Championship 06/03/2026 - Build-Up: Preston North End v Oxford United

[Rach]

We're going to try to get there in time for kick off, but can't take time off work so it will be a mad dash across country to make it in time. Just pray to the traffic gods on my behalf, and I'll cheer extra loud for those who can't make it.

 

[Sarge]

We're going to try to get there in time for kick off, but can't take time off work so it will be a mad dash across country to make it in time. Just pray to the traffic gods on my behalf, and I'll cheer extra loud for those who can't make it.

good luck with the travel there n back - for those driving the M6 can be a real nightmare on Friday afternoons- lets take all 3 points and make it worthwhile

 

[Boris]

I'm going up in the morning and spending the day with my kids mooching round Manch. Hopefully the rush-hour traffic will be kind (should be as I'll be heading out of the city) and I can find somewhere reasonably close to the ground to park

 

[Digby]

Is it?

Yes it’s done to us regularly.

 

[Osei Yaw]

Defeat = bad
Draw = ok
Win = excellent

A win really would be excellent. Not only for the much needed points for also for the psychology of looking at the table and seeing us outside the relegation zone for the first time in 2026. It'd breathe life into the club, especially those fans who had given up all hope, and set us up for two crunch home fixtures.

It'd also be a hammer blow for the fans of West Brom and Leicester who both have difficult away trips on Saturday afternoon.

A win would be massive. Massive I tell you. MASSIVE.

 

[Twiggy85]

I think to have a realistic chance to stay up we need to win 2 of the next 3 games - so if we don’t get something from this the pressure will
Mount for the following games.

 

[holdsteady]

The closer we get the more I fancy us winning, just have a feeling we are due back to back wins for the first time in ages.

 

[Symp59]

Preston are a big strong side ,we need to match them for physicality i would definitely take a hard fought point and hopefully 4 points from 6 next week a massive week coming up .This is the defining week to give us a chance .Come on you yellows

 

[Raymond O'Leary]

I’m guessing you weren’t there on Saturday and weren’t properly buoyed by our 2-1 win?
I saw this is on Sky but thought f**k it, the thought of getting a result on the road that takes us out of the bottom three, one of those priceless moments in football that don’t come along very often, that’s enough to get me to Preston.
If we lose, f**k it, it’s only three hours home, I’ve got 2000+ tracks of quality music to pass the time.
Keep the faith. Back the boys, they need us.

Can't even think about the tracks if we lose - even Leonard Cohen or Lana del Rey would be too cheerful.
But if we win?
What a choice!

Simply the best
The boys are back in town
Don't stop believing
Nothing's gonna stop us now
Hold your head up
I'm still standing
Another one bites the dust
I gotta feeling


And.....

Yellow Submarine

 

[TailsWeWin]

Preston are a big strong side ,we need to match them for physicality i would definitely take a hard fought point and hopefully 4 points from 6 next week a massive week coming up .This is the defining week to give us a chance .Come on you yellows

And please could we kick Dobbin and Devine very hard in the shins early on…..

 

[derek]

The closer we get the more I fancy us winning, just have a feeling we are due back to back wins for the first time in ages.

Wolves did it last night.

I have decided this is an omen.

 

[derek]

Can't even think about the tracks if we lose - even Leonard Cohen or Lana del Rey would be too cheerful.
But if we win?
What a choice!

Simply the best
The boys are back in town
Don't stop believing
Nothing's gonna stop us now
Hold your head up
I'm still standing
Another one bites the dust
I gotta feeling


And.....

Yellow Submarine

One that springs to mind if we lose is Lou Reed's seminal 1973 concept album "Berlin". Chilling throughout (and I don't mean chillin').

 

[Mad Dog]

I was hoping to tick off Deepdale but Sky put the kibosh on that, so will be watching on TV instead.

It's obviously not must-win, but I think we need a win to start generating some momentum and reigniting a bit of belief amongst the fanbase. A draw would probably be acceptable, but then Blackburn becomes even more huge.

Sorry but I think it certainly is a must win game, as this season has shown, we just don’t know when our next win or draw is coming from, we could win or draw against a top team and then lose to a bottom team, or we could lose five on the bounce, so for me, every single game between now and the end of the season is an absolute must win!

 

[Mad Dog]

You KNOW that’s not going to happen. Get real.

We cannot be afraid to attack, it’s the only way to score goals and win games, and we’ve done too little of both, because we don’t attack enough.

As we have seen, every time we play on the front foot and have a go, we get something from the game, when we’re overly cautious, and sit back, invariably we lose.

Take it em!

 

[JOHN BOY]

We cannot be afraid to attack, it’s the only way to score goals and win games, and we’ve done too little of both, because we don’t attack enough.

As we have seen, every time we play on the front foot and have a go, we get something from the game, when we’re overly cautious, and sit back, invariably we lose.

Take it em!

Helik or Makosso?

 

[Mad Dog]

Helik or Makosso?

I think you know the answer to that

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

Sorry but I think it certainly is a must win game, as this season has shown, we just don’t know when our next win or draw is coming from, we could win or draw against a top team and then lose to a bottom team, or we could lose five on the bounce, so for me, every single game between now and the end of the season is an absolute must win!

Curious interpretation of 'must win'.

We should absolutely go for the three points. If it's goalless with 10 minutes to go, and they are there for the taking, I'd expect us to twist.

But our season is far from over if we draw (or even lose) - which is what 'must win' effectively means, isn't it?

 

[Mad Dog]

Curious interpretation of 'must win'.

We should absolutely go for the three points. If it's goalless with 10 minutes to go, and they are there for the taking, I'd expect us to twist.

But our season is far from over if we draw (or even lose) - which is what 'must win' effectively means, isn't it?

We MUST win. That is all.

 

[HillBilly]

If we were to win, there's a chance we could go into both games against Blackburn and Charlton looking to draw even on points, and go ahead on goal difference.

The fact that's even a possibility now is blowing my mind.

 

[90syeIlow]

We cannot be afraid to attack, it’s the only way to score goals and win games, and we’ve done too little of both, because we don’t attack enough.

As we have seen, every time we play on the front foot and have a go, we get something from the game, when we’re overly cautious, and sit back, invariably we lose.

Take it em!

I think you’re getting ‘must win’ and ‘must go for it’ confused.

West Brom was a ‘must win’ because if we didn’t, it would be extremely difficult to avoid relegation. This game is definitely important, but not as much as last weekend.

 

[Mad Dog]

I think you’re getting ‘must win’ and ‘must go for it’ confused.

West Brom was a ‘must win’ because if we didn’t, it would be extremely difficult to avoid relegation. This game is definitely important, but not as much as last weekend.

We MUST go for it, and we MUST win. That is all.

 

[90syeIlow]

We MUST go for it, and we MUST win. That is all.

But what exactly is your definition of 'must win' in this case?

It feels like you're being outspoken for the sake of being outspoken.

 

[Isle of Wight Yellow]

so for me, every single game between now and the end of the season is an absolute must win!

If we win every game from now till the penultimate game of the season then I don’t think the final game will be a must-win

 

[Mad Dog]

We're in a relegation battle, therefore, every game is a MUST WIN game.

You're all really weird.

 

[holdsteady]

We're in a relegation battle, therefore, every game is a MUST WIN game.

You're all really weird.

We do need to win a lot of games and have to get those wins where we can, but I reckon we might be alright with a points total just under 65.

 

[Mad Dog]

We do need to win a lot of games and have to get those wins where we can, but I reckon we might be alright with a points total just under 65.

Why is everyone being so weirdly pedantic, when we know we can't string two wins together, and goals and points have been hard to come by all season for us??

OK fine!

We're in a relegation battle, and until we are mathematically safe, every game is a must win game.

Is that better?

 

[MarkG]

Why is everyone being so weirdly pedantic, when we know we can't string two wins together, and goals and points have been hard to come by all season for us??

OK fine!

We're in a relegation battle, and until we are mathematically safe, every game is a must win game.

Is that better?

Until we can be mathematically relegated by our match result, no game is a must win game.

 

[holdsteady]

Until we are mathematically relegated, no game is a must win game.

West Brom was.

 

[Oxymoron]

Strictly, until we are three points away from being mathematically relegated, no game is a must win game but there are plenty of "we really could do with winning this one" games....

 

[Mad Dog]

Until we can be mathematically relegated by our match result, no game is a must win game.