OXFORD UNITED

LAST SEASON

LEAGUE ONE 12th FA CUP Third Round

LEAGUE CUP Third Round TOP SCORER James Henry (15)

FANFILE TONY FALLOWS @Tonyfallows

The big talking point among the fans is the rumours about ownership of the club and stadium.

This season will be different because last summer we were far too slow to make key signings. This summer, Karl Robinson [below] will, we hope, have a team ready before the season starts. I won’t be happy unless United avoid another relegation battle. In the last two seasons we’ve been tipped for the play-off places, only to find ourselves scrapping at the bottom.

The opposition player I secretly admire is John Marquis of Doncaster. Robinson was looking to sign him last summer. He went on to prove himself as one of the division’s best strikers. The best away fans are Blackpool’s Tangerine Army. It’s great to see them have their club back.

Look out for Nico Jones, a classy left-footed centre-back. He’s 17 and Robinson has already tipped him for the Premier League. No pressure! Our best and worst celebrity fan is Timmy Mallett for both. He’s a massive Oxford fan, regularly seen at matches, but my word, he can be annoying. The best U’s social media account is @Yellowarmyoufc.

The one change I’d make to the club would be to finally resolve the ground situation. Oxford United will never be sustainable until it owns its stadium. The fans’ opinion of the gaffer is that a fairly disastrous recruitment campaign last summer, with Robinson often revealing too much to the press about ongoing negotiations, left fans frustrated when many targets fell through. However, he seems to have learnt from his mistakes. Most Yellows are cautiously optimistic.

If he left, he should be replaced by club legend Michael Appleton, who surprisingly hasn’t had a managerial role since leaving United in 2017. We’ll finish 10th. Most fans expect a play-off push at the very least. With a host of exciting youngsters coming through, a season of consolidation, while pushing towards those play-off spots, would set us up to have a real go the following season.