The Oxford Low Down | Vital Football

The Oxford Low Down

PompeyFrippy

Vital 1st Team Regular
OPPONENTS: Oxford United Football Club
MANAGER: Pep Clotet
NICKNAME: The U's
LEAGUE POSITION: 2nd

THE JOURNEY: Fratton Park to Kassam Stadium - 85 miles - about an hour and a half.

LAST TIME OUT:
* Pompey went 120 minutes against Cardiff, eventually falling to a 2-1 defeat after ex-Blues Mendez-Laing and Halford scored for Cardiff.
* Oxford won 2-0 away to Oldham last Saturday, before losing 4-3 in extra time at home to Cheltenham in the League Cup.

POMPEY STATS:
* Spanning back to last season, Pompey have amassed 34 points from the last 39 available
* The Blues have only conceded 1 goal in their last 3 away games and have kept 5 clean sheets in their last 7 trips away from Fratton.
* Pompey have only failed to score in 2 of their last 20 games, the 3-0 defeat to Stevenage and the 1-0 home loss against Crewe. In those 20 games they have scored 2 or more in 14 of them and 3 or more in 6.
* Top Scorer: Pitman (2)

OXFORD STATS:
* Dating back to the end of last season, Oxford have now won 4 games in a row, scoring at least twice in each match and have not conceded a single goal in those games.
* Despite losing more games (17) than any other team in the top 15 (except Peterborough), Oxford finished 8th in League One last season thanks to their win record (20 wins).
* The U’s had the lowest amount of drawn games in League One (9) - the same amount as Pompey drew in League Two.
* Oxford have only had 2 shots on target in the league this season and they’ve both gone in giving them a 100% shot conversion rate.
* Top Scorers: Wes Thomas & Thomas Ruffels (1)

HEAD TO HEAD (Courtesy of Pompeyrama.com):
* Pompey and Oxford have met 61 times over the last 100 years, with Pompey currently retaining bragging rights with 23 wins to 20 (18 draws).
* Since Pompey’s fall from grace the two sides have met 7 times, with both sides winning twice and the sides sharing a point on 3 occasions.
* The most recent meeting at the Kassam Stadium was less than 2 years ago as Pompey fought back to grab a point thanks to an Adam McGurk goal. Of the 17 members of that match day squad, 6 still remain (Burgess, Davies, Clark, Evans, Bennett, Chaplin).

PLAYED FOR US/PLAYED FOR THEM/SCUMMER WATCH
* Simon Eastwood: Played during our forgettable League One campaign of 2012/13 between the sticks. It took 16 games for him to taste victory.
* Wes Thomas: Joined us on loan from Bournemouth the same season and started like a house on fire with 3 goals in his first 6 games, but was recalled early by Eddie Howe before being loaned out again to Blackpool.
* Mike Williamson: Pompey spent £2-3m on Williamson from Watford, but a lack of opportunities possibly coupled with add-on clauses Pompey couldn’t afford to pay saw him never don the Pompey shirt. He went to Newcastle and became a regular there for 6 seasons before signing with Oxford in the Summer.
* Tareiq Holmes-Dennis: He won’t be available for the rest of the year, so will miss his chance to play against the club where he spent 14 games on loan in 2014/15.
* Danny Rose: Should feature against his old club where he has spent 3 separate spells and amassed 143 appearances.
* Aaron Martin & Mike Williamson have also spent some time down the road, so be sure to remind them of that fact.

ONE TO WATCH:
* Jack Payne: A loan signing from new manager Pep Clotet who played 90 minutes last week. He plays just behind the striker and got both assists in last week’s 2-0 win over Oldham. At 22 years old he’s got a wise head on his shoulders and has got energy to burn.

PREDICTION:
* Pompey come into this one after a tough Tuesday fixture where many of their regular faces started, so fatigue may play a major factor. But similarly Oxford only made 5 changes in midweek and also went the distance. Pompey’s injury list is growing, with Holmes Dennis joining Clarke, Thompson and Lalkovic and Jamal Lowe will be suspended for another 2 games. Although these two sides don’t draw many, I would take a point in what will be a very tough game. I’ll punt for 1-1 with Burgess scoring an equaliser on the hour.

NEXT 5 GAMES:
Sat 19 Aug - Walsall (H)- League One
Sat 26 Aug - Wigan Athletic (A) - League One
Tues 29 Aug - Fulham U21s (H) - Checkatrade Trophy
Sun 3rd Sep - Rotherham (H) - League One
Sat 9th Sep - Wimbledon (A) - League One

PUP
 
The Football League have now announced the Match Day officials that will take charge of the game between Oxford United and Portsmouth this Saturday.


<br><br><a href ="http://www.vitalfootball.co.uk/router.asp?583997">Click here to read the article</a><br><br>
 
Having beaten Rochdale to start the League One season Pompey, via a League Cup defeat at Cardiff, head to Oxford on Saturday.


<br><br><a href ="http://www.vitalfootball.co.uk/router.asp?584060">Click here to read the article</a><br><br>
 
Details for Pompey's meeting with Oxford, played at the Kassam Stadium on 12th August, have been revealed - they go on sale from Monday.


<br><br><a href ="http://www.vitalfootball.co.uk/router.asp?583583">Click here to read the article</a><br><br>
 
1,800 seats sold out in less than 3 hours. Our support never ceases to amaze me.

Wigan should be an interesting one. Bit of a trek but they struggle to get more than 10,000 in a 25,000 seater stadium. Add to that the fact that Wigan Warriors are in the Challenge Cup final at Wembley on August 26th (the day we are playing at the DW), I wouldn't be surprised if we are offered as many tickets as we wanted for it. All we need is a Benjani goal and a Matty Taylor penalty to relive The Great Escape!
 
Amazing wasn't it - away numbers are ALWAYS really high and, usually, give such great support. NOT saying this isn't the case at Fratton Park, but you know what I mean...
 
Oh, and as for Wigan, some rumours the game could be moved due to that Challenge Cup game you mentioned?
 
Add front page Frippy - been at work all day so just in now.

HOPE to comment further later this evening.
 
Tough game this afternoon isn't it. I'd love another win but if we can keep a second successive clean sheet first and foremost I'll take that.

Given I've got faith in our attacking players, should we do that - keep a clean sheet - I'd back on us to score.

A point would be a good point and I'll take it but quietly confident we could come away from the Kassam with all three!
 
Portsmouth travel to Oxford United at the Kassam Stadium today for the latest League One action, this will be a 7.45pm kick-off.


<br><br><a href ="http://www.vitalfootball.co.uk/router.asp?584070">Click here to read the article</a><br><br>
 
The 2017-18 season continues with the latest round of games this weekend. This will see us among those involved with three points of course the aim.


<br><br><a href ="http://www.vitalfootball.co.uk/router.asp?584076">Click here to read the article</a><br><br>
 
Pompey go to the Kassam Stadium as the visitors to Oxford for the latest League 1 game.


<br><br><a href ="http://www.vitalfootball.co.uk/router.asp?584097">Click here to read the article</a><br><br>
 
All the stats from Oxford United (3) vs (0) Pompey, Kassam Stadium, 12/08/17 Att: 9,510


<br><br><a href ="http://www.vitalfootball.co.uk/router.asp?584104">Click here to read the article</a><br><br>
 
Well, I know it would be a difficult afternoon, admittedly would have taken a point, but cannot say I thought Pompey would come away from the Kassam Stadium having lost 3-0 tbh.

How we react will tell us a lot I guess?
 
Wake up call. We looked poor against 10 men Rochdale and Oxford were a class above us in the 2nd half yesterday.

Admittedly, we did okay in the 1st half and Pitman's header which was ruled out looked a very harsh decision. After then, we offered nothing going forward and Oxford picked us off with far quicker, crisper passing than us. Our only plan seemed to be to hit long aimless balls forward which were easily mopped up by their defence.

They are a good side and will be in and around the top 6, but we made it far too easy for them. I have said before the start of the season that mid-table was a realistic expectation but we really do need to bring in a quality central midfielder and a left back - with THD out for the season. Were badly missing Doyle and Stevens!

Hopefully we'll see some activity this week. PUP.
 
Wake up call is spot on FB. Anyone who made the mistake of thinking League One is not too different in terms of quality to League Two will have to rethink after that performance.

As FB, we didn't play terribly, and had Pitman's goal stood (which it probably should have) we were looking at a very different game. But we didn't seem to have any energy in the second half and two late goals flattered Oxford but there's no doubt they deserved the 3 points.

What worries me at this moment is I feel our squad is actually weaker than it was last season. We've jumped up a league but we don't seem to have as much strength in depth.

We've lost some big names:
Stevens,
Roberts,
Michael Doyle,
Linganzi.

And the loan returns of:
Forde,
Eoin Doyle.

6 players who would you could argue 5 of which would start in every game if fit.

We've done some decent business bringing in Pitman, and we've been very unfortunate with injuries, particularly in defence, but I think we need to buy 2 or 3 new players if we're realistically looking to finish in or around the top 6.

I don't think we'll be in a relegation fight, we're too strong for that I'd hope, but we do need to do some business as there were 2 or 3 players who looked out of place against Oxford.
 
I have to say, it is time for a bit of goodwill from Eisner, the work at Fratton was supposed to be funded by him yet it has come out of the money generated by the club which of course affects the playing budget. I don't expect millions but some adjustment now he has taken over would seem appropriate given the fans commitment this season. We do clearly need a centre midfielder and left back. If we get in a rut and teams smell blood it could be disastrous and we could leave it too late to fix it, we won't get the luck we had against Rochdale every week and it is more likely the Oxford scenario. Early days I know but the signs are there.
 
The League One season continued with the latest round of games played over the weekend, 12th-13th August 2017.


<br><br><a href ="http://www.vitalfootball.co.uk/router.asp?584160">Click here to read the article</a><br><br>
 
An early season wake up call for Pompey came when the Blues, Kenny Jackett too, suffered a first defeat of the League One season when Oxford ran out 3-0 winners on Saturday.


<br><br><a href ="http://www.vitalfootball.co.uk/router.asp?584166">Click here to read the article</a><br><br>