable wage expectations and offering a three year contact was a master stroke. (Separately, as Edouard has proved so successful perhaps we can sign him on a permanent basis next season - he is out of contract at Palace.) Perhaps too radical a suggestion, but could we change Foxes to Carthorses; a few more sublime signings and I think we would be there. Long live Rudkin!

Judging from posts above, I am in a minority (of one)? City were well set up today; furthermore they were still pushing forward to the last few seconds. It is not RVN fault he inherited a squad which he was unable to strengthen (only one in and one out)during transfer window. We don't have the quality in the squad to stay up (whoever is managing) but I think RVN can take us back up next season. We lost today but it was a good performance. (Probably for match thread but I do wonder if Mavididi had passed to Kristiansen, who had created space with a long run, instead of turning into Arsenal players who immediately broke quickly and scored the crucial first goal, with VK initially out of position, it would have been different). We must stick with RVN; he sets up the players well; compared to Cooper, I feel there is a plan and more structure to the team and the way we play. Give him the chance in Championship; I think we can have a an exciting season under RVN with local talent like Alves, Braybrooke, Nelson ready for starts, and Page, Monga, Evans coming through.

Unfortunately, probably not . Caden Voice has made a few appearances for Wolves U21, but given he is only 18 he will probably have a career in football, even if not with Wolves.

replying to Nelson was probably Oxford's best player during the period he was playing. He shows great potential - defending good but his ability to move forward with the ball is even better - he should be fit from mid March onwards - unclear whether he gets to play as Oxford signed a new centre back - essentially because of his absence as I understand. Souttar was shown he is, at the very least, a good Championship player. If this meant selling Osoli, Faes I would be happy with that - provided funds used properly (not sure of this under Rudkin at al),

Not sure I agree. Assuming the season effectively ends when we know we are relegated, it is likely to be quite short. I can see we end transfer window with no meaningful signings; not for the first time a manager has been let down by vacuous Board promises.

For Cannon, this will be a great move. almost certain to be staring in PL in August, rather than a substitute in Championship. This makes no sense to me given his goal scoring record in Championship (and the 3 teams that went up are clearly the 3 weakest likely to be relegated). Similarities to decision to sell Chris Wood?

If you have not seen, tise most extraordinary headed goal has to be seen: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/videos/c6274yn9px6o About 1.45 in (or 1.15to enjoy again Faes goal before )

Totally agree Well articulated in this Guardian piece: Danny Ward had not started in the league for Leicester since March 2023 but was called upon to replace Mads Hermansen against Wolves. He never looked comfortable, making an early error with the ball at his feet and, once the first goal went under an arm, his day was not going to get any better. The goalkeeper has enjoyed an impressive career but a lack of regular football has affected him, leaving his reactions slow and confidence short. It cannot have helped the Wales international that his own supporters booed him and then sarcastically applauded when he did manage a simple save or to intercept an aimless ball over the top. Supporters have a right to express their views on the team’s performance but it must have hurt Ward to suffer such targeted criticism from those supposedly hoping he would save the next shot. He performed poorly, but there needs to be some recognition that footballers are human beings.

The opportunity for many witty one liners in a forum thread which has made me smile. Merry Christmas everyone!

Interesting article on Chris Wood https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/dec/20/born-to-score-chris-woods-journey-from-hamilton-to-premier-league-ace My favourite goal was against Watford Nov 2013 when he started to charge down Watford goalie; it hit him went into the goal. So unexpected - magical!

Mr Expert - Could you please clarify the point you are trying to make in relation to this thread? Perhaps I don't understand football either, but I think there are some good points made. One extra point, and not speaking as an expert, - playing short to a teammate centrally with opposition players is always fraught with danger, and we see this across many teams. I am not worried about opposition but I do wish we could stop this practice.

The 4 goals conceded against Newcastle at St James Park is one better than in 1990, conceding 5; although City did score 4. Remarkably, the other result in 1990 v Newcastle when City were at home was 5-4 to City. (The games were in different seasons but the only times those two sides played one another.)