FAN’S VIEW  2025/26 –BLACKBURN AWAY

Pre-match musings

After Swansea I questioned whether I’d been too critical. The feedback I got was that I’d been too lenient. The point seems to have been reached where many quite sane rational supporters have become, or are on the verge of becoming, disgruntled with the way things are, even taking account of the very small fish in a huge pond narrative. I put myself into that category but would argue that just looking at budgets we’re swimming with a few other fish about the same size as us.

James Ray on the 72.co.uk site -“The U’s have been able to grind out some key results this season. But, for the most part, they’ve been poor on the road and look short on the killer instincts they need to take opportunities like this”. OUFC killer instinct, now that would be a thing.

And from the same site, “Assuming the game goes ahead and is played in its entirety, I lean towards a Rovers win.” That’s the way I think sensible folk would lean. And as for this “if the game goes ahead” – scandalous that Rovers’ owners have allowed their pitch to deteriorate to such an extent that it is no longer fit for purpose. Micky mouse and shows that fans are held in contempt.

So, we headed north not knowing if we’d see any football or, if we did, whether or not it would be the full 90 minutes.

Getting there and the beers

I was the driver but not all the way. My leg of the journey was Bicester to Warrington. The rain which at times reduced visibility and slowed M6 traffic wasn’t an issue as we’d left at 11:30. An Oxford United supporting mate who left the Shire decades ago was not only kind enough to provide me and my passenger with accommodation for the night but also drove to the match. Just as well as I dozed off in the back of his car.

I’d suggested we visit the Drummer’s Arms because I’d given it the highest score possible on the CAMRA website for the beer it served on our visit last season. Getting there wasn’t without problems because there was a road closure on the route the sat nav wanted to take us. I began to feel a bit guilty as the pub was in the town centre and we’d gone past Ewood Park. What if the beer turned out to be crap this time and not worth the hassle?

Turned out no worries on that score. We were inside and supping by 17:45. I’ve been in some cracking pubs on my travels with OUFC and this one is right up there. Probably the best so far this season. It is a single roomed micro pub opposite the Town Hall. The walls are covered in old pub signs and breweriana. Immediately we walked in we were asked how long it had taken us to get there by a guy stood at the bar. The woman behind the bar could not have been friendlier. The music being played was loud enough to enjoy but not too loud as to make conversation difficult. I’ve already forgotten what was being played but we approved. She even came over later on and asked us if there was anything we’d like her to put on for us. And the beer, oh yes, the beer. Kirkby Lonsdale 1822 English bitter, 3 Bs Brewery Stokers Slake (mild) and Eagle’s Crag Brewery the Black Eagle (oatmeal stout). I know this bores some people to death but each one is worthy of mention. Each one absolute perfection. And we were asked “handle or straight”. (No jokes please). Not a question one gets asked in many pubs but those that truly know their ale, well that’s a different story. Northerners mostly prefer a handle on their glass. We replied “straight”. When I could not make my mind up between stout and mild for my second pint, I was invited to try a drop of one. The offer was not turned down. I checked my 24/25 FV for this trip and note that I raved about the Drummers then. And I am raving again.

Blackburn Rovers 1 Oxford United 1

No other game since we’ve been back in the Championship has had such little atmosphere. How many of us Yellows were there? 300 ish? Got to guess now because the figure is not published in either Oxford’s or Blackburn’s official match reports. Don’t they realise fans are interested in such things? Mind you Rovers probably want to keep quiet about their attendances. They’re supposedly a much bigger club than us. The gate on the night was 10,255. We’ve not had one that low either this season or last. It was bad enough when we played there in August last year but this trend and that of their fans’ belief in the team is a downward one.

Have to say the pitch looked to be in pristine condition and played perfectly. Impossible to believe a game was abandoned half way through just three days earlier.

Watching in the first half my thoughts were:

It looked more like a league 1 game than a Championship game.

Blackburn were poor but we were just slightly worse.

Blackburn were better than both Norwich and Swansea.

We were better than we had been against Swansea (that bar had been set so low it would have been very difficult to go lower).

As the half wore on the home side faded somewhat. To a large extent that mirrored the performance of Yuki Ohashi, their Japanese no. 23.

Our attacking threat from open play just wasn’t there. That is a familiar story. That we went in a goal to the good at half time was a surprise, but not totally so given the way it arrived. When we play as we do most of the time the goals, if they are to come at all, are likely to arrive from scrappy percentage play and dead ball situations.

In the one minute of stoppage time, we played a free kick centrally into the Blackburn penalty area. No Oxford player was anywhere near it but a Rovers defender got under the ball and just headed it directly back up into the air. When it fell Greg Leigh and another defender challenged, neither won it or lost it but our man had done what was required to keep it in the danger zone. Next it was Michal Helik and yet another defender going for it. Messy, nothing clean but the ball had not been cleared. There it was ready for Ciaron Brown to swing around and hammer it on the bounce into the roof of the net from just outside the six-yard box. Marvellous.

In those first 45 minutes it wasn’t as if we’d been cut open at all but they’d had the better chances and Jamie Cumming had been called on to make a few smart saves. I’ve also got a recollection of our defenders heading away a lot of high balls without looking under undue pressure.

The defence needs a mention. The way Sam Long had played at Swansea he must have felt unlucky not to have made the starting line-up but this back line was doing the job and Ben Davies caught the eye somewhat. He can defend and play some football too. Why hardly any starts up to now?

Blackburn looked a tad more motivated as the second half began and we certainly looked no more likely to score from open play than we had in the first period.

Nothing to get excited about other than the realisation that the clock was ticking down and we look like we quite possibly had the capability of keeping a clean sheet.

The first changes made by GR were in the 67^th minute. Greg Leigh, Hidde ter Avest and Will Lankshear were replaced by Jack Currie, Sam Long and Tom Bradshaw.

Although the two wide men in the back five had changed I didn’t detect any noticeable difference in how the defence was doing its job. But just 11 minutes after coming on Currie had given away a penalty. This came about from a long throw in. More percentage play stuff. Sling it in often enough and you’ll eventually get something. With plenty going for it, Helik was the one who got his head to the ball. It only went behind him and not away. The next head was a Blackburn one and from very close range the ball struck an outstretched arm. Not intentional and nothing much Currie could do about it but the laws of the game say that is a penalty. It was put away with no trouble.

I’ve not watched any replay of the game other than brief highlights but Mrs FV, who watched on Sky, has told me that there was a fairly similar incident in the first half when it was a home player who handled. Oxford United do not get penalties, we know that.

Law 14. “A penalty kick is awarded if a player commits a direct free kick offence inside their penalty area or off the field as part of play as outlined in Laws 12 and 13. Except in the case of Oxford United Football Club who can never be awarded a penalty kick”

Any worry about losing the game in the remaining time were unfounded. We stayed strong and showed slightly more ambition ourselves. I thought Ole Romeny produced a decent touch or two but agree with my mate that he may well be a liability when we’re out of possession. Bradshaw looked as good as anything we had up top. He was only out there for half an hour or so but ran the line well with energy and came across as a wily old experienced centre forward. He looked fit. Something new? Lankshear disappointed me and I have to say I thought Mark Harris was better than him.

Do I hug the point?

This showing was an improvement. Unlike when we returned from Wales there were players who I thought had decent games.

Recently I’ve been thinking about “winners”. Some footballers are called “winners”. In football talk that isn’t in the sense that their team always comes out on top or that they win all the trophies. It’s a player who gives that bit extra, a player who will run through a brick wall for the team, a player who will give 110% (if there was such a thing), a player who will get that crunching tackle in.

I came up with three in our squad. Driving up north I told my passenger but didn’t tell him which three they were. He came up with the same three names. Cameron Brannagan, Sam Long and Ciaron Brown. He then added “what about Helik”.  And he was one I’d considered but hadn’t added to my list. That might be because he’s a relatively new boy and to acquire “winner” status at a club a player has to have been around for a long time. Brown only made his full debut in 2022 but he really feels part of the club. Long’s debut was in 2014 and Bran’s in 2018. Part of the furniture, in a very good way.

Where does this leave us?

Still not in the bottom three but only one place outside it. Pompey are two points behind but have a game in hand. They’ve lost their last three without scoring. Apparently if they can get their best XI out, they’re fine but have no strength in depth.

Norwich are second bottom with five points fewer than us. I think they’ll improve. They’ve only lost one of their last four and in their last game drew at Bramall Lane. No mean feat.

Looking up the table causes me some concern. Immediately above us are Blackburn, three points ahead. They also have a game in hand. If we’d hung on to our lead, we would be above them on goals scored. On Saturday its Blackburn v Portsmouth.

Charlton are one point better off than Rovers and also have only played 19 games to our 20. They’ve dropped like a stone having lost their last five. A week Saturday we visit the Valley.

Next come Swansea in 18^th place four points better off than us. I’m still seething about our performance there. If we’d beaten them, we’d be two points above them.

But on a positive note, the only goal we let in here was from the penalty spot and we’ve only lost one of our last five. W1 D3 L1. That’s exactly the same record as our visitors, Preston, this coming weekend. They may be 5^th but most bookies have both sides with an equal chance of winning.

Our relegation odds though have shortened from evens to 4/5. They and the punters got it wrong last season and I hope they have done so again this.