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  • "Yeah yeah yeah, top of conference then almost blew it, remember people,start league 2 seasons ok then he runs out of ideas gets loan players in, back in september october this season. He has a mass clear out every summer, maybe we need continuity in playing staff too because some of the players that come in arent any better. Play players in their best positions, at this level if you sign a centre forward play him at centre forward not out wide, these players arent Rooney and play anywhere its basic stuff Wilder!! Im fed up with you being stuck up your own arse, play 4-4-2 or 3-5-2 not 4-3-3. 4-3-3 works at higher levels i agree but not with us. 3-5-2 you could play dubes, jake,worley then this gives batt and davies a licence to push down the wings and get the crosses in, this would probly stop batt getting so many bookings as he wont be struggling to get back to defend so much and would give us the width especially at home that we miss so much. Tempt a big hard b**tard of a striker to sign,the football might not be pretty but i dont care smash the ball in the box score the goals and get us out of this league then play more football in league 1. Barnet and Northampton have strikers i would love to see. Im not saying i want Wilder out just want him to learn and change his game plan. Stubborn old git!! lol"
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Thomas pinning faith in Oxford United boss Wilder

9:30am Saturday 12th May 2012 in Oxford United Photograph of the Author By David Pritchard , Chief Sports Reporter covering Oxford United. Follow us on twitter: @oxfordmailoufc. Call me on 01865 425458

Kelvin Thomas Kelvin Thomas

OXFORD United chairman Kelvin Thomas says manager Chris Wilder has his full backing – despite missing out on the play-offs this season.

The U’s spent the majority of the campaign inside npower League Two’s top seven, but a dismal run of results in the final weeks of the season proved very costly.

The club have spent this week analysing their ninth-place finish and which areas need to be improved for next season.

Changes are planned on the playing side, but one area of continuity is in the manager’s seat, with Wilder set to begin his fourth full season with United in August.

Thomas said: “Absolutely, I think Chris has shown over his time here that he can continue to improve.

“There are a lot of circumstances in football that you can’t legislate for and some of the injuries especially were part of that and came at bad times.

“There are a few things that have gone against Chris, but as a club we know how hard he works.

“We’ve got to make sure we give him the help he needs and not panic, because we didn’t achieve our goal.

“Chris knows as well as anybody that we didn’t achieve what we wanted, but we weren’t that far off it and we’ve got to make sure we get there next year.”

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Wilder received criticism from a section of the club’s fans as results deteriorated during the run-in.

The 44-year-old remains deeply frustrated his side are not in the play-offs, which start today, but is fired up to come back stronger next season.

He said: “I’m possibly more determined than I’ve ever been in my managerial career to take us to where we want to go.

“People will always question the job you’re doing and expect more at every level, whether it’s (Sir Alex) Ferguson, (Arsene) Wenger, everyone.

“There will always be people that want a change, it annoys me at times because I think some people are very dismissive of the jobs people have done.

“Everybody has always talked about the stability at this club and we’ve had another season of improvement.

“But for every one that’s dismissive there are four or five who are supportive.

“I put more pressure on myself than anyone else does to succeed.

“I’m a very driven person and I’m absolutely gutted that we’ve not got in the play-offs because we worked extremely hard to get there.”

Wilder joined the U’s in December 2008, guinding them to promotion back into npower League Two via the Blue Square Premier play-offs 18 months later.

After three and a half years in charge at the Kassam Stadium, the former Halifax Town boss is now the 11th longest serving manager in the top four divisions.

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