Join us for one last home game in 2016
Oxford United will look to end an unforgettable 2016 with one last win when they welcome Walsall on New Year’s Eve.
The last 12 months have been ones that no Oxford fans are likely to forget, as Head Coach Michael Appleton told Yellow Player HD :
“It has been an incredible year and one that’s going to be very difficult to top” he said “whatever I do or Oxford does going forward. To get promotion, to have a Wembley final, and to go on the cup runs we have done. The most poignant thing for me is that we have put Oxford back on the map and I think people talk about the club in a positive way now : our style of play, the players we produce, the amount of fans we take to every single away game. It is going to be very hard to top that next year but provided we keep making small strides and keep heading in the right direction then that’s fine.
“If you start enjoying it too much you end up standing still too long so we will keep working hard and keep trying to improve.”
The U’s look to bounce back after defeat on Boxing Day but Michael expects Walsall to be very tough opposition.
“I’ve watched the last couple of games and they have become more solid than at the start of the season” he said. “They will be hard to break down and they will try and hit us on the counter so we will have to be aware of that and also show a lot of composure in the final third of the field.”
It’s the first of a new year double header with United heading for Gillingham on January 2nd. There was a rueful shake of the head when Michael was asked if he has two different sides in mind for two games so close together.
“I wish I had! Numbers wise we are pretty low; if we are very lucky and we don’t get injuries then I have a good idea what my two teams will be, but things don’t work like that in football. Things happen and change all the time. But we know the nucleus of both sides for the two matches and will work around that and look to put out teams capable of winning them both.”
See the full interview, including Michael’s thoughts on the Transfer Window in Yellow Player HD where we also have an interview with Kane Hemmings and both games LIVE.
Join us one more time in 2016. Tickets are available to see United take on Walsall from www.oufctickets.co.uk and 01865 337533