Disaster strikes

The Rage On curse strikes again. Poor Rob Folland is to follow in the footsteps of Jamie Cook and Darren Bowler and leave United. Rob, who is out of contract this Summer, has been told that he will not be getting a new contract next season and will be a free agent, joining an estimate 700 other professionals in a scrap for a lot fewer vacancies.

Joining Rob on the dole are striker Phil Gray and former Exeter centre half Jon Richardson. Gray is one of the club's highest earners and, given this fact and his age and relatively few first team appearances, his release was pretty inevitable. Rico's is slightly more eyebrow-raising in that he is younger and reasonably versatile, also able to fill in at right back. However, given the large number of defenders on the books of the club, plus Ian Atkins talk of a clear-out, it wasn't perhaps that surprising.

More noteworthy is the lack of mention of fellow out of contract players Dave Morley, Paul Tait and, especially, Darren Patterson, who has hardly featured in the past year due to injury. Presumably these players are still in negotiation over their status, and it is likely that at least Morley and Tait of this trio will be retained.

A day at the races

United visit Whaddon Road tomorrow for the first time since Southern League days (a couple of pre-season friendlies notwithstanding) in a doomed attempt to derail the Robins' promotion challenge. Oxford's best hope of this happening is if Cheltenham cock it up for themselves, and as they've shown a few wobbles recently that is possible, but not probable.

Atkins, in his first game with the manager moniker, will probably resist the temptation to experiment, despite it being a meaningless fixture for Oxford. Almost certain not to appear are the three players just released, two of whom (Folland and Rico) are injured anyway. This means that either Paul Moody or Andy Scott will partner Jamie Brooks up front. Norman Sylla may, just may, be on the bench, but Jefferson Louis is unlikely to feature with his appearance for Thame in the Oxfordshire Senior Cup Final on Tuesday.

Simon King is on standby for his first start of the season at left back, unless Atkins has his usual away brainstorm and goes for wingbacks, which is possible, likely even. This would see Paul Powell and Sam Stockley in these positions, with Dave Waterman pushing back up into midfield.

Cheltenham will really be up for this one and will go for United's jugular from the off. They have to get the three points in order to catch up with Mansfield and they should regard United as easy pickings. The best that United supporters can hope for from the last away game of the season is a decent party, as Rage Online expects the Chelts to turn us over 3-0.