Oxford United

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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.

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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.

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Oxford United boss Gary Rowett has said there are a few players recovering from injuries that could be back in contention after the upcoming international break.

One of those is Leicester City loanee Ben Nelson, who suffered an injury to his quad back in November.

"Ben has been back in the group today," Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford. "It's going to take a little bit of time until he will be at a level to be playing games.

"You're probably looking at after the international break, there is maybe a small chance that it could be before that.

"We have to make good decisions around a young player with great potential, he trained this morning and we have some other lads that are around a similar timescale.

"After the international break we will hopefully have a very strong squad, touch wood!"

Oxford are next in Championship action on Friday night when they travel to Norwich City.

There are international matches scheduled from 21 to 24 March and the U's will then return to action at Middlesbrough on 29 March.

"You go with the guy that you went with last season when you were in exactly the same situation and Oxford ended up getting promoted - that's Mark Harris."

Robyn Cowen and Jerome Sale are joined by former Oxford United defender Ben Purkiss and podcaster George Elek to discuss the U's brighter performance against Coventry - but what's the best solution for Oxford's number nine problem?

Includes interviews with boss Gary Rowett and U's defender Elliott Moore.

You can listen to the full episode and more on The Dub podcast.

Image source, Rex Features

Gary Rowett saluted a battling display despite seeing his Oxford United side slip to a third straight loss with a 3-2 defeat by Coventry.

Oxford twice came from behind to draw level with the Sky Blues in a frantic nine minute period that saw three goals between the two sides, before Coventry's Tatsuhiro Sakamoto scored the winner.

Speaking to BBC Radio Oxford, Rowett said: "It was nice to get back on it a little bit today and look more dangerous and create more chances.

"Even in this recent run of form I look at all the games that have been close and it is little moments."

Despite now failing to win any of their past seven matches in the league, Oxford at least scored their first goals after four games without finding the net.

"I thought we have been incredibly competitive today. You didn't see a team feeling sorry for themselves, we kept going and we kept fighting. Sometimes it comes down to that little bit of quality like their third goal which was an incredible finish," Rowett said.

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Gary Rowett says Oxford United have shown they can be a mid-table Championship side, but need to go and prove it again.

After a blistering start following Rowett's Christmas appointment with 17 points from seven matches, the U's have slipped back to 18th, eight points above the relegation zone, but are winless in six games since beating Luton on 21 January.

They have collected just three points from that run and scored only once, though Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford he wasn't unduly concerned at this stage.

"I've been in the Championship a long time," the former Birmingham, Derby, Stoke and Millwall manager said. "It's the highs and lows of the division you can't avoid. I can probably name 10 teams that have had runs of probably double this length of time without winning a game at some point. Some of those teams might be in the top half.

"You have to look overall. You're aware that we have dropped off a tiny bit in certain elements of the performance, that's natural, scoring goals of course has been one of those we are working on.

"When we came in second from bottom, level on points with the bottom team, if you'd have said after another 13 games we'd be where we are in the league and disappointed with our recent form you'd have probably said 'I'm not sure that's going to happen'."

Rowett agreed there was a "gulf" between the division's leading teams and the rest, but added: "I think there are a lot of teams in that middle level and that's something I've spoken to our players about.

"I think we've shown in the first seven games that we can be in that middle pack, what we've showed in the last six games is that we've found it hard to stay in that middle pack - I think that's just the reality of the division.

"It's all about performance and bouncing back and showing the determination when you lose and trying not to get too carried away when you win, and this cycle's no different."

Coventry City could climb into the play-off places for the first time this season if they can avoid defeat at Oxford United on Saturday (12:30 GMT).

Frank Lampard's side have won three straight league games and seven of their past eight to move within a point of the top-six.

Oxford United's resurgence under new boss Gary Rowett seems to have fizzled out, with the U's taking just three points and scoring one goal in their past six league games, though they have built an eight-point cushion over the relegation zone.

• Oxford United have lost just one of their past five home league games against Coventry City (W3 D1), scoring 11 goals in total across that time.

• After winning the reverse fixture 3-2 in August, Coventry City will be looking to complete just a second league double over Oxford United, alongside the 1985-86 season.

• Oxford have failed to win any of their last six league games (D3 L3), failing to score in each of their last four. The U's haven't endured a longer run without scoring since a five-match stint in October 1996.

• Coventry have won seven of their last eight league games (L1), as many as across their prior 32 Championship outings combined since April last year.

• Since the weekend of Frank Lampard's first match in charge of Coventry at the end of November, only the current top three of Leeds, Sheffield United and Burnley have earned more points in the Championship than the Sky Blues (32).

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Oxford United striker Ole Romeny says he knows he "needs to score goals" following his big-money move to the club in the January window.

The 24-year-old joined the U's from Dutch top-flight club Utrecht for a fee understood to be a club record and made his full debut in Saturday's 2-0 Championship defeat by West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns.

"I'm really happy to start. I felt good. Of course, I want to play every game," Romeny told BBC Radio Oxford.

"I came here to play and to be important for the team and that's the only thing I care about. I need to score goals.

"There's always pressure. Everywhere you play. I enjoy my football so I don't really think about all those other things."

Romeny, who made four appearances from the bench prior to the trip to Albion, said he doesn't feel the weight of expectation despite his price tag, adding: "there's always pressure - everywhere you play - I don't really think about all those things".

He has no problem with being the lone target man in games under boss Gary Rowett, a system that can leave him looking isolated at times, especially away from home.

"You need to be strong, keep the ball and be a rest point for the team and I think I can do that," Romeny said.

"I'm comfortable on the ball and like it at my feet so it suits me."

Romeny echoed Rowett's views that Oxford needed to be "more clinical", adding that they "were lacking a bit of communication" against the play-off chasing Baggies but said they "need to stay positive".

United take on another promotion candidate in Coventry City on Saturday with their nine-game unbeaten run at the start of Rowett's reign just after Christmas providing them with an eight point cushion above the relegation zone.

Romeny said they are "not focusing" on the table instead "giving everything every game to try to win - you cannot do more than that".