University Challenge. V Oxford, home 27-10 222. 3-0'clock.0-22

[TANGODANCER]

Early start again as the weather here is doing heads in:

They're famous for Brogues, Bags, Brains, and punting up the Thames...but we have Peter Kay and Pasties. No contest. The Oxford Undergrads visit the mighty Whites at our noble Unibol no doubt seeking to add a degree of class (27 points us, 15 them, suck that up). Can we keep the band-waggon wheels rolling onward and upwards without waiting 85 minutes to do it? Predict away then...

[Worthy4England]

They have an away record like ours (so they'll probably be about as hopeful as us when we're playing away) Last year, if memory serves, we had a couple of entertaining games against them as they don't typically park the bus? Hopefully Saturday will be no different.

[Harry Genshaw]

I noticed they got a bit of stick from some Pompey fans on Twitter after Tuesdays draw. Accusations of shithousery along the lines of Burton. Not surprising really. Last weekend Robinson was said to be in threat of losing his job if he didn't get anything from away games at Portsmouth and us.

I'm in corporate on Saturday so hoping for good food, beer, a thumping win and the chance to meet Sharon. Bring it on!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

History can often feel like it’s accelerating. Having a new Prime Minister every week doesn’t help, but football’s incessant calendar can sometimes show off its insatiable appetite for change.

It’s barely 14 months since Wanderers welcomed Oxford United to Lancashire, but it feels like a different epoch. Bolton’s winner that day was scored by No.9 Eoin Doyle, a lone front-runner in Bolton’s 4-2-3-1 backed up by skipper Antoni Sarcevic, left-winger Dapo Afolayan and right-winger Lloyd Isgrove.

Thereafter, times changed rapidly for all concerned. Within two months, Sarcevic had left the club; six weeks thereafter, so had Doyle; in between those exits, Lloyd Isgrove suffered an injury that would, after an aborted spring comeback, cost him a year of his career.

As for Afolayan – the previously goalphobic winger who was on his way to bagging 7 in his first 15 League One games by driving in from the left flank like a third-tier Thierry Henry – he would find the season’s second half more difficult as a formational switch, the manager’s third such new dawn in three successive seasons, forced him to seek a new role.

By the time of the return match at Oxford’s white elephant in February, Bolton were bouncing again. A rollercoaster 3-2 win made it 19 points from seven games and the game itself was an entertaining clash of two attacking sides seeking possession football but advancing via different formations, Bolton’s 3-5-2 eventually triumphing over Oxford’s inverted-wingers 4-2-3-1.

But that, too, would be a finite period. Three days after Oxford, Bolton went to Burton and were 3-0 down within 18 minutes. Any lingering hopes of reeling in a fearsomely-paced promotion pack were extinguished by a run of one win in six in which Wanderers were frustrated by top-end rivals Plymouth, Wigan, Pompey and Wednesday.

And so to this season. After two busy windows, Bolton’s summer was largely about consolidation - rehiring Trafford, retaining Afolayan and extending Santos’s contract. Oxford’s was once again about trying to replace players leaving for bigger things: centre-back Luke McNally, having arrived from St Pat’s, went to Burnley, while central midfielder Mark Sykes, hired from Glenavon, moved up to Bristol City.

That was situation normal for Oxford, who have had to regenerate in several successive summers. In the 2021 close season they lost centre-back Rob Atkinson to Bristol City, and left-back Josh Ruffels to Huddersfield; the summer before, it was centre-back Rob Dickie to QPR. The fact they stayed up the right end of the table - having finished 4th in 2020, they finished 6th in 2021 then 8th last year - suggest they were doing a decent job, but the gradual drop-off suggested diminishing returns, and this season they’re only one place above the drop zone.

That said, they’ve only conceded the same number of goals (17) as 1st-placed Plymouth, two fewer than fourth-placed Posh; that they’re only on -2 goal difference suggests they’ve rarely been outclassed, and the results seem to concur. All seven defeats have been by a one-goal margin, as have three of their four wins - the exception being a 4-2 at Exeter in which they were 4-0 up by the hour. They’ve only failed to score in one of the last 11 league games.

Perhaps the biggest difference is in Matt Taylor, who has spearheaded the oxenfolk since summer 2019. He scored 17 goals in his first term, then 19, then 20 in just 37 – but this season he’s yet to score in 10 league games disrupted by injury and suspension. The latter rules him out again for Saturday.

In his absence, Karl Robinson has turned to a combination of Swansea loanee Kyle Joseph, journeyman attacking midfielder Billy Bodin and young hopeful Gatlin O’Donkor, but none carry Taylor’s threat. Comparing Opta data from last season to this, Oxford still- progress the ball forward at around 1.5 metres per second, but their passing sequences are shorter, suggesting they’re losing their way. Let’s hope they don’t find it this week.

[Harry Genshaw]

No Billy Bodin either on Saturday.

[TANGODANCER]

As well as ex White Taylor, Billy Bodin is also suspended. No tears will be shed,
except those of joy. We really need to end this little run on a high with a win. (COME ON YOU WHITES..

Sorry H.G, just seen your post..

[TonyDomingos]

History can often feel like it’s accelerating. Having a new Prime Minister every week doesn’t help, but football’s incessant calendar can sometimes show off its insatiable appetite for change.

It’s barely 14 months since Wanderers welcomed Oxford United to Lancashire, but it feels like a different epoch. Bolton’s winner that day was scored by No.9 Eoin Doyle, a lone front-runner in Bolton’s 4-2-3-1 backed up by skipper Antoni Sarcevic, left-winger Dapo Afolayan and right-winger Lloyd Isgrove.

Thereafter, times changed rapidly for all concerned. Within two months, Sarcevic had left the club; six weeks thereafter, so had Doyle; in between those exits, Lloyd Isgrove suffered an injury that would, after an aborted spring comeback, cost him a year of his career.

As for Afolayan – the previously goalphobic winger who was on his way to bagging 7 in his first 15 League One games by driving in from the left flank like a third-tier Thierry Henry – he would find the season’s second half more difficult as a formational switch, the manager’s third such new dawn in three successive seasons, forced him to seek a new role.

By the time of the return match at Oxford’s white elephant in February, Bolton were bouncing again. A rollercoaster 3-2 win made it 19 points from seven games and the game itself was an entertaining clash of two attacking sides seeking possession football but advancing via different formations, Bolton’s 3-5-2 eventually triumphing over Oxford’s inverted-wingers 4-2-3-1.

But that, too, would be a finite period. Three days after Oxford, Bolton went to Burton and were 3-0 down within 18 minutes. Any lingering hopes of reeling in a fearsomely-paced promotion pack were extinguished by a run of one win in six in which Wanderers were frustrated by top-end rivals Plymouth, Wigan, Pompey and Wednesday.

And so to this season. After two busy windows, Bolton’s summer was largely about consolidation - rehiring Trafford, retaining Afolayan and extending Santos’s contract. Oxford’s was once again about trying to replace players leaving for bigger things: centre-back Luke McNally, having arrived from St Pat’s, went to Burnley, while central midfielder Mark Sykes, hired from Glenavon, moved up to Bristol City.

That was situation normal for Oxford, who have had to regenerate in several successive summers. In the 2021 close season they lost centre-back Rob Atkinson to Bristol City, and left-back Josh Ruffels to Huddersfield; the summer before, it was centre-back Rob Dickie to QPR. The fact they stayed up the right end of the table - having finished 4th in 2020, they finished 6th in 2021 then 8th last year - suggest they were doing a decent job, but the gradual drop-off suggested diminishing returns, and this season they’re only one place above the drop zone.

That said, they’ve only conceded the same number of goals (17) as 1st-placed Plymouth, two fewer than fourth-placed Posh; that they’re only on -2 goal difference suggests they’ve rarely been outclassed, and the results seem to concur. All seven defeats have been by a one-goal margin, as have three of their four wins - the exception being a 4-2 at Exeter in which they were 4-0 up by the hour. They’ve only failed to score in one of the last 11 league games.

Perhaps the biggest difference is in Matt Taylor, who has spearheaded the oxenfolk since summer 2019. He scored 17 goals in his first term, then 19, then 20 in just 37 – but this season he’s yet to score in 10 league games disrupted by injury and suspension. The latter rules him out again for Saturday.

In his absence, Karl Robinson has turned to a combination of Swansea loanee Kyle Joseph, journeyman attacking midfielder Billy Bodin and young hopeful Gatlin O’Donkor, but none carry Taylor’s threat. Comparing Opta data from last season to this, Oxford still- progress the ball forward at around 1.5 metres per second, but their passing sequences are shorter, suggesting they’re losing their way. Let’s hope they don’t find it this week.

Aye. But will we win?

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Aye. But will we win?

Really hope so, or Worthy’s entirely wasted his afternoon…

[Worthy4England]

Aye. But will we win?

Really hope so, or Worthy’s entirely wasted his afternoon…

Only the 50 minutes of it that the ball's on the pitch.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Aye. But will we win?

Really hope so, or Worthy’s entirely wasted his afternoon…

Only the 50 minutes of it that the ball's on the pitch.

Heh, there have been some Wanderers teams where it’s tempting to think the breaks have been the best bits…

[TonyDomingos]

Aye. But will we win?

Really hope so, or Worthy’s entirely wasted his afternoon…

Only the 50 minutes of it that the ball's on the pitch.

Heh, there have been some Wanderers teams where it’s tempting to think the breaks have been the best bits…

Tbh, the ball can be not in play for 89 minutes, but I'll be thoroughly entertained if we win 1-0.

[TANGODANCER]

Tbh, the ball can be not in play for 89 minutes, but I'll be thoroughly entertained if we win 1-0.

Yo Tambien.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Aye. But will we win?

Really hope so, or Worthy’s entirely wasted his afternoon…

Only the 50 minutes of it that the ball's on the pitch.

Heh, there have been some Wanderers teams where it’s tempting to think the breaks have been the best bits…

Tbh, the ball can be not in play for 89 minutes, but I'll be thoroughly entertained if we win 1-0.

Good for you, love.

[TANGODANCER]

The time is almost nigh. Two football teams giving a nod to Universities, but neither particularly relating to brain power. Can our headmaster of shape-shifting outwit a place with 38 colleges of knowledge? Will he, right now be casting the runes as he peers through the steam of his chicken enchiladas? This game has become a bit critical as it could cement our place in the upper echelons. Oxford, it would seem, with suspensions and injuries are at a weaker stage then the norm. Then again, there many a slip between bananas for the unwary or careless. This in mind...a cautious 2-0 us prediction and leave the Tutu's to the graduates....COME ON YOU WHITES... ...

[The_Gun]

We were shite on Tuesday, so I wouldn’t be confident of getting anything out of today. It’s all well and good scoring 97th minute winners, but if you spend the majority of matches creating nothing then you ain’t gonna win many.

Evatt clearly hasn’t figured out his best lineup yet, so my hope is he at least takes a step towards that today. I’d like to see Sadlier and Sheehan involved from the off myself, but think it’s unlikely.

Honestly feel much more pessimistic than usual about our chances today, so hopefully my spidey senses are malfunctioning.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

What I would say is he has lots of options. Just thinking through the team, and I reckon only Santos, Traf and Bradley are anything near certainties; even previous regulars like Geth, George and MJ have been less certain in the flirt with a back four. But as it happens I’d expect us to play the usual 3412 today - and I also think we’ll be back to winning reasonably comfortably without exactly sparkling.

[Bruce Rioja]

A miserable, rain-soaked goalless draw.

[TANGODANCER]

A miserable, rain-soaked goalless draw.

Bah, Humbug...

[officer_dibble]

Surely sadlier and Dapo start playing off a front man? He can’t keep ignoring Sads!

[Bruce Rioja]

Surely sadlier and Dapo start playing off a front man? He can’t keep ignoring Sads!

I'm honestly at the point of thinking that there must have been summat gone-on we don't know about.