Steve Seddon could be an upgrade for Oxford

The sale of Josh Ruffels was a devastating blow for Oxford ahead of what they hoped would be a promotion chasing season. 

On the evidence of Saturday's curtain raiser against Cambridge, however, United fans needn't be concerned. 

Steve Seddon's debut had far more to it than his 42nd minute opener, and he could justifiably stake a claim of being Oxford's best player on the day, consistently driving down the left hand side and providing quality delivery into the box. 

Ruffels' eight years at the club were personified by defensive consistency and a knack of coming up with big goals. Whether Seddon has the ability to play at such a level for a whole season and beyond is yet to be seen, but he showed enough attacking intent to suggest he could provide more balance to this Oxford side. 

Whilst Ruffels was adept at arriving late into the box and providing a genuine goal scoring outlet, he very rarely overlapped around the outside, and his crossing was never his strongest asset. 

Ruffels averaged 0.4 and 0.5 crosses per game in his last two Oxford United seasons, indicating that he crossed roughly once every two matches. 

Steve Seddon against Cambridge alone registered 4 crosses, all delivered with the upmost quality. 

Take this fist half cross as an example. 

He strides forwards from Left Back to create an overload on the wing, a persistent trend throughout the game and one Oxford exploited regularly to fashion chances. 

He then collects a pass from Gavin Whyte... 

and takes one touch before delivering an inch perfect delivery onto the head of a rare James Henry run to force the first real save of the game. 

It was a similarly inviting cross in the second half, when he again stormed forward to give Whyte support on the left wing. 

Reciveing the ball quickly from Whyte, Seddon crosses first time, Bodin this time the recipient, though his flick lands just over the bar.  

 

No players from either side had more touches than Forde (82) and Seddon (72) during the 90 minutes, and the full backs were instrumental in creating chances for Oxford. 

United created overloads down the wing at every opportunity by pushing a full back forward, allowing for plenty of crosses into the box, as well as isolating the wingers by occupying another defender, giving them the chance to drive towards goal. 

It also stopped moves breaking down when a winger was crowded out, and allowed United to get into far more dangerous crossing positions than they previously had, registering 23 crosses in the game compared to Cambridge's 13. 

Seddon's touch map against Cambridge illustrates how he was used as an attacking weapon. 

41% of Seddon's touches against Cambridge were in the opposition half, providing a further attacking option for Oxford. 

The touch map also indicates that there were several moments where he collected the ball in the half spaces on the edge of the box. 

These pockets of space are ideal for whipping crosses into the area, and is a position which Kevin De Bruyne is famed for as he gets on the ball to curl it into the danger zone. 

Seddon may not have De Bruyne's delivery, but the positions he takes up shows how he can glide unmarked into dangerous crossing areas to create for Oxford.  

Seddon did not always wait on the edge of the box, however, and regularly drove into the area, making him difficult to pick up for opposition defenders. 

His six touches in the opposition box was bettered only by Whyte in the Oxford team, and Whyte's success down the left bears credit to how Seddon occupied defenders and combined to give the Northern Ireland international chance to run into the area. 

By providing an overlapping option, Seddon also gave Oxford more balance than they have previously had with Ruffels. 

Whilst Long diligently runs up and down the right wing when he plays, he does not have the same kind of attacking awareness that Seddon does, and the former Birmingham full back's high positioning throughout the game dragged Cambridge players out of position, creating more space to play through the lines or out wide. 

The difference it makes having a truly attack minded full back is striking. 

It reduces Oxford's reliance on the likes of James Henry to create through the middle, as well as allowing greater space for players such as Sykes to drift around into spaces unmarked as concentration needs to be placed on Seddon. 

Whilst Ruffels arrived in the box brilliantly, he struggled to support wingers in the way Seddon does. 

Brandon Barker, as well as he did it, was forced to beat his man every time he got the ball, as there was rarely an overlapping option coming from Oxford, and it often meant that United's left hand side was the Barker/Shodipo show, with little dynamism and options to change things up when it wasn't working. 

With Seddon, United have a more balanced attack, where they can play through both sides. It is likely no coincidence that Anthony Forde's best game as an Oxford full back came when he had a bombarding presence on the opposite flank taking some of the pressure off him.   

The relationships Seddon has built with other teammates is another huge positive, as he combined well with Gavin Whyte down the left and Cameron Brannagan consistently found him with long switches of play. 

When Brannagan is able to play these passes, Oxford are at their most dangerous, and he was back to his ball spraying best with such an attacking full back at his disposal. 

The long switches of play evoked memories of Brannagan's best spell at the club when he had Chris Cadden bombarding up and down the right, and Robinson will hope that kind of combination play continues throughout the season. 

That Seddon scored a goal that can only be described as Ruffels esc, and had numerous other chances from a similar position, is a happy bonus and one that shows he is more than capable of providing the high goal scoring numbers Ruffels has previously put up. 

We'll have to wait to see if the consistency of Seddon can rival Ruffels, but his attacking intent may provide much needed balance for Oxford and another way to break down teams. 

It may prove that Seddon is not be a better player than Ruffels, but his style could benefit this Oxford side.