Skip to main content

Oxford have the Promotion Mentality

Despite Oxford's good form, this has been a somewhat difficult week for Us fans. 

Results largely went against them on Tuesday night, and then the inevitable injury blows came. 

Oxford have faced availability problems before this season, but it has thus far not massively impacted United's season.  

Having already lost captain Elliot Moore to the treatment table, two goal hero against Burton Sam Baldock was also confirmed to be out for a considerable number of weeks, whilst Marcus Browne's recovery from an injury he sustained against Portsmouth also took a blow. 

Given how much of United's transformation to 5-3-2 seemed built around Baldock and Taylor playing in tandem this felt like a big blow. A blow, in fact, which might derail Oxford's promotion push, with so many crucial games coming up.  

Another batch of injury and illness took Sam Long, Ciaron Browne and Jack Stevens out of the picture, leaving an unorthodox back line to play Shrewsbury, which included John Mousinho, starting his first League game since 15th December 2020. 

That made it nine first team players unavailable for their visit to Montgomery Waters, and another seemingly uphill challenge awaited. 

However, Oxford overcame again. 

Their 2-1 win was not like the free flowing football which fuelled the first-half domination of Burton a week earlier, but showed grit and perseverance. 

Oxford took an early lead against Shrewsbury, only to be pegged back by Ryan Bowman's effort on the hour.  

Oxford took the lead again late, though, as Cameron Brannagan scored his fifth penalty of the season, to maintain their fourth place position over Sunderland. 

No League One side have scored more lead taking goals than Oxford's 34 this season, indicative of the never give up attitude Robinson has instilled in the squad. 

This has been vital because only Morecambe (15) have conceded more equalisers than Oxford (14), but United's ability to retake the lead after conceding is remarkable. 

Sure, we would all like United to comfortably put teams away without conceding, but the ability to win matches like that against Shrewsbury is earning them crucial points in the promotion race. 


Since Oxford's return to the third tier, they have never scored more lead taking goals per game, showing the mentality United have to continue getting on top of teams even when they are pegged back. 

This is a promotion mentality. 

It will not always be this difficult, and Oxford will hope to have some key players back when Ipswich come to town next Saturday, but when you can win matches with your backs against the wall, then you can win any game. 

This is a different side than any we've seen under Robinson before. They have a ruthlessness and streetwise about them, and this has been key to making them genuine competitors. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Scouting Potential Wingers

Oxford's comfortable victory at Oxford City was played in the background of an increasingly urgent situation in the transfer market.  After slow progress so far, Robinson will be hoping for several more incomings in the next few weeks, or his squad will be looking very thin when they travel to Pride Park at the end of the month.  Unsurprisingly for Robinson, one of his main priorities seems to be strengthening wide areas, where he suggested Oxford are looking to bring in another three players .  We've used data scouting to analyse some possible wingers Oxford could target, looking at their strengths and weaknesses to show how they would fit into this United side.  This is the second in a series of scouting reports, and for information on some of the techniques we'll be using during the piece, check out our scouting report on potential centre back signings .  Josh Martin  Norwich City LW/RW 20 Possible Transfer Type: Permanent Josh Martin finished last sea...
Post a Comment
Read more

The 'Oxford way' wins through against brutish Northampton

An early Christmas present was offered to Oxford in the form of out of shape Northampton on Tuesday night. Four goals, three points and a clean sheet an almost perfect way for Karl Robinson’s men to head into the festive period. Although it was an injury and suspension-hit Northampton side, great credit does have to be given to Robinson’s men whose desire to stick to their game plan led to an emphatic second half performance.   With the Cobblers taking much of the pace out of the game in the first period, it looked as though Oxford would be sucked into a physical battle with Keith Curle's men – not a good sign when playing the team who have won the second most aerial duels in the division.   And this showed in the first 45, as Northampton dominated in most aerial statistics, stopping United getting any momentum in the game.  During the First Half A change in momentum United set about rectifying this in the second half, and the intensity of their passing and moveme...
Post a Comment
Read more

Oxford vs Swindon: Pre Match Stats Pack

Without fans, some games at the Kassam this season have been accused of feeling like an EFL Trophy match on a Tuesday night. Not this one though. This is Oxford United vs Swindon Town. The game that needs no introduction, but here’s one anyway.   It’s the first meeting between the rivals since February 2017 in a season where Swindon dropped to a lower division than Oxford for the first time since 1987. But times have certainly changed since that season when John Aldridge top scored for United, as Oxford haven’t lost a league match to their friends down the motorway for more than fifteen years.   They will come into this one in high spirits as well after finally putting some chances away in midweek, putting three past MK Dons to gain their second win of the season to take some pressure off a poor start. Its been the reverse for the Robins who have lost their last five matches in all competitions after what was a promising start to life back in the third tier. Swindo...
Post a Comment
Read more