'It's not long, it's direct': Stevie Kinniburgh and Oxford's high press

When Stevie Kinniburgh first uttered the words “high press” in the first minute of commentary of United’s match against Plymouth, few could have imagined he would uphold such a committed position for the full 90 minutes. Nevertheless, the Scotsmen unremittingly ploughed through an hour and a half of desperate urging for United to get up the pitch and praising of those who did at every opportunity.

Though Kinniburgh’s co-commentary – an admittingly more insightful style than Peter Rhoades-Brown’s usual ‘knock it and run’ analysis – was right.

United’s committed pressure unsettled a Plymouth side who had four points from their last two games and were playing in front of 2,000 fans, and from the half hour mark onwards Oxford were – without it ever becoming one sided – the more likely force, winning out by a narrow margin in the end to make it three wins from three and keep their all important momentum going. 

Almost as instilled was the ethos of pressing in the player’s minds as the phrase “it’s not long, it's direct” was in any viewer/listener’s head after Kinniburgh repeatedly stated such. 

Again, the former United defender was right – quickly building his profile as Oxfordshire’s leading co-commentator – as Oxford’s relentless pressure went hand in hand with their transformation of the game to suit them, rather than Plymouth.

Robinson realised – particularly at half time – that Oxford held a rather sizeable aerial advantage.

Without ever going long themselves, Oxford managed to force a Plymouth side – famed for their own passing style – to go direct from the back and play directly into the hands of this Oxford height advantage.

Plymouth played 99 long balls against Oxford, compared to their average of just 78.6 per game in the season prior to this.

It was clear how Oxford were trying to force this from the word go. Just three minutes into the game Oxford found themselves pressing deep within the Argyle half (below). 

Sam Long was one of many Oxford players to press high upfield in the opening exchanges of the game

Three players converging on the Plymouth full back after a misplaced pass, Sam Long making it all the way up from the back and eventually blocking the attempted clearance.

However, be it the small number of fans roaring Argyle on or whether they just outplayed an inconsistent and uncommitted early press from Oxford, something didn’t work. This Sam Long block would prove to be one of just two blocks in the opposition half in the opening fifteen minutes and United failed to register an interception in this time period as well.

The goal was not against the run of play, and it looked like Oxford would need to use the first 45 minutes to simply weather the storm. And Robinson did exactly that, in the only way he knows how, go even harder.

There would be a subsequent 12 interceptions for Oxford and they would also dispossess Ryan Lowe’s team 12 more times after the first fifteen minutes, compared to just once in the opening exchanges.   

Oxford’s press not only brought them momentum, but also forced Plymouth into having to go direct early on. 

By forcing Plymouth to go long by pressing high and fast, Oxford were able to dominate the ball when it came at their backline, gaining possession and breaking quickly. 

United players swarmed Plymouth midfielders in the second half, particularly Conor Grant and George Cooper who struggled to replicate their first half impact in the second period. 

The passage of play (above) just a minute into the second half typifies Oxford’s game plan. Just inside United’s own half, they commit numerous bodies to winning the ball back and looking to break. But notice how Oxford also block off all forward passing lanes, marking tightly and man to man.

This means Plymouth can get out of this situation, and they do, but only by going backwards where Agyei, who is just off screen in this image, is waiting to pounce along with his teammates who relish the opportunity to press sides high up the pitch.

Once they play this backwards pass, the only option is for them to go long under the press of Agyei and Shodipo, exactly where Oxford want them to do. Atkinson wins the header, Kelly picks up the pieces and sends Ruffles away down the left.

When Plymouth played long like this, Oxford almost exclusively won it back, winning 61% of the aerial duels, also completing 95 headed passes compared to Plymouth’s 63.

So rare is it that Oxford hold a size advantage over anyone that the long throw-in is only wheeled out once a year, and Karl Robinson later said he had to ask if anyone had a long throw. Sam Long duly obliged, and United utilised their height weapon clinically, also putting 21 crosses into the Plymouth area.  

Ryan Lowe would have liked his side to dictate play, control the tempo and play to their strengths by passing through Oxford. United were not going to let it happen.

They did what a few teams have done to them, they harried Plymouth, pressing high and making it a fast paced and end to end game which favoured the pace they had up front in Agyei and Shodipo.

A risky strategy, definitely. Many would have been looking away when Plymouth first broke the United press after just 12 minutes, but a persistent Robinson completely turned the game around.

A massive 77% of Oxford’s passes were forwards balls as Oxford were, as Kinniburgh rightly put it, not “long, but direct”, and it worked a treat.