Big Match Preview

Oxford United vs. Barnet

Saturday December 4, 15:00, Kassam Stadium

Two sides looking for points to move away from the wrong end of League Two clash at the Kassam Stadium this weekend when Oxford United host Barnet.

The hosts, promoted as Conference play off winners last term, come into the game in 18th - four points above their opponents who currently lie in the relegation zone.

It's been a testing adjustment to life back in the Football League for the Oxen, who had alarmingly slipped down the table after a run of four straight defeats in Nov.

However, Chris Wilder's side pulled off the shock of the season in midweek with a 2-1 success at leaders Chesterfield, and will hope that represents a turning point in their campaign.

Wilder will also be looking to Saturday to improve a home record which has seen United beaten five times in their nine games.

Last time out, Gillingham ended their long winless away streak at the Kassam, and Torquay, Aldershot, Stockport, and Bury have also left from a trip to Oxfordshire with maximum spoils.

Wins have been attained against Morecambe, Northampton and current League Two top dogs Port Vale though, highlighting the inconsistency that has characterised the Yellows this term.

Key men for Oxford include strikers James Constable and Tom Craddock who have notched 14 goals between them. Former Sheffield Wednesday forward Steve MacLean is also in the ranks and got the winner at the b2net stadium on Tuesday.

Oxford boss Chris Wilder (left) guided his team back into the Football League

That indifferent home form will, Barnet hope, be a source of optimism as they go in search of their first win on the road this term. The Bees are one of just two clubs in the division yet to collect three points away from home.

Mark Stimson's men have collected a paltry two points from their eight away fixtures, courtesy of draws at Torquay and Morecambe. The rest - games at Chesterfield, Wycombe, Lincoln, Stockport, Shrewsbury and Crewe have all ended in defeat.

The last of those was a 7-0 thumping, which is one of the reasons why Barnet have League Two's worst defensive record away from home with 21 goals already being conceded.

It's not hard, therefore, to see why the North London outfit - perennial strugglers in the basement division - once again find themselves in trouble, currently sitting 23rd and two points adrift of safety.

With one in their last five games, albeit a thumping 4-1 win over fellow strugglers Northampton, the Underhill club also come into Saturday's match in poor form.

Joint top scorers for Barnet are veteran forward Steve Kabba and midfielder Mark Byrne - both with four goals to their name. Stimson has also recently recruited former MK Dons striker Izale McLeod to help aid them in their relegation fight.

With Oxford's home form being erratic at best, and Barnet hopeless on the road, it's difficult to see either side approaching this game confident of collecting all three points.

However, with the home side buoyed by their midweek success, coupled with their opponent's away day ills, this contest should swing in Oxford's favour.

Nobes' Prediction: Oxford United 1 Barnet 0

Separate Ways

At opposite ends of the League One table, Nobes considers the idea of the play off hangover when seeing how Charlton and Swindon have responded to heartbreak in last season's play offs.

Swindon celebrate after beating Charlton on penalties in May's play offs

Misery loves company. Or at least, it did. This was never going to be the easiest of seasons for either Charlton Athletic or Swindon Town.

Indeed, with the pair level on points in mid table at the end of September, it appeared two sides looking to recover from play off disappointment at the end of last season were both experiencing somewhat of a slow start.

A couple of months on though and, while Charlton - much to the relief of under-pressure manager Phil Parkinson - have picked up form and sit in 2nd, Swindon sit just above the relegation zone.

It's a clear example of the opposite ways in which sides can respond to missing out in the end of season lottery - responding to adversity or letting it linger.

In the case of Swindon, Robins fans will obviously point to the proverbial 'play off hangover.'

Although much younger in its roots, such a theory has managed to firmly force its way into the cliche book between somewhere between 'After the Lord Mayor's Show' and 'Honeymoon Period.'

That was largely down to a spell in the mid-1990s in League One when, for three successive seasons, the losing play off finalists were relegated to the basement division the following year.

Ever since that trio trailed that particular blaze, the fear for clubs who miss out in the play offs is that getting over the pain of coming so near yet so far will affect their subsequent campaign.

So with the Wiltshire outfit this term. Defeat a couple of weeks ago at fellow strugglers Notts County left them just two points above the East Midlands outfit.

Their record at the County Ground has also taken a hit, losing three times already compared to just two defeats at home all season in 2009/10.

True, the side is now without last season's 29-goal top scorer Billy Paynter, who moved on a free transfer to Leeds in the summer. However, goalscoring has not been Town's problem this term, with striker Charlie Austin already notching 12.

Rather, it's been down the other end of the pitch where they've struggled - with 32 goals being leaked in 18 games. The loss of defender Gordon Greer - now at League One leaders Brighton - probably more pertinent to Swindon's current struggles.

Boss Danny Wilson would also point to an injury to Jonathan Douglas, as well as uncharacteristic keeping errors earlier in the season from the experienced David Lucas as to reasons why Town's defence has looked worryingly vulnerable.

However, after a fine campaign last year, could the play off hangover have had a part to play? Swindon overachieved reaching the final against Millwall in May - playing an attractive brand of attacking football to boot.

Their narrow 1-0 defeat at Wembley, where they were largely outplayed on the day, was a bitter blow to the former top flight club looking to end their decade spell in England's third tier.

They could be forgiven for thinking then that, in a division increasingly populated by big, high-spending teams, they wouldn't come as close again for a while. A fear only likely to be heightened by the loss of Paynter and Greer.

That was compounded by a relatively quiet summer on the transfer front - failing to freshen up a squad who stretched themselves last season.

Is it any surprise then that they got off to a poor start with no wins in their first five games? With optimism drained and confidence low - mistakes can become rife. A vicious circle of fear and errors strangling a side's early season.

Charlton boss Phil Parkinson is expected to have his side challenging

Why then, observers will ask, has such an affliction not struck in South London? Charlton were defeated by Swindon on penalties in last season's play off semis yet are currently two points clear in the automatic promotion places.

It could be argued, too, that the Addicks - a bigger club with higher expectations than Swindon - failing to win promotion to the Championship was more psychologically damaging.

After all, as recently as 2007 Athletic were competing in the top flight against the country's finest. The loss to Swindon condemned them to a second successive year facing the likes of Yeovil and Exeter.

They had failed to bounce back from relegation at the first time of asking - with fears of a Leeds or Nottingham Forest-esque prolonged spell in League One on the horizon.

Certainly the prospects looked bleak for Phil Parkinson as manager. Someone who, although enjoying success at this level with Colchester, was running out of time to prove he could do the same at The Valley.

However, a run of 20 points from their last 10 games has seen the Addicks establish themselves as table topping Brighton's closest challengers. Parkinson's side have also made progress in both the FA Cup and Johnstone's Paint Trophy.

Most markedly, they sit a full 18 places and 11 points above their conquerors last May and appear the only half of the duo likely to challenge in the top six once again.

Like the wise man who drinks water after a night out, Charlton appear to have avoided any play off hangover and come back even stronger - securing an emphatic 5-1 win at Peterborough and seeing off Swindon themselves 3-0.

Not that such a recovery is unheard of. Indeed, just as some sides seem to suffer from losing in the play offs, others use the experience as motivation to go one better and ensure they avoid the end of season lottery next time around.

Most famously, Sunderland stormed to a then-record points total when achieving Championship glory in 1999. It came 12 months after losing an extraordinary play off final to, ironically, Charlton. Black Cats boss Peter Reid acknowledged he'd used the pain as the ultimate motivation for his squad.

Rochdale's promotion last season came off the back of successive play-off defeats, and Ipswich won the Championship play offs in 2000 after losing in them for the previous three campaigns.

The likes of Hartlepool, Nottingham Forest, Northampton, and Leeds have also all recently been automatically promoted the year after losing in the play offs.

In Charlton's case this term, it could be argued that the rebuilding job that was required, especially after the departure of two of last season's key men - Nicky Bailey and Jonjo Shelvey - has actually benefited the squad.

Fresh faces not only bring new options on the pitch, but new belief also. Rather than a carry-on of the baggage of last season, new recruits offer optimism and a clean slate.

Of course, getting the right additions helps, with Parkinson blending experienced players like Gary Doherty and Johnnie Jackson alongside exciting young talent in the form of Joe Anyinsah and Kyel Reid.

The capture of proven lower strikers Paul Benson and Pawel Abbott also helped bolster an attacking line which appeared light on options.

With Charlton thriving after such squad evolution though, it provides Swindon with much food for thought ahead of the January transfer window.

Backing a proven manager in Wilson must be the way ahead if they wish to challenge again in the future. For, while Charlton's hangover may have been prevented, Swindon's can still be cured.

Nobes' Trivia 3: solutions

At the start of last month, Soccer AM/MW's Nobes tasked you with finding the solutions to three trivia posers. How did you do? Here are the questions with the answers.

Question 1 - Cryptic Conundrum

Currently, seven Championship managers have achieved this, four League One bosses, and ten managers in League Two. What?

Solution: The answer is having won promotion from the division they're currently managing in.

In the Championship they are: Dave Jones, Aidy Boothroyd, George Burley, Roy Keane, Tony Mowbray, Billy Davies, and Neil Warnock.

League One managers who've already won promotion from the third tier before include: Phil Parkinson, John Ward, Gary Johnson, and Nigel Adkins.

The ten League One bosses are: Mark Stimson, Peter Taylor, Dario Gradi, Steve Tilson, Sammy McIlroy, Micky Adams, Ronnie Moore, Graham Turner, Paul Sturrock, and Paul Simpson.

Question 2 - Where's Nobes?

Which Football League ground is Nobes at?

This ground is used for both football and rugby league.

England's football and cricket teams have both played matches here, too, as well as an FA Cup final replay.

It's located on a road named after a local manufacturing family.

Solution: Nobes was at Bramall Lane, home of Sheffield United.

Question 3 - Odd One Out

Which of these clubs is the odd one out and why?

Doncaster Rovers, Norwich City, Swindon Town, Wycombe Wanderers, Yeovil Town.

Solution: Swindon are the odd one out because they don't play in a unique kit combination for the Football League.

Doncaster's red and white hoops, Yeovil's green and white hoops, Norwich's yellow and green ensemble, and Wycombe's sky and dark blue quarters are all unique.

Swindon's red shirts and white shorts kit is repeated by the likes of Nottingham Forest, Crewe, and Rotherham.

There's no trivia this month, although you will be able to play along with the Christmas Trivia Quiz between Lakes and Turls.

Nobes will have more trivia in the New Year.