Is it time to give Gorrin a break?

Oxford’s defeat to Blackpool was a tame affair.

An improved second half performance was never going to be enough to turn over the 2-0 deficit needlessly conceded in the previous 45.

Taking nothing away from Blackpool – whose press was reminiscent of United’s victory over Doncaster four days earlier – but Oxford didn’t do much to suggest they could ably play through the lines, particularly in the first half.

Without the incisive passing that comes with a more progressive deep lying midfielder, Oxford simply couldn’t break through the Blackpool press.

It begs a question which has been asked at a few points over the last two years; are Oxford better without Gorrin?

The question was amplified given the impact of Gorrin's counterpart in Dougall of Blackpool.

The bleached hair holding midfielder is impossible to miss and, along with scoring the opening goal, frequently found himself involved in Blackpool attacks.

Playing in a double pivot gave him more of a licensce than Gorrin to do this, but the stats still stand out.

Dougle had more touches than Gorrin, more passes, more shots, more tackles and more interceptions.

Even factoring in that Dougall played far more minutes than Gorrin, it is abundantly clear that Dougall was not only more involved in attacking, but also more aggressive in his defensive play, setting the tempo for a Blackpool team that allowed Oxford no time on the ball.

Gorrin may be the perfect man for when a side is in crisis mode, but lacks the impetus and drive which United require in games like this – as well as matches against MK Dons, Portsmouth and Hull when Oxford were unable to break through presses.

This was also the case most in Oxford's playoff final loss to Wycombe. 

Kelly replacing Gorrin at half time was crucial to getting United back in the game, and they looked far more likely to break down Wycombe's low block without Gorrin on the pitch. 

Looking at the first half of this game only – when Gorrin was still on – we can see the difference in impetus between Dougall and Gorrin.

Gorrin actually played more forward passes than Dougall (15 to 11), yet the graphic below shows the difference in where their action took place. 

Gorrin (Orange) attacking right, Dougall (Blue) attacking left

All but one of Gorrin’s fifteen forward passes were played from within his own half, most just outside the area.

Dougall made seven of his eleven in the opposition half.

We can also see that Dougall played 79% of his passes forward, compared to 60% for Gorrin.

Perhaps it is a represnation of the wider pattern of play, but it goes to show that Gorrin was unable to provide any method for Oxford breaking through a press which specifically aimed to stop him and others in midfield getting on the ball.

Below is a clear example of Gorrin’s lack of ambition in possession.

With Blackpool having lost the ball up field, Gorrin has the chance to launch a counter attack which could potentially take four players out of the game.

He has four potential options, some harder than others, or the option to simply dribble the ball out himself.

Instead, Gorrin turns backwards, limiting his options and playing a ball to Hanson.

Blackpool characteristically press Hanson now they have had time to regain their shape, so the full back is forced to return it to Gorrin.

Now surrounded by three players – whereas before he was relatively unmarked – Gorrin is forced to play a blind pass to down the line were Blackpool can reclaim possession.

Through one negative touch, Oxford turned an opportunity to break forward into the perfect chance for Blackpool to press high.

Too often Oxford were put under pressure because of a lack of penetration.

Here, Gorrin has picked the ball up within Oxford’s half. 

Blackpool were rarely not in a position to press, but this was one of those times. 

It means he has plenty of time to asses his options and potentially dribble or pass the ball to a man in space. 

This time, though, he spends to long on the ball and by the time he is ready to release it, his options have diminished and the Blackpool press is back on. 

His eventual pass for Brannagan was too long and Blackpool once again had possession back with the chance to launch a dangerous break.

Against a team who pressed as well as Blackpool did, these needless concsessions of possession hurt Oxford.

He was hauled at half time and Brannagan placed into the holding role.

United looked far better in this period and it is difficult to ignore the impact of Brannagan there. 

Minutes into the second period, Brannagan collects the ball from a similarly deep position as Gorrin and is pressed by two Blackpool men.

Brannagan’s first touch, though, is a positive one, taking the ball forward and dribbling his way past two men and engaging a third. 

His layoff into Sykes is a good one and had the Irish midfielder had the same positivity as Brannagan, Oxford would have beaten the press.

Here is another example, where Brannagan once again find Sykes, this time with a clever first-time flick round the corner to take four Blackpool men out of the game and mitigate the high press. 

Cameron Brannagan played six passes into the final third during the second half. Alex Gorrin played only one whilst he was on the pitch.

Brannagan was also tidier despite taking more risks, losing possession only once all game, unlike Gorrin who conceded the ball twice in just the first half.

A notable caveat is just how good Blackpool's press was, aimed not to intercept Oxford's centre backs, but instead limit the space for Gorrin and other midfielders in particular. 

A few men looked to press the centre backs and harry Gorrin, but it was the second ball which was so important. 

In the still above, the ball is actually cleared over Gorrin, but the pressure from Blackpool remains the same. 

Remarkably, there is yet another Blackpool player just behind Gorrin pressing offscreen. 

Two players, then, are pressing high up against Moore, Atkinson and Gorrin, whilst a bank of four additional Blackpool men wait ready to harry Gorrin should it reach him. 

This is why so many balls seemed to drop at Blackpool's feat after any slight miscontrol from United players. 

Notice also the rigid structuring of those four pressers. 

Should Gorrin pick the ball up in space, which he did at times, he is unable to play the ball through them. 

Without the distance passing ability that Brannagan has, he was simply unable to get Oxford past the press. 

Had Gorrin been able to pick the ball up and play through in this image, United would have taken six players out of the game and had a six on four move themselves in Blackpool's half. 

The organised wall of pressers in Oxford's half was also likely the reason we didn't see any notable forays forward from Atkinson and Blackpool's plan deserves massive credit. 

Gorrin has been superb for Oxford, particularly during a good spell early on in the season, but he is not the man to break down teams with his passing.

Perhaps Gorrin will play a key role in games against Sunderland or Lincoln, but when playing the low block of Northampton on Tuesday, Brannagan’s more progressive style of play could be beneficial.