Oxford United may have no game this weekend but that may allow everyone to recharge their batteries and rest for the challenge ahead.
With Elliott Moore already back in training, Matty Taylor, Sam Baldock and Josh Murphy not far behind, United are starting to come through a period when injuries have undoubtedly had an effect on results.
“Nobody here is neglecting the results, or the criticism that comes with losing, and I don’t think you can mask the hurt” Karl Robinson told iFollow.
“It has been hard, personally, the last week or so. We haven’t found our momentum yet but the only way to get that is to keep working hard; I don’t know any other way and I haven’t shied away from anything. Short term the results have been rubbish, we know that.
“There is a reason you lose games of football. Sometimes it’s human error, maybe a lack of work ethic, it could be bad luck: on Saturday Marcus Browne hit the post, Cameron hit the rebound really well and it hit a defender in the face and hit the other post! Two minutes later they go up the other end and we put it in our own goal.
“They say things even themselves out but I think this weekend is something we all need.
“We worked hard this week to then give ourselves a bit of a buffer for the weekend before we come back in next week and start again. We let the players have a bit of down time, I don’t think that does any harm for them to socialise together.
“But I am in early every morning, so are all of my staff; all of them. There are a lot of good things going on around the building and throughout the football club and we don’t leave any stone unturned.
“I am as proud of what we are doing as a club as I always have been. The club continues to move forward but don’t get me wrong we see some of the negativity after we lose.
“I respect everyone’s opinion, good or bad, but I now have to make sure that these players turn it around when we start back playing again. And having watched training this week, which has been excellent, I know we are making steps in the right direction.”
See the full interview in iFollow right now.