Oxford United

Image source, Rex Features

Oxford United forward Ole Romeny has scored on his debut for international side Indonesia during their World Cup qualifier against Australia.

The 24-year-old earned his maiden senior international call-up after joining the U's in the January transfer window from Dutch side FC Utrecht, scoring once in his nine Championship appearances.

The goal was nothing more than a consolation, having already conceded four before the Socceroo's Jackson Irvine slotted home a fifth in the 90th minute for an Australian victory.

Netherlands-born Romeny qualifies for Indonesia through his maternal grandmother and attained citizenship for the south-east Asian country in February.

He was joined in the starting XI by fellow Oxford team-mate Marselino Ferdinan who played 79 minutes at Sydney's Allianz Stadium.

Jerome Sale
BBC Radio Oxford's Oxford United commentator

Image source, PA Media

And then there were eight. A year ago it looked like Oxford United were going nowhere in League One, but their final eight games of the season produced five wins and two draws and helped them sneak into the play-offs.

And here we are, in what feels like a matter of moments later and there are just eight games left in the Championship season. And the prize to play for is exactly the same as this time last year – the right to operate in the second tier of English football.

This business end of the season can mess with your head. Everything is exaggerated, but it is particularly easy to catastrophise any result – yours or your rival's.

Last season United took just a point from their final two home games and fell out of the play-off places. The sky was falling in. Except it turned out it wasn't.

The three matches before this international break sums the current situation up. Quiet satisfaction after a draw at Norwich. Doom and gloom after a lead was thrown away in the defeat at Hull, and then belief restored following the win over Watford. It's how we roll. It is the Oxford rollercoaster - the previous 12 months in microcosm.

Oxford started the season so well, but faded as the leaves started to fall. They changed their manager and Gary Rowett made a stunning start, but that fizzled out.

If Oxford did succumb to relegation, they would go back to League One so much more credible a club than they were a year ago, but the U's ownership, with their actions, have made it clear just how much staying up means to them. For the team, for the club, for the new stadium project, it feels so valuable.

If United are to achieve their goal of Championship survival, cool heads will be the order of the day. Rowett has not had it all his own way in recent weeks, but if anyone can strip out the emotion of the run-in in this division it is "Mr Championship Manager" himself.

From here, Oxford need to average a point a game, maybe less. They have a tricky-looking fixture list to negotiate, but as the final day of last season proved, even the top teams in a division can mess things up as the finish line gets closer.

Fans may be plotting where the required points will come from, but I guarantee Oxford will get something from a game or two they are given no hope in, but the reverse is also true.

Supporters at the Watford game - yet another sell-out - produced the sort of positive atmosphere that fuelled last season's play-off success, and why not? As I said the same prize is at stake and, however hard, achieving it is more likely than promotion looked at the end of March 2024.

With players coming back from injury and with improved potency in their attacks in recent games, there is reason for optimism at the Kassam Stadium.

Of course, life could be made easier if teams beneath them in the Championship table run into trouble, but Oxford are four points clear of the drop zone. It is in their hands - and that is a situation they would have gladly accepted before a ball was kicked.

Listen to the latest episode of BBC Radio Oxford's "The Dub" podcast on BBC Sounds.

The team discuss Saturday's crucial 1-0 victory against Watford at the Kassam Stadium, the U's first league win in 10 matches.

Listen above or click here, make sure to subscribe and download your favourite episodes.

Image source, Rex Features

Oxford United winger Siriki Dembele has labelled his side's 1-0 victory against Watford on Saturday a "big" moment in their battle to beat the drop.

The 28-year-old's late winner, his first goal for the club since joining from Birmingham City in the summer, was enough to end the U's nine-game winless run.

"We played a top side and given the other results as well - it's a big win," Dembele told BBC Radio Oxford.

After not scoring in his previous 21 Championship outings for Gary Rowett's men, the winger said his lack of form in front of goal has not affected his confidence in his overall game.

"It doesn't bother me [when not scoring or assisting] - when it's going like that I want to continue because if you shy away, there is no point," he added.

"It's been a little bit different here and sometimes you go through a period where you don't score or assist but the most important thing for me is performances because when you perform well, it gives you the best chance as a team to win."

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Oxford United boss Gary Rowett has been speaking to BBC Radio Oxford after the U's ended a nine-game winless run in the Championship with a 1-0 victory over Watford in tough conditions.

"It was a difficult game, not only the opposition but a bit of a swirling wind," he said.

"It helped us to press them, it helped us to stop any rhythm particularly early on but we never seemed to build any real momentum.

"I was pleased that we found a way today, I think that was the most important thing. We found a way to win the game.

"It was a great strike from Dems [Siriki Dembele]. Just before the red card [for Abankwah], I was about to take him off so what do I know? But he came up with the goods.

"I spoke to him a little bit about that recently, just adding goals, being a little bit more selfish in that final third area, so I was really pleased he did that today."

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Oxford United captain Elliott Moore will be out for "a matter of weeks" because of a hamstring injury.

The defender had to go off in the second half of their 2-1 defeat by Hull City on Tuesday, while midfielder Cameron Brannagan is also doubtful for Saturday's meeting with Watford having missed the game on Humberside because of a knee issue.

"Elliott's certainly out for a period - when you go down in the way he did holding his hamstring you expect that to be a matter of weeks rather than days, but we haven't quite got the results from his scan," U's boss Gary Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford.

"Cameron's not quite so serious but will certainly be a huge doubt for the game."

Oxford have failed to win any of their past nine league matches to slip within four points of the Championship relegation zone but Rowett says they're not the only club affected by injuries.

"If you look at the team and squad we had when we came in and the players we've added we've obviously had some key injuries," he said.

"I heard a press conference with (Watford boss) Tom Cleverley talking about the injuries they've got and every manager will say the same, so it's not an excuse, it's just something you have to manage and find a solution."

Oxford United have failed to win any of their past nine league games as they prepare to face Watford on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

Watford have won three of their past five Championship matches, leaving them four points short of the play-off places.

• Oxford have won just two of the past 27 games between the two sides in all competitions (D12 L13) and are winless in their last seven against the Hornets (D2 L5).

• Watford are unbeaten in their past 15 away games in all competitions against Oxford (W5 D10) - this is their first visit to the U's since a 1-1 League Cup draw in September 2020.

• Oxford have lost their past two home league games, they haven't lost more consecutively since a five-game losing run in February and March 2023.

• Watford have kept a clean sheet in their last two away league matches; the Hornets have not kept three clean sheets in a row since January and February 2021.

• Oxford boss Gary Rowett has won his past two league meetings with Watford, beating them 3-0 at home and 2-0 away in 2022-23 when he was in charge at Millwall.

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Oxford boss Gary Rowett spoke to BBC Radio Oxford after Wednesday's 2-1 loss at Hull.

"I'm really angry if I'm being honest because, quite frankly, we've thrown the game away - that's how it feels," he said.

"It felt like an incredible opportunity, at 1-0, to win the game. It took a lot of hard work to get there. I don't think we necessarily started as well as we wanted to, we were a little bit passive early in the game but we grew into the game.

"We got ourselves into a good position and, when you do that, you've got to protect the goal and the lead with your life. Earlier on in my tenure we were doing that, but today we allowed two very soft goals.

"Unfortunately, if you're going to play with that sort of naivety in the Championship, you're going to make it a very difficult end to the season.

"I'm just frustrated because we've gone from a position of winning games, seeing those moments out and looking very solid, to feeling like we've got more to give, we're not quite giving it and I'm not quite sure why.

"That's probably the harshest I've been with the players in the dressing room and it really does feel as though we've thrown something away today."

Hull City will have the chance to overtake relegation rivals Oxford United when they host the U's at the MKM Stadium on Wednesday (19:45 GMT).

Oxford have not won in eight games to see themselves only seven points above the relegation zone.

While the Tigers won against Plymouth Argyle before picking up a point from play off chasing Bristol City on Saturday to get to just two points shy of the U's.

Though Oxford won the reverse fixture 1-0 in November, this will be the first meeting under new bosses Gary Rowett (Oxford) and Ruben Selles (Hull) this season.

• Hull City are unbeaten across their last eight home league games against Oxford United (W5 D3), winning their last home fixture against the U's in March 2021 2-0 in League One.

• After winning the reverse fixture 1-0 in November, Oxford United will be looking to record a first league double over Hull City since the 1988-89 season.

• After beating Plymouth Argyle 2-0, Hull are looking to win successive home league games for the first time since November 2023 (run of 3).

• Oxford have failed to win, or score, in their last two midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) league games (D1 L1), having won three of their previous four matches prior.

• Hull are winless in their last eight Championship games against newly promoted sides (D4 L4) since a 4-2 win over Sheffield Wednesday in August 2023.

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Oxford United head coach Gary Rowett believes the "small margins" have gone against his side during their recent eight-game winless league run.

The 18th-placed U's travel to Hull City, the side just one place and two points behind them, on Wednesday night (19:45 GMT) having not won a Championship game since a 3-2 victory over Luton Town in January but encouraged by Friday night's 1-1 draw at play-off hopefuls Norwich City.

"Every game we've been pretty competitive in," Rowett told BBC Oxford. "Every game is small margins. The recent run of games, unfortunately the margins haven't gone our way. That's how it works sometimes.

"What you have got to do is show a responsibility to put an end to that run and I thought the Norwich performance, to a certain degree, did that.

"What we've got to do now is build off the back of that and make sure we continue that type of performance."

After visiting Hull, Oxford host Watford on Saturday in their final fixture before the two-week international break.

"I think it [the Wednesday - Saturday turnaround] is probably the worst one to manage but our opponents on Saturday have got the same scenario," Rowett added.

"I've got to try and make good decisions about what we need to do to get the best possible outcome from the next two games and be as competitive as we can be.

"When you're playing in such close quarters you have to give that [rotation] some thought."

Listen to the latest episode of BBC Radio Oxford's "The Dub" podcast on BBC Sounds.

The team discuss Friday night's 1-1 draw at Norwich City, Mark Harris being back in the goals and the club announcing a significant loss in their yearly accounts.

Listen above or click here, make sure to subscribe and download your favourite episodes.

Image source, Rex Features

Oxford United head coach Gary Rowett felt his side showed plenty of character in their 1-1 draw with Norwich City.

The U's are eight games without a win in the Championship but moved eight points clear of the relegation zone.

"Recently we haven't had the results to go with the performances," Rowett said in the post-match press conference.

"I felt we'd lost a bit of confidence and momentum and sometimes you need a performance like that and I thought we nullified a lot of what they did.

"After conceding so early we showed a lot of character - I'm really proud of the players."

Oxford visit relegation-threatened Hull City on Tuesday and Rowett is keen they put on a similar performance.

"It takes a lot of concentration to do what we did and there were some good moments and basically you have to dig in," he added.

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Gary Rowett says Oxford United won't be prioritising any games over others as they fight to retain their Championship status.

The U's are seven points and four places above the relegation zone with 11 games remaining, the first of which is at play-off chasing Norwich on Friday (20:00 GMT).

Rowett's side will head to Hull City, one place below them, on Wednesday night in a potentially huge clash, but Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford: "We're fully focused on Norwich.

"We know these games are tough, but that's the challenge of the Championship. You know there are some games where you really have to step-up to try and get a result, and this is that type of game."

Oxford have taken 29 of their 38 points (76.3 per cent) in the league this season at Kassam Stadium, compared to just nine when playing on the road.

Rowett was asked if he should prioritise home games and those against teams in the lower reaches of the table but insisted: "If you think that you might as well put the reserves out and don't bother with the game – that would be ridiculous.

"Every game is an opportunity to try and win. As a head coach you have to try to find ways to do that.

"I would never do that, but some coaches maybe have the licence to be able to rotate their squad depending on the strengths of their team. I'd suggest that's maybe the top-six teams, everyone else is concentrating on winning the next game.

"Sometimes you accept away from home that you're not always going to win and, if you can get a draw, those points help you ticking along, providing your home form is strong, which is has been for the majority of the time since we've been here."

Rowett said he "took the positives" out of Saturday's battling 3-2 home defeat to upwardly-mobile Coventry and added: "We should have got something out of that game, in my opinion, and that's a side who have won eight out of nine.

"Norwich are a good side, they score goals, particularly at home, and they are versatile. These are certainly the games we need to get more out of, away from home in particular."

The weekend Championship action kicks-off at Carrow Road on Friday night (20:00 GMT) as Norwich entertain Oxford United.

A win for the Canaries would make it four unbeaten and take them up to ninth, within a point of the play-off places.

The U's are 18th, with a seven point cushion over the relegation zone, despite having suffered three straight defeats.

• Norwich City have lost just one of their 10 home league games against Oxford United (W6 D3), though that sole defeat did come in their last clash with the U's at Carrow Road in November 1998 (3-1).

• After winning the reverse fixture 2-0 in August, Oxford United will be looking to record a first ever league double over Norwich City in the EFL.

• Norwich City have scored the fewest set piece goals in the Championship this season (7), while it is also the lowest percentage of goals from set pieces of any side (12.5%, 7/56).

• Oxford United have suffered defeat in their past three league games, their third run of three losses in a row of the season. The U's last had a longer losing league run in February and March 2023 (five), while Gary Rowett has never lost four league games in a row in his entire managerial career, which has spanned 501 league games for six different clubs.

• Emiliano Marcondes has been involved in 10 goals in his past 17 Championship games for Norwich City (4 goals, 6 assists), assisting a goal in three of his last four appearances.