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United are missing Chapman says Wilder

9:40am Friday 3rd September 2010 in


OXFORD United are probably missing creative midfielder Adam Chapman, manager Chris Wilder said this week.

There has not been too much wrong with the team’s play in most of the games, apart from putting away chances.

This week’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy defeat at Aldershot was a bit different, but both teams had much-changed line-ups.

League Two is already shaping up to be a very competitive division.

And if you take out Rotherham’s crazy 6-4 win over Cheltenham and Crewe’s 7-0 drubbing of Barnet, there have been, on average, very few goals so far.

Aldershot manager Kevin Dillon said after his team’s 1-1 draw with Stevenage: “You look at the league and there were five draws last week. I think it’s going to be really tight.”

Wilder agreed. “And that’s why we have to be more clinical at the top of the pitch,” he said.

“I think we’ve been better than Burton, better than Bury and on the day I think we were better than Wycombe.

“I’m not saying we’re going to finish higher than them, but on the day, we’ve deserved to win. It’s important, when we do play well, and we do dominate the opposition, that we make it count.

“It’s a massive part of the game and I need to improve that.

“I do a lot of analysis and the two big things are, I think, we’ve missed Adam Chapman.

“Bully’s done great for us there, but I don’t think it’s his natural position, and Richie Baker missed a lot of pre-season, so he’s finding his feet a bit.

And anybody who’s seen us knows that the missing ingredient has just been a goal.

“I just think it affects so many attitudes and other parts of the game.

“Even on Tuesday, if we score first then the game has to change. They score two, in an even game, and we have to come out which leaves gaps at the back..”

After playmaker Adam Murray was injured last season, Chapman was given the role of the deep-lying midfielder who would get on the ball a lot and start off attacks.

But he is unavailable to United this season, serving a custodial sentence for causing death by dangerous driving.

Oxford have kept his registration and are hoping he is released to be able to re-join them next season.

Several U’s players have visited Chapman in open prison where, not surprisingly, he is a key member of the football team.

Meanwhile, one player on the Kassam Stadium pitch tomorrow who hasn’t had a problem scoring goals this season is Morecambe’s Andy Fleming.

Signed from Wrexham in the summer, he has already notched a brace, against Coventry in the Carling Cup, and he bagged another double last weekend, in the team’s 3-2 defeat at Burton.

Comments(16)

Flag Hippo says...
10:29am Fri 3 Sep 10

One Adam Chapman, there's only one Adam Chapman.

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YellowRose says...
11:40am Fri 3 Sep 10

Let's hope he comes back raring to go after his "loan period" ends.

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Joe1 says...
11:54am Fri 3 Sep 10

Yes we do miss Chapman, he was our best man on the Day we won promotion. He will be back & welcomed.

Re our new forward, it would be great if JC & TC could link up like Hamilton & Aldridge used to. I can only dream & hope that they both can get some goals for us.

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Bicester Ryan says...
4:51pm Fri 3 Sep 10

Why has Chapman been brought up again?

Personally i don't think we are missing him we are struggling cos the strikers at the mo can't hit a barn door!

Chapman should be forgotten and left to rot like he deserves and should never have the priviledge of being a professional footballer again.

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pop up pirate says...
5:40pm Fri 3 Sep 10

Bicester Ryan wrote:
Why has Chapman been brought up again? Personally i don't think we are missing him we are struggling cos the strikers at the mo can't hit a barn door! Chapman should be forgotten and left to rot like he deserves and should never have the priviledge of being a professional footballer again.
Chapman should be forgotten and left to rot like he deserves


I don't think he should he has to live with it. Do you?

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hughcurran says...
6:47pm Fri 3 Sep 10

Bicester Ryan wrote:
Why has Chapman been brought up again? Personally i don't think we are missing him we are struggling cos the strikers at the mo can't hit a barn door! Chapman should be forgotten and left to rot like he deserves and should never have the priviledge of being a professional footballer again.
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
rrr....MR ANGRY.....

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bifocal bill says...
11:45pm Fri 3 Sep 10

yes we do miss him i would love to see him back in full flow

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badger86 says...
11:24am Sat 4 Sep 10

Bicester Ryan wrote:
Why has Chapman been brought up again? Personally i don't think we are missing him we are struggling cos the strikers at the mo can't hit a barn door! Chapman should be forgotten and left to rot like he deserves and should never have the priviledge of being a professional footballer again.
Chapman deserved to go to jail but he also deserves to be given a second chance once he's served his time. We look forward to welcoming you back Adam!

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Kent Yellow says...
7:32pm Sun 5 Sep 10

badger86 wrote:
Bicester Ryan wrote: Why has Chapman been brought up again? Personally i don't think we are missing him we are struggling cos the strikers at the mo can't hit a barn door! Chapman should be forgotten and left to rot like he deserves and should never have the priviledge of being a professional footballer again.
Chapman deserved to go to jail but he also deserves to be given a second chance once he's served his time. We look forward to welcoming you back Adam!
Absolutely agree. Can't wait to have Chappers back. He did the crime. He'll serve the time. Move on.

Bicester Ryan, you are a numpty. I'm sure you are whiter than white.

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Flag Hippo says...
11:28am Mon 6 Sep 10

I agree that Adam Chapman should serve time for the offence that he has been found guilty of and serve his time he surely will.

However, B.R. seems to want to revert to "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" kind of punishment that quite frankly is, in my opinion, very archiac and out-of-date.

I am sure that B.R. will once again get on his/her soap if Adam serves time and then is released for "good behaviour".

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Flag Hippo says...
12:59pm Mon 6 Sep 10

Of course I mean't to type "soap-box".

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Bicester Ryan says...
2:04pm Mon 6 Sep 10

Flag Hippo wrote:
I agree that Adam Chapman should serve time for the offence that he has been found guilty of and serve his time he surely will. However, B.R. seems to want to revert to "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" kind of punishment that quite frankly is, in my opinion, very archiac and out-of-date. I am sure that B.R. will once again get on his/her soap if Adam serves time and then is released for "good behaviour".
At the end of the day hes responsible for the death of another human being! To me that means something!

Sadly i seem to be one of the only people on here who has morals and values. No wonder this country is going to the dogs when people have such low morals and values.

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Wiki Wiki Wah says...
9:40pm Mon 6 Sep 10

United are missing Chapman, but not half as much as the pensioner he killed is missed by his family.

Get a grip, as much as i love Oxford, he is at fault for the death of a father and grandfather. Chapman has the opportunity to rebuild his life upon release, the same can't be said of his victim.

Sections of Oxford supporters embarrass me so much! Morons!

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Telboyc says...
3:38am Wed 8 Sep 10

Wiki Wiki Wah wrote:
United are missing Chapman, but not half as much as the pensioner he killed is missed by his family.

Get a grip, as much as i love Oxford, he is at fault for the death of a father and grandfather. Chapman has the opportunity to rebuild his life upon release, the same can't be said of his victim.

Sections of Oxford supporters embarrass me so much! Morons!
I'd include yourself in the moron bracket, the boy did a wrong thing and he knows that,
He's paying for it now and forever will, hopefully he and others can learn from his mistake.
We need to let him move on and get on with his life and welcome him back to Oxford Utd.

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Flag Hippo says...
10:51am Wed 8 Sep 10

Totally agree with your comments Telboyc.

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Kent Yellow says...
8:25pm Wed 8 Sep 10

Flag Hippo wrote:
Totally agree with your comments Telboyc.
Ditto, I also agree with Telboyc and Flag Hippo here. I am still struggling to work out exaclty what punishment it is some fans (the minority) want Chapman to serve. Life?

As for the 'Morons' comment, I echo the sentiments of Telboyc. The morons are the ones who seem incapable of accepting the verdict and process of the British judicial system and specifically, the sentence dished out to Chapman.

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