Oxford United

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.

Image source, Getty Images

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).

Image source, Getty Images

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.

Image source, Getty Images

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."

Image source, Shuttershock

Oxford United have made progress in terms of their away performances, according to head coach Gary Rowett.

The U's head to Norwich City in the Championship on Tuesday evening (19:45 GMT) having lost three of their past four road trips, while their opponents have lost all seven of their home games and will have Philippe Clement in charge for his first match at Carrow Road.

"We'll always go somewhere to try to have a gameplan to win, that's a difficult thing to do in the Championship," Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford.

"We've reached lofty heights this season with winning the same number of games as we did last year away already, which is a big positive in terms of our away performances. We've won two games away and we'd like to add to that."

Oxford have won at Bristol City and Sheffield Wednesday so far while also picking up a draw at QPR, but have lost their other five away games.

However, Rowett says they will not just be satisfied with drawing matches.

"It's very naive to think you can just turn points into three points very easily with one tactical masterpiece - if someone can tell me how we can do that easily then I'm all ears, I'm happy to listen.

"This division is a battle - sometimes a point is fine but I appreciate a point is not what we're looking for and you don't want to go too long without winning and believe it or not we are trying to win games."

"The nature of where we are in the league means that we are going to convert far fewer leads than other teams towards the top end of the table.

"Even though I would understand and agree that sometimes the way that we approach games from being ahead isn't the most aggressive and it does invite a draw into being a more likely scenario, I wouldn't say that necessarily that Saturday was a great example of that."

The Dub team discuss point-hugging accusations as Oxford United claimed a 1-1 draw against Middlesbrough, but were unable to turn the performance into three points, and how big a blow losing captain Cameron Brannagan may be with games against Norwich City and Ipswich Town on the horizon.

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

Philippe Clement will chase his first victory as Norwich City boss when they host Oxford United on Tuesday (19:45 GMT).

Clement sealed his first game in charge of the Canaries with a 4-1 loss to Birmingham City on Saturday but will begin to earn the trust of the fans should he secure the side their first home point of the season.

Fail to do so and they will claim the worst home start ever in the English Football League - as well as leave them eight points adrift of 21st placed Oxford United.

• Norwich have won just one of their last five league games against Oxford (D1 L3), a 4-2 away win in the second tier in April 1999.

• Oxford have won just one of their 11 away league games against Norwich (D4 L6), a 3-1 victory in November 1998.

• Norwich have lost each of their last seven home league games, their longest ever losing streak in their league history. Since the 2004 rebrand, the only side to lose eight consecutive Championship home games are Burton Albion between September-December 2017.

• Since their promotion in 2024, Oxford have won just four of their 31 Championship away games (D10 L17), with no ever present side winning fewer in that time.

• Norwich have lost all seven of their home league games this season – no side in English Football League history has ever lost their first eight at the start of a campaign before.

Image source, Shutterstock

Oxford United boss Gary Rowett said he was frustrated with the Middlesbrough equaliser which cost his team a win against a promotion contender.

The Us manager told BBC Radio Oxford: "In some ways, I'm really proud of the team again, I'm proud of the effort, I'm proud of the way we've gone about the game.

"I thought the goal that we conceded was incredibly frustrating, the way they've played through us from a throw-in.

"We've allowed them to play through us rather than them doing anything amazing to get there and it's been a little bit of a hallmark of the moments where we need to be better.

"At the end, it kind of looked like neither team quite had enough to go and win the game.

"It's funny in the Championship, if you had said before the season we would be going toe-to-toe with a team like Middlesbrough, who are second in the league, and be disappointed that we haven't won the game, you would feel that would be a lofty statement to make but in reality that's where we are.

"It's another game where a point feels like you're frustrated."

Oxford United boss Gary Rowett says his side need "a reset" in their mentality as they continue to struggle in the Championship.

They are three points above the relegation zone after losing both their league games before the international break.

"If you look last season, particularly towards the end and maybe when I came in as well, there was that underdog, battling spirit of we are trying to survive in this division," Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford.

"We've meandered this season into trying to play like a mid-table team and we've been getting caught in-between.

"We've got to get back to really fighting and competing and battling for every single ball and every single point that we can get. That's something we've probably come away from."

Oxford face second-placed Middlesbrough on Saturday, however they will be boosted by more defensive options, with only centre-back Brodie Spencer remaining out.

Listen to the full interview with Rowett and more Oxford United content on BBC Sounds.

If you're wondering where your team is going to finish in the Championship this season, you no longer need to worry.

Well, kind of.

Opta's supercomputer has worked its magic to figure out the most likely final league position of every team - and the chances each has of being promoted, making the play-offs or getting relegated.

Who is most likely to win automatic promotion?

It will come as no surprise that leaders Coventry are heavy favourites for the title (69.3%) and also have the highest chance of automatic promotion (84.2%) to the Premier League.

The next most likely to go straight up, with a 30.8% chance, are Middlesbrough. Despite currently sitting seventh and six points behind Boro in second, Ipswich are expected to be the third favourites for a top two finish (18.9%) followed by Stoke (14.1%).

Even though they've each enjoyed a strong start to the campaign, Preston (10.3%), Hull (6.1%) and Millwall (8.3%) have slimmer chances of finishing in an automatic promotion spot.

Who will make the play-offs?

Image source, Rex Features

Even if Coventry don't win automatic promotion, Opta's supercomputer has given the Sky Blues a 97.9% chance of a top-six finish, suggesting it's almost guaranteed.

Each of Middlesbrough, Ipswich, Preston and Stoke are expected to finish in a minimum of a play-off position at least one in two times.

Hull might feel the hardest done by as they sit fifth currently, but are said to have less chance (32.3%) than Millwall (38.8%) and Charton (32.4%), who are below them in the table.

The most likely of the chasing pack to make a surge up the table are 12th-placed Leicester City, who have been given a 31.8% chance of finishing in the top six and are more likely than Bristol City (28.9%), Derby (22.9%) and Birmingham (19.9%).

Last season's beaten play-off finalists Sheffield United have just a 1.8% chance of recovering their season to make the play-offs again, while relegated Premier League side Southampton (12.5%) aren't likely to either... if you trust the supercomputer!

Who is going down?

Image source, Rex Features

It's probably not hard to work out who is most likely to finish bottom and be relegated to League One.

Sheffield Wednesday's 12-point deduction, which has left them 17 points adrift of safety on -4 points, means they're pretty much nailed on to finish bottom (84.8%) - and failing that, are almost certain to go down (98.2%).

Second from bottom Norwich are the next most likely candidates to fall through the trap door (58.5%) but Sheffield United, who currently occupy the final relegation spot, have just a 22.4% chance of going down and are considered more likely to stay up than Oxford (37.8%) and Portsmouth (31.3%).