Oxford United

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Oxford have an "anger" to improve their results, says defender Michal Helik.

The U's have won only two of their past 10 Championship matches and are in the relegation zone.

"We're feeling disappointed because of the last result (a 2-1 defeat by Preston) but this is a good period for us to show a reaction," Helik told BBC Radio Oxford.

"We've got an anger in us to turn the results around and I'm pretty sure and hope we are going to do that."

Oxford visit Charlton on Saturday (15:00 GMT) with the Addicks only five points better off, but Helik believes they have to look beyond being involved in a relegation scrap - which means improving their defensive record as well.

"I'm not looking to bring anyone closer to us, I am hoping we are going to win every game. I'm not looking who is around us, we just need to focus on ourselves and try to do the best for the club and get us above the line," he said.

"It's a thing which is really annoying me at the moment - (conceding) sloppy goals. It is not like teams are playing brilliant football against us.

"It's just small details we can change to get the clean sheet and that's what we're working on."

Oxford United will look to boost their survival hopes when they welcome play-off chasing Preston North End on Saturday (12:30 GMT).

The U's are two points above the drop zone having played one game more than 22nd-placed Portsmouth and have just one win in their past eight (D4 L3).

The Lilywhites are fifth but have also stuttered slightly in recent weeks with just one win in six (D4), though only one of those has been a defeat.

• Oxford have won six of their past 10 league games against Preston (D2 L2) and won 3-1 at home against the Lilywhites in 2024-25.

• Preston North End have lost five of their past six away league games against Oxford (W1), winning the other 4-0 in February 2000 under David Moyes.

• Having beaten Ipswich 2-1 in their most recent home league game, Oxford are looking for consecutive home league wins for the first time since April.

• Preston have won three of their past seven away league games (D3 L1), as many as in their previous 30 combined. They're looking for consecutive away wins for the first time since February/March 2024 (run of three).

• Oxford boss Gary Rowett has never lost a Championship match against Preston North End (W8 D7), with his 15 games against them the most any manager has taken charge of against an opponent without defeat since the 2004-05 rebrand.

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Oxford United have tried to match the feeling of playing against one of the Championship's promotion challengers for all their games this season, says boss Gary Rowett.

The U's host fifth-placed Preston North End on Saturday (12:30 GMT) having already drawn with leaders Coventry along with high-flying Middlesbrough and Millwall and beaten Ipswich.

Rowett is aware his players seem to raise their performance levels for certain matches.

"The reason is probably obvious in as much as the game feels bigger, the players maybe have that heightened feeling of having to perform at their maximum," he told BBC Radio Oxford.

"Sometimes maybe when you get up for a game like Ipswich and then you have a slightly different away game against a team around you it doesn't quite feel the same.

"We've worked to try to see if we can resemble that feeling and create that feeling but ultimately it's either with you or it isn't."

Oxford are only two points clear of the Championship's relegation zone but have been beaten just once in their past five home games and Rowett accepts his team are more comfortable playing at the Kassam Stadium.

"At home it's a lot easier in some ways in front of your own fans to play with that extra zip," he added.

Oxford United's Tyler Goodrham has never lost his smile despite finding first-team opportunities harder to come by this season.

The 22-year-old has only featured in six of the U's 20 Championship matches so far, having missed just five last season.

"It's obviously been different from coming in as a young kid, being able to come off the bench a lot and then find a foothold in the first team," he told BBC Radio Oxford.

"It's disappointing being away from the squad but it makes you work harder to be back in it and help out."

Goodrham made his first-team debut for Oxford at the age of 16 and has now made 150 appearances in all competitions.

He says his outlook has not changed despite the challenges of gaining a regular spot in the matchday squad this season.

"If you're not winning as many games you have to fight a bit more but I'm always smiling, always happy," he added.

"When it goes to those bad days or negative days I think back to that 10-year-old Tyler who would have dreamed to be doing this so it makes me stay happy and enjoy what I'm doing."

Oxford host Preston in the Championship on Saturday (12:30 GMT).

"We know drawing lots of games is always going to create a divide.

"The reality is that a point away from home at Blackburn is probably a good point, but a lot of good points mounting up together without enough wins, they become games you need to win."

The Dub team discuss yet another draw at Blackburn - but are Oxford doing well enough? Opinions are divided among a frustrated fan base.

Listen to the full episode of The Dub and more Oxford United content on BBC Sounds.

Oxford United defender Ciaron Brown says that the side have to get better at the "small moments" following their 1-1 draw against Blackburn Rovers on Tuesday.

The Northern Ireland international scored the opening goal in the first half but saw his work undone after team-mate Jack Currie conceded a penalty for handball, which was converted by Blackburn's Todd Cantwell in the 78th minute.

"I felt the momentum of the game shifted in the second half, but overall we were comfortable and seeing the game out," Brown told BBC Radio Oxford.

"Again, it's just one single moment that took the three points off us, and that's probably been the difference.

"It's not overall - it's small moments, small margins, and we need to get better at them."

The U's are 21st in the Championship table, just two points above relegation.

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The FA Cup third round draw was made on Monday evening, with all 24 Championship clubs entering at this stage of the competition.

Ties will take place between Thursday, 8 January and Monday, 12 January.

These are the ties involving Championship clubs:

• Cambridge United v Birmingham City

• Hull City v Blackburn Rovers

• Bristol City v Watford

• Charlton Athletic v Chelsea

• Stoke City v Coventry

• Derby County v Leeds United

• Ipswich Town v Blackpool

• Cheltenham Town v Leicester City

• Fulham v Middlesbrough

• Burnley v Millwall

• Norwich City v Walsall

• MK Dons v Oxford United

• Portsmouth v Arsenal

• Preston North End v Wigan Athletic

• West Ham United v Queens Park Rangers

• Sheffield United v Mansfield Town

• Sheffield Wednesday v Brentford

• Doncaster Rovers v Southampton

• Swansea City v West Bromwich Albion

• Wrexham v Nottingham Forest

You can see the full draw here.

Gary Rowett says consistency is the key to keeping Oxford United away from the Championship relegation scrap.

Saturday's defeat at Swansea, which followed an eye-catching win over Ipswich, was the eighth straight time the U's have failed to secure back-to-back victories under Rowett, dating back to last season, and a sixth defeat in that run.

Oxford have not won back-to-back games since January, when they picked up 17 points from Rowett's first seven games after taking charge.

"It has been a struggle," Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford. "Not enough players have stepped up and put back-to-back performances in.

"We have been competitive this season and we have performed well in games but it's hard to think of too many outstanding performances over long periods.

"We need to start to put in top performances regularly to get what we want out of games. It's a challenge."

The U's are a point above the drop-zone and their next attempt to launch a winning run comes on Tuesday (19:45 GMT) at Blackburn, a side two places and three points above them in 19th.

Rovers' game at Ewood Park against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday was abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch, the second time it has happened this season, and despite the threat of more rain, Rowett said the U's were preparing as if the game will be on.

"We need to get back to being a little more consistent away from home," he said. "The small margins at this level are very fine. You can't afford to let them go against you.

"The focus really is to find that little bit of consistency, even if it's just physical output. This division is about becoming hard to beat and we need to do that a little bit better."

Rowett also backed his squad to improve in both boxes when it comes to set-pieces, adding: "Players have to take some responsibility, we have to get back to being a threat from set-pieces.

"We have a big armoury and we have to maximise every opportunity we can to score goals. I'm sure that will change."

Image source, Opta

Weather-permitting Blackburn will seek to get back to winning ways at Ewood Park as they welcome Oxford United on Tuesday (19:45 GMT).

Saturday's game against Sheffield Wednesday was abandoned due to a waterlogged pitch with Rovers leading 1-0 just before the hour mark.

It was second abandonment of the season at Ewood Park after the clash with Ipswich on 20 September, in which the hosts led 1-0 against 10 men after 80 minutes.

The U's go into this game sat 21st, one point above the relegation zone and two places and three points behind Rovers, following Saturday's 2-0 defeat at fellow strugglers Swansea.

• Blackburn have lost just one of their past seven league games against Oxford United (W4 D2), though the defeat came in their last meeting in January at the Kassam Stadium (0-1).

• Oxford have won just one of their 12 away league games against Blackburn (D5 L6), winning 3-1 in December 1990 under Brian Horton.

• Blackburn are winless in their past six midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) Championship home games (D2 L4), since a 3-0 win over Portsmouth in January.

• Oxford are winless in their past eight midweek (Tues, Weds, Thurs) Championship games (D3 L5) since beating Luton 3-2 in January.

• Oxford manager Gary Rowett has won just three of his 13 career league games in charge against Blackburn Rovers (D4 L6), failing to win on any of his four visits to Ewood Park (D1 L3).

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Oxford boss Gary Rowett was frustrated by his side's loss to fellow strugglers Swansea after they had done so well to beat Ipswich in their last game.

Swansea won 2-0 to give new Swans boss Vitor Matos his first points, which saw them leapfrog Oxford in the Championship, and Rowett was disappointed by his players' showing.

The U's are just a point and a place above the drop zone and Rowett said: "Hugely frustrating. I don't want to take anything away Swansea's performance, but I would expect us to show a little bit more on the back of the week we've had.

"I think the inconsistency is frustrating. We started quite well and then just allowed Swansea to dictate the game and gave too many lazy free-kicks away around the edge of our box.

"I expect us to deal with those moments, but they score from a set-piece and then they score a wonder goal just before half-time, which gives them a nice little buffer.

"Second half, I thought we were better without really looking like we were going to get anything out of the game."

Swansea are currently bottom of the Championship's form guide having taken only one point from their past six games as they look to end a five-match losing run.

Oxford's win over Ipswich last Friday ended a five-game sequence without a victory and keeps them one point outside the relegation zone leading into this game (15:00 GMT).

• Swansea have alternated between a draw (3) and a win (2) in their past five home league games against Oxford, drawing this exact fixture 3-3 last season.

• Oxford are winless in their past five league games against Swansea (D2 L3), coming from behind to equalise three times in a 3-3 draw in their last meeting in May.

• Swansea City have lost each of their past five league games, last losing more consecutively between March and April 2004 (6).

• Following a 2-1 win against Ipswich last time out, Oxford are looking to win consecutive league matches for the first time since January.

• Only West Bromwich Albion and Sheffield United (6 each) have lost more away games in the Championship this season than Oxford United (5).

"It couldn't really have gone better. All coming off the back of a mass of negativity in the draw against Norwich, then, on Friday, the team selection... it felt like a lot of people felt like they had seen enough before the players had even come out for the warm-up.

"There was one moment in the game where it feels like Oxford's Championship status might have literally turned on a sixpence.

"It could have been very different."

The Dub team discuss the epic win over Ipswich Town, what it means for the U's going forward, and also take a look at footballers' Christmas parties.

Listen to the full episode of The Dub and more Oxford United content on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Opta

The Championship weekend begins in style on Friday night as upwardly-mobile Ipswich head to Oxford United (20:00 GMT).

The U's start the night in the relegation zone after Sheffield United's win over Portsmouth on Wednesday night, and though a stoppage-time equaliser from Filip Krastev rescued a point for Gary Rowett's men at Norwich the night before, it extended Oxford's winless run to five games from which they have taken just three points.

Tuesday's 2-0 victory at Hull City made it six matches unbeaten for Town, a run which has yielded 14 points, 12 goals and just three conceded.

Kieran McKenna's Tractor Boys have risen to fifth, with the chance to go second with a win at the Kassam Stadium.

• Oxford United have never lost a home league game against Ipswich Town (P12 W5 D7), both the most they've faced a side at home without ever losing and the most Ipswich have faced a side on the road without ever winning in the Football League.

• Ipswich Town lost 2-1 against Oxford in their last meeting in January 2023; they have never lost consecutive league games against the U's before.

• Oxford haven't won any of their past eight league games on a Friday (D4 L4), since a 3-2 win at Fleetwood Town on Good Friday in 2022.

• Ipswich have won each of their past three away league games, not since September 2023 have they won four in a row (first four of 2023-24 Championship season).

• Ipswich's Jaden Philogene has seven goal involvements across his past 12 Championship appearances (6 goals, 1 assist), the most of any player for the Tractor Boys in 2025-26.

Gateshead have signed Oxford United defender Aidan Elliott-Wheeler on loan until 4 January.

Elliott-Wheeler, 19, has previously had spells on loan with clubs in league below, but this is his first in the National League.

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Oxford United head coach Gary Rowett says he is "really pleased" with the character of his players after they rescued a point at Norwich City.

Filip Krastev equalised for the U's in the 95th minute to secure a 1-1 draw on Tuesday night and help them move two points clear of the relegation zone.

"The first 30 minutes, I would say it was as controlled and as composed a performance as we have had for a long time," Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford.

"I have been coming here for a long, long time in the Championship and I can't remember a time where actually, we were in their half and felt so comfortable.

"Really disappointed to concede the goal. I felt like it was unfair for us to come in at half-time 1-0 down.

"There were a couple of moments [where] they could have [taken] the game away from us. Then we keep going.

"It is such a competitive group. They won't lay down and accept these games. I am just really pleased with the character."