Home Match Thread 25/04/2026 - Oxford United v Sheffield Wednesday

[Malc]

Some great goals today.

 

[tonyw]

I wouldn't say that was an enjoyable match it felt a bit like a pre season game.. I was more gutted than sad that we were relegated ... shout out to will Lankshear i can't remember another loan player that had got this football club like he has ( maybe James constable )

Also, 11 goals (with the possibility of more next week) is actually not a bad return in the Championship. Only two players have scored more than 15 this season (Vipotnik and Haji Wright), and none of the clubs that finished just above us (Pompey, West Brom, Charlton, Blackburn, even Stoke and Watford) had anyone scoring as many as Lanks. And that's with service that was.....let's be charitable and say erratic......

There were some big holes in our squad at times this season, and we never had any quality depth, but we can't complain about the guy we had leading our line.

 

[eraser]

Can't get on board with the happy clapping on Radox post match. This season has been a failure, imo, and I don't think it will be easy to bounce straight back up. I am going to miss the Championship; full grounds, big teams, feeling relevant again. I just hope Erick is still invested in the project (he was there today which does suggest he is) and wants to get us promoted again asap.

Hard to pinpoint exactly where things went wrong. I don't think there is one thing or person to blame, but I think there were just too many mistakes made by the decision makers at the club.

Oh well, on to the summer (after a day out in the smoke). It's going to be very interesting to see how it plays out.

It hasn't been a failure. Last season was a stroke of luck - this season is exactly where the bookies put us. We are NOT a championship club. If you just want to spend money to have full grounds then join the Prem bandwagon. Just view these 2 seasons as a learning curve, let's get the new stadium and enjoy some wins....

 

[Older Shotts]

Very odd game. Felt like a pre season friendly from start to finish.
Shame Lanks couldn’t get a third.
Surprised how bad Sheffield were.
Now let’s go ruin Millwalls promotion hopes.

 

[MJB]

Brings back memories of my parents passing - day of the Wills

This post after Vaulks scored deserved better!

 

[holdsteady]

Very odd game. Felt like a pre season friendly from start to finish.
Shame Lanks couldn’t get a third.
Surprised how bad Sheffield were.
Now let’s go ruin Millwalls promotion hopes.

It was the ultimate dead rubber, as side who got relegated half an hour ago versus a side who got relegated 2 months ago (which might be a first).

I don’t really get how people thought Sheffield Wednesday wouldn’t be terrible? We will probably never play a team again in our final home game who come with a solitary win in the league, the league table told you how bad they were, a couple of draws and people were making out they were only going down because of the points deduction, that team would have been in a relegation fight in league one.

 

[Marked Ox]

I get why some are saying they didn't find it enjoyable as such although I did, even if it felt like a pre-season game at times.

I've had us as relegated for a while tbh, so today was a no stress game where I could enjoy the game for itself rather than the bigger picture.

Nice way for Will Lankshear to sign off at home, just a pity he didn't score the hat-trick.

Cracking finish by Will Vaulks as well.

 

[Oxymoron]

For a "nothing" game, twas quite enjoyable. Five well taken goals, relaxed atmosphere and a bit of noise from the stands (Bromley chants excepted - it was funny the first time, but not every ten minutes...). Its a shame our fate was sealed before a ball was kicked but there you go.

So it's farewell to the Championship but not goodbye. Although I'll miss you, I'm looking forward to going to games that we can expect to win, rather than wondering if we might manage a draw.

 

[BicesterU]

At the game, watching Emakhu infront of me in the north stand. Settle a debate for me and my mate: Who is better: Placheta or Emakhu?

I think the kindest way of saying it is that they have some similar and some different attributes.

But they both look capable of moments of magic, so I'll take that.

 

[BigAlan]

Hmmmm Emakhu from where I am sat seems to be slightly a better player.

But next season he has to improve.

 

[BicesterU]

Think bottom end championship clubs will be all over him

Wonder if he'd prefer to play for a bottom end championship club and spend three quarters of his time helping his full back, or a top 6 L1 club where he gets to work on the attacking side of his game?

 

[QR]

Finally some goals!!

A nice atmosphere today, on what is essentially a sad day for the club, but we do deserve to go down, as overall throughout the course of the entire season, we've been nowhere near good enough.

Special mention for Will Lankshear, a very good player, but what a cracking lad, he spoke wonderfully about his time here and about our club, and he'll always be remembered for his time with us, and will always have a fond place in our hearts for his efforts and contribution.

Any waffle about one or two individual mistakes costing us our place in the league is absolute nonsense, it's been a collective failure, with missed opportunities when they came our way, but we win as a team, and lose as a team.

Onto next season now, start planning ASAP, and aim to hit the ground running early in the transfer window, and preseason.

We'll be back!

Nice post. Well put. The only thing I'd slightly disagree with about the 'collective failure' bit is, given what they were up against all season, I wouldn't point fingers at our defence. Onward and hopefully upwards.

 

[BicesterU]

Quick word for the oddly large number of SW fans who stayed in Bicester last night and told me they fancied picking up their second win of the season today as they all headed towards the train station.

I know the whole club has been gutted from top to bottom, but they were utter shite weren't they?

 

[Under The Cuckoo Lane]

That Sheffield Wednesday team, although likely a young average age, would be a L2 team at best I would have thought. It's difficult to gauge though.

 

[Foley]

That Sheffield Wednesday team, although likely a young average age, would be a L2 team at best I would have thought. It's difficult to gauge though.

Surprised that some predicted a defeat/ draw and said what a difficult game it would be

 

[Eaststanding]

Can't get on board with the happy clapping on Radox post match. This season has been a failure, imo, and I don't think it will be easy to bounce straight back up. I am going to miss the Championship; full grounds, big teams, feeling relevant again. I just hope Erick is still invested in the project (he was there today which does suggest he is) and wants to get us promoted again asap.

Hard to pinpoint exactly where things went wrong. I don't think there is one thing or person to blame, but I think there were just too many mistakes made by the decision makers at the club.

Oh well, on to the summer (after a day out in the smoke). It's going to be very interesting to see how it plays out.

Another fool quoting the ‘happyclappers’..
How about accepting that there are those of us that are pragmatic, not prone to over reaction because we can see relegation for what it is, rather than virtually comparing it to some kind of life ending experience? Failure?
In terms of staying in the second best league in the UK then yes but we’ve learnt a lot and had a lot of fun along the way; ‘feeling relevant again’?! WTF are you on about?! Because we haven’t ‘felt relevant’ before these last two seasons?
It’s a game mate, look at the positives.

 

[Foley]

Another fool quoting the ‘happyclappers’..
How about accepting that there are those of us that are pragmatic, not prone to over reaction because we can see relegation for what it is, rather than virtually comparing it to some kind of life ending experience? Failure?
In terms of staying in the second best league in the UK then yes but we’ve learnt a lot and had a lot of fun along the way; ‘feeling relevant again’?! WTF are you on about?! Because we haven’t ‘felt relevant’ before these last two seasons?
It’s a game mate, look at the positives.

Yes isn't 'happy clappers' insulting and just a bit pathetic?

 

[QR]

Yes isn't 'happy clappers' insulting and just a bit pathetic?

For the record can I just confirm I'm a 'not a particular happy clapper'.

 

[Nadi-]

They are out the play offs and play Chesterfield who took there place in a play off last game

Bonis’ll be your man

 

[Nadi-]

This is why it’s ridiculous when people are upset, overreact and say things like ‘This squad would struggle in League One!’

If we had this exact squad in League One we’d walk top 3.

That’s some statement, and can’t see it
We may have some better players today. But no chance are we a better team. Than that that won the play off

 

[Big Ronaldo]

I will miss the championship. Full grounds home and away. On the whole, better refs, better players bigger clubs. Were we up to it?
No. We had to scrap for everything and at no point did i really feel that we were holding our own apart from at the very start of last season.
Rowett saved us and then eventually choked the life out of us. As for Bloomfield, the Jury is still out.
Going down is shite (has Trevor Kettle retired yet?) And Coming back up I fear will not be easy.
Here’s to next season and Wembley in the paint pot trophy!

 

[East Stand Fan]

No Cam Bran on the walk around.

Probably couldn't walk

 

[sideshowrob]

That Sheffield Wednesday team, although likely a young average age, would be a L2 team at best I would have thought. It's difficult to gauge though.

They would still beat Swindon though.

 

[Symp59]

At the game, watching Emakhu infront of me in the north stand. Settle a debate for me and my mate: Who is better: Placheta or Emakhu?

Emakhu keep him fit in league 1 he will be awesome he might even be better on the the right if Mills goes

 

[ZeroTheHero]

It is always nice to see a big win, albeit in a game that was of very little importance in the scheme of things. Based on some of Wednesday's latest results I thought they would be better than they were.

Despite the win, I thought we were still incredibly sloppy. The passing was very variable all match, but sometimes it was so inaccurate and wayward. I don't mean the intended through balls (at least they were forward thinking), but short 5-10 yard passes that should be second nature. I didn't understand why we reverted to 'defence first' in the second half (with Wednesday having 65% of the possession in the early stages) and some of the substitutions made little sense to me.

It all added to PSF feel. I thought the crowd (both us and the Wednesday fans) were a credit to their respective clubs.

 

[Common Villager]

Another fool quoting the ‘happyclappers’..
How about accepting that there are those of us that are pragmatic, not prone to over reaction because we can see relegation for what it is, rather than virtually comparing it to some kind of life ending experience? Failure?
In terms of staying in the second best league in the UK then yes but we’ve learnt a lot and had a lot of fun along the way; ‘feeling relevant again’?! WTF are you on about?! Because we haven’t ‘felt relevant’ before these last two seasons?
It’s a game mate, look at the positives.

Go on then, enlighten me - what is this relegation? While you're at it, let me know where we're going to finish in League One next season, given league standings are evidently a forgone conclusion before a ball is kicked.

I am fully aware that this season was always going to be a challenge and I appreciate we are one of the smaller clubs with one of the smallest budgets.

What I am not willing to partake in is the 'oh didn't the players tried hard' and 'we should be happy we got TWO seasons at this level' crap. If I was one of the players I'd find that unbelievable patronising. I also don't buy the 'we'll be back' and 'we're going to win the League' assertions (not least cause I remember the same being said in 2006). League One is a bloody hard league to get out of, it will not be straightforward.

I really hope the powers that be at the club are not as happy as some fans are with our participation medal. There has been several failures over the course of the last couple of seasons and if heads don't roll then at the very least improvements need to be made.

We got relegated. It's s**t. We're allowed to say and acknowledge that. Doing so is not suggesting it's a 'life ending experience' (?), it's just a normal reaction from football fans who want their team to succeed. The mutual backslapping on RadOx about how great the fanbase has been was actually quite cringeworthy. As was the song asking for Lankshear to stay another year - kind of goes to show the lack of understanding at how much of a drop in levels it is.

 

[sideshowrob]

I have just done a search for the extended highlights. Wednesday have them on their website together with a full match replay for their subscribers. They are supposed to be penniless but this puts us to shame.

 

[bicesterox]

Whilst it was gutting to have our relegation confirmed before the game today I think most of us, even those of us clutching at straws like me, had deep down accepted the inevitable, even if we weren't admitting it.

Going into the ground I was pissed off to hear people chanting 'going down' etc and was wondering what sort of atmosphere there would be, would it be doom and gloom, anger etc, no, it was supportive of the team and manager from the first minute.

And with the pressure off there was some beautiful football played at times against an admittedly poor opponent, and Lankshears 2nd would have been a goal of the season contender if voting hadn't been last week. Vaulks goal was bloody good too and loved his celebration.

So mixed feelings tonight, but not almost suicidal like 2006, next week I go to Millwall with no pressure, hopefully relaxed as at Swansea last season.

Then the hard work starts getting ready for the start of a league 1 campaign and the road back to the Championship.

Roll on June 25th, fixture release day

 

[Kiddy yellow]

I don’t wanna sound big headed saying this but the support today was unbelievable for the players to get that send off after we have gone down is unbelievable didn’t hear one negative comment

 

[Oxford84]

Surprised that some predicted a defeat/ draw and said what a difficult game it would be

If you look at their previous results theyve done ok in plenty of games, getting draws losing by a goal but today they were absolute s**t, maybe the worst side ive ever seen outside of the conference?

 

[The Mighty Aldo]

Let’s not forget that although very disappointing that we have been relegated and there are several reasons that need looking at internally the much more important result for us is to get the Stadium green light
When we finally get the go ahead to build I feel there will be a shift in emphasis on what this club can achieve
We have been hamstrung since Kassam sold the club , the rent has crippled us and it has only because Bakri and Thohir have bailed us out that we are even a Championship Club.
The big result wasn’t Charlton winning yesterday the big result will be in 3/4 weeks time