Home Match Build-Up 15/02/2026 - Build-Up: FA Cup R4: Oxford United v Sunderland

[Northstandboy]

Kassam Stadium
Sunday 15th Feb 2026 @ 1400

 

[Toe knee]

Waste of time .the fa cup has been bastardised by the premier League and half the championship.
As kids we all loved the fa cup & dreamed of scoring the winning goal. Alas it's gone for me, I won't be going & wasting my hard earned cash to watch Oxford play Sunderlands youth team.
I'll be back for the serious stuff staving off relegation....

 

[carefreeoufc]

We’ll end up winning 1-0 and all will be forgiven…

 

[Jster]

May as well give it a good go - might give us something to get excited about in this season of shiteness.

 

[Manorlounger]

At one time I would have been very much insistent upon putting out a strong side and taking the competition seriously and showing respect to the traditions and history of the cup. However, times change, needs must and survival in the Championship takes precedency.
Opportunity to have some of the fringe players start, get some of the returning from injury players on the bench, or starting. I would stop short of anymore 'radical' formation changes though! Maybe blood some of the younger squad.
Cannot see anyway that we could win this game, at best avoid an embarrassing cricket score would be nice.

 

[lodeyellow]

At one time I would have been very much insistent upon putting out a strong side and taking the competition seriously and showing respect to the traditions and history of the cup. However, times change, needs must and survival in the Championship takes precedency.
Opportunity to have some of the fringe players start, get some of the returning from injury players on the bench, or starting. I would stop short of anymore 'radical' formation changes though! Maybe blood some of the younger squad.
Cannot see anyway that we could win this game, at best avoid an embarrassing cricket score would be nice.

I somehow don’t think there will be too
much danger of a “cricket score”. As is the way of things nowadays, Sunderland’s side will bear little relation to the one that faced Liverpool last night. But of course Bloomfield will select some fringe players too.

I reckon it will be quite a low-scoring game and wouldn’t entirely rule out a surprise - say, 2-1 to United. Stranger things happen …

 

[Steve Gilbert]

Brannagan
MHarris, Leigh, Long, Helik
Jin Woo, McDonnell
Brown, Cumming, Davies
Vaulks​

Not the line up I’d go with, just the one I think Bloomfield will try and see if it works.

 

[holdsteady]

I somehow don’t think there will be too
much danger of a “cricket score”. As is the way of things nowadays, Sunderland’s side will bear little relation to the one that faced Liverpool last night. But of course Bloomfield will select some fringe players too.

I reckon it will be quite a low-scoring game and wouldn’t entirely rule out a surprise - say, 2-1 to United. Stranger things happen …

Surely we will try and pick our strongest side? Considering we haven’t a clue what that is this is probably a good chance to try and find out.

 

[holdsteady]

You do have to fear another Brighton after our recent performances though, Sunderland, even with changes, are much better than Norwich who cut through us easily on Tuesday.

Hopefully we pick a sensible team but with Bloomfield who knows, he might wake up tomorrow and think that the fans want to see O Donkor as a sweeper.

 

[EastStandKieran]

Brannagan
MHarris, Leigh, Long, Helik
Jin Woo, McDonnell
Brown, Cumming, Davies
Vaulks​

Not the line up I’d go with, just the one I think Bloomfield will try and see if it works.

Be careful he will say that's what the fans wanted

 

[Kamal]

I'd go for a strong team. We need to find some sort or formation, line up and form that will help us between now and the end of the season.

 

[Sarge]

despite the fa cup being a mere shadow of what it once was, thanks to law changes and more so PL greed, Im going to be there, at a stupid time on a Sunday afternoon, to support my team, in person. PL Sunderland will likely disrespect championship strugglers, 'little' Oxford and put out a weakened side, a late 1-0 smash n grab winner to take the mighty U's through to the next round

 

[Symp59]

Ingram Spencer makesso Davies roosken mcdonnell Brannagan MPH Mills Jim woo jeon Romeny

 

[Mad Dog]

I’m going because a family member booked a load of tickets without asking me, he just assumed I’d want to go!

But I genuinely couldn’t give a s**t about this game, so I’m gonna eat as much shite as I can on Saturday, from the dodgiest looking takeaway I can find, so I can hopefully have food poisoning instead, and don’t have to go!

But I’d play a 2nd string side and gives those in need of minutes a start, as although we’re dead certs for relegation, if we want to stand any chance of staying up, we need to get out of this cup tournament asap!

With that in mind:


Don’t care about the bench. Stick some kids on it.

 

[holdsteady]

I’m going because a family member booked a load of tickets without asking me, he just assumed I’d want to go!

But I genuinely couldn’t give a s**t about this game, so I’m gonna eat as much shite as I can on Saturday, from the dodgiest looking takeaway I can find, so I can hopefully have food poisoning instead, and don’t have to go!

But I’d play a 2nd string side and gives those in need of minutes a start, as although we’re dead certs for relegation, if we want to stand any chance of staying up, we need to get out of this cup tournament asap!

With that in mind:
View attachment 33537

Don’t care about the bench. Stick some kids on it.

Why do you not want to go or care about it? While its not the most exciting possible fixture and after recent games I am approaching it with a bit of trepidation I still want to see us play, could understand it if you had something on but if you are just going to be sat at home on a Sunday afternoon why would you not want to be at football?

 

[WE Yellow]

I do not and never will get the logic behind wanting your team to win so badly in the league on Tuesday to then effectively throw a cup tie on the Sunday. There is no pressure on us, so why not go for it? Try and win every game you're involved in, it might get us somewhere....


Ingram

Spencer
Makosso
Davies
Roosken

Konak
McDonnell
Brannagan

Mills
Lankshear
Jin-Woo

Cumming, Helik, Brown, Currie, Vaulks, Placheta, Donley (if fit), Emakhu, MPH

 

[EastStandKieran]

I’m going because a family member booked a load of tickets without asking me, he just assumed I’d want to go!

But I genuinely couldn’t give a s**t about this game, so I’m gonna eat as much shite as I can on Saturday, from the dodgiest looking takeaway I can find, so I can hopefully have food poisoning instead, and don’t have to go!

But I’d play a 2nd string side and gives those in need of minutes a start, as although we’re dead certs for relegation, if we want to stand any chance of staying up, we need to get out of this cup tournament asap!

With that in mind:
View attachment 33537

Don’t care about the bench. Stick some kids on it.

After Tuesday night I thought about getting a refund on my tickets or giving them away to someone I don't like but I will be there because it's what we do we get behind our boys in yellow and hope

 

[Village-Yellow]

No interest in a game of zero consequence against premiership reserves.

More urgent matters to prepare for.

 

[The Voice Of Reason]

Waste of time .the fa cup has been bastardised by the premier League and half the championship.
As kids we all loved the fa cup & dreamed of scoring the winning goal. Alas it's gone for me, I won't be going & wasting my hard earned cash to watch Oxford play Sunderlands youth team.
I'll be back for the serious stuff staving off relegation....

Hope it is the youth team we stand a chance .

I do hope he unleashes the new signing and saying make the place yours

 

[TailsWeWin]

Waste of time .the fa cup has been bastardised by the premier League and half the championship.
As kids we all loved the fa cup & dreamed of scoring the winning goal. Alas it's gone for me, I won't be going & wasting my hard earned cash to watch Oxford play Sunderlands youth team.
I'll be back for the serious stuff staving off relegation....

It’s attitudes like that, of course, which will help to kill off the competition.
Turn up and enjoy watching your team. Then you won’t feel so guilty about coming along to watch them in the 5th round against Liverpool.

 

[carefreeoufc]

I think we have to go with the strongest side possible, with players in their traditional positions. We've had a few days to prepare the team and we have almost a week after the Sunderland game before Boro. Ignoring the lack of importance of the game itself, it provides a fantastic opportunity to get a team playing together that we want to take to Boro and beyond.

We desparately need some consistency and that needs to start with this free hit on Sunday. Barring injuries/return from injury, I just want a formation and squad that everyone buys into, try and gel it as much as possible for when our six pointers arrive in the next couple of weeks.

 

[werthersoriginal]

No interest in a game of zero consequence against premiership reserves.

More urgent matters to prepare for.

Zero consequence? We might win the FA Cup! Really none of it is of much consequence, it's only a bit of fun. Whether we're in Div 2 or Div 3 it'll still be football.

 

[Village-Yellow]

Zero consequence? We might win the FA Cup! Really none of it is of much consequence, it's only a bit of fun. Whether we're in Div 2 or Div 3 it'll still be football.

You are correct of course… just my bad mood at the moment .

 

[holdsteady]

I think we have to go with the strongest side possible, with players in their traditional positions. We've had a few days to prepare the team and we have almost a week after the Sunderland game before Boro. Ignoring the lack of importance of the game itself, it provides a fantastic opportunity to get a team playing together that we want to take to Boro and beyond.

We desparately need some consistency and that needs to start with this free hit on Sunday. Barring injuries/return from injury, I just want a formation and squad that everyone buys into, try and gel it as much as possible for when our six pointers arrive in the next couple of weeks.

Lets hope this is the post Bloomfield reads when he is trying to please us fans.

 

[Lost Marbles]

If we can't win two games in a row, then as fans we have to get our joy from moments, otherwise what's the point? Mill's winner on Boxing Day, Harris going round the goalie at the King Power, Płacheta smashing in our second just before half time at Ashton Gate. Even if a similar joyous moment doesn't materialise on Sunday, if we can somehow squeeze through it gives us the chance of a fifth round game we will remember forever. I ain't never gonna forget tearing Swansea and Newcastle apart or even losing to Boro.

Just forget about the disastrous league campaign for one weekend and try to enjoy the moment!

 

[Jster]

Well, exactly, football is about such moments. Sometimes, at their best, these moments come at the end of a season, a culmination of many games of hard work. But those are few and far between. More often it is individual games, seemingly unimportant to any larger context, that provide the memories.

 

[BicesterU]

Ingram
Spencer Makosso Davies Currie/Roosken
Konak McDonnell
Mills MPH Emakhu
Romeny

 

[EastStandKieran]

Ingram
Spencer Long makosso Davies Roosken
McDonnell brannagan
Mills Peart-Harris
Lankshear

 

[Mad Dog]

Why do you not want to go or care about it? While its not the most exciting possible fixture and after recent games I am approaching it with a bit of trepidation I still want to see us play, could understand it if you had something on but if you are just going to be sat at home on a Sunday afternoon why would you not want to be at football?

If we were to play the side I've suggested, I'd be more happy to go, as we'd be able to have a proper look at some of the newer signings, and not have to watch the usual "first choice" shite we're being subjected to this season.

It would actually be refreshing to see a side that didn't have Brannagan, Placheta, Mills, Cumming, Long, Brown, Harris or Lankshear in it (even though I love Longy to bits, and would have him as my POTS)

But no, I wouldn't have chosen to have gone on Sunday, and I do have stuff that needs doing that day, as it's my only day off this week, but ordinarily whatever I had to do would always take a backseat on a match day, but I've found it so depressing watching us this season, we ALWAYS look awful, and can't even CREATE chances, let alone actually have an attempt on goal or score, we can't even retain possession for more than a couple of seconds, it's been painful to watch, but watch I have, and watch I will, but no, I wouldn't have chosen to on this occasion.

But I've been watching Oxford since the mid/late 80's, and I've seen it all during that time, the good, bad and the ugly, seen well over a thousand games in my time, so I've earned the right to decide if I want to go or not, without having to justify myself to anyone.

But as usual, I'll be there, because as much as they're doing my head in this season, it's the club I love, and through thick and thin. good or bad, I'm stuck with them!

 

[Ox4Eva]

Our names on the cup i tell thee!