# Rage Online > Just another WordPress site ## Posts - [COLCHESTER UNITED PREVIEW: U's v. U's](https://rageonline.co.uk/colchester-united-preview-us-v-us/): It’s Oxford United’s favourite competition on Tuesday night, with the visit of Colchester United to Grenoble Road for a League Cup first round tie. There’s lots to debate around this one – United need to show some sort of response to Saturday’s defeat by Portsmouth, but on the other hand they can ill afford to risk more injuries to senior players. So how does Gary Rowett balance these two opposing imperatives? There is clearly a need to rest some of those players who looked to be a bit off the pace at the weekend – whether through fatigue or possibly [ more ] - [FANS VIEW 25-26: PORTSMOUTH (HOME)](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-25-26-portsmouth-home/): OXFORD UNITED 0 PORTSMOUTH 1 Well that was a disappointing way to start the season, although I don’t go along with all the doom and gloom that has been spouted by a few fans. But for a couple of (very) dodgy penalty decisions not going Oxford’s way, this could easily have ended in a draw or even a home win. And when you consider that the only time Portsmouth breached our lines was due to a poor back pass from the usually reliable Cameron Brannagan, followed by a lucky rebound from a superb Jamie Cumming save, you have to say [ more ] - [Pompey Preview](https://rageonline.co.uk/pompey-preview/): The new season starts tomorrow with a home game against United’s most frequent opponent, Portsmouth. This will be the 79th time Oxford have played Pompey in all competitions, with United winning 23 of the previous 78 games and Portsmouth with slightly the better record, having won 29. Click HERE to see our record against the boys from Fratton Park. The last time we met Portsmouth on the opening day of the season was in 2013, a fantastic 4-1 win at Fratton thanks to a brace apiece from Deane Smalley and Alfie Potter, after Pompey had gone a goal up. We [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 2025/26 – WHAT’S AHEAD?](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-2025-26-whats-ahead/): FAN’S VIEW: 2025/26 – WHAT’S AHEAD? Pre-season Friendlies… …are not something I get very excited about although I am interested to know which players the manager is picking and how new additions fit in. I’ve been to Dublin and Glasgow in recent years but won’t venture much further afield. I have great admiration for those of our fans that went to Asia. You’re way more adventurous than I. The Bristol Rovers game had no appeal. No disrespect to the Gas but we’ve played them 18 times competitively in the last ten years. (There is now though a gap of two [ more ] - [Fans View - Pre-season done](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-pre-season-done/): So, United’s pre-season campaign concluded this afternoon with a win over Malaga. Lovely town and a decent following too. From the three home games (didn’t go to Mansfield or Indonesia so won’t comment) I think we saw a decent progression. From a flat, disappointing performance against Bristol Rovers, to a far better but still flawed showing versus Leganes, finishing with a comprehensive and entertaining win over the Andalucians. I realise that results and performances aren’t really what pre-season games are all about – getting minutes into legs, working on partnerships, trying to nail down formations and tactics are all far [ more ] - [FAN'S VIEW 25/26 - No.3: PORT FC by Mark Gelder](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-25-26-no-3-port-fc-by-mark-gelder/): FAN’S VIEW: 2025/26 – PORT FC by Mark Gelder Oxford United were comfortably through to the Sunday final of Piala Presiden 2025, the President’s cup. Our opponents were to be Thai team Port FC, the other invited side in the tournament. I had now moved from my hotel near the station to the Mercure hotel where most of the other United fans were staying in the Lengkong district. This made logistics a lot simpler for meeting up, and the hotel also had a rooftop swimming pool and bar. Breakfast options were extensive with rice, noodles, curry, congee, ramen, soups, bread [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 2025/26 – No.2: AREMA FC by MARK GELDER](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-2025-26-no-2-arema-fc-by-mark-gelder/): FAN’S VIEW: 2025/26 – No.2: AREMA FC by MARK GELDER Our second match was against Arema FC, who finished 10th of 18 in the league last season, and were in the President’s Cup as defending champions. After a couple of days in Jakarta, I headed across to Bandung on the Tuesday, some 80 miles south-west, and the third largest city in Indonesia. Like most other fans, media, and the club, I chose Indonesia’s first and so far, only high-speed train for the journey, known as Whoosh. This cuts a three-hour train or car journey down to 45 minutes with top [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 2025/26 - No.1: INDONESIA ALL STARS](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-2025-26-no1/): FAN’S VIEW: 2025/26 – No.1: INDONESIA ALL STARS For many years now whenever each season ends, I question whether I’ll carry on writing FVs for the following campaign. That’s mostly down to how much time it takes. I’ve always, up until now, come back somewhat refreshed and gone for it again. However last season I got later and later after a match in publishing my musings on the game, the pubs, and the general crack. This time around I was contemplating not doing one for every game, possibly grouping a couple of matches together or even just putting something out [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.50: SWANSEA AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-50-swansea-away/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.50: SWANSEA AWAY SWANSEA CITY 3 OXFORD UNITED 3 Well, here we are again at the end of another season. They come and go so quickly. This one seems to have been relentless, yet we’ve only played 49 competitive games (a nice round 50 FVs because I covered the friendly v Palermo too as that was something different). In addition to the 46 league games we had just three cup matches, one in the FA Cup and two in the League Cup. We didn’t cover ourselves in glory in these knockout competitions but realistically our focus [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.49: SUNDERLAND AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-49-sunderland-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.49: SUNDERLAND AT HOME OXFORD UNITED 2 SUNDERLAND 0 So we’ve made it to safety with one game to go. It’s been emotional. Saturday was very emotional. There have been times this season when we’ve played badly enough to deserve to go down but we only glance relatively briefly at how other teams in the division are doing compared to us. The Championship is one of the most competitive leagues around with the jeopardy factor making it an absolute nail bitter for many right up to the final fixture of the standard season. Fans of about [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.48: CARDIFF AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-48-cardiff-away/): CARDIFF CITY 1 OXFORD UNITED 1 The Match Most important game of the season. Worst performance of the season. Best goal of the season. You thought the last FV was a short one, well I could quite easily leave this one as the shortest ever and stop now but I’m not going to because it is not quite that simplistic and there is much more that can be said. Most important game of the season? Yes, until the next most important game of the season and they become more and more important as we’ve not yet crawled over the line [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.47: LEEDS AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-47-leeds-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.47: LEEDS AT HOME OXFORD UNITED 0 LEEDS UNITED 1 I know you won’t believe me but this is going to be a very short FV, due to time constraints and the fact that I don’t think there’s a huge amount to be said about the game. For some time I’d looked on the Leeds visit as a free hit and this became even more my thinking after we’d beaten both Sheffield clubs and then with the earlier results on Good Friday largely going our way. Leeds were top. We’re fighting along with many at the [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.46: SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-46-sheffield-wednesday-away/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.46: SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY AWAY SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 0 OXFORD UNITED 1 Our second away win of the season could not have arrived in timelier fashion. Boy did we need this after the setback in midweek. There wasn’t much to choose between the two sides but I’m of the opinion that we were marginally the better and deserving of the win. Why not? I’m supposed to be biased. Anyone who has observed how we’ve been playing recently but was not in attendance at Hillsborough having seen the final score would have been able to have a good guess [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.45: QPR AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-45-qpr-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.45: QPR AT HOME Tuesday night’s results weren’t bad for us at all even though we ended up one point closer to the bottom three. Briefly the best odds around on us getting relegated lengthened from 7/2 to 9/2 but soon dropped back to 7/2 meaning money had been placed on us being in L1 for the 2025/26 season. Yes we may be fighting relegation but we were doing just that two years ago and that was in L1. We’ve now played 40 games and have 45 points. Then we’d played 40 and only had 40 [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.44: SHEFFIELD UNITED AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-44-sheffield-united-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.44: SHEFFIELD UNITED AT HOME Post match mutual appreciation OXFORD UNITED 1 SHEFFIELD UNITED 0 One post-match caller to Radio Oxford said he thought this was the best ever result we’ve had at the Kassam Stadium and he’s been going ever since we moved there. I know where he’s coming from with this statement. We’ve had all sorts of dramatic matches and experiences in OX4 in the 24 years we’ve been playing there but I don’t think there’s been anything quite like this. Form suggested we’d get nothing from this game. The Blades were a Premier [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.43: MIDDLESBROUGH AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-43-middlesbrough-away/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.43: MIDDLESBROUGH AWAY MIDDLESBROUGH 2 OXFORD UNITED 1 Second trip of the season on a LRC coach for me and the smoothness of the journey was the complete opposite to the Carrow Road trek. Left Kidlington at around 8:30 and even with half an hour services stop was parked up right outside the away turnstiles with time enough to spare to walk a mile each way to the Infant Hercules micro pub and have a pint. In 1862 the then Chancellor of the Exchequer visited Middlesbrough and commented that it was a “remarkable place – the [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.42: WATFORD AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-42-watford-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.42: WATFORD AT HOME OXFORD UNITED 1 WATFORD 0 Three o’clock kick off on Saturday. That’s extremely rare in this age of Sky TV dictatorship where money rules just about everything. I decided to take advantage and have some unrushed pre-match beer in the city centre. I can’t remember the last time I did that. The Royal Blenheim has been my go to pub on such occasions and that’s where I headed. Once more it didn’t let me down but the OUFC clientele of previous seasons was conspicuous by its absence. Apparently the Grapes is now [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.41: HULL AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-41-hull-away/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.41: HULL AWAY HULL CITY 2 OXFORD UNITED 1 Doom and gloom. Doom and gloom. But on a positive note I was picked up at home just gone 1 o’clock and despite there being delays on the M1 was walking through the door of the St Johns Hotel just before 5. So very different from Norwich away. St Johns is grade II listed. It’s an old fashioned street corner pub that hosts live music and open mic sessions. These take place in a larger room at the back but we placed ourselves in the front L [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.40: NORWICH AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-40-norwich-away/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.40: NORWICH AWAY NORWICH CITY 1 OXFORD UNITED 1 Football is THE sport as far as I’m concerned. Always has been ever since I first discovered it and always will be. Played some local football at a very low level and now play a lot of walking football. But where most of my time has gone sports wise is following OUFC up and down the country over many decades. This doesn’t mean I’ve got no time for rugby, cricket and athletics. They’ve all brought enjoyment too but almost exclusively sat in front of a TV screen. [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.39: COVENTRY AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-39-coventry-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.39: COVENTRY AT HOME OXFORD UNITED 2 COVENTRY CITY 3 The talk as we left the ground after the game was that this was better. Radio Oxford summaries and callers said this was better. I thought this was better. How could it not be better? Not only did we have four shots on target – that’s four more than the previous weekend – we scored for the first time since 1 Feb. And we didn’t just get one goal, we got two. Wow! But we let in three. So the end result was the same. Once [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.38: WEST BROM AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-38-west-brom-away/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.38: WEST BROM AWAY WEST BROMWICH ALBION 2 OXFORD UNITED 0 We knew this season was likely to be a long hard slog. That’s how it’s turning out and we’re currently going through a very painful period. Three points from the last six games. Four games without a goal scored and here we did not have a single shot on target. That’s just not good enough. I’m not enjoying it at present and feeling a bit out of sorts didn’t help but its football and you drag yourself along. And if I were asked whether I [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.37: PORTSMOUTH AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-37-portsmouth-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.37: PORTSMOUTH AT HOME OXFORD UNITED 0 PORTSMOUTH 2 From an Oxford United fan’s perspective this game, as far as the football was concerned, is largely one to forget although again we vastly improved as an attacking force when substitutions were made. This time it was in the 66th minute, a minute later than at Derby. It’s what happened off the pitch that will remain in the memory when once again we were reminded that football is just a game and there is so much more to concern us. It would have been Micky Lewis’s 60th [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.36: DERBY AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-36-derby-away/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.36: DERBY AWAY DERBY COUNTY 0 OXFORD UNITED 0 I’d formed a view of where we’re at a couple of weeks before the Burnley game and after our visit to Turf Moor that didn’t change nor has it done after this stalemate. Obviously we’re in a much better place than when Gary Rowett took over. He’s done a really good job in getting us out of and away from the bottom three. But I think we’re far from being safe. A team that isn’t scoring goals nor looking like scoring many goals will always be vulnerable. [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.35: BURNLEY AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-35-burnley-away/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.35: BURNLEY AWAY BURNLEY 1 OXFORD UNITED 0 So that’s the end of us remaining unbeaten under Gary Rowett. Nine games before it happened is some achievement and I don’t think even the most optimistic of fans amongst us saw that coming. Obviously our league position is so much healthier than when he walked through the “in” door but we need to guard against complacency. A bad run and we could find ourselves hovering over the trap door before we know it. Once Burnley got the lead in the 33rd minute it was as near as [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.34: BRISTOL CITY AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-34-bristol-city-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.34: BRISTOL CITY AT HOME OUR FUTURE It’s so easy to become complacent. Thinking we’ve done it all before. Thinking that someone else will do it so it won’t matter if I don’t do it. Friends of Stratfield Brake will be doing their utmost to impose the will of the minority on the majority. We all need to show support for our football club yet again and go to https://planningregister.cherwell.gov.uk/Planning/Comment/24/00539/F and give our opinion. This is absolutely vital for our future, please pass the message on. OXFORD UNITED 1 BRISTOL CITY 1 This was an ugly [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.33: STOKE AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-33-stoke-away/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.33: STOKE AWAY STOKE CITY 0 OXFORD UNITED 0 I knew I’d been to the Bet 365 (“Britannia” as it was then) Stadium before but had no recollection of the place or when. My record keeping of games attended is nowhere near as comprehensive as Womble’s used to be. He took a little book to every game and noted the line-ups and scores as far as I can recall. Still miss him and always will. I do have some sketchy notes scribbled in a diary though and can just about read my writing. Rage Online informs [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.32: LUTON AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-32-luton-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.32: LUTON AT HOME OXFORD UNITED 3 LUTON TOWN 2 Every lengthy unbeaten run a football club has comes to an end sometime. The same goes for winless streaks. I’ve prepared myself for a defeat under Gary Rowett. I’ll be annoyed but know I’ll have to accept it because at some stage it will come. The question is when? We went into this game joint top of the form table. At the other end of the spectrum Luton have not picked up a point in their last 11 away games. I said in the previous FV [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.31: BLACKBURN AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-31-blackburn-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.31: BLACKBURN AT HOME OXFORD UNITED 1 BLACKBURN ROVERS 0 I keep saying it. We are a Championship team. Promotion last season ensured that. But when certain things happen there’s talk of properly belonging. Not just there to make the numbers up and see how it goes. Particularly given that by general consensus we went up a year earlier than expected. I don’t think there has ever been the slightest hint that the owners would not give the backing needed. Remember the aim is to become and remain one of the top 30 clubs in the [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.30: PLYMOUTH AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-30-plymouth-away/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.30: PLYMOUTH AWAY PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 1 OXFORD UNITED 1 This second trip to Devon in such a short space of time was so much more enjoyable than the first. What a difference three days and putting out a much stronger team makes. When you draw 1-1 it is usually a case of “feels like a loss” if you had the lead and “feels like a win” if you came from behind. Here though, although we went ahead the whole thing had much more of a winning feeling about it than a defeat. So what if Argyle [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.29: FA CUP ROUND 3 EXETER AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-29-fa-cup-round-3-exeter-away/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.29: FA CUP ROUND 3 EXETER AWAY EXETER CITY 3 OXFORD UNITED 1 I don’t think there’s any question that overall the FA Cup is not what it was. It may be the second most prestigious competition we play in but its status has declined massively with the ever growing financial dominance of the Premier League. The focus too of most Championship teams will first and foremost be on either automatic promotion, getting into the play-offs or avoiding the drop. This competition will be very much secondary. That said there is still some magic around. A [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.28: PRESTON AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-28-preston-away/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.28: PRESTON AWAY If it wasn’t for football I would not have been sat in a house in Grimsargh from about quarter past 10 to quarter to 12 drinking beer and eating bacon sandwiches to die for. In fact I’d never heard of Grimsargh before. A mate’s daughter lives there. No corporate hospitality, whatever the cost, could beat this. If it wasn’t for football I wouldn’t have been chatting to a Preston fan before the game who I met through working in the Civil Service back in the day. Probably not seen him for about 40 [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.27: MILLWALL AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-27-millwall-away/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.27: MILLWALL AWAY Over their previous nine games Millwall had collected just seven points. Exactly the same as us. There were only 14 goals in those games, Millwall scoring six and letting in eight. Only once did a side score more than once. That was Norwich getting two on Boxing Day. Such score lines reflect a dour image and that fits with what we saw at the Kassam in our 1-1 draw on 30th November. Leeds have only lost two away games all season and one of those was at the New Den. No surprise that [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.26: PLYMOUTH AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-26-plymouth-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.26: PLYMOUTH AT HOME OXFORD UNITED 2 PLYMOUTH ARGYLE 0 “You’re getting sacked in the morning” sang the Oxford fans. The visitors from Devon joined in. The Oxford fans then delivered “Wayne Rooney, we want you to stay”. There was no repetition from the away section. Pre-match I’d asked a Plymouth fan I’ve got to know from going to the Green Taverners Fan Fest when we’ve visited Home Park if he’d be coming to the match. He replied that work commitments meant no and added “We are shocking so should be quite an easy 3 points [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.25: CARDIFF AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-25-cardiff-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.25: CARDIFF AT HOME A foggy afternoon OXFORD UNITED 3 CARDIFF CITY 2 For many years now a Boxing Day home fixture stood out because it was the day of the large attendance. Not so in 2024 now we’re in the Championship with almost every fixture at the Kassam being a sell-out. Less room this time for the once a season types who come along with a few family members just to get out of the house after the intensity of Christmas Day and relations having come to stay. I think there were still a few [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.24: LEEDS AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-24-leeds-away/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.24: LEEDS AWAY DES’S DEPARTURE We’ve all had a bit more time to process this but that still doesn’t make it easy to understand exactly where we’re at right now. There’s no getting away from the fact that our current form has been shocking. One point from the last six games. One win in 15. In most parts of most games we’ve looked second best. On top of that we’ve not played entertaining football. Many reasons to sack a manager. But Des Buckingham is a nice bloke. He was liked by the fan base. And why [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.23: SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-23-sheffield-wednesday-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.23: SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY AT HOME OXFORD UNITED 1 SHEFFIELD WEDNESDAY 3 The intention is to make to make this a short one. (No promises though). I’m finding it all very boring having to keep saying the same thing over and over. Lacking Championship quality as a team and individually. Playing too slowly. Poorer control and technique than the opposition. Always making more mistakes than the opposition. This in no way means I’ve turned on my team, the manager or the owners. To use that over used phrase, “it is what it is.” We realistically always knew [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.22: QPR AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-22-qpr-away/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.22: QPR AWAY So no.22 is QPR not Argyle thanks to Darragh. I keep looking at the BBC league tables for current form and we’re consistently in the bottom three or four. Before this encounter reading up from the bottom of the form table over the last six games, points gained were Hull none, Stoke and Derby three then us with four. Given that it’s not always the same teams worse than us I’m amazed we’ve still avoided being in the bottom three all season but it goes without saying that we’ve got to start picking [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.21: MILLWALL AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-21-millwall-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.21: MILLWALL AT HOME OXFORD UNITED 1 MILLWALL 1 The “commentator’s curse” has been around for years. No one seems to know who first coined this phrase. (Ironically it is also unknown who coined the phrase “to coin the phrase”).This curse kind of applies to anyone regularly giving a view on a football team week after week, which I’ve now done for year after year. I’m obviously not going to be made to look stupid a few seconds after praising a player who then makes an elementary error because my output isn’t in real time. Far [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.20: SHEFFIELD UNITED AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-20-sheffield-united-away/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.20: SHEFFIELD UNITED AWAY SHEFFIELD UNITED 3 OXFORD UNITED 0 There’s always that tiniest bit of hope. If there wasn’t what would be the point? But it was so slender that it was almost non-existent so something like this was totally what I expected to happen and to be honest beforehand I thought the margin of defeat could be larger. For a proper assessment of a team’s performance, the opposition and the way they play on the day, has to be taken into account. So is there always a BUT involved? I recall when we were [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.19 MIDDLESBROUGH AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-19-middlesbrough-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.19 MIDDLESBROUGH AT HOME OUR OPPONENTS Middlesbrough used to be one of those clubs that were very much a Premier League team. If they got relegated they soon went back up. Well that’s the impression I’ve got. Their last season in the top flight was 2016/17 when they finished second bottom. Not the best of times for the North East. Sunderland were bottom and Newcastle weren’t even in the top flight. The Geordies were though Championship champions. The closest Middlesbrough have come to getting back since then was the year immediately after their relegation and two [ more ] - [FAN'S VIEW: 24/25 - No.18: WATFORD AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-18-watford-away/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.18: WATFORD AWAY WATFORD 1 OXFORD UNITED 0 The result was so very familiar. Lost again on our travels. Oxford and Plymouth have the worst away record in the Championship having each picked up just 2 points. We’ve played 7, they’ve played 8. The only draws we’ve managed were at Pompey and Luton, teams below us in the table. Only one of our defeats has been by more than one goal. That was inflicted by Sunderland who are still top of the league.Watford have the joint best home record along with Sheffield United: won 6, drawn [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.17: HULL AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-17-hull-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.17: HULL AT HOME The harsh reality of the Championship has been waiting for us ever since that final whistle at Wembley. We knew it was there but it was natural the euphoria of that day in May would make us think we’ll be okay. And why not? Football is about dreaming as well as being on the end of harsh lessons. Our start reinforced the belief but as our run without a win has grown, the pressure has grown with it and having now lost the last two – and in the way we played [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.16: SWANSEA AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-16-swansea-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.16: SWANSEA AT HOME OXFORD UNITED 1 SWANSEA CITY 2 This was an absolute shocker. The worst performance since we got annihilated at Bolton last season. It’s hard to believe that we had a flurry at the very end of the game where we came so very close to getting a point. We’d been third best (and that takes some doing when there are only two teams in it) from the very first whistle. Last week’s effort at Sunderland had been the poorest thus far but we went down a few levels from that here. This [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.15: SUNDERLAND AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-15-sunderland-away/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.15: SUNDERLAND AWAY SUNDERLAND 2 OXFORD UNITED 0 I can only tell it how it is. Or more to the point how I saw it. That though no way means I have suddenly become one of those total doom and gloom merchants – who think our stay in the Championship is now inevitably going to be the briefest possible – even though we’ve only picked up five points from the last seven games. It clearly goes without saying though that we need to pick up our form sooner rather than later. We’re now only three points [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.14: DERBY AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-14-derby-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.14: DERBY AT HOME OXFORD UNITED 1 DERBY COUNTY 1 I went into the Catherine Wheel before the game for the first time this season to see what it is all about now. Disappointingly no real ale. Ran out just before I arrived apparently. Didn’t they know there was a game on? Guinness at £5.20 it was then. It was fine in its own way. It was left to settle before the pouring was finished but why oh why “extra cold”? It’s all over the place. If I wanted an ice cold drink that would be [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.13: WEST BROM AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-13-west-brom-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.13: WEST BROM AT HOME It has been a very sad and sobering fortnight since we last played. Plenty of time for much needed reflection, not for the first time this season and very unlikely to be the last, to realise where football fits into our lives and how it pales into insignificance when compared to the truly important things. That saying, which I’ve quoted before: “football is the most important of the least important things in life”, is very much pertinent. Football brings people together, in friendship and rivalry and through it a fan of [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.12: PORTSMOUTH AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-12-portsmouth-away/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.12: PORTSMOUTH AWAY PORTSMOUTH 1 OXFORD UNITED 1 I thought this was our least good (describing it as worst would make it sound bad, which it wasn’t) performance of the season yet we got our second away point and for the first time on our travels didn’t concede two or more goals. And this was without the injured (again) Elliott Moore and for the second half Ben Nelson too, meaning our centre-half partnership had to be changed and changed again. Not helpful but given these circumstances and taking something from a game when we know we [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.11: LUTON AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-11-luton-away/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.11: LUTON AWAY LUTON TOWN 2 OXFORD UNITED 2 Aside from 5 May 1987 trips to Kenilworth Road have been extremely joyless affairs for us. With the rain being quite relentless during the day and the journey of under 40 miles taking two hours because of the bloody traffic, it seemed that this one was set up to continue in the same vein. It wasn’t until I got home that I learned of a pitch inspection less than an hour before kick-off. Even that day in the 80s wasn’t what a football match should be. Awful [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.10: BURNLEY AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-10-burnley-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.10: BURNLEY AT HOME OXFORD UNITED 0 BURNLEY 0 The Clarets in my opinion are the best team that have ever visited the Kassam Stadium for a league game. Granted this was only our fourth game in tier two at our current home but I thought Burnley were a class above our previous three visitors. I doubt there’s many better than them in the 24/25 Championship. Leeds? But Burnley won at Elland Road a fortnight ago. West Brom? Caveat – we’re only seven games in and a lot always happens during a season of the twisty-turny [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.9: BRISTOL CITY AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-9-bristol-city-away/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.9: BRISTOL CITY AWAY OUR OPPONENTS The way many football clubs are structured within other over-arching business models is incredibly complex and difficult to follow. Who owns what, who is ultimately in control, how important is the football club in the overall scheme of things (usually very very important of course), where’s the money, where’s the debt, how are the almost inevitable losses being covered? In the Championship those losses are significant year on year. Given these tangled webs and rabbit holes I may well have gone very wrong on this but hey, I’ll give it [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.8: STOKE AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-8-stoke-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.8: STOKE AT HOME OXFORD UNITED 1 STOKE CITY 0 In the pull out sport section of the Sunday Times in bold print next to a big number 3: “Oxford United have started a season with three straight home wins in the top two tiers of English football for the first time since 1972-73 campaign.” Not that I had little faith in the team but I certainly wasn’t expecting this to have happened. In our previous eight seasons in L1 we only achieved that once. There will be those that say none of the best sides [ more ] - [FAN'S VIEW 24/25 - No.7: PRESTON AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-7-preston-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.7: PRESTON AT HOME Leigh the scorer and Dembele after we’ve got our third. Photo, Steve Daniels OXFORD UNITED 3 PRESTON NORTH END 1 I don’t think I’ve ever left the Kassam feeling more satisfied than I did after this one. Happier yes, but that was after a promotion had been clinched or Premier League team had been beaten in a cup competition. Those were more short term rushes of euphoria. This felt like a really deep rooted medium/long term statement that we genuinely belong in the Championship. I look on Preston as Championship. Nothing more, [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.6: CARABAO CUP ROUND TWO](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-6-carabao-cup-round-two/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.6: CARABAO CUP ROUND TWO Ticket talk The draw for this round was made on Wednesday 14 August. Six days later and a week before the match, ticket details were announced, arrangements and prices no doubt having to be agreed between the two clubs. “This match is ALL TICKET with no sales available on the day”. Back in the day games were only ever made all ticket when it was clear that demand was going to outstrip supply or there needed to be strict control to prevent likely trouble between two sets of fans with history. [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.5: BLACKBURN AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-5-blackburn-away/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.5: BLACKBURN AWAY Our opponents Blackburn got promoted from Division 2 (yes that’s what the Championship was called back then) in 1991/92 so were members of the Premier League in its inaugural season. They finished 4th, then runners up and the season after, 1994/95, won it. Their seven year run in the top flight ended in 1998/99 when they finished 19th. It took them only two seasons to go back up when they were runners up in Division 1 (still not called the Championship) in 2000/01. They remained at the highest level for eleven seasons but [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.4: COVENTRY AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-4-coventry-away/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.4: COVENTRY AWAY Our opponents The nightmare Sisu years are now behind the Sky Blues. Doug King, a local businessman, took full control of the club in 2022 and is now Chairman. He is the CEO of Yelo Enterprises, a Stratford-upon-Avon based company which specialises in UK food and the agricultural industry. King also co-founded and majority owns, RCMA Capital LLP, which oversees investments of over $400m. After the acquisition existing debt was converted to equity meaning the negative equity figure shown on the balance sheet of the latest accounts (to y/e May 2023) had dropped [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.3: CARABAO CUP ROUND ONE](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-3-carabao-cup-round-one/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.3: CARABAO CUP ROUND ONE How important is this cup to us as a Championship club? It is difficult to gauge how much prestige this competition carries in 2024. More or less than when we had that scarcely believable day at Wembley 38 years ago? Without giving it much thought I would go for a lot less but in the last ten years Manchester City have won it five times, Manchester United and Liverpool both twice and Chelsea once. What does that say about the biggest clubs’ attitude to this trophy? Okay, I get that they [ more ] - [FAN'S VIEW 24/25: No.2 - NORWICH AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-2-norwich-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.2: NORWICH AT HOME & MORE OUR OPPONENTS Norwich were in the top division of English football for six years before the Premier League was created in 1992/93. They finished third in that inaugural season. In the 32 years since it began the Canaries have spent ten in the top league, 21 in the Championship and one in L1. They’ve recently become one of those yo-yo clubs that parachute payments help spring back to the Premier League after they’ve been booted out for not being good enough. Relegated in 13/14, promoted in 14/15, relegated in 15/16, [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.1: TWENTY FIVE YEARS AND COUNTING](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-24-25-no-1-twenty-five-years-and-counting/): FAN’S VIEW: 24/25 – No.1: TWENTY FIVE YEARS AND COUNTING A quarter of a century is a significant chunk of anyone’s life. It is twenty five years and counting since our football club kicked a ball in the second tier of English football. That day was Sunday 9 May 1999 when we hammered Stockport at the Manor 5-0. To no avail. Three points from safety having picked up only three points from the previous six games. A significant proportion of our fan base, that’s likely anyone in their early 30s or younger, will never have seen us play at that [ more ] - [FAN'S VIEW 23/24 - No.53: LEAGUE ONE PLAY-OFF FINAL](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-53-league-one-play-off-final/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.53: LEAGUE ONE PLAY-OFF FINAL FAVOURITES In the week leading up to Wembley a glance at bookmakers’ odds showed Bolton as strong favourites. Five times more likely to be playing in the Championship than us (4/9 them, 15/8 us). Favourites yes I get that given they finished third with 10 more points than us and had given us a good going over at their place in March, but five times more likely, really? After they inflicted that 5-0 on us they lost 1-0 to Derby, no disgrace, then went unbeaten in the last seven of the [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.52: PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL PART 2](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-52-play-off-semi-final-part-2/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.52: PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL PART 2 SEMI-FINAL SECOND LEG: PETERBOROUGH UNITED 1 OXFORD UNITED 1 Photo, Steve Daniels Days like this do not come around very often. A day of shredded nerves. A day of emotion that is hard to put into words. And at the end of the day it’s us, not this very good Peterborough side, going to Wembley, where we’ll be going through it all again and some. Before events like this I don’t know what to do with myself. It was one pint – and a very good pint of Batemans XXXB it [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.51: PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL PART 1](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-51-play-off-semi-final-part-1/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.51: PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL PART 1 (Photo, Steve Daniels) PLAY-OFF SEMI-FINAL FIRST LEG OXFORD UNITED 1 PETERBOROUGH UNITED 0 For this I got the bus into the city centre at about 15:30 with a mate, Ian, from Warrington who was stopping with us. I was after a couple of beers to steady my nerves and a fair old walk to give me something to do. First stop was the Chequers. Ian’s pint was crystal clear. There was a young (well he looked young to me) lad at the bar wearing a blue football shirt and scarf. I [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.50: EXETER AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-50-exeter-away/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.50: EXETER AWAY EXETER CITY 1 OXFORD UNITED 2 So here we are. Our season has been extended and that’s thanks to Des Buckingham and the players. No way did I think he would turn it around as we dropped away from the summit and often couldn’t even beat pretty poor opponents. There didn’t seem to me to be enough winning mentality within the team to reverse the plummet. The League table tells me I was wrong. Since our spanking at Bolton we’ve won five, drawn two and lost just once to get us not just [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.49: STEVENAGE AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-49-stevenage-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.49: STEVENAGE AT HOME OXFORD UNITED 1 STEVENAGE 1 I’m starting to write this after the match Friday Night/ Saturday Morning, as sung by the Specials. By 5 o’clock on Saturday Night (Whigfield) there might be a very different slant. After this evening I can’t say I’m angry, just very deflated. Philosophically deflated. Still angry about the penalty Lincoln were awarded by Lee Swabey though. We weren’t good enough. It was in our own hands even after losing to Lincoln. Now it’s not. At the business end of the season as the pressure mounts, the men [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.48: LINCOLN AT HOME](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-48-lincoln-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.48: LINCOLN AT HOME OXFORD UNITED 0 LINCOLN CITY 1 In the post-match interview Greg Leigh talked of highs and lows and the sensible attitude of not getting carried away with either but let’s be honest what fan could not have been blown away by the way we hammered Peterborough? One thing was for sure though, we were never going to do the same to the Imps. A win was even more imperative for them than it had been for Posh and boy did they have a determination and drive to make sure it happened. Listening [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.47: Peterborough at home](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-47-peterborough-at-home/): Fan’s View 23/24 – No.47: Peterborough at home Photo, Steve Daniels Oxford United 5 Peterborough United 0 “Unbelievable Jeff” “Football, bloody hell” and any other such exclamations. Throw them all in for this one. I absolutely can’t believe this happened. Quite possibly my favourite day watching my football team in our three sided stadium in the nearly 23 years we’ve been there. No way could anyone have envisaged this outcome, not even those who bet on a 3 or 4 nil Oxford victory every week no matter who the opposition is. (No one does 5-0 surely?) The opposition here was [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.46: Burton away](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-46-burton-away/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.46: BURTON AWAY BURTON ALBION 0 OXFORD UNITED 4 I was fairly confident before this one but nowhere near as optimistic as I was ahead of the Fleetwood game the previous week. Turns out this current mindset is justified. Two four nil league victories on the spin for the first time since 1984 apparently. The goals being scored are highly pleasing but just as much the clean sheets. For the first time this season we’ve achieved back to back shut outs and now have kept the opposition out in three of the last four games. Okay [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.45: Fleetwood at home](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-45-fleetwood-at-home/): Fan’s View 23/24 – No.45: Fleetwood at home Oxford United 4 Fleetwood Town 0 My pre-match prediction was that we would win and win well. We did win. The score line says we won well and at times we did play very well. However, this performance was far from flawless. Good enough to beat the weaker teams in L1 but in my opinion not so if the opposition had been one of the current top six. We allowed the Cod Army a few very good opportunities on goal. The better sides would have scored some of them, probably getting at [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.44: Shrewsbury Away](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-44-shrewsbury-away/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.44: SHREWSBURY AWAY SHREWSBURY TOWN 1 OXFORD UNITED 1 Last season was one to forget. (Understatement or what given the investment in the playing budget?) A massive under achievement. Survival only ensured on the second last day of the season when we hit the pathetic total of 47 points. There was little if any joy in watching our team. Boredom was a fair single word assessment. Here we are in the 23/24 campaign sitting 7th in the league (one place lower than when we started the day) with 64 points already banked and six games remaining. [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.43: Port Vale Away](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-42-port-vale-away/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.43: PORT VALE AWAY PORT VALE 0 OXFORD UNITED 2 Obviously a vastly improved performance when compared with the previous Tuesday but Port Vale and Bolton Wanderers are very different opponents. There’s no comparison quality wise and the league table clearly highlights this. In the Bursley Ale House we got chatting to a couple of Vale fans who had quickly sussed that we were Oxford. For some illogical reason they seem to think we have posh accents. A very young Vale supporter who has produced a match day vlog also used the same word to describe [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.42: Bolton away](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-42-bolton-away/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.42: BOLTON AWAY Bolton Wanderers 5 Oxford United 0 It’s just not worth wasting much time on this. I was dropped back at home a bit gone 1:00 am and I was tempted to grab a whisky and bang out this FV there and then. I decided against because the prospect was just too depressing and I’d likely have used every swear word known to mankind. I’m not even bothering watching replays to look for any crumb of comfort because there won’t be any. This morning Mrs FV informed me that even my normally placid son [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.41: Cheltenham at home](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-41-cheltenham-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.41: CHELTENHAM AT HOME Fans Forum I attended the Fan’s Forum last Thursday. I came away with a feeling of positivity but know there’s such a long way to go yet. It was quite professional and with some very well-articulated questions and points of view. With reference to the new stadium one of the most apposite comments I heard was an aside: “the devil is in the detail”. And we don’t know the detail yet because it hasn’t been agreed. Our fans have the right to ask questions of our owners but whatever they think of [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.40: Portsmouth away](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-40-portsmouth-away/): FAN’s VIEW 23/24 – No.40: PORTSMOUTH AWAY Walking As is now traditional the Oxford United Walking Football Club had games arranged against their Pompey counterparts prior to the main event. I was honoured to be asked to turn out for them, which meant getting up earlier than expected. Eleven o’clock start at “Goals” a purpose built, FA accredited, all-weather 4G facility on Tangiers Road. If United fans travelling to Fratton Park along the A2030 had glanced to their right they would have witnessed yellow v blue. Although it is claimed a walking football match took place in 1932 between Derby [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/23 - No.39: Orient at home](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-23-no-39-orient-at-home/): First the good news, the very good news. The planning application for the new stadium at The Triangle has gone in to Cherwell District Council. There will still be “bumps along the road” but this is progress indeed. Now the bad news, the very bad news – the football. Not bumps along the road here. As I see it, more there’s a f**kin great big sink hole, let’s drive straight into it. Oxford United 1 Leyton Orient 2 I’ve given up on this season, written it off. So hopefully I won’t get as wound up as I have been doing [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.38: Northampton at home](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-38-northampton-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – No.38: NORTHAMPTON AT HOME Oxford United 2 Northampton Town 2 None of this mitigating circumstances blah blah blah for me even though I can see why some would claim they exist. None of this but we’re unbeaten in six and are now fifth in the league so everything is just about okay for me. We’ve gained eight points in those games and dropped 10. The saving grace, if play-offs are the goal, is that yes, still yes, given the crappiness of L1 this season at least one quite crappy team will get into the top six. [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.37: Wycombe away](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-37-wycombe-away/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – No.37: WYCOMBE AWAY Wycombe Wanderers 0 Oxford United 0 Prior to the kick off there was a minute’s applause for Adam Ankers, a 17 year old Wycombe season ticket holder and member of the club’s Foundation U19 team. Earlier this month he suffered a cardiac arrest while playing for the team in a fixture at Henley College and sadly died in hospital. Obviously he was not one of our own but he was one of their own. It didn’t matter either way. For that minute the applause all around Adam’s Park was warm and genuine. It’s [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.36: Wigan at home](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-36-wigan-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – No.36: WIGAN AT HOME Oxford United 4 Wigan Athletic 2 As I walked past the ever rotting Priory – it’s been closed for over 10 years now – on my approach to the ground “Ghost Town” by the Specials entered my head. There was no-one around. Could have been on Craggy island there was so little going on. Looking up towards the East Stand hardly anyone was present and it wasn’t that long to kick-off. Atmosphere somewhere around the zero mark. I couldn’t help but think that we (the fans) have almost already checked out of [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.35: Blackpool Away](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-35-blackpool-away/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.35: BLACKPOOL AWAY BLACKPOOL 1 OXFORD UNITED 1 This was a game I nearly didn’t attend. With our reliable fairly regular driver staying away in the area for the weekend I’d volunteered to drive taking two passengers, so three of us. Then down to two due to family commitments. Then covid struck leaving just me. The decision then was do I go on my own or do the unthinkable and give it a miss? I can’t remember the last time I failed to attend other than for a wedding or if I was ill (yes, covid). [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.34: Reading at home](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-34-reading-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.34: READING AT HOME As expected Owen Dale signed and went straight into the squad. At Blackpool he was getting a few minutes at the end of games as sub. Another new face in the squad is Jay Matete on loan from Sunderland. If Soccerbase is to be believed he’s not played at all competitively this season. Last season he either came on as sub or was subbed off for the Black Cats in the Championship before being loaned out to Plymouth where he started eight games and came on as sub in eleven. He hasn’t [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.33: Portsmouth at home](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-33-portsmouth-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.33: PORTSMOUTH AT HOME OXFORD UNITED 2 PORTSMOUTH 2 Unlike some games recently I felt fully engaged throughout. My team took me along on the ride from start to finish. There was heart pumping passion and value for money. “Two-One and you f**ked it up” sang not only the North and East stands but the more elderly folks in the SSU too. A mate of similar old age confirmed the same from the SSL. This is what helps make football what it is. You never know, although sometimes you think you do. Before the game as [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.32: Bristol Rovers away](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-32-bristol-rovers-away/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.32: BRISTOL ROVERS AWAY BRISTOL ROVERS 3 OXFORD UNITED 1 I now feel as low as I did when we were suffering the last knockings of the Karl Robinson era last season. Our first half performance here was dire. There was some improvement after the break but that was still nowhere near the standard required to win football matches at this level. We had been contenders now we resemble a clown car progressing at 5mph whilst juggernauts are crushing us and opponents who have put together much finer tuned vehicles will soon be disappearing in the [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.31: Barnsley at home](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-31-barnsley-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.31: BARNSLEY AT HOME With the ice putting paid to Northampton’s visit last Saturday our five games in 15 days has become four in 12. Testing times indeed. Make or break? Could end up with 12 points or none. If it was the latter there would be a strong argument that it was break. Attaining the maximum return isn’t a given that we’d made it and by making it I’m realistically thinking top six not automatic promotion. That would though very much keep us in the hunt in a very competitive league. Barnsley come here fifth [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.30: Carlisle away](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-30-carlisle-away/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.30: CARLISLE AWAY The week gone by Monday James Beadle: When he wasn’t in goal for us at Coventry we’d worked this one out. Recalled by Brighton. Immediately off to Sheffield Wednesday was also what was expected. I wouldn’t have thought he would have gone to Hillsborough without the guarantee of lots of first team action. Cameron Dawson, the Owl’s goalkeeper, who had let in just one goal in four games, won’t be enamoured with this loan. That leaves us with Simon Eastwood as our number one stopper once again. Just very temporarily? His role this [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.29: Coventry away](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-29-coventry-away/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.29: COVENTRY AWAY F.A. CUP ROUND THREE: COVENTRY CITY 6 OXFORD UNITED 2 We were always the underdogs coming into this cup tie. Their form in the Championship is better than ours is in L1. Unlike us they don’t have a horrendous injury list. My main hope was that the Sky Blue thinking would be sod this competition, we’ll put out our second team and see what they can do as our one and only objective is top six then promotion to the land of milk, honey and billions of pounds. None of that from them, [ more ] - [Fan's view 23/24 - No.28: Charlton away](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-28-charlton-away/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.28: CHARLTON AWAY CHARLTON ATHLETIC 1 OXFORD UNITED 2 Unlike last season there was no strike preventing travel by rail so it was a meet up in the George in Southwark. It might be Greene King but it’s a fine old building, the last galleried coaching inn remaining in London even if it is now much reduced in size. The Timothy Taylor Landlord had obviously travelled a fair way but I don’t think I’ve ever had a better pint than this up north. There were home and away fans in our gathering and neither were optimistic [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.27: Derby at home](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-27-derby-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.27: DERBY AT HOME There’s a strong argument that Derby are the biggest club in League One this season. Their average home gate of 26,356 is by far the best in the division. They were in the Premier League in 2007/08. A 21 point deduction for breaching the EFL’s Profitability and Sustainability rules and going into administration saw them relegated from the Championship at the end of the 2021/22 campaign to their current level. Clubs their size invariably rise again at some stage and it would appear they are currently on the way back but this [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.26: Cambridge at home](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-26-cambridge-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.26: CAMBRIDGE AT HOME Before the Burton game I thought we’d win easily. I even had 3-0 in my mind. That eventually came about. Last Saturday – Northampton – I wasn’t particularly confident we’d win but thought we wouldn’t lose. That so nearly happened. For this match though, not a feeling, not a clue. Backlash from the sub-par performance at Northampton? Asserting ourselves, playing our football in areas that hurt the opposition and sharing the goals about? Forwards scoring? Or unable to deliver again in front of a large crowd, many of whom may have been [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.25: Northampton away](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-25-northampton-away/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.25: NORTHAMPTON AWAY This fixture has never had the greatest of appeal to me even though Sixfields is really easy to get to from Bicester. Who am I to complain though about the location of another club’s ground when the Kassam is where it is? Bring on the Triangle. In the previous four league visits to the Cobblers we’ve not scored a goal. Two 1-0 defeats and two 0-0 draws. At least on our last Saturday visit here when fans were allowed to attend in 2018 I discovered that the centre of the town is walkable [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.24: Burton at home](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-24-burton-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.24: BURTON AT HOME OXFORD UNITED 3 BURTON ALBION 0 Before the game I said we’d win easily. The final score line said we did and anyone who witnessed the full 90 minutes will know we were vastly superior to a woeful Albion side, the worst opponents we’ve played in L1 so far this season. Dino Maamria was sacked from his position as manager last weekend but there was no rejuvenation under interim boss Gary Mills who has stepped up from his first team coaching role. With 80 minutes on the clock and with just a [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.23: Reading away](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-23-reading-away/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.23: READING AWAY It’s been many years since we’ve played the Royals / the Biscuitmen / the Tennis Ball Throwers, call them what you will. 23 years to be precise. They went one way and ended up in the Premier League. We went the other and ended up in the Conference. And now here we are. Football clubs need good owners. Good owners who have the nous, understanding and wherewithal to bring success in the climate that surrounds the game at the time. There’s obviously a fair bit more to it than that but a club [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.22: Peterborough away](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-22-peterborough-away/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.22: PETERBOROUGH AWAY PETERBOROUGH UNITED 3 OXFORD UNITED 0 The football part of the day was all gloom After some games I’m so miffed that I think why bother to write a Fan’s View? Or if I do, just whack it out quickly with little thought. This was such an occasion. Sometimes they’re cathartic. Other times it’s gone beyond that. In the car on the return journey my language was, how shall I put it, colourful? Probably summing up our performance with one expletive after another. Peterborough were better than us in every department. They thoroughly [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.21: Grimsby at home](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-21-grimsby-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.20: GRIMSBY AT HOME FA CUP SECOND ROUND: OXFORD UNITED 2 GRIMSBY TOWN 0 Satisfactory? I’m writing this on Monday evening and still don’t quite know what to make of it. Happy to be in round three? Well, obviously yes. Satisfied with the performance? Not sure at all. Two L1 sides did get knocked out by L2 sides. Charlton 2-0 at Gillingham and Wycombe 2-0 at home to Morecambe. I thought our gate of 4149 was poor but the Chairboys only got 1604. That really is pathetic. With such low gates I’m interested to see how [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.20: Bolton at home](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-20-bolton-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.20: BOLTON AT HOME OXFORD UNITED 0 BOLTON WANDERERS 0 Very big game this one for many reasons. We desperately needed something from it following Saturday’s disappointing effort at lowly Cheltenham. Two defeats to start Des Buckingham’s reign would have been a real downer. We needed to prove we can go toe to toe with the form team, the team that started the day top of the pile. We did just that but we never ever seem to get the better of the very best. Even when we nearly made it under Karl Robinson we never [ more ] - [Fan's View 2023/24 - No.19: Cheltenham Away](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-2023-24-no-19-cheltenham-away/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.19: CHELTENHAM AWAY CHELTENHAM TOWN 2 OXFORD UNITED 0 To say I left Gloucestershire a little disappointed would be an understatement. A bit angry too but that soon morphed into a kind of philosophical acceptance because this is the lot of a football fan. Yes Cheltenham, who didn’t score in their first eleven league games, have improved under Darryl Clarke whose record in the League since his arrival in late September now reads three wins, two draws and two losses, but they’re still second bottom. Since the last FV Des “one of our own” Buckingham has [ more ] - [FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.18: ORIENT AWAY](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-18-orient-away/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.18: ORIENT AWAY At the end of the Maidenhead FV I wrote “Anything for us to worry about? Liam Manning to Bristol City paper talk. I’ll leave that for another day. With football you just don’t know what’s round the corner. Makes it interesting”. Monday 6 Nov. No sooner had I published that FV than Sky News were reporting it’s a done deal. The Oxford Mail have a quote from Assistant Chris Hogg confirming that Manning took training on Monday but bookies odds on him going to Ashton Gate have been cut from 6/4 to 8/11 [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.17: Maidenhead at home](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-17-maidenhead-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.17: MAIDENHEAD AT HOME FA CUP FIRST ROUND OXFORD UNITED 2 MAIDENHEAD UNITED 0 Most years at this stage of the competition I pine for the old days when the FA Cup meant something much greater than it does now for each and every team that enters. For Manchester City and the like it’s all about winning, or retaining, the Premier League title and the Champions League title. To be fair to Pep he does usually field a strong side wherever he goes but that’s a luxury he can afford more than any other manager. For [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.16: Lincoln away](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-16-lincoln-away/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.16: LINCOLN AWAY LINCOLN CITY 0 OXFORD UNITED 2 There are some towns and cities that we travel to year after year that I develop a soft spot for. Lincoln very much falls into that category and there’s family reasons for this too. No two places are quite the same and Lincoln certainly has a unique character. The ground resides alongside Sincil Dyke with streets of terraced houses on the north. Get there early enough and you can park less than a minute’s walk from the away entrance – which we did. With the clocks having [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.15: Wycombe at home](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-15-wycombe-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.15: WYCOMBE AT HOME OXFORD UNITED 2 WYCOMBE WANDERERS 2 The performance of referee Seb Stockbridge merits a whole FV of its own. Best to try and unpick that first then analyse the performance of the boys in yellow. When Stockbridge’s name was read out there were groans. I commented to a couple of guys sat to my left that he wasn’t very good. Something of an understatement. Or was it? The worst ever? We’ve had Trevor Kettle and others. It’s easy to get caught up in the moment. It’s easy to forget we’re biased football [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.14: Wigan away](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-14-wigan-away/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.14: WIGAN AWAY This can very much be split into two: pre-match in Wigan and the game itself. The very enjoyable and the not very pleasurable at all. Pre-match We knew from the two visits here in the 21/22 season that this northern town, situated almost equidistant between Liverpool and Manchester, has some very welcoming drinking establishments. On this trip it was just the same. Our meeting place was Real Crafty, a contemporary pub in an old building which formerly housed the Royal British Legion. The pint was so good the temptation to stay put until [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.13: Blackpool at home](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-13-blackpool-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.13: BLACKPOOL AT HOME Over many decades I’ve got to know so many people through football and made many friends. It’s a common bond. It’s a point of reference. When you start a new job talk soon turns to this beautiful – and at times not so beautiful – game of ours. When you move on, it’s the fans of other teams you are much more likely to remain in touch with. I’ve got mates who support ex-Football League clubs. On Saturday 14 October I wished them luck in the 4th qualifying round of the FA [ more ] - [Fan's View 23/24 - No.12: Bristol Rovers at home](https://rageonline.co.uk/fans-view-23-24-no-12-bristol-rovers-at-home/): FAN’S VIEW 23/24 – NO.12: BRISTOL ROVERS AT HOME OXFORD UNITED 2 BRISTOL ROVERS 1 Well that certainly left something to unpick. Away from the intensity of lunch time at the Kassam with time to reflect and having watched replays of some of the action I feel more able to give an objective and fair view of what went on than if I’d been asked my opinion at full time. I’m a 3 o’clock on a Saturday traditionalist and find it hard to get into the groove when we are subjected to a lunch time start. 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