Judgement Day

My office is, in all honesty, a transfer magnet right now . We’ve got the potential signings of Vassell and Reid to come and already completed at least 3 or 4. I’m sure someone can give you a lowdown on all the signings. It’s nice, every now and then, to have an opportunity to sit back and think about what you’re doing, how the team is progressing, where you see yourself in a few months. Moments like this have been few and far between over the last couple of weeks. It’s all been either contracts, transfers or injuries.



Last week wasn’t too bad in the end. Yeah. We lost to Nottingham, and that was disappointing. But the lads picked themselves up, dusted themselves down and trained twice as hard as before. There’s been a real sense of belief and unity amongst the squad over these two weeks and this was only aided by the 1-0 win over Seacoast United.


Anyway, with a couple more signings in the bag, we’ve set ourselves up for our first game of the season, against the mighty Pompey! Media have chosen to televise the game, probably a good decision if you ask me… and for that we get £10,000. Not bad, shame we won’t see any of it.

I’ve decided to take the boys down to Portsmouth tonight, ready for tomorrow’s game as we start at the earlier time of 12.45. This should give the boys a chance to acclimatise and switch their heads on. I know a couple of the Portsmouth players, we’re going to have to watch Connolly if we’ve got any chance of succeeding, he always seems to play well at the start of a new campaign.


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As I mentioned early, there has been just one issue this week: injuries. To Kitson. Out for 1-2 weeks. And this is really big news. It could have been worse, much worse. But Portsmouth is one of the biggest games of the season. The role that Dave plays, just behind the striker, is not only pivotal in itself to the success of this team but also almost impossible to replace. I’m thinking Williams… give Lopez a start out wide. And maybe we can bring Potter on if things aren’t working.

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Oh. One thing I know hasn’t hit the papers yet is a loan signing of Jamar Loza, from Norwich. For some reason, the press haven’t really focused on him as much as others but trust me. He’s quality. A great poacher that can also play as a loan striker. Wish me luck for the game. Watch it if you can.

Good luck mate!

Piccadilly Circus

And I thought last week was busy . In the space of 7 days, we’ve signed 4 more players, in addition to the 5 from before, and we’ve had to let go of two players: Constable and Clarke. We’ve played 2 competitive matches, and let’s just say, they’ve gone quite well. We were unlucky not to be able to beat Bristol City, but we took a strong League 1 side to penalties, and we can be proud of that. In the other match, we registered our first win of the season, against fellow title-contenders Portsmouth.

I sit here now , though, in the presence of Mickey Lewis and Andy Melville, our two first-class coaches. You know, backroom advice meetings must be the most boring, yet productive, parts of this job. Sometimes I fathom to believe some of the nonsense that goes on during the meetings, especially when Andy tries to tell me a ‘4-4-2 formation would better suit this club’. Occasionally, though, the lads know what they’re talking about, for example Mickey’s just told me about this Sutherland guy, he plays for QPR at the moment and seems like he could be loan cover for Williams when he leaves, and the other youngsters.
Oh. I almost forgot… About a month ago I asked the board if they could look into a possible parent club. It took a while, and Lenegan wasn’t too forthcoming at first, but we managed to talk him round. Anyway, the results came back and we went for Charlton. The team and I are yet to fully utilise their services, but you can expect a few more loan players in the coming weeks. Charlton seem to have a good youth set up with excellent facilities so I’m sure we can make this deal last.

I was walking through the training ground now , well… at least until I met Lenegan, who wanted a word. His office had changed since I saw it last, he had a new picture up on the side wall, it was some sort of partnership between Oxford and Wigan Warriors, the rugby club – he owns both. Never the less, the room had the same tone to it, fresh and vibrant yet sophisticated and slick. He invited me to sit down and pulled out a large white envelope from under his desk.
Apparently, I was going to be blocked from releasing Danny Rose. Great. Whilst Danny was a decent player, he just doesn’t fit into this up and coming, attacking Oxford side and not only that, but he’s also a complete and utter idiot. Not only have I caught him smoking something, that certainly isn’t tobacco, after training a couple of times, I also got a message back from my PA saying that somebody had spotted him giving a large package of ‘white powder’ to an unidentifiable 16 or 17 year old, in a car that was far above his worth.

After trying as hard as I possibly could to get some money for him, we had reverted to setting him for release. It appeared Ian didn’t like the idea. Things became slightly heated over the next 15 minutes or so, still professional, but there was just a little more electricity in the air. Eventually, I accepted the decision. It wasn’t my club, I was just here to manage and, despite the fact that Ian would never tell me that himself, I picked up the hints and decided that I should pursue this lost cause no longer. Instead, it looks like I’ll have to find a plan to get rid of Rose, legitimately or not .

*DISCLAIMER* I Have nothing against Rose, he's a cool kid... and to the best of my knowledge has never partaken in any illegal activity. *DISCLAIMER*

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Inconsistency Seems Commonplace

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Bristol City 1 - 1 (5-2 pen)

A game against Bristol City was never going to be easy, but the boys in yellow and blue gave Bristol a good run for their money, taking them to penalties. The U’s took the lead with a great volley from Kitson on the near post before a calamity at the other end of the field lead to a Santangelo own goal. Oxford picked up 3 injuries during the match, to Djeziri, Vassell and Hunt.

Kitson – 57
Kitson
Djeziri –
Vassell –
Hunt –


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Oxford 2 - 0 Portsmouth

Oxford’s competitive season got off to a fine start this afternoon with a convincing 2-0 victory over title-contending Portsmouth. Two goals from the Pompey exile, Kitson, proved enough to win Oxford the match. It might not have been the same, though, if young Dean Santangelo hadn’t pulled off a wonder save just before Kitson doubled Oxford’s league and his season goal tally.

Kitson – 18,76,
Kitson
Johnson

Oxford 3 - 1 Bury

The U’s faced Bury next and they were itching to sit the record straight. They did this immediately, going 2-0 up in just a matter of minutes. They kept this score line until the 2nd half, where soon after they gave Bury a sniff of recovery conceding a goal, but they duly put the game to bed by scoring their 3rd.

Vassell – 12
Vassell -
Vassell
Loza – 4
Johnson -
Potter - 74

Torquay 2 - 0 Oxford

Oxford United were brought back down to earth earlier today after a 2-0 loss to Torquay. Bookies predicted an Oxford win yet they failed to deliver, mainly because of Torquay striker Benyon, scoring twice. The team looked good in parts but have continued their inconsistent streak, with 2 wins and 2 losses from the last 4.
Hunt –

Oxford 3 - 0 Wycombe

The inconsistency continues, but in a positive light here as Oxford record a very strong 3-0 victory over fierce rivals Wycombe. Goals came from Potter, Raynes and Williams which I’m sure Woodage will be very pleased about as he made hints about his wingers not being up to the highest level in a pre-match press conference. It could have been a different game, though, if Dean Santangelo hadn’t made an exquisite penalty save on the 55th minute when the scores were still level.

Williams – 65
Raynes – 74
Raynes
Potter - 87

Don't feel disenheartened, its only a matter of time until you break that consistency!

One Man Team

Damn that Benyon . I thought, as we headed onto the motorway, leaving Torquay hopefully for good. He ran us ragged today. Embarrassingly. I don’t really know how we cope with it. And the team selection is tough at the moment. We have 3 absolutely top quality strikers, and then there’s Kitson as well. There’s simply no way to fit them all in. I’m starting to think Andy was right now when he was telling me about formations… maybe we’ll have to make an adjustment. We’ll see. There’s no rush. We’ve got a whole season ahead of us.

The coach is quiet. As it quite rightly should be, mind you… the boys were not good enough today. They have, though, got a great chance to change this next up, at home to Wycombe. Whilst they aren’t quite as fierce rivals as the Swindon scum, it is still a match that can do a world of good for the fans and their bragging rights. It goes right back to what I was talking about during the Bury match: anticipation. I think we lacked that this afternoon and were duly punished. We need to step up our game if we want to get out of this league.

That might have just been made a tad harder. Andy Lord, our resident physio, has just come over to have a chat with me. It appears Hunt has sprained his ankle. It forced him off during the game, but that was mainly a precautionary matter. The issue we have is that there is no cover for right-back. And Wycombe have some very strong wide men. I’m sure we can find a way round this, though. My first thought is to stick Mullins in at right back, brining Raynes into the team at CB. He’s a good aerial presence and is also very strong.


Quite opposite, however, to the small and slight figure of Danny Rose. A man who hasn’t turned up for training twice this week and failed to arrive to tonight’s game . Of course, there is no reason to suspect anything suspicious, yet, I’m good at covering my tracks. My guess is it will be at least another week until someone mentions something. But I have, of course, got a backup just in case it comes to the worst case scenario.

Battle of the Champions

This is what seasons boil down to . All the training. All the phone calls at 1 o’clock in the morning. Come down to this. No. It’s not the last day of the season. The last day of the season is, in my opinion, overrated. Points are dropped throughout the season and have no more significance at the tail end; it’s all psychological. Now, that doesn’t mean it’s fine to lose at the end of the season. It means you can’t lose at the start.

And that was the exact message I was passing to my team right now. It’s only September, faces are still eager and fitness levels are still high. The most was less relaxed than it had been at the start of the campaign but the dressing room was still strong. They came across as professionals; the only thing in their heads is the game at hand. And hopefully this group of professionals can take apart the Chesterfield opposition that face us next. Chesterfield are top.

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The Oxford dressing rooms were as non-descript as the next. Brilliant white walls, 3 rows of narrow wooden planks conforming to create a round bench, stainless steel pegs dotted around the walls and in the corner a section of relatively clean showers, 1 communal with about a dozen heads and 4 more separate to the bunch, for those who prefer their privacy I suppose. I was given a small area in the corner, next to the auxiliary medical bed where I kept a whiteboard pegged up to the wall, fully illustrated with teams and tactics as well as a small desk that I didn’t really use.

What made these dressing rooms, though, was the atmosphere. From that first pre-season game at Sheffield, the unity of this squad has really taken me back. I mean, you expect most players to be friends with one another but at Oxford it seems more than that. They work for one another, look out for one another and even care for one another. I absolutely loved this. Hopefully it’ll start to show when the going gets tough and we need a last minute equaliser to send us up back into League 1- where we belong, may I add.

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(MONDAY October 4) POLICE are appealing for information after a 25-year-old man from Aylesbury went missing.

Danny Rose was reported missing on 3 October and relatives would like him to get in touch because they are concerned about his welfare.

He is white, 174 cm tall, and slightly built. He has short black hair, and brown eyes. He was last seen by Oxford United manager Adam Woodage at Oxford United’s training ground on 24 September and was wearing a black bomber jacket, cream or light coloured jersey and dark coloured trousers.

As I’m sure many of you will know, Mr Rose is an accomplished footballer currently playing for Oxford United. He is known to have connections to the Bristol area as well as the far north. Due to the circumstances involved in this case and the fact that Mr Rose is a professional footballer, we are treating this disappearance as suspicious and therefore we urge anyone who may have any information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to contact the team on one of the numbers below.

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Anyone who may have seen seen Mr Rose is asked to contact Det Insp Brian Gillett at Aylesbury Police Station on 0845 8 505 505 or, if you don't want to talk to police or give your name, call the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111.

You can also give information to the police in person by visiting any police station. To find out the opening times and location of your local station please call 0845 8 505 505 or visit: www.thamesvalley.police.uk/bcu/buckinghamshire/bcu-info/stations.htm

nice twist!

2014-07-14 03:55#184297 fzemdegs : nice twist!

Cheers:)

Corruption

I’m sure you’ve seen the police reports . Who hasn’t, these days. I’m telling you now, it’s not what it seems. I don’t know who the hell got the police on-board, but since then it has blown the whole thing thoroughly out of proportion. I contacted an old friend of mine amongst the footballing hierarchy the other week, after I was first told about the refusal of Rose’s release. He told me about a story back in the day of a friend of a friend who had the same problem. Of course, no names were mentioned, but I thought I’d follow in the same light…

Cast your eyes back a week. I was walking with Rose through the training ground, with the sun shining on the jet black here of the Bristolian, as I took the first step. I talked about giving him an offer he couldn’t refuse. A sum of money that, even for a potential drug dealer, was worth every last penny. I explained to him about the cabin. And that he’d have to use a fake passport. A knowledge of Dutch would be helpful as well. He was a bright kid. It didn’t take him long to fill in most of the pieces: I was sending him to Holland; he would live in a cabin under a fake name; he would play for the local 2nd division side and ensure that under no circumstances did anybody find out his identity in the next 10 years.
Each month. Every month. He would receive £2500 in used bank notes to the front door of his cabin in addition to his weekly wages from the Dutch club and he would be free to spend this money however he pleased. He could – and would – send some of it home. His family, however, would under no circumstances be permitted to visit him. From my point of view, there was just too much risk of word getting out this way, or Danny getting emotional and wanting to come home.

You might wonder why I’m so invested in a single player. It’s simple. Yet quite complicated at the same time, actually. Not only is he surplus to the requirements of the team, but he also has, as stated above, not acted in the most professional of manners but the biggest, by far the biggest issue, is a subject I can’t mention for now. You’ll have to wait and see…

Loving your update style and loving that twist!

How good is this story,cant wait to see if theres anymore twist.....keep up the good work

captainbrickarm/The Real Deal:
Cheers guys:) you'll have to wait and see

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Major News as Oxford United Manager Adam Woodage Resigns

After just a couple of months in the role of manage at Oxford United , it is reported today that the U's boss will be moving to a new club financed by a local consortium. It is reported that he was unhappy in his role at Oxford and, when the offer came along, he was more than happy to inform Lenegan and hand in his notice.

The players will, I'm sure be very sorry to see such a seemingly dedicated manager leave his role so early from a club which really did have potential. It is unclear as to whether or not the recent circumstances surrounding the disappearance of Danny Rose has cause any distress to Woodage over the past few weeks.

The new club are going to be based in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire and will originally recieve a cash injection from the board believed to be in the region of £10m. Most of this will go towards buying kit, registering as a club and of course building the club in addition to the players. It is also believed the new team will start in Skrill Premier.

This is very exciting times for Woodage, and here at BBC Oxford we will continue to cover his progress.