The fans may have to content themselves with watching the game on iFollow but Oxford United will show the same passion needed in any local derby, whether there is a crowd or not, when they travel to Swindon Town on Tuesday night.
That’s the view of boss Karl Robinson:
“I think on Saturday we were playing a team who would have gone level with the top six if they won and I thought we were the better team on the day so it was a very good performance” he said today. “Defensively we look solid. When we won 4-3 I got told we don’t defend well enough and will lose the big games because we concede too many. Then in those big games we don’t concede and we’re never going to win because we don’t score enough!
“If this run of draws had come to break up our winning run then everyone would be raving that we were picking up points against the top teams and beating everyone else. We do know we need to do more though. We have to be better in the final third. We know we have to beat some of those top clubs if we want to get out of the division, but we have kept ourselves in the mix and the attitude has been immense with everything that has gone against us this season.
“We don’t have good news to bring people from the treatment room for Tuesday. Sam Long and James Henry will be back before Easter, Sam Winnall as well and maybe Elliot Lee will be fit for the trip to Hull on Saturday. But there were no new injuries from Saturday which is good. Jamie Hanson got cramp but has recovered really well.
“But we are in a good place despite the injuries and the positivity around the building is very good. We know it is a big game for the fans. We get that, but it is a big game anyway because we want to win and get closer to that top six.
“Derbies are about one group of people. And they aren’t there tomorrow. There is nothing better than a derby with fans in the stadium. But we will play with passion and that has been there in recent weeks. I don’t think we can show any more intensity than we have been doing, whoever we play.”
See the full interview, and pick up your Match pass while you are there, in iFollow.