United boss sets the target for his side
Oxford United look to bounce back as they take on Sheffield United on Tuesday night. Michael Appleton's side suffered a 2-0 defeat at home to Bristol Rovers on Saturday but the U's' boss has challenged his side to reach a tough target between now and the end of the season, starting against the Blades:
"I think it’s down to having to win eight out of 13 games" he told Yellow Player HD earlier. Now if we can beat an in-form Sheffield United then it makes the job a lot easier, but if it takes us until the last eight games to do it then so be it. That’s the task we have ahead of us and we know it’s not going to be easy but we have a group of players who we know are capable of doing it.
"It was a missed opportunity against Bristol Rovers: wrong team at the wrong time, and we have to try and bounce back as quickly as we can. We know we are playing a top side who are full of Championship players to be honest with you. If you ask all the managers in the division they would say they expected things to happen for Sheffield United this season, it was just a matter of when. We were annoyed that we allowed it to happen against us because we were in front at half time at their place and the game was going nowhere until we gave a poor goal away, they got their tails up and the rest is history really."
United will wait on the fitness of Kane Hemmings, Rob Hall, Curtis Nelson and Chris Maguire before naming the squad.
"They are all genuinely 50/50" Michael said. "They were all going to try and train today and see how they got on. If they got through the session that was the first bonus and then beyond that we just had to hope there wasn’t too bad a reaction. We need them to be honest with us. If they say they are fit and aren’t, it hurts us but it only punishes themselves as well.
"Whoever plays we want a reaction from Saturday. Playing against Sheffield United, and it being at home, is a good game to have"
See the full interview and hear the game live in Yellow Player HD