Some thoughts on Oxford

Before I start, I think it's only fair to offer an apology to James Constable for the emphasis I placed on a couple of chances he spurned last night.

Don't get me wrong, I make no apology for mentioning them and anyone who knows 'Beano' will tell you he has broad shoulders and will be honest enough to admit he should have had at least one goal last night.

As I drove home last night though, I was already regretting putting emphasis on those misses. I also incorrectly identified substitute Tom Naylor as the lad whose shot flew off the Oxford bar towards the end - it was Christian Jolley apparently!

So Beano might be ruing missing an opportunity to add to his tally, but I also seemed to be watching the game with my wife's specs on!

Frankly, it was a dire game though - with little to write about - and referee Darren Sheldrake didn't cover himself in glory by handing out cards as if it was already Christmas.

One of the eight yellow cards was shown to central Harry Worley - released on a free by Oxford in the summer - after a challenge on Ryan Williams.

I'd been chatting to a Nottingham Forest coach before and during the game who looked at me and raised his eyes to the heavens and sarcastically told me it had worth coming just to see that tackle - and then he left. Enough was enough.

The Oxford Mail end were calling for Worley to be sent off, but from where I was sitting (and this time I was directly in line with the incident) it looked as though Worley picked up the booking for being a clumsy oaf rather than for anything nasty. He seemed to catch Williams somewhere around the waist or top of the thigh.

To Williams's credit he didn't play act. He bounced back up on to his feet and this probably saved Worley from an early bath.

I've seen Sheldrake officiate in four games this season and I don't rate him too much. He's handed out 63 yellow and four reds and Oxford boss Chris Wilder was spot on when he said he was probably tired by the end of the game with the amount of puff he had put through his whistle.

But from looking at Wilder's bench last night, his problems are bigger than one poor referee. I identified four "youth prospects", but in fact Scott Davies was the only 'established' pro (Crocombe and Marsh have been around a while even if they too haven't made too many appearances).

Injured defender Jake Wright was very concerned that the squad were down to the bare bones and was pitchside at the end of the game pointing this out to one of the club officials.

Wright seems like a good club man - despite his own injury he took time out to tell me how well he thought his replacement Michael Raynes had been playing, but an injury to Raynes or central defensive partner Johnny Mullins and the club could be in real trouble.

Fortunately the back five (or six if you throw in Wright) are a solid unit at the moment, but with Alfie Potter, Andy Whing and Sean Rigg out for varying amounts of time, the options to supply Constable and Dave Kitson at the other end are limited.

Potter was in a cast and told me that he had his operation ten days ago, but that he would be out for three months. You could see the frustration etched on his face and there's no worse sight at a football club than injured players who really just want to lend their weight to the cause.

I agree with Wright that they need to try and get some faces in to bolster the squad, but I guess it's better to be top of the table with injuries to key players than in or around the drop zone.

With luck the club can keep going despite those injuries and still be in a good position when Wright, Potter and company are ready to return.