Championship 14/03/2026 - MDT: Oxford United v Charlton Athletic

[SteMerritt]

 

[Northstandboy]

Seeing their penalty in the big screen, what the hell is Brown doing?!

If I was the manager I’d be fuming and fining him!

 

[Billyox]

Where are those 4 wins coming from e.g. which games?

Win Hull derby Wrexham Sheffield Wednesday

Draw Watford Millwall

Loss Southampton Portsmouth

 

[Northstandboy]

Win Hull derby Wrexham Sheffield Wednesday

Draw Watford Millwall

Loss Southampton Portsmouth

Can’t see us getting anything from Wrexham

 

[Billyox]

Can’t see us getting anything from Wrexham

Its those games that keep you up the unexpected result
Like last season Sheffield United Sunderland

 

[uptheus]

Can’t see us getting anything from Wrexham

I think Hull will be hard too, and Derby away, so let’s see what happens, but hope we obviously get those wins and draw etc.

 

[TailsWeWin]

We won’t get much from teams who still have something to play for. Last year, for instance, Sunderland weren’t exactly in top gear when they came here; they had half an eye on the playoffs.
Which makes Watford, Derby and Wednesday our best chances for a win. The other fixtures will be VERY tough.

 

[The Mighty Aldo]

Prelec is another player we have spent a lot of money on with very little return

Don’t think we have seen what Prelec is capable of
Being asked to come on and be a lone striker with the rest of your teammates in their own half cannot be fun
Having said that there was one fantastic piece of holdup play where he waited for Shenmy to arrive and then if Shemmy had half a brain he would have seen Prelec peel off and should have rolled the ball back to him
To judge Prelec properly you have to play him from the start in this formation

 

[Oxymoron]

there was one fantastic piece of holdup play where he waited for Shenmy to arrive

That was a highlight of the day and deserved better. I said to my friend that if Lankshire receives the ball like that, he leans back into the defender and falls over. Not sure if he has Prelec's physical presence to hold the opponent off like he did, but he could certainly learn from it.

 

[The Mighty Aldo]

Having had time to think about this, a draw was what I expected before the game.Charlton had the better of the first half we were better in the second but chances were at a premium.
Two soft penalties but you think not a bad return from the past four games.
What makes it sickening isn’t just their late goal but the fact that Milwall didn’t beat Blackburn and away specialists Hull capitulated v WBA
I did expect Leicester to beat QPR though
At 5 last night I was expecting us to be sitting outside the relegation places with Blackburn and Leicester below us but it wasn’t to be.
If we can go to Saints and pick up a point like we seem to against the better sides, going into the break with 40 points and 7 to play gives us a fighting chance. None of us would have said that five games ago

 

[Basham Wonderland]

We won’t get much from teams who still have something to play for. Last year, for instance, Sunderland weren’t exactly in top gear when they came here; they had half an eye on the playoffs.
Which makes Watford, Derby and Wednesday our best chances for a win. The other fixtures will be VERY tough.

True but Blackburn yesterday showed that anything can happen.

Some people in the week were saying QPR were in trouble and wouldn't get another point this season, then they go and immediately win. Same with Blackburn - can't rule out points in any game this season. The Championship is lots of fun.

 

[The Mighty Aldo]

True but Blackburn yesterday showed that anything can happen.

Some people in the week were saying QPR were in trouble and wouldn't get another point this season, then they go and immediately win. Same with Blackburn - can't rule out points in any game this season. The Championship is lots of fun.

If you are Stoke, Preston, Derby etc mid table teams it’s fun. Wouldn’t say I’m having fun watching us at the moment and I’m sure Middlesbrough fans are saying the same thing

 

[Basham Wonderland]

If you are Stoke, Preston, Derby etc mid table teams it’s fun. Wouldn’t say I’m having fun watching us at the moment and I’m sure Middlesbrough fans are saying the same thing

I wasn't having fun until about 4 games ago!

 

[Billyox]

If we were sat 3rd one point behind 2nd place with the same form as now you would be confident of getting in to 2nd
There is no difference other than 21st and 22nd

Be positive

 

[Oslernorth]

I think today’s results have certainly pushed the bar higher. I thought Blackburn were certainties to go down, then winning today is a big blow. I think if we are to stay up we need to get to 52, which seem a bit of a push. Hope 49 is enough.

TBF, our 10 points in 12 from the position of 23rd in the league will have pushed that threshold a lot higher.
I think 50 points is a realistic aim for us now. Just got to hope all our relegation rivals don’t hit some form at the same time

 

[Some U's fan]

What makes it sickening isn’t just their late goal but the fact that Milwall didn’t beat Blackburn and away specialists Hull capitulated v WBA

Neither of those were red cards either, s**t referees screwing us over even when the one at the Kassam gets things right!

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Seeing their penalty in the big screen, what the hell is Brown doing?!

If I was the manager I’d be fuming and fining him!

Would you also fine Cumming for not punching the ball better? Or the player who didn’t close down the Charlton player who was allowed to cross it in?

Player’s make mistakes, you can’t just go around fining them! Also the PFA wouldn’t allow a club to fine a player for that.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

If you are Stoke, Preston, Derby etc mid table teams it’s fun. Wouldn’t say I’m having fun watching us at the moment and I’m sure Middlesbrough fans are saying the same thing

They might be having fun but they still have to go home to Stoke, Preston or Derby.

 

[Some U's fan]

Seeing their penalty in the big screen, what the hell is Brown doing?!

If I was the manager I’d be fuming and fining him!

Yep, that should keep the morale up. Someone phone Tim and get Bloomfield gone, in Northstandboy we trust!

 

[Gregortheox]

We should be optimistic now.
We are the only team to have completely changed our performances over the last 4 games and are in the mix to retain our status with 24 points to play for.

 

[Big Ronaldo]

We are taking numbers to Southampton.
They are not unbeatable.

 

[Rach]

We're not doing as badly as it feels. Had the two penalties been awarded (and scored) the other way round, we would all be feeling a lot different today.

For a more positive perspective, try this: transfermarkt form table. Over the past 4 matchdays (matchday 35 to matchday 38) we are TOP of the table.

 

[Byrne Baby Byrne]

We invite far too much pressure when we sit back and try to ride it out. It seems like a really stupid way to play. 70 minutes of controlling the game and then 20 minutes of clinging on for dear life...

We weren’t under intense pressure. There was no storm to weather. We were in total control of the game up until their penalty. Charlton were done.
As for manager, I wouldn’t have started emakhu, and certainly wouldn’t have persevered with him so long.
Also, would have preferred Harris’s industry towards the end rather than prelec. But that is fine margins.
Other than that we got it about right. It was just one stupid misjudgment by a usually reliable player.
Otherwise it’s three points and a free hit at Southampton. Now we need something at Southampton, which is asking a lot.
Still gutted tbh!

 

[Raymond O'Leary]

TBF, our 10 points in 12 from the position of 23rd in the league will have pushed that threshold a lot higher.
I think 50 points is a realistic aim for us now. Just got to hope all our relegation rivals don’t hit some form at the same time

I tried to look at the number of points for safety, but it went into the too difficult box.
Blackburn v WBA
Blackburn v Leicester
Portsmouth v Leicester

They can't both win, they can't both lose

Leicester, West Brom and Oxford still to play Sheffield Wednesday.

So probably well past 50 (edited) for safety.

If we maintain the form of the last four games........ If!

 

[Gregortheox]

I tried to look at the number of points for safety, but it went into the too difficult box.
Blackburn v WBA
Blackburn v Leicester
Portsmouth v Leicester

They can't both win, they can't both lose

Leicester, West Brom and Oxford still to play Sheffield Wednesday.

So probably well past 59 for safety.

If we maintain the form of the last four games........ If!

59!? If we maintain the form of the last four games for the next 4 games, then the last four games shouldn’t matter too much.

 

[uptheus]

Don’t think we have seen what Prelec is capable of
Being asked to come on and be a lone striker with the rest of your teammates in their own half cannot be fun
Having said that there was one fantastic piece of holdup play where he waited for Shenmy to arrive and then if Shemmy had half a brain he would have seen Prelec peel off and should have rolled the ball back to him
To judge Prelec properly you have to play him from the start in this formation

Wouldn’t mind seeing Prelec playing the no.10 role in behind Lankshear!

Also with Mills on the right and Placheta on the left. It was nice to see Placheta doing the basics at one point yesterday e.g. beat his man and deliver a cross from the left! With Mills doing that on the right then the opposition really have to think, plus it probably pushes them deeper as they’ll be concerned about the pace etc.

Add to that, 2 strikers in Lankshear and Prelec.

That would be a front 4 I’d like to see with the players we’ve got.

 

[Billyox]

after 38 games last season


and this season

 

[uptheus]

True but Blackburn yesterday showed that anything can happen.

Some people in the week were saying QPR were in trouble and wouldn't get another point this season, then they go and immediately win. Same with Blackburn - can't rule out points in any game this season. The Championship is lots of fun.

Millwall had a player sent off, so that probably didn’t help.

And we know Leicester can be up or down.

And I personally think you get spurious results in any league, so I never get this ‘oh, it’s the Championship’ malarkey!

 

[uptheus]

after 38 games last season

View attachment 34179
and this season
View attachment 34180

Similar to last season then, but with more teams at risk last season.

Just hope we can do a Derby

 

[werthersoriginal]

Seeing their penalty in the big screen, what the hell is Brown doing?!

If I was the manager I’d be fuming and fining him!

I’m sure you’ve made fuckups at work. A good manager will make sure you’re aware of what you’ve done then sort out the issue and quickly move on.

 

[Oxford84]

But that's the point, it's not a decision to stay deep. It's working with what we've got at the time that isn't completely spent physically and mentally

It is an absolute decision to be deep, the front 3 could all have been replaced by another front 3 but bloody Bloomfield decides to take 2 of the front 3 off for a defender and midfielder.