Oxford United

Preston North End welcome Oxford United to Deepdale on Saturday for just the second time in 25 years (15:00 GMT).

Both sides dwell in the bottom half of the table but did win to end 2024 on a positive note, each taking two wins in their final two fixtures.

However, while Oxford triumphed over Millwall at the start of 2025, Preston suffered a 3-1 loss to West Bromwich Albion.

A win for either side would see them pull further clear of danger but Preston will have to do something they have never done against a Gary Rowett side - win.

• Preston North End will host Oxford United in any competition for the first time since March 2000 in the third tier, when they won 3-1 thanks to a brace from Brett Angell and a goal from Jon Macken.

• Oxford United have won five of their last seven league meetings with Preston North End (L2), winning the reverse fixture 3-1 earlier this season.

• Preston North End are unbeaten in each of their last six home league games (W2 D4), last going seven without loss at Deepdale in April 2023 (W4 D3).

• Oxford United are winless in their last 10 matches played on a Saturday (D4 L6), since beating Stoke in September last year.

• Oxford United manager Gary Rowett is unbeaten in 14 previous league meetings with Preston North End (W8 D6), the only opponent he has faced more than seven times without ever losing.

Image source, Rex Features

Malcolm Ebiowei's season-long loan at Oxford United has been terminated and the winger has returned to his parent club Crystal Palace.

The England Under-20 winger started only once for the U's, playing 77 minutes in the Carabao Cup defeat at Coventry in August, following on from 45 minutes off the bench in the previous round at home to Peterborough.

Ebiowei played just 64 minutes in total across four substitute appearances in the Championship, the last of which came in a home defeat by Swansea in early November.

The 21-year-old did not even make the bench in the club's past nine games.

"We would like to wish him well for the future," a U's statement said.

Janine Bailey
Chair of Oxford United Supporters' panel

Image source, Rex Features

With three wins from three under Gary Rowett - including an elusive away win, what have we learned?

Rowett has made tweaks rather than wholesale changes. Playing 4-2-3-1 has brought out a new side to Will Vaulks, he contributes well alongside Cameron Brannagan, allowing Brannagan freedom to drive forward more.

In possession, the pace and direction of play has undoubtedly picked up. The ball is being moved forward with fewer touches and more purpose.

Przemysław Placheta's return from injury has brought pace, and an ability to run on to balls and create space, opening up the final third.

Nonetheless Rowett is happy to manage periods out of possession, making us harder to beat. In the last two games, United have delivered clean sheets - the first since September - after disappointingly conceding two to Cardiff on Boxing Day.

The squad lacks quality in depth, so the January transfer window will be key. The cap on squad numbers will mean losing registered players to bring new ones in.

A replacement is needed at centre-back for injured Ben Nelson. Probable outgoings include Will Goodwin, Kyle Edwards and possibly Owen Dale, and we wait to see whether Spurs have other plans for Dane Scarlett, but Malcolm Ebiowei has already seen his loan from Crystal Palace cut short.

Joe Bennett may well be rejoining the squad, leaving the Yellows in the market for wingers - or wing-backs for flexibility - one or two strikers, and a backup centre-back.

Not too much to ask, is it?

Image source, Rex Features

Head coach Gary Rowett praised a "gutsy" performance from his side as their 1-0 victory at Millwall delivered a first away win of the campaign.

"It was really gutsy and that was the pleasing thing, particularly this season, the team haven't won away from home. Sometimes you have to show different sides to your game in the Championship," the 50-year-old said.

Victory was a third win in three for Rowett, who took over on 22 December and the new boss believes there are encouraging signs that confidence is returning.

"First half we started a little bit tentatively, I wanted us to try and keep the ball just so we limited, in Alex's first game, that intensity, that pressure in pinning us in and making it difficult for us," he added.

"I thought we did it at times okay, we got a bit bogged down, but as the half went on, we started to look a little more dangerous. Second half was probably who was going to get a goal and then have the opportunity to sit in and defend it."

Oxford United boss Gary Rowett says he's not bothered whether he gets a good reception or not when he takes his new side to Millwall on New Year's Day.

Rowett spent four years in charge at The Den before being sacked in October 2023.

He was appointed Oxford's new head coach earlier this month and has overseen back-to-back home wins over the Christmas period.

"I did see the fixtures, and it did seem ironic I would go to The Den in three games time," Rowett told BBC Oxford's podcast The Dub.

"I had a brilliant relationship; I was there for four years and still speak to the owner now."

Along with Plymouth, Oxford are the only Championship side yet to win away from home and Millwall will have their new manager, Alex Neil, in charge for the first time on 1 January.

"The fans are very unique there and an incredible bunch, and whether I get a good reception or not isn't going to really matter too much.

"We're going there to get some points, but it'll be a different test."

You can listen to the full episode of The Dub and past episodes here.

Jerome Sale
Sports editor, BBC Radio Oxford

Image source, Rex Features

What do Oxford need?

They need players to fit the Gary Rowett style, although a centre-back to replace the injured Ben Nelson and a holding midfielder were probably on the list anyway.

What sort of business are they likely to do?

As they fight relegation, it may be a busier window than they had initially hoped. They have decisions to make about players they have out on loan (especially Jack Currie) and those on the fringes of their team that they may wish to loan out.

How successful have they been in recent January windows?

They did ok last season with Jamie Cumming and Owen Dale coming in. Both featured in the play-off final. The most reliable player of the past two years - Ciaron Brown - came the January before.

Are there likely to be any notable departures?

There was talk at the end of the August window that Mark Harris may be a target, but his goals have dried up a little. If someone wants midfielder Tyler Goodrham they are going to have to spend big.

How key is the window?

Given Oxford are likely to take a more pragmatic approach to the second half of the season, the pivot away from attack-minded wide play will necessitate a successful January, if the team is to stay up.

Oxford United welcome Plymouth Argyle in a bottom of the table battle at The Kassam Stadium on Sunday.

The U's crept out of the bottom three on Boxing Day but there was no such festive cheer for the Pilgrims, with Wayne Rooney's team succumbing to another heavy defeat.

Sunday's hosts are 20th in the Championship heading into the year-ending round of fixtures, while the visitors remain last in the league.

• Oxford United have lost their last four league games against Plymouth Argyle since a 3-1 win back in April 2021.

• Plymouth Argyle and Oxford United last faced in the second tier of English football in April 1992 – the Pilgrims, then managed by Peter Shilton, won 3-1.

• Oxford United have won their final league game of the year in four of the last five years, although they lost 3-2 to Derby in 2023.

• Plymouth Argyle lost their final league game of the year in 2023, losing 2-1 to Southampton, though the Pilgrims haven't ended a year with defeat in back-to-back years since doing so between 1994 and 1996.

• Plymouth's Morgan Whittaker has scored in both of his league games against Oxford United, netting for Lincoln in January 2022 and the Pilgrims in September 2022.

Image source, Getty Images

Cardiff City saw two former Bluebirds score against them on Boxing Day, as they were beaten 3-2 away at Oxford United.

Striker Mark Harris and defender Ciaron Brown both scored for the Us, as did former Swansea winger Przemyslaw Placheta.

Harris joined the Cardiff academy back in 2015, and left the club on a first permanent move in July 2023 to join then-League One Oxford.

Former Cardiff midfielder Will Vaulks was also in the Oxford starting 11 on Boxing Day, as a trio of former players celebrated victory over their old club.

"We're all trying our best now for Oxford," Harris told BBC Radio Oxford.

"We were all at Cardiff and I'm sure the other two loved it there as much as I did.

"I can't thank them enough for how they treated me.

"I was there a long time, but we're focused on getting three points for Oxford now."

Having opened the scoring, Harris cupped his hand to his ear in the direction of the travelling Cardiff fans - but he said the celebration was in good spirits.

"I've had a bit of banter from them," added Harris.

"I gave a little bit back but it's just football, that's the way it goes.

"It's all about believing in yourself and working as hard as you can."

Image source, Oxford United

Prior to Boxing Day's game against Cardiff City, Oxford United announced the appointment of Mark Sale as assistant head coach to new boss Gary Rowett.

The former Birmingham, Preston, Mansfield and Colchester striker was in the dugout for Oxford's 3-2 win over the Bluebirds at the Kassam Stadium.

"There wasn't too much thought in my mind when Gary asked if I would come in with him," Sale told the club website., external

"There's a really good group of players in the building and I've enjoyed meeting them and the staff over the first few days.

"The Championship is a tough and competitive league, but we have come in as we see a group who have what it takes to achieve at this level.

"Gary has a clear way that he wants to work and it's my job to help him get that message across and ensure we try and uphold a positive environment in the training ground."

Sale has previously worked alongside Rowett at Burton Albion, Birmingham City, Derby County and Stoke City in the same role.

"Mark is someone I've worked with right back at the start," Rowett said.

"I've known him for an awful long time, and I actually played with him many moons ago.

"It's important you've got people who understand how you work, and we need to hit the ground running."

The U's are next in action on Sunday when they host Wayne Rooney's Plymouth Argyle.

Oxford will be hoping to turn around their wayward form of late which has seen them drop to 23rd in the Championship.

Gary Rowett has arrived at the U's with the club currently on a seven-game winless run, losing six of those seven.

Not that Cardiff have fared much better - the Bluebirds themselves have not won in eight games and are just a place above Oxford.

• This is the first league meeting between Oxford United and Cardiff City since January 2000, in which the sides played out a 1-1 draw at Ninian Park.

• In all competitions, the last meeting between Oxford United and Cardiff City was in August 2011 in a League Cup tie, with the Bluebirds winning 3-1.

• Oxford have won their last three home league games on Boxing Day since losing 1-0 to Southend United back in 2018.

• Cardiff have won two of their last 23 league games on Boxing Day (D12 L9) and are winless in their last 10 since winning 2-1 against Crystal Palace back in 2012.

• Cardiff have lost their last two away Championship matches against newly promoted clubs, last losing three in a row in the league back in September 1991.

Janine Bailey
Chair of Oxford United supporters' panel

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

I've heard it said that the Championship has two or even three mini-leagues and as we approach the halfway mark of the season, that is evident in the league table.

Under any circumstances it was going to be hard for Oxford to get points at Leeds on Saturday; on current form it required a Christmas miracle.

Oxford United's record signing last summer, Siriki Dembele, cost under £1m yet he remains in the treatment room.

Dan James, scorer of Leeds' first goal, commanded a fee of £25m when he joined the Whites in 2021.

The majority of the players in Oxford's squad for this match came up from League One last season.

Oxford cannot compete financially with clubs such as Leeds, so we must produce performances that are more than the sum of their parts.

There were glimmers of this against Leeds, and gritty persistence won points earlier in the campaign, including against Burnley - newly relegated from the Premier league.

This was always going to be a tough season, but we have earned the right to play in this league and have to show that we have what it takes to remain here.

Gary Rowett comes in with the squad looking low on confidence and disjointed on the pitch.

We have two sold-out home fixtures against teams alongside us in the bottom-of-the table mini-league.

What better opportunity to begin to turn things around and get some points on the board?

Image source, Rex Features

Oxford caretaker manager Craig Short spoke to BBC Radio Oxford after their 4-0 defeat at Leeds.

"I was disappointed with the nature of the goals but there's a massive gulf in class in this league," he said.

"We are playing against some who have Premier League experience. We've realised that recently.

"We're in a mini-league now and in a relegation fight and I have made that clear in the dressing room. Yes that's a place lots of people thought we would be but it is now mentality and physicality as well as using their ability.

"I have worked with Gary [Rowett] and I think he will think 'yes half-time the boys have done well' but I think he will be very disappointed with the second half and the cheap nature of the goals we gave away.

Short said the U's needed to have a good Christmas period under the new boss.

"Confidence is a big thing and you can't order that on the phone," he added.

"If you lose confidence it is easy to lose and hard to find. It is up to the individual and senior players. But it is about fight and being hard to beat.

"We have to look at the mini league we are in at the bottom and have a good Christmas. Two home games and we have to produce a response.

"Gary understands there is a difference in class. But I told them before it was not just a chance to show the new manager your football ability but to prove how resilient you are. I thought that went missing in the last 20 minutes."