Oxford United

Turmoil-filled Sheffield Wednesday host Oxford United on Saturday (15:00 BST) as they look to escape the basement.

A third successive loss for the Owls extended their winless streak to a fifth game and placed them at the very bottom of the table.

Though Oxford will be looking to avoid dropping into the bottom three, with just one point keeping them above as it stands.

• Sheffield Wednesday have won just one of their last eight league games against Oxford United (D3 L4), a 3-1 success in December 2024.

• Oxford United are unbeaten across their last five away league games against Sheffield Wednesday (W3 D2), conceding just two goals in total across those five visits to Hillsborough.

• Sheffield Wednesday have lost each of their last three league games, last losing four in succession in August 2023.

• Oxford have lost four of their last six away league games (W1 D1), as many as in their first 13 games of 2025 (W2 D7).

• Oxford manager Gary Rowett is unbeaten across his last five league meetings with Sheffield Wednesday (W2 D3), since a 2-0 away defeat with Derby County in February 2018.

Oxford defender Michal Helik said his side's inconsistency is their "weakness at the moment" after a 1-0 defeat at Wrexham.

A sixth defeat of the season leaves Oxford in 20th - one point above the relegation zone.

"If we play well one game we don't follow it up, that's our issue at the minute and we have to work it out soon.

"I think mentality is a big part, that's the area that we need to improve. To be stronger, hungrier, to show more because we can't start games like this.

"It was a poor performance from us in the first half for sure and we need to step up, we need to do better.

"We're not accepting that, we've got leaders on the pitch but I think everyone needs to take responsibility.

"We won the game last Saturday [a 1-0 win over Derby] and we expected so much more. We need to react now against Sheffield Wednesday."

Listen to the full interview with Helik and more Oxford content on BBC Sounds.

Oxford United defender Ciaron Brown says he is "feeling good" after making his first league appearance of the season in Saturday's 1-0 win against Derby County.

The Northern Ireland international kept a clean sheet in his return following six month's out with a knee injury.

"I think while being out on the sidelines, when you are imagining playing again, getting this sort of result with a win and a clean sheet is what you would wish for as a defender", Brown told BBC Radio Oxford.

"My body feels OK, it kind of feels better than I expected it to be so that is good.

"One of the things that I may have forgotten over the time of being out is how much the fans give to the team and myself, so when I got out onto the pitch it was nice to hear and it shocked me a little bit if I'm honest."

The U's will be looking to secure back-to-back wins for the first time this season, when to action when they travel to Wrexham on Wednesday night (19:45 BST).

The Welsh side are one of five teams in the division yet to claim victory at home this season.

"I can respect what Wrexham are doing. I kept an eye out for them when they were in League One because obviously it was a big story," Brown added.

"They did really well and now they are stepping up to the Championship where anyone can beat anyone.

"We obviously go there with the confidence that we can get what we want to from the game."

Listen to the full interview with Brown and more Oxford content on BBC Sounds.

"The positives massively outweigh any concerns - the distance in quality between the two sides was massive."

The team discuss Oxford's first home win of the season after a dominant display against Derby County and look ahead to games against Wrexham and Sheffield Wednesday.

Listen to the full episode of The Dub and more Oxford United content on BBC Sounds.

It's been over two decades since Oxford United last took victory over Wrexham but they will be looking to do when they visit the Stok Cae Ras on Wednesday (19:45 BST).

Both sides sit next to each other on the table in 18th and 19th position respectively, though Wrexham do have one more point than the U's.

However, the Red Dragons have yet to claim a victory on home soil in the Championship this season, and Oxford's visit see them coming off a high after a 1-0 win over Derby County on the weekend.

• This will be the first Football League meeting between Wrexham and Oxford United since a 1-1 draw in April 2006; the Welsh side are unbeaten in their last 12 such encounters (W9 D3) since a 0-2 defeat in March 1983.

• The last competitive meeting between Wrexham and Oxford United saw the U's win an FA Cup second round tie 2-1 in 2013-14.

• Wrexham remain winless at home in the Championship this season (P5 D3 L2) – their longest ever winless home start to a Football League campaign.

• Since the start of last season, the only ever-present side in England's top four tiers with fewer away league wins than Oxford United (3) are Southampton (2).

• Wrexham's Phil Parkinson has won five of his seven managerial league matches against Oxford United, although the exceptions were his last two at home, defeats with Bradford City (1-2 in 2013) and Bolton Wanderers (0-2 in 2016).

Image source, PA Media

Oxford boss Gary Rowett hailed an "excellent performance" from his side as they beat Derby County 1-0 at the Kassam Stadium.

The U's had 19 shots during the game and would have had a far easier afternoon but for the efforts of Rams keeper Jakob Widell Zetterstrom.

"It was a perfect game apart from not coming in at half-time three or four nil up," Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford.

"First half, we were outstanding and created countless chances, we should have been well away from Derby with the scoreline and when you don't take those opportunities, when you are in such a dominant spell on the ball, you leave the door open.

"They're a very physical side, they're good at set pieces, they test you with big strikers so it's hard to get out and put pressure on the ball without leaving a little bit of space somewhere (at the back)."

He added: "What I'm really pleased about is we've won a game finally that we actually deserved to win, which is what we've done a lot of times and ended up losing those games. I thought it was an excellent performance."

Having won for the first time in four matches, Oxford are next in action when they travel to north Wales to face Wrexham on Wednesday evening.

Oxford United manager Gary Rowett says his team's performances have "warranted more points", as he draws on similarities to weekend opponents Derby.

The Us are 22nd in the Championship after winning one match this season - a 3-1 victory over Bristol City.

Oxford have drawn three games, and their five defeats have all been by just one goal.

"A lot of our performances have been pretty positive as a whole, and probably warranted some more points," Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford. "I think that is just a fact.

"What we have got to do now is make sure we get more points, because what we don't want to do is we don't want to be sat where we are in a very difficult division for too long, it is as simple as that.

"I don't think our performances have warranted us being sat there for too long."

Oxford host Derby on Saturday (12:30 BST), where a win would see them leapfrog The Rams in the table.

"I assess the game against Derby like I would any other game," added Rowett.

"Whether I have played there or not. I have got a pretty strong history with the club as a player, youth coach, manager and I live in the area.

"They are a little bit like ourselves, where John [Eustace] went in there and did a fantastic job to keep them in the division last year, it looked like a very difficult job.

"And a very similar challenge to us this year where you have some new ideas and some new things you want to do, and they have not quite gelled points wise and in terms of where you want to be right at this moment."

Listen to the full interview with Rowett and more on the U's on Sounds.

The international break is finally over and Oxford United and Derby get back to business with a meeting at the Kassam Stadium on Saturday lunchtime (12:30 BST).

The U's slipped into the relegation zone last time out courtesy of a 2-1 defeat at Watford, making it one point from their past three Championship games and Gary Rowett's men are still awaiting their first home win of the season.

The Rams are two places and two points better off, though , like their hosts, have also won only one of their nine games so far.

John Eustace's side have scored only four and conceded only four in their past five games, with the past three ending in 1-1 draws.

• Oxford United have won just one of their past seven Football League games against Derby County (D2 L4), with both encounters last season ending level.

• Derby County are unbeaten as a visiting side to Oxford United in the Football League this century, winning on two of their three trips (D1).

• After a run of four successive home league wins between December 2024 and January 2025, Oxford have only won three of their past 12 games since (D3 L6), failing to win any of their last four (D2 L2).

• Only Watford (8) and Southampton (7) have earned more points from losing positions in the Championship this season than Derby (5), coming from behind to draw each of their past three matches.

• Patrick Agyemang has been involved in three of Derby County's past four Championship goals, scoring against Southampton last time out and assisting in games against West Brom and Wrexham in September.

"I feel like with the work I'm doing, I'm making a positive change and genuinely for me the main thing is to prevent what happened to my family happening to other families."

A special edition of The Dub marks the one-year anniversary of the launch of Oxford United's 'Can We Talk?' suicide prevention campaign and World Mental Health Day on Friday.

Robyn Cowen is joined by U's midfielder Will Vaulks, whose family have been personally affected by suicide, to discuss his important work in the community with Baton of Hope, external, Oxford United in the Community and the Joey Beauchamp Foundation., external

The club's latest step in their ongoing 'Can We Talk?' campaign is the launch of suicide prevention workshops for Oxfordshire schools, along with piloting an innovative app designed to save lives.

Information and support for those affected by mental health can be found at the BBC's Action Line website.

Listen to the full episode and more on BBC Sounds.

Oxford United boss Gary Rowett faces a dilemma between being more attacking but being a bit short of quality compared to other Championship clubs, says former U's defender Ben Purkiss.

The U's were beaten 2-1 at Watford on Saturday, despite taking the lead, to leave them with just one point from their past three games and in the relegation zone.

"The team will be disappointed with the manner of the goals conceded (against Watford) but you look at the game overall and you saw more openness from the team, you saw more chances created," Purkiss told BBC Radio Oxford's podcast The Dub.

"On the opposite side we opened up and there were more chances for Watford than there were for Oxford. It shows you when we do open up we're a little bit deep during the game and it gives other teams more space."

Oxford's only win this season was a 3-1 victory at Bristol City last month and Purkiss believes head coach Rowett must try to find a balance between attack and defence.

"The dilemma Gary faces is he wants his team to go for it a bit more and be more attacking but the problem is if we go toe-to-toe with teams and one-for-one with players we're a little bit short," Purkiss added.

"The next five games there are opportunities there. Derby haven't started great, Wrexham is tricky but they haven't started brilliantly, Sheffield Wednesday, then Millwall and Stoke who I've seen and they've started well but I don't think they're that special - it's about regrouping and going again."

Listen to the latest episode of The Dub and more Oxford United content on BBC Sounds.

Joshua Adu-Donkor
BBC Final Score reporter

Image source, Rex Features

Oxford United have won just one of their nine Championship games so far this season after Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Watford.

However, there are some positives to take for manager Gary Rowett, the players and supporters from this loss.

Oxford created bundles of chances throughout the game and were unlucky not to score an equaliser - or a second when they were leading.

They attacked with great energy, with both captain Cameron Brannagan and substitute Przemyslaw Placheta impressing.

They're passing the eye test at the moment in the Championship, playing well but not getting the points they deserve from their performances.

This game was another example of that, where a draw would have been a fair result.

Plenty to ponder for everyone at Oxford United during the international break as they seek to turn things around.

Image source, Rex Features

Oxford United head coach Gary Rowett has said his side weren't "energetic enough" in their 2-1 loss at Watford on Saturday.

The Us took the initiative within three minutes thanks to Max Alleyne's own goal but the Hornets claimed the lead through a quickfire Jeremy Ngakia double before the break and held onto the score to register Oxford's fifth loss in the Championship.

"The start was excellent, and to get into that position," said former Derby defender Rowett to BBC Radio Oxford.

"I don't think our performance overall today was energetic enough or good enough. Of course, we keep going, [it's] a tight game again, we still have opportunities, but if I'm being honest, I'm bored of saying we've conceded poor goals once more.

"I think that's a frustration since the start of the season. We need to cut out the mistakes. We did [that] on Wednesday and got a point away from home.

"If you look at both goals, the first was a ball in the box we've got to deal with—simple as that, that's our job. The second one, Jamie (Cumming) just gets a little nudge on him, but I think he'll be disappointed he doesn't deal with it himself as well, so two moments that were really disappointing."

This is just Oxford's second league trip to Watford in the past 26 years.

The Hornets took the honours last season with a Vakoun Bayo goal sealing a 1-0 victory.

• Watford have won four out of the past five home league meetings against Oxford United (L1) , conceding just two goals during this run.

• Oxford United have won just three of their previous 25 league meetings with Watford (D11 L11), their last victory however being a 1-0 win in the pair's most recent meeting in March 2025. Prior to last season's meetings, the pair last played each other in the league in March 1999.

• After losing five consecutive league home matches between December 2024 and February 2025, Watford have lost just three of their past 11 home games (W5 D3).

• Since the start of last season, only Derby and Blackburn (15 each) have lost more Championship games on a Saturday than Oxford (14), with the U's still winless on Saturdays this season (D2 L3).

• Oxford boss Gary Rowett has won each of his past three league matches against Watford, keeping a clean sheet in all three victories.

Head coach Gary Rowett has credited the fans' support for Oxford United's ability to remain competitive in the Championship after securing "a big point" at QPR.

The U's hover just above the relegation places after taking four points from their past three games.

"The fans have been brilliant, so supportive of the team, followed in great numbers, been in great voice, same at home," Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford.

"It's a big point, it's a good away performance in terms of the defensive side of it, the hard work, the endeavour and the resilience."

Rowett is calling on the fans to stay with the team for the whole campaign no matter the results, as they seek to secure Championship football for a third season.

"Hopefully at the very least they see a team once again very competitive in this league doing everything we can to try and win games of football," he added.

Midfielder Filip Krastev was substituted in the 56th minute but Rowett expects him to be available on Saturday when Oxford visit Watford (15:00 BST).

"He just got a few whacks today," Rowett said. "I think he just got a whack to the back so I'm hopeful it's not too serious."

Listen to the full interview with Rowett and more on the U's on Sounds.

Image source, Opta

Julien Stephan's Queens Park Rangers side are unbeaten in the league since that heavy 7-1 defeat to Coventry City back in August. They host Gary Rowett's Oxford United team on Wednesday (19:45 BST), who have only recorded one victory so far.

The home side come into this one sitting 9th in the Championship league, with the travelling U's in 22nd, only the two Sheffield sides sit below them.

• Queens Park Rangers have won each of their past three league meetings with Oxford United, never before winning four in a row.

• Oxford United are winless in their past 10 league visits to QPR (D3 L7) since a 2-1 victory in December 1969.

• QPR have won both of their past two Championship home games and could avoid defeat in their first four home matches of a league campaign for the first time since 2017-18 (5).

• After their 3-1 win at Bristol City, Oxford United could win back-to-back away league games for the first time since April 2024, and the first time in the top two tiers since November 1998.

• Oxford's Gary Rowett has only won one of his eight managerial away league games at QPR (D3 L4), a 2-1 victory with Millwall in February 2023.