We need to sort it out - Oxford United skipper

9:50am Monday 17th September 2012 in Sport Photograph of the Author By David Pritchard, Chief Sports Reporter covering Oxford United. Follow us on twitter: @oxfordmailoufc. Call me on 01865 425458

Calvin Zola fires in Burton's opening goal Calvin Zola fires in Burton's opening goal

JAKE Wright called on Oxford United ’s players to speak up as they attempt to stop the rot in time for tomorrow’s trip to Cheltenham Town.

The U’s were second best as they slumped to a 4-0 defeat at Burton Albion on Saturday.

There were virtually no positives to come out of the performance, which sealed a third straight league defeat.

Wright, the United skipper, wants constructive criticism from the rest of the squad to solve the team’s problems.

He said: “We spoke about different things in the changing room afterwards.

“There have been a few words said between the lads, I don’t know what the fans think, but it hurts every single player to lose.

“The effort is never something you question, everybody wants to win, but for some reason we didn’t win enough tackles, headers, anything.

“We need to speak about it to sort it out.

“Sometimes you have to have a go at each other and people have to take it in the right manner.”

And Wright shared U’s boss Chris Wilder ’s concerns on the side’s worrying lack of mental strength.

The defender added: “We’ve let the fans down, we let the gaffer and the coaching staff down.

“We prepare right all week and then I don’t think we turned up.

“As soon as they scored, which was a great goal, to be fair, we went under a little bit. I’m gutted and it hurts me a lot that we’ve conceded 11 goals in three league games.

“Everybody wants to do well, but at the moment we look vulnerable – we need to sort it out for Tuesday night.”

Comments(8)

Southstandupper says...
11:40am Mon 17 Sep 12

The players need to realise they are not prima donnas. You don't win just by thinking you are good in a supposed good team. The fans WORK hard all weekto earn the money to pay the wages, the team accept the wages and perform with no drive no desire, and no will to win. The whole team, and management should donate their wages for Saturday and refund the loyal fans who travelled to Burton to witness a pathetic display for their hard earned money. Everyone at the club needs to get organised, sort thingsout, those who underperformed andare not able to raise their game Tuesdayshould be shown the door. Players and mamagement should be proud to wear the Oxford Colours and have pride.

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Micky Hazard says...
1:51pm Mon 17 Sep 12

I'm usually on the wind-up with you lot, but you genuinely seem to be so pre-occupied and obsessed with us (I think you know who!), that you appear to take your collective eye off the ball, forgetting that you need to perform for 9 months?
This embarrassing outlook that you have seems to consume you all, from the chairman, that tw@t Rosenthal, your fans, manager, coaches - everyone.
Why do you think we gloat so much, & act all smug? It's because you're SO easy to wind up. We don't need to adopt your attitude because we recognise the bigger picture. Ok yeh of course we want to beat you & ram it down your throats, and the recent defeats have been an irritation, BUT NO MORE THAN THAT.
Christ, when we do beat you god knows how some of you saddo's will cope.
Ok I am on the wind-up a little bit, but my points still stand.
COYR!!!!

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BigOx22 says...
2:04pm Mon 17 Sep 12

I totally agree with Southstandupper! I didn't go on saturday thank goodness. Things need to change and change quickly. I can't remember the last time 11 goals went in the 3 games. Last season we lost a few games but only usually by the odd goal. If we have lost say 2-1 on Saturday and Zola's goals were the difference you could say 2 good goals we were unlucky. I never used to turn off the radio early but I have twice this season already!

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oldun says...
4:10pm Mon 17 Sep 12

Obsessed with Swindon - narr! Prefer them to lose? - of course - but they aren't in my 3 least fave clubs. Cheered them all the way to Wembley in 69 . If you guys did not post on here then there would be little talk about our deadliest rivals. We have to get out of this ***y division. Not played against many teams i like to see since the late 90s - sort it Mr L

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CamView says...
4:23pm Mon 17 Sep 12

Wilder e al could start with the basics in defence. When the opsition have the ball you have to mark the opposition players - that does not mean two yards away but right up their backsides. I have studied the last three league games and the markng and challenging is not up to schoolboy standards. Wilder talks about players not putting their foot in and he is right, This is because players are nowhere near their opposite numbers to get a foot in. The goals looked great on Saturday because the scorers had all the time in the world to get their shots off. One wonders if there is a system for marking opposition players.

When a challenge is made its powder puff stuff. This not difficul to put right but it does require a bit of effort.on the part of the players and a bit of thought by the mnagement team as to who marks who.

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Beau champ mummy says...
7:24pm Wed 19 Sep 12

Wright u r one of the many poor players in ur squad

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Micky Hazard says...
4:38pm Thu 20 Sep 12

oldun wrote:
Obsessed with Swindon - narr! Prefer them to lose? - of course - but they aren't in my 3 least fave clubs. Cheered them all the way to Wembley in 69 . If you guys did not post on here then there would be little talk about our deadliest rivals. We have to get out of this ***y division. Not played against many teams i like to see since the late 90s - sort it Mr L
You're clearly a decent fella, but my god are you in the minority!!
I have to respectfully disagree with your 3rd sentence - I've lived in West Oxon for over 30 years, & I look at your forums, & the number of STFC mentions in this rag of a paper are hilarious! Pox only ever get mentioned in the Adver if we've got a game coming up, or if there's talk of a player moving between the 2 clubs, other than? Nothing.
Like I said, we're concentrating on ourselves, and the bigger picture, whereas WAY TOO MUCH of your focus is on us.

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oldun says...
5:47pm Thu 20 Sep 12

Not too much of my focus. As I said I hope that you lose every game but all clubs benefit from having a deadly rival and would hate you to fold (highly unlikely) I feel sorry for say Carlisle fans who don't enjoy a rivalry like ours with STFC. Ditto clubs like Gillingham and York who don't have a serious rival - I am sure that no club sees either of them as real 'scum' . Can't get involved in this Swindon 'hatred' - too old for that and remember the largely good natured banter of the late 60s (long before Dave Sloan's winner or the smoke bomb goal. . There are many STFC fans posting on here - some of them making many intelligent and/or witty comments. Don't like PDC but wish he was our manager - better still someone like a latter day Arthur Turner, Jim Smith, Danny Williams, Bert Head or even Denis Smith .

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