With an almost complete squad to choose from for United’s trip to Northampton on Saturday, Graham Rix faces a number of selection posers, in just about every position. In goal he has to decide whether to recall Andy Woodman, or stick with Simon Cox, who gave such an assured display against Doncaster on Saturday. We suspect that he might opt for the experience of the former Northampton keeper.

At right back Dave Waterman didn’t do too brilliantly last weekend, and so Rix could opt to recall Scott McNiven, while at centre back Matt Bound is back in contention, while Jon Ashton is almost fit again. We can’t see captain Andy Crosby losing his place, while Paul McCarthy did well enough against Donny to justify being retained in the line-up. Left back Matt Robinson is probably the only player whose place is not in doubt.

On-loan Barry Quinn didn’t feature in the midweek friendly at Reading and so, even if he has recovered from the groin strain he suffered against Huddersfield, he is unlikely to feature at Sixfields. As his loan spell is due to expire on April 3rd, we are unlikely to see him in an Oxford shirt again, unless his loan is extended. If Rix sticks with using wingers then ROS Chris Hackett and new signing Courtney Pitt could both feature, unless he decides to use Dean Whitehead in a wide right role and bring back Danny Brown, or Mark Rawle, on the left. In the centre Paul Wanless and former Cobbler James Hunt could occupy those positions, or there could be another odd combination of three players in those positions.

Up front Steve Basham struggled on his own against the league leaders, but will probably keep his place, especially if Rix plays two in attack. Whether he is joined by Julian Alsop, Jefferson Louis, Richard Walker, Lee Steele, Mark Rawle, or someone completely different, is beyond even our speculative ability.

All of which is an incredibly long-winded way of saying that we haven’t got a clue what the line-up or formation is likely to be. We just hope that’s not the case with Rix himself. Northampton are now just five points off the play-off zone, and have only lost two of their last 11 games, and they haven’t lost at home in the league since Cambridge beat them 2-1 on December 19th. All of which means that we will probably lose 2-1, but who knows, really?

In the morning Raging Fever play Northampton supporters at Dallington Park Road. Fever will hope to rescue a disappointing season that has only seen them win one game so far, at Cambridge. We daren’t make a prediction on this one, as so much depends on how pissed the players of either team get tomorrow night. In a separate, but related, event, members of Yellow Army were in the recording studio last night to put the finishing touches to ‘Proud to be an Oxford Fan’, their new song to be released as a CD to be given away with the next edition of Rage On, on sale on May 8th before the Rochdale game.

James, Nick, Deadly, and Hoochie, aka Yellow Army (pic: Marc West/Courier Newspapers)

Last night Hull won 2-1 at Boston to move to within a point of Doncaster, and nine points above United. It now looks almost certain that Hull and Donny will be contesting the top two positions, leaving the third automatic promotion slot to be fought over by Huddersfield, Torquay, United, Mansfield, and Lincoln. Probably.

In other vaguely interesting news, former United boss Brian Horton has found himself in the hot-seat at Conference-bound Macclesfield Town. Horton has been appointed until the end of the season.