Generation Ox

Oxford made made full use of the loan market this season, signing five players who have all played roles in their promotion push. 9% of United’s goals and a remarkable 40% of their assists have come from their loanees this year (two of whom only played half a season). They’ve done good business, then, and it may be worth pursuing deals for some of these players beyond the summer.  But which ones should they be and who could be available? Gavin Whyte Whyte’s second spell at Oxford started rather quietly, but in December I reported that his underlying numbers had actually been much greater than his performances suggested . In the second half of the season, that began to show. Whyte picked up 10 league assists, and a further one in the Carabao Cup, making him United’s most creative player this season. League assists for Oxford Whyte struggled with his finishing, but his movement meant he was able to consistently get in these dangerous positions, and there were signs of things ...

Last season, it was abundantly clear where Oxford's deficiencies lay: ruthless against the lower teams in League One, impotent against the better ones.  Despite this fundamental flaw, they were able to book a second consecutive football league playoff spot for the first time in their history. Hopes of making it three in a row have been dashed by three straight defeats, two of them against fellow playoff challengers.  Results from these matches would have no doubt kept top six ambitions alive for at least another few weeks, and it appears to be a case of old ghosts coming to haunt Oxford.  In the wake of another defeat to Sunderland - Oxford have not beaten them in any of the last eight League games since the Black Cats dropped back into League One and have lost four of their last five against them - it is fair to question whether Oxford have actually addressed their inability to beat the better teams in League One.   ...  Oxford's struggles against the bett...

Consecutive defeats to Plymouth and Morecambe have dealt a serious blow to Oxford’s playoff ambitions. They are now three points and two places off the top six, with teams above them having played fewer games, too. Yet the race is far from over, with five teams vying it out for three playoff spots. Here we analyse which sides have the best form, fixtures and underlying numbers to carry them through the EFL run in. Home and Dry Three teams have safely booked their places in the top six, with Wigan Athletic, MK dons and Rotherham United now battling it out for the two automatic promotion places. It is difficult to see whichever team misses out on that promotion not being heavy favourites to win the playoffs, and they currently look in a class above the other teams. The promotion race could become very exciting in the coming weeks, but fortunately we don’t have to worry about them for this article. Plymouth Argyle Sitting in fourth position, five points clear of fifth place Shef...

It is the nature of football fans to be pessimistic.  The game leads you on a rollercoaster of emotions throughout the season, and people understandably tend to overreact in the highly charged environment that is the EFL run in.  Against Morecambe on Tuesday, though, it felt like Oxford probably were doomed to another season in League One, as their promotion hopes seemingly dissipated into the Lancashire rain.  But this Oxford team have a tendency to surprise. They've been doing it all season long.  They are only three points off the playoffs (albeit with teams above them having played less) and a win in front of a sell-out crowd on Saturday might just keep that Championship dream flickering.  Last season's defeat to AFC Wimbledon at around this time appeared similarly damning, but United still found a way into the top six. There is no doubt, though, that two defeats in five days have put them in the backseat this time round.  Whilst the adventure has been ...