Was having a look late last night at Oxford's progress this season.
What I found shocked (and worried !) me to the core.  :-/

Basically a league 2 team playing VERY well but results wise, underachieving in spades...

Here's the rundown - draw your own conclusions ! (Go to teamtalk.com for proof)

Carling Cup
R1 - already beaten Bristol City away (top L1) !
R2 - narrowly lost on penalties away to West Brom !!!  ??) (Appleton said he was disappointed not to win !)

League

Morecambe 1-0 Oxford United
Bentley said: "We were nowhere near our best and I thought Oxford were excellent. They passed the ball around really well and had us on the back foot for long periods."

Oxford United 0-1 Portsmouth
"Oxford were left to rue some poor finishing, and ill fortune"

Signing Will Hoskins (ex Brighton striker)
"We have played well in every game so far this season but not picked up the results and I think anyone who has watched us has seen where we needed to strengthen."

Cheltenham Town 2-0 Oxford United
"I have said to the players that they have to really dig deep from the pit of their stomachs when they are having a poor run.
We created loads of opportunities and I wasn't worried when we went down to 10 men because I thought we would score goals."

Southend Utd 1-1 Oxford United
"I know I haven't been here that long but that's definitely the best 45 minutes of football we've played since we came to the club."

Oxford United 3-1 Accrington Stanley
"If I'm being over-critical it's that we should have had four or five goals but I'm very happy with the win."

Oxford United 0-0 Stevenage
"It was a game we absolutely dominated and when we got the ball, we passed and moved it very well and created numerous opportunities."

Luton Town 2-0 Oxford United  
"They're (Oxford) a good team, we know what they're going to bring to the table and I thought we were outstanding."

Oxford United 1-0 Newport County AFC  
"We should have been three or four goals out of sight at half-time."

Cambridge United 5-1 Oxford United
"If they think I'm going to defend a performance like that then they've got no chance. I think the bottom line is that ultimately we got out-muscled in the game. "

Oxford United 2-0 Tranmere Rovers
"I genuinely believe that last Saturday [at Cambridge] would be a one-off. I thought this was a decent performance. After Ryan Clarke made a save early on, I can't really remember them causing us any real problems. "

Northampton Town 1-3 Oxford United
"I said to the players at half time that if we had come in 1-0 down I would have torn the dressing room apart, I would have been raging.
The biggest compliment I can give the players is the way they reacted so well to going behind and we could have had more goals."

Carlisle United 2-1 Oxford United
"Carlisle got back into the game and, if you defend as many long balls as we had to do, something has to give. I expect our front players to do a little bit more for me. We had opportunities to win it because there was a lot of space on the flanks and in behind them.
I think the players have got it in them. I just felt our decision making in the final third cost us. There is enough quality in the side to get results at this level and over the period of a season I'm convinced we are more than capable of coming to places like Carlisle and getting three points."

Oxford United 1-2 Wycombe Wanderers
"We started the game okay and obviously going in at half-time one-up was pleasing, but apart from that 15 minutes just up to half-time we didn't really get it together and do ourselves justice. "But we won't be moaning, screaming and groaning, we just have to get on with it and be better next time."

My advice ?
Forget about the "league table" positions - they don't always tell the whole story.
Get a small amount on them NOW for promotion at 33/1 before they beat York !

They were excrement.

We were shitter.

You ever kissed a girl, pal?

Whatever !
Best team at BP this season IMO.

One word. Tripe.

Quoted from ska face

You ever kissed a girl, pal?

Have you ever reached a maturity of more than 11 years old? Incredibly childish.

Lol.
To be fair he probably means how come I'm such a sad statto with too much time on my hands.
In any case my forum "approval" is already beyond recovery anyway mate so I honestly wouldn't worry !  ;)

Interesting read, thanks 80s.

Disappointing that people are still unnecessarily rude and insulting, especially when a poster has taken the time to express a view.

Lol I'm used to it mate.
Water off a ducks back for me.

San interesting read mate, certainly shows they're not as bad as some people have made them out to be, certainly makes me feel a tad better about the loss.  Thanks for taking the time.

Quoted from 120797

Lol.
To be fair he probably means how come I'm such a sad statto with too much time on my hands.
In any case my forum "approval" is already beyond recovery anyway mate so I honestly wouldn't worry !  ;)

Your not a sad statto , think you really do care about your and my team . We have been and still are waiting for the excitement to return , but performances like yesterday don't help . Do you think we were just on the receiving  end on something that they have been promising all season ?. It might kick start them .

Kind of you both cheers.

Well I think so Doc but we'll see.
If I could predict every outcome I'd already be In Bahamas by now !  ;)

I didn't see the Oxford MP preview until after the game but noticed Hurst at least made comment on the same issue of where Oxford would finish up.
Can't remember the comment (sorry I can't be bothered to go to MP right now) but got the impression he thought they'd finish much higher come season end too.

Oxford looked a pretty decent team to me though obviously our poor performance probably made them look a bit better than they actually are. Regardless, there was little comparison to the rubbish Northampton team who we defeated in the Cup last season when they were also struggling in the League above. I'd be surprised if Oxford didn't finish mid-table or higher come the end of the season.

Their young striker who picked up a couple of goals looked pretty useful and they had a few decent and nippy ball players in midfield as well so they certainly weren't a bad team.

I thought oxford looked half decent to be fair, and all those previous match day comments reflect this. Yes we didn't play well but that was Down to them wanting it more. They were quicker to every loose ball, their midfield dominated us , they were very quick on the break and didn't allow us hardly a sniff at goal apart from the shop hitting the post and pear sons goal we created nothing. They were far better than I expected and certainly didn't play like a poor team lacking confidence. They will climb the table for sure.

I agree with your defenders here 80's, even tough you don't need any. So many people who most likely do care about the club clearly care more about being rude. I believe it's called trolling. whatever, they are the ones wasting their time.
on the other Oxford thread (just back) i was surprised how many people thought that Oxford's current position in L2 and their record this season was enough to go on; we all know that teams are up and down all season, probably true for most of the teams in tiers 1 through to 9....sometimes Man U are totally useless, sometimes they are not. Point being that we didnt not play well and Oxford did, it doesn't mean we are not getting better, if it did mean that, I am sure we would all give up the ghost on this season now.
I thought our defending was the weakest I have seen it (just from the highlights, mind) and I thought they passed the ball well, broke fast and had great finishing. You can't think losing to a team performance like that means we are stuck in this league or that we will not survive in L2....last season we nearly beat Huddersfield and we took Northampton apart.....
So I am feeling ok as a Mariner right now, I think Hurst is doing ok and if he is going to experiment with a more aggressive formation then I would rather him do it in the cup than in the league games.
I do think we will go up this season and I think we will do it as Champions. Long way to go yet; Barnet will stumble.
UTM