Think we will be too strong, KR tactics were always shite! 2-0 to us. The traveling support will be vital, so a tip of the hat once again to our travellers. COYRS!!!!!
I fancy him to go with Pearce over Sarr and Pratley over Reeves, like you say, a turgid affair awaits us.
I think he'll go Pearce over Sarr on Monday
Either or, I just think Scunthorpe are gonna come for a point so Sarr acts as another midfielder when we are attacking in that game.
Fair point, but the way Pearce got the winner against Wycombe, you could say he acts as another forward when we're in their box.
Sorry to be a party pooper BUT 20 goals in 418 appearances over 12 seasons (5 different League clubs) for Jason Pearce makes me believe your being a tad optimistic !
Indeed. It was said tongue in cheek, but he did put that one away with aplomb.
We fear Gills a bit more because they are closer to being rivals, but they are rubbish. Of course rubbish teams can beat you - we have to note that Oxford took points off us at the Valley and Scunthorpe and Rochdale have beaten us this season!
It is interesting as Sunderland will have to be at their best to beat them. Posh away is even tougher for them on Monday. These are two very interesting games even before they get to play Pompey.
Oxford usually play a 4-3-3 formation but with Kashi back available today, I wouldn't actually be surprised to see a 4-2-3-1. Ultimately, it is anyone's guess what way they will play today as Robinson matched us up back in October, but whether he does that again today I would be surprised. We know that they are going to have full backs pushing forward and we know they are going to try to work the ball around before hitting the lone striker. This is where it could be really important for Taylor and Vetokele to pull wide and sit in the areas that Oxford are going to leave and we can exploit that when we don't have the ball. One of their main players this season has been James Henry, the ex-Millwall man proved to be quite useful in front of goal with in double figures from midfield. A player who used to be out wide left, Robinson has deployed him through the middle in a more advanced role this season. Another player who could cause us some problems would be Jerome Sinclair, the striker started this season on loan at Sunderland, but failed to impress enough to be kept on for the rest of the season. He was signed in January and has since scored 4 goals.
Oxford's form since the turn of the year is very good, 27 points in 17 games which include a win at home to Portsmouth, and draws against Barnsley and Sunderland. This isn't going to be an easy game, quite the opposite. In more recent form, they've picked up 20 points in their last 10 games, 6 wins and 2 draws, with losses only coming away at Accrington Stanley and Gillingham. In that time too they've kept 5 clean sheets, and have only conceded 8 goals. It's very good. They've only lost once at home this calendar year and that was against Peterborough, 1-0.
However, we are in great form at the moment ourselves, top of the form guide. We have beaten some real tough teams of late, none more so than league leaders Luton last weekend. Our away form recently has been strong too, with 3 clean sheets in a row. We of course have the advantage of having something to fight for, we have the advantage of playing first, before everyone else plays, and that is something that I think Bows and the team will really try and get a grip on. We can put the pressure on everyone else before they've kicked a ball this Easter period.
In terms of team, I wouldn't expect much change at all. Squad wise will almost certainly stay the same with Fosu and Marshall continuing to miss out. With almost a full week behind them, I think that we will possibly see a rarity from Bowyer and name an unchanged team. There is of course the debate of whether Solly stays in or Dijksteel starts, the same as whether does Pearce come in for the ever improving Naby Sarr. But with a game at home on Monday, Bowyer may be tempted to make a couple of changes, but he also may be tempted to leave the side who played so well last weekend and assess the situation over this weekend ready for our home game on Monday afternoon. For now, we must do the business at Oxford to give ourselves that chance of keeping up the pressure on the rest.
Phillips Solly Bauer Sarr Purrington Bielik Cullen Aribo Williams Taylor Vetokele
Comments
Be interesting to see if they're any good.
Oxford's form since the turn of the year is very good, 27 points in 17 games which include a win at home to Portsmouth, and draws against Barnsley and Sunderland. This isn't going to be an easy game, quite the opposite. In more recent form, they've picked up 20 points in their last 10 games, 6 wins and 2 draws, with losses only coming away at Accrington Stanley and Gillingham. In that time too they've kept 5 clean sheets, and have only conceded 8 goals. It's very good. They've only lost once at home this calendar year and that was against Peterborough, 1-0.
However, we are in great form at the moment ourselves, top of the form guide. We have beaten some real tough teams of late, none more so than league leaders Luton last weekend. Our away form recently has been strong too, with 3 clean sheets in a row. We of course have the advantage of having something to fight for, we have the advantage of playing first, before everyone else plays, and that is something that I think Bows and the team will really try and get a grip on. We can put the pressure on everyone else before they've kicked a ball this Easter period.
In terms of team, I wouldn't expect much change at all. Squad wise will almost certainly stay the same with Fosu and Marshall continuing to miss out. With almost a full week behind them, I think that we will possibly see a rarity from Bowyer and name an unchanged team. There is of course the debate of whether Solly stays in or Dijksteel starts, the same as whether does Pearce come in for the ever improving Naby Sarr. But with a game at home on Monday, Bowyer may be tempted to make a couple of changes, but he also may be tempted to leave the side who played so well last weekend and assess the situation over this weekend ready for our home game on Monday afternoon. For now, we must do the business at Oxford to give ourselves that chance of keeping up the pressure on the rest.
Solly Bauer Sarr Purrington
Bielik
Cullen Aribo
Williams
Taylor Vetokele
Maxwell, Dijksteel, Pearce, Pratley, Lapslie, Reeves, Parker
Oxford United 1-2 Charlton Athletic
Vetokele
Aribo