[Ska'dForLife-WBA]

The winless streak of three which carried us into October was a reality check which left us in playoff limbo during the break, just two points off top spot but also just two points from slipping into the mid-table morass. Notwithstanding Brian Clough's evergreen observation about the value of the league table before the month of bonfires and poppies, we do need to try and get back on track during the coming week on the road.

Saturday's early kickoff will be a novelty in itself: the first league encounter of the 21st century between Albion and Oxford United, who last met at this level with Britney Spears' "Baby One More Time" topping the charts, and James Quinn and Enzo Maresca hitting the net, on 6th March 1999. For our last (ever) journey to the Manor Ground you have to take the DeLorean back a little further to September 1998, when the Yellows were still enjoying a few years of bogey status over us; aside from a League Cup tie in 2014 that we scraped through on penalties, we haven't really had chance to fully exorcise that ghost of our Nineties mediocrity, and this inaugural trip to the Kassam Stadium - which could also end up being our final visit, as they apparently plan to cart their arses to yet another venue in a couple of years - will be an opportunity to put that right. Though to their credit as a team promoted through the playoffs, United are ticking over nicely in 10th as things stand, and treading water over the last month with a string of draws; Albion, meanwhile, only have to point Josh Maja towards the opposition goal away from home and watch him go, as his four goals in four consecutive appearances on the road have been a key part of our success so far.

A trip to Ewood Park looms on the horizon on Wednesday night, so together these fixtures are a decent indicator of where we stand and how things are liable to unfold in the coming weeks. I'd take two points from these two with a bit of a grumble, settle for three more happily, but if we've still got upward ambitions for this season, then we have to push for four or more.

[talkSAFT]

Get in there!!!
0-1 Grant 30 mins

[Salopbaggie]

92 minutes 1-1 yet again missed out on all 3 points in injury time, yet again for the same reason, sitting back defending instead of continuing to attack.

[talkSAFT]

Bloody Hell! 1-1 93rd minute. 2 more pts down the drain.

[Slick_Footwork]

For me, recent performances have been far too negative given the quality we have in our squad now.

We play with 3 attacking midfielders, yet we never really see any "football". Maja holds the ball up nicely and shows some nice touches, but he's not getting any decent service.

Where is the interchange? The passing and moving? Finding dangerous pockets between the lines where we can thread a ball through?

We tend to have a lot of possession passing side to side in our own half, but where is the excitement up the other end? With the exception of Fellows getting to the byline and putting a cross in, we never really look like creating anything from open play. None of our plethora of attacking midfielders seem to have the ability to play a through ball and even if they did, we're far too pedestrian moving the ball from back to front. Last year we had Kipre who could thread a pass from deep to beat the opposition press, but we don't have that this season, yet insist on playing between the back 4.

It was an excellent goal from Grant, a good long range shot, but we can't rely on spectacular goals. Corberan needs to figure out a way to get us playing some football.

And I really don't understand why we insist on playing backwards passes, often playing ourselves into trouble, when there are easy forward passes on. I can't help thinking that if we just played normal today, attempting to get the second goal, we would've seen the game out. Instead, consciously picking out the "safe" ball, we played ourselves into trouble and gave away the throw in which lead to the equaliser. No disrespect to Oxford, but it didn't feel like it was a game where we needed to avoid committing men forward at the end.

Corberan has done a great job to date, but this season is a different animal. We should, on paper, be one of the better teams. Despite that, it feels like our philosophy is no different from when he inherited Bruce's bottom of the table side. Things need to change...

[Blue Baggie]

A bit of a should have game IMO.
We should have got a 2nd goal
We should not keep sitting back inviting sides to come at us.
Carlos needs to get more from these players and stop this defensive mentality attitude. Go and win the game must be the priority.

[Lord Snooty]

Funny old game, innit?

Watching Carlos style football at Huddersfield was incredibly boring at times, but generally effective. You seem to be giving off the same vibes with your reactions.

Wasn't really that upset when he left, but we ain't half struggled since.

[drewks]

Funny old game, innit?

Watching Carlos style football at Huddersfield was incredibly boring at times, but generally effective. You seem to be giving off the same vibes with your reactions.

Wasn't really that upset when he left, but we ain't half struggled since.

Carlos Southgate??

[Baggiebob(BBB)]

I admit i was disappointed with conceeding a 93rd minute goal after hanging back defensively when we should have been attacking... That goal cost us at the time 2nd place down to 6th.

Motto: We can't be giving away points, it'll hurt us at the end of the season..

[Blue Baggie]

Looking forward as the new owners have come in and steadied the ship. Where do we go from here. I'm looking at how we progress. Although Carlos has done a fantastic job I'm not sure he is the one to turn us into genuine promotional contenders. He has acquired most of our squad and drilled his style of play into the squad. The massive question is do we persevere with him or let him go and bring in someone who can inject some pace into our performances and take us forward. I would personally keep Carlos until the end of this session, but if promotion is not achievad it's time to move on. We have to accept he's been great for the club, but he's never going to get us up.