Rocky times ahead in Oxford

As I watched Oxford loose to a team lower than them in division two this afternoon I looked and listened and could not help but think the club and team face a really rocky period. As some fans and pundits still talk of playoffs and must win games the top 7 is a long way away and just steadying this sinking ship would be a more realistic achievement.

First of all on the pitch the team is now on a four game winless run and the fixtures come thick and fast and they happen to be good clubs. Today's match was easily the bank win as games against Fleetwood, Gillingham and Port Vale are all around the corner. On top of that the squad also has some serious injuries Craddock the clubs top goal scorer is out for a while, Leven the teams most creative player is out for the season alongside the starting centre half Durberry. Having said all this it's hard to see where the next win will come from.

I'm also a big fan of manager Chris Wilder, I believe he is one of the better coaches in the league and over the last months while a group of supporters have been calling for him to be removed I have thought exactly the opposite. The problem is this section of supporters is ever growing with every loss and today I witnessed its impact upon the players. Normally Oxford fans are really loud and get behind their team, they are not ones to silently wait for goals but more to lift their team and give them the extra man. However over the last couple of months the crowd has got quieter and quieter, a strange atmosphere has crept over the Kassam. This has filtered its way to the players, who are not appearing to play for their manager. I'm not saying the Oxford boys are not giving 100% effort for their manager like Rovers may have earlier in the season for their ex manager but I would question are they playing to his system? Taking his ideas on board and then responding to them on the pitch?

Then there is the financial battle of the field the club is going through with trying to make a decent revenue from its ground and even attempting to own it's own ground. All in all Oxford may not face rocky times but actually be experiencing them. The best way to steady the footballing ship is on the pitch but as I have explained this is easier said than done.