United’s last visit to St Andrews – August 2016 (Photo: Darrell Fisher)

Oxford United head to Birmingham City tomorrow afternoon still looking for their first point of the season, against a side that has forged a reputation as big spenders and potential promotion candidates.

Clearly it’s not going to be an easy afternoon for the U’s, who are still missing several first-team players through injury. The injury list is, gradually, shortening, although whether any of the returnees will be ready or risked at St Andrews remains to be seen.

Of the 27 games between the sides, Birmingham have the better record (but only just), having won 10 to United’s eight. Oxford’s last two visits to the Blues have both ended 1-0 in the Yellows’ favour. Most recently in a League Cup tie in August 2016, when Liam Sercombe’s 120th-minute strike prevented the tie from going to penalties. That was only the side’s second win at the second city’s second club (no offence to Blues fans, just thought that gave the sentence a nice cadence) since August 1969, the first being Matt Murphy’s winner in the Second Division in November 1998. We will, naturally, gloss over the return meeting that season.

See Oxford’s full record against the Brummies HERE.

United’s record on 23rd August is pretty shit, to be fair. The side has lost the last four games and has won just three of the 17 games they’ve played on that date. It doesn’t bode well, if you take these things too seriously. Bear in mind that past performance has no bearing on current or future results.

See United’s record for games played on 23rd August.

We’ll be going tomorrow in hope, if not expectation, although we trust that Gary Rowett and the lads have learned valuable lessons from the first two games. Rumours abound that former Birmingham centre-back Ben Davies is about to sign for the U’s. If he does, will he be ready and able to play against his former club? Siriki Dembélé is the other ex-Bluenose in United’s squad, so we’re lumping on him scoring the winning goal.

EDIT: For those United supporters who want to follow all iterations of the club, don’t forget that Oxford United Women play their first home game of the season on Sunday 24th at Court Place Farm. See you all there.