Home Match Build-Up 04/11/2025 - Buildup: Oxford United V Stoke City

[Carpy]

Match Referee: Leigh Doughty
Kassam Stadium
Tuesday 4th Nov 2025 @ 1945

 

[holdsteady]

A 1-1 draw for me. They will come here bouncing after today so we might have to weather an early storm but we showed plenty of fight today so I fancy us to pick up another useful point.

 

[Yellowecky]

I agree, Stoke will be buzzing after today’s result but we showed today we need fear no-one. Another draw wouldn’t be a disaster.

 

[BTCW]

Cumming
Long Helik Davies Brown
BDK Brannagan
Placheta Prelec Krastev
Lankshear

Subs: Ingram, Leigh, Vaulks, L’Harris, Goodrham, Mills, Dembele, M’Harris, Bradshaw

Spencer & Currie missing will be blows. It’s a shame Ter-Avest isn’t back yet. Only back on the grass this week.​

 

[Stranger]

Cumming
Long Helik Davies Brown
BDK Brannagan
Placheta Prelec Krastev
Lankshear

Subs: Ingram, Leigh, Vaulks, L’Harris, Goodrham, Mills, Dembele, M’Harris, Bradshaw

Spencer & Currie missing will be blows. It’s a shame Ter-Avest isn’t back yet. Only back on the grass this week.​

Surely you start Leigh at left back rather than shifting Brown out of position, otherwise I agree with that line up

 

[Oxymoron]

Hopefully it's an "After the Lord Mayor's show" performance from Stoke, otherwise I'm not that confident about getting anything from this one - still, let's keep the faith.

 

[West Oxon U’s]

Bring in Prelec for Lankshear who looks to be physically struggling at the moment.

 

[TailsWeWin]

Won’t this be the third time we’ve played a team who are third in the league this season?

 

[TheDukeOfBanburyshire]

Bring in Prelec for Lankshear who looks to be physically struggling at the moment.

Yep agree with this. I also think Prelec is better at bringing others into the game.

Lankshear was bossed physically yesterday and nothing stuck up top. I also wouldn't bring Shemmy in to start the game. I think Mills did enough to have another crack at starting on Tuesday.

Shemmy is an impact sub. I think that's his role now.

 

[WRox]

Was anything said on Currie after the game?

Long, Leigh and Vaulks are generally reliable but all limit us in possession and fear that might be one too many in the same team.

 

[Northstandboy]

Just watched the Stoke extended highlights, their number 9 looks very very dangerous!

3 goals AND an assist!

 

[Swaby39]

Lankshear’s general play is very average, if we’re being honest. Gives me Kyle Joseph vibes. The ball just doesn’t stick to him at all. I massively appreciate his effort, he’s a true warrior for the badge, but he spends far too much of the game on his a**e and getting ragged around by defenders. That said, we’ve seen time and time again if you put the ball in the right areas he will score. The Wrexham chance was a bad miss but nobody else made that run, he did. I think he’ll reach ten goals easily and maybe more with a couple more supply lines added.

I like Prelec, he just looks like he’s in 3rd gear all the time and jogging far more than he’s sprinting. He is better at working chances for himself than Lankshear, but seemingly can’t find the right finish.

Tough call for Rowett week to week and seems Lankshear has the edge at the moment.

 

[Yellowarmy]

Lankshear has scored 4 goals this season, I think had a couple disallowed and hit the woodwork a couple of times I think. For a 20 year old that's a good effort in the championship.

 

[JoeUFC]

We played well against a Coventry side fresh off the back of scoring 5 and 7 in the league.

Hopefully that's a good omen for Tuesday against Stoke!

 

[WarwickOx]

On stokes current form, anything from this game will be decent. We do seem to step up against the high flyers, mind!

FYI the thread title date is incorrect.

 

[Fanatica]

Lankshear’s general play is very average, if we’re being honest. Gives me Kyle Joseph vibes. The ball just doesn’t stick to him at all. I massively appreciate his effort, he’s a true warrior for the badge, but he spends far too much of the game on his a**e and getting ragged around by defenders. That said, we’ve seen time and time again if you put the ball in the right areas he will score. The Wrexham chance was a bad miss but nobody else made that run, he did. I think he’ll reach ten goals easily and maybe more with a couple more supply lines added.

I like Prelec, he just looks like he’s in 3rd gear all the time and jogging far more than he’s sprinting. He is better at working chances for himself than Lankshear, but seemingly can’t find the right finish.

Tough call for Rowett week to week and seems Lankshear has the edge at the moment.

He’s the anti-Harris in a way.

 

[Sarge]

so the Potters will be feeling lucky after yesterday, hope their (over)confidence makes em complacent going into TUESDAY 4th Nov game (* date on thread is MONDAYS date!) as theyre 3rd, won 5-1 and are only facing 'little' Oxford. Lets not dismiss the battling to the end point we got yesterday against in form and currently high flying Millwall. Reckon we'll get a hard fought 3-1 win

* changed now- cheers mods

 

[werthersoriginal]

Yep agree with this. I also think Prelec is better at bringing others into the game.

Lankshear was bossed physically yesterday and nothing stuck up top. I also wouldn't bring Shemmy in to start the game. I think Mills did enough to have another crack at starting on Tuesday.

Shemmy is an impact sub. I think that's his role now.

I think we alternate the wingers, none is really demanding a run of starts. But Dembele did well when he came on, I might give him a go from the start.

 

[NottsYellow]

I think we alternate the wingers, none is really demanding a run of starts. But Dembele did well when he came on, I might give him a go from the start.

I like the idea of alternating wingers between games ... keep the opposition guessing.
Whilst Tyler G is not a winger, I do believe rotating the four players - Mills, Placcheta, Dembele & Tyler would be good and very effective.

 

[Essexyellows]

Be happy with a point & elated with a win.

Time to build the run.

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

I massively appreciate his effort, he’s a true warrior for the badge, but he spends far too much of the game on his a**e and getting ragged around by defenders.

In fairness, I think most centre forwards at this level would have struggled against the two monster Millwall centre-halves.

Two up top would have given them a bit more to worry about, but failing that I think the game would have better suited Prelec who looks like he relishes those battles.

 

[sideshowrob]

They have never won in Oxford. I hope the jinx continues.

 

[West Oxon U’s]

REF WATCH

Lancashire based official Leigh Doughty is Tuesday night’s referee versus Stoke City.Doughty is from Freckelton, a village on the Fylde peninsula near Lytham.
Doughty’s last U’s match was the 3-0 defeat at Bramall Lane last November.

 

[Colin B]

Not much point starting a ticket thread for this one, so I'll do the updates on this one, as there isn't much to report.

At midnight we had 1,260 tickets left. I think we're heading for a lowest attendance of the season by a good few hundred. I think we are looking at a total attendance of something like 10,500/10,600.

Before you all get the pitchforks out, for the corresponding midweek fixture last season, against Hull City, we had a total attendance of only 10,213 although Hull only brought just over 800.

 

[OX18]

Just watched the Stoke extended highlights, their number 9 looks very very dangerous!

3 goals AND an assist!

Agree however, Bristol City defending was dreadful, nightmare goal keeping. Seem to fancy us for this one,

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Not much point starting a ticket thread for this one, so I'll do the updates on this one, as there isn't much to report.

At midnight we had 1,260 tickets left. I think we're heading for a lowest attendance of the season by a good few hundred. I think we are looking at a total attendance of something like 10,500/10,600.

Before you all get the pitchforks out, for the corresponding midweek fixture last season, against Hull City, we had a total attendance of only 10,213 although Hull only brought just over 800.

I think we can expect a sub 11K crowd for the midweek games vs Stoke & Blackburn and potentially Wrexham.

 

[Stranger]

I think we can expect a sub 11K crowd for the midweek games vs Stoke & Blackburn and potentially Wrexham.

Not Wrexham - I expect the crowd to be swelled by the fanboys and girls hoping for a photo op with a Hollywood legend. Or Ryan Gosling

 

[NorthWestOx]

Sorry, it turns out that I just can't do it on a cold rainy windy night at home against Stoke.

 

[Beech Road Bokelberg]

Surely Wrexham fans would swarm here for a photo outside the Hollywood bowlplex...

 

[Yellow Army Banbury]

I am going for an optimistic draw. Stoke have been a bit of a surprise this season. Mark Robins is a very good manager at this level. Having said all of that Millwall were 3rd before Saturday.