Remarkable Turnaround for Andy Whing

Picture from OUFC.co.uk

Saturday's events were too depressing to dwell on at any great length, but there was one aspect that was greatly satisfying. As is customary before the final home match of the season, the Player of the Year Awards were announced, with Andy Whing winning the Andrew Knapton Supporters' Player of the Year award. This marks a notable turnaround for a player who we referred to as 'the much-maligned Andy Whing' back at the start of November.

What the Stats Say...Southend

No question about it, we need to win this one. Southend are the final visitors to the Kassam in the regular season and while failure to win could mean the end of our playoff hopes, the Shrimpers also need victory to maintain their hopes of automatic promotion. Matt Peck has been trawling (no pun intended) the archives to bring you the stats ahead of the game.

On Perry Deakin, Port Vale and Firoz Kassam

The recent reports that former Port Vale CEO Perry Deakin has been appointed as the new 'Stadium Manager' at the Kassam seems to have brought Vale's frenzied war between fans and directors to our doorstep. Vale fans are, understandably, indignant that the despised Deakin has been given another job after leaving Port Vale in administration. A look at the relevant thread on their One Vale Fan forum is revealing, including comments such as:

“Just as Vale, Oxford have not done their homework before they employed him”

“That'll be admin for Oxford next year then”

“I am pretty sure that the powers that be at Oxford have and will be brought up to date with Deakin's antics. It's then their call whether they want to risk employing someone of his calibre.”

What the Stats Say...Plymouth

Matt Peck returns to these pages to preview our trip to Plymouth Argyle in what could well be an incredibly important match at this late stage in the season. With playoff rivals Crewe and Cheltenham facing off today, we know that at least one of them will drop points, so this is our chance to capitalise. However, Home Park has not historically been a happy hunting ground...

In Profile: Wayne Brown

The sight of Ryan Clarke between the goalposts has become a familiar and reassuring one over recent years. His quiet, calm demeanour, assured performances and perennial presence in goal throughout his three seasons at the club have made Clarke our Mr Reliable. That is, of course, until now. In the latter stages of our roller-coaster Easter Monday clash with Torquay, Clarke appeared to be visibly carrying an injury and ended the game by parrying what appeared to be a routine save into his own net. Clarke's fitness was an issue of concern throughout the build-up to the Gillingham match, with our fears being confirmed on the morning of the match. Clarke was to miss his first league game for years.

His replacement, Wayne Brown, had not exactly covered himself in glory in his previous outing, getting sent off after just 14 minutes as United bowed out of the Johnstone's Paint Trophy to Southend. Any nagging anxieties were soon put to rest, however, once the match was under way. Brown put in an assured performance to keep a clean sheet, organising his defence well and launching several attacks through his pinpoint distribution. With some unofficial reports (ie rumours) suggesting that Clarke may miss the rest of the season, it seems that Brown will be the man between the sticks for the end of the season, so with that in mind here is a quick profile of our 'new' goalkeeper.

The Art of Holding Your Nerve

The last couple of weeks have been frustrating and disappointing for all Yellows fans. After a thoroughly professional victory at Accrington's Crown Ground, we had hauled ourselves into sixth position after reeling in Cheltenham and established a three-point lead over eighth-placed Crewe. Cue a lacklustre defeat to Morecambe, defeat again in the last minute at Northampton and a last-minute equaliser against Torquay on Monday. Cheltenham have pulled ahead once again, while Crewe have caught up and Rotherham have been allowed to get themselves back in the frame for the playoffs.

Back Problems

Damian Batt and Liam Davis have become two of the first names on the teamsheet this season, Davis appearing in 39 league matches and Batt in 37. Whilst their contribution has been mostly positive, over the course of the season their role has gradually diminished. Is now the time to replace our two attacking full-backs with more solid defensive full-backs?

The Race for the Playoffs

With just six games remaining of the season, we now have a clearer idea of who will be filling those all-important places at the top end of the table. With the top 3 places likely to be occupied by any combination of Swindon, Torquay, Crawley, Shrewsbury or Southend, our focus is on ensuring qualification for the lottery of the playoffs. Southend, currently five points ahead of us, may be catchable, but our real competition for a playoff spot is from Cheltenham, Crewe and Gillingham. With four points separating these teams, the competition for those final two playoff places will be fierce, so let's take a more in-depth look at the run-in to assess who will be filling the playoff places on May 5^th, and who will be looking enviously upwards.