Oxford United welcome leaders Portsmouth to the Kassam Stadium on Tuesday night with Head Coach Des Buckingham looking for his side to put in a performance to remember as the U’s return home.
“It’s exactly what we need" he told iFollow "a big game to put a few things right straight off the back of a poor first half at Bristol. The second half was better but still not to the levels that we want.
“Now we get to play against a team that has been top of the table for large parts of the season. They went through a bit of a rough patch themselves which shows that every team in this league can and does go through that. It’s then about how you react to it and for us that comes tomorrow night and then against Reading on Saturday.
“You can’t let the emotions of a game that’s gone affect you ahead of the next one, whether you win or lose. It’s a different challenge, a different team. We know it will be a tough game but it’s an opportunity to go and put it right tomorrow and then carry that in to the weekend.
“Everyone here talks very highly of John Mousinho, as player and coach but when the game kicks off things will be very different.
“We will have the same squad as we had on Saturday, much the same squad we have had since Christmas. Sam Long and Joe Bennett have joined Marcus Browne, Billy Bodin, Kyle Edwards, Will Goodwin and Josh Murphy; that’s a lot of attacking options unavailable but they will be back, we know that, and we have shown even without those players that we are a good team so no excuses, we just get on with things and we will be ready.
“We are more than capable of competing with any team, we are still in amongst it at the top of the table and we will get stronger as the weeks go by.
“Portsmouth will be loud but our fans have been really good, home and away. Their support will play a big part for us over the next 18 games and we have to do our utmost to give then something to cheer and get behind on Tuesday night. “
See the full interview plus the thoughts of Cameron Brannagan, all in iFollow
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