Wilder calls for fresh focus (From thisisoxfordshire)
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Wilder calls for fresh focus
10:00am Tuesday 29th January 2013 in Sport
By David Pritchard, Chief Sports Reporter covering Oxford United. Follow us on twitter: @oxfordmailoufc. Call me on 01865 425458
On-loan striker Justin Richards can’t play for Oxford United against his parent club, Burton Albion, tonight
Chris Wilder expects a return to form when Oxford United host Burton Albion tonight after suffering a heavy defeat on Saturday.
The U’s boss described the below-par performance in the 3-0 loss at Fleetwood Town as a “reality check”.
It was out of character for the side, who had played well to build an eight-game unbeaten run in npower League Two.
They have an opportunity against Burton to make amends, and Wilder wants to see United show the good qualities which had carried them to wins in the four league games before Fleetwood.
He said: “We have to get back to getting after teams and playing at a good intensity, all the things we did in the previous four games which we won.
“Maybe it was a touch of a reality check on Saturday – you can’t take your foot off the gas, which is what we did, there’s no doubt about it.
“The players answered the questions afterwards and know they have to show a reaction.
“I certainly demand a reaction, because we have to focus on the good things we did to get those wins.
“It’s not about the shape or the nice things in football, sometimes it’s about the hard stuff and the nasty stuff that you have to do well.”
Lewis Montrose and Liam Davis’s hamstring injuries will be assessed today, but loan striker Justin Richards is ineligible to play against his parent club.
James Constable is available again after serving a four-game suspension and is likely to be paired up front with Tom Craddock.
Burton, who beat the U’s 4-0 in September, have injury doubts over Aaron Webster and Nathan Stanton.
Oxford Utd: from Brown, Raynes, Duberry, Wright, Batt, Heslop, Leven, Capaldi, Potter, Craddock, Constable, Rigg, Smalley, Chapman, Montrose, Davis, Worley, O’Brien, Crocombe, Parker, Marsh.
Burton Albion: from Tomlinson, O’Connor, Diamond, Sharps, McCrory, Drury, Bell, Weir, Maghoma, Zola, Kee, Webster, Lyness, Stanton, McGrath, Phillips, Dyer, Paterson.
