Oxford United picked up their first win under Matt Bloomfield with a brilliant display on the road at Leicester.
The U’s led 2-0, had a goal controversially chalked off, and then conceded a late Leicester strike, but held on to pick up a vital three points.
Here are three talking points from the game.
Read More: Team News, Form and Predicted Line-Up as Oxford United Travel to Leicester
Oxford United Win at Leicester
Change of Personnel and Formation
With Bloomfield opting for a back five, many fans thought it was a negative approach from the off. However, when the game kicked off, it was clear that the wing-backs occupied a midfield role rather than a defensive one.
Brodie Spencer and Jack Currie offered plenty going forward while the back three of Sam Long, Ben Davies and, most notably, Ciaron Brown, all put in one hell of a shift for the best part of 100 minutes.
The comments continued when Mark Harris, who had only scored once all season, was selected ahead of top scorer Will Lankshear, but his energy and press were exactly what Oxford needed.
As a unit, the U’s pressed well, looked a threat on the counter and the wide players were a constant nuisance, and that was down to Bloomfield’s tactical setup.
Midfield Masterclass
In the last game against QPR, Oxford’s midfield were unable to get on the ball and that was another area where Bloomfield made changes.
Brian De Keersmaecker, who has had a decent debut season for the U’s, has looked leggy in recent weeks, but it was the right call to rest him, handing a full debut to Jamie McDonnell in the process.
The former Nottingham Forest player was fortunate to avoid an early booking, but his energy and work rate off the ball were exactly what Oxford needed to prevent Leicester attacks. It was also the beginning of a beautiful partnership with skipper, Cameron Brannagan, with the duo complementing each other’s game.
The addition of the wing-backs provided additional support, while the directness of Myles Peart-Harris and Stan Mills was a constant.
De Keersmaecker came on midway through the second half and helped out while also pushing out wide, having replaced Mills, and his assist for Harris was well executed.
Unsung Heroes
Sam Long got a lot of stick for his first-half display against QPR, and Harris’s selection was contentious, to say the least. However, the duo more than justified their selection.
Long, as mentioned, was a rock at the back alongside Davies and Brown and opened the scoring after just four minutes when the latter flicked on a Peart-Harris long throw to calmly slot the ball home.
After the break, De Keersmaecker played a perfectly weighted ball through to Harris, who ran from inside his own half, one-on-one with the goalkeeper, and had the composure to take it around the goalkeeper and tuck home just his second goal of the season.
In fact, the whole team were heroes. Oxford doubled the lead just before the break but the referee disallowed it. While it may have been an incorrect decision, the players didn’t let their heads drop and stuck to the game plan to see out the result.
Featured image courtesy of IMAGO / Pro Sports Images
