Rochdale are the next side
to attempt to inflict a first defeat of the season on Oxford, as they
make the trip to the Kassam. But Dale are
still looking for their first away point of the season after losing
1-0 at Plymouth last week and at Burton in their second match. But
for Oxford, despite the continued optimism that comes from still
being top of the table, there have been signs that our
problematic
home form could trip us up again. The performances against
Bury
and
Wycombe
– although yielding four points – were far from convincing and
many fans still view our excellent start to the season with caution.
That said, Rochdale are
the type of side we usually do well against. They tend to play an
open and attacking passing game, which should make this match not
only a highly entertaining one, but also highly winnable.
Perhaps the deciding
factor will be in how we line up for the match. With Sean Rigg and
Deane Smalley out injured last week, Chris Wilder chose a different
approach to the one which had been successful in the opening matches.
Alfie Potter was moved from the wing to a more central position just
behind lone striker James Constable, while Scott Davies and Asa
Hall came into the middle of the park. This resulted in a narrow and
congested midfield and as a result United lacked a lot of the threat
and drive that playing with pacy wingers has given us.
It will be interesting to
see whether Wilder persists with this formation this weekend (and it
may depend on the
availability
of Smalley and Dave Kitson) or whether the much-vaunted wingers
make a return. In the latter case, the key decision would be whether
it is Callum O'Dowda or Ryan Williams who gets the nod. Against
Wycombe, it was the right-sided Williams who came on with Potter
being moved to the left and although he
didn't
exactly distinguish himself on his debut Wilder may still feel he
is the preferable option over the raw O'Dowda.
Both Tom Newey and Deane
Smalley have featured for Rochdale in the past. Newey made just two
appearances for the Dale towards the end of the 2008-09 season on
loan from Grimsby, featuring in defeats to Bournemouth and
Gillingham. Smalley's spell at Spotland was longer – but only just.
In the early part of the 2010-11 season, prior to joining league
leaders Chesterfield, Smalley made three substitute appearances for
Rochdale on loan from Oldham, but he didn't score and returned to
Boundary Park shortly after.
Last time Rochdale came to
the Kassam it was Andy Whing who stole the show, as United put in a
sterling performance to win 3-0. Whing's remarkable effort was later
voted 'Goal of the Season' in last season's
TBFUTH
Awards. That went some way to making up for a
miserable
defeat at Spotland earlier in the season but the Kassam hasn't
always been a happy hunting ground when Rochdale come to town. They
were the first competitive opponents to come to the stadium back when
it was first opened in 2001 and despite a Jamie Brooks goal Dale were
2-1 victors on the day.
Also This Weekend
It's not just the senior
team that are unbeaten so far this season. The youth team are looking
to build on a 3-2 victory over Swindon and a 1-1 draw at Torquay as
they travel to Plymouth this weekend in their third Youth Alliance
match of the season.
Oxford were knocked off top spot after
being held to a draw for the second consecutive home match. The
yellows took the lead in the first half through James Constable but
were pegged back by a Matt Lund goal at the start of the second half
and were unable to snatch a winner. Elsewhere, late goals for
Chesterfield at Portsmouth saw them replace Oxford at the summit of
League Two.
Rochdale are the next side
to attempt to inflict a first defeat of the season on Oxford, as they
make the trip to the Kassam. But Dale are
still looking for their first away point of the season after losing
1-0 at Plymouth last week and at Burton in their second match. But
for Oxford, despite the continued optimism that comes from still
being top of the table, there have been signs that our problematic
home form could trip us up again. The performances against Bury
and Wycombe
– although yielding four points – were far from convincing and
many fans still view our excellent start to the season with caution.