I was not able to make Saturday’s home match against Aldershot as I was sunning myself in Italy. However, reports from my Dad and younger brother were disappointingly negative. Having enjoyed such a fantastic win over arch-rivals Swindon Town the previous week, I had hoped that we would pick apart Aldershot Town on Saturday. It was thus very depressing to learn that we had once again drawn 1-1 at home in a match that we ought to have won.
The Shots had been reduced to ten men after ten minutes. Fifteen minutes later, United had gone ahead. Aldershot were apparently a very questionable footballing outfit and looked jaded following their Carling Cup heroics at Upton Park earlier in the week. We should have stepped on the gas and finished them off, but Oxford did not attack with any real purpose; the football was pedestrian and deeply frustrating for the United fans to endure.
Instead of taking the game to their weakened opponents, Oxford sat back and retreated into their shell, in the hope of holding on to their slight advantage. The negative tactics did not succeed and sure enough the Shots drew level through Luke Guttridge.
Wilder’s team selection also raised a few eyebrows. No Potter. No Batt. Instead, the lightweight and ineffectual Lewis Guy and half-fit, has-been Andrew Whing were handed starting places. Potter and Batt were both later introduced, but far too late to have any real impact on the game. In Batt’s case, his confidence has been clearly shattered. An exciting full-back with real attacking purpose, selected for the League 2 team of the year after the last campaign, one can only hope that Wilder reinstates him and that he quickly regains his form. Moreover, there is no evidence yet to suggest that any of the new signings, with the exception of Michael Duberry, are any better than their replacements. Deane Smalley or Sam Deering? Lewis Guy or Jack Midson? Deering and Midson please.
One supporter summed up the feeling amongst United supporters with this post on the Rage Online forum:
Note to Chris Wilder:
Dear Chris.
Please take the handcuffs off this team.
Yours
A concerned Oxford United fan.
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