Oxford United secured their first win of the season with a 2-1 victory over promotion rivals Charlton Athletic. The U’s went two goals up through Ryan Williams and Cameron Brannagan but the Addicks reduced the deficit before the break courtesy of a controversial penalty.
However, Karl Robinson’s side are now unbeaten from their opening three games and the goals they have conceded have come from the penalty spot or in the shape of an own goal.
Here are three talking points from the U’s first win (in 90 minutes) of the season.
Defensive Options
We spoke about this after the game at Burton, but there is a clear lack of defensive options at the club. Steve Seddon returned at left-back while Jordan Thorniley and Luke McNally played in the middle for just the second time in the absence of Elliott Moore. Anthony Forde was due to continue at right-back but he picked up a hamstring injury in the warm-up, so Ryan Williams dropped from midfield into defence and Mark Sykes came into midfield, with both Sam Long and Jamie Hanson also sidelined.
Like at Burton, Leon Chambers-Parillon played well at left-back, as did Williams on the right against Charlton, but Robinson is using makeshift players to fill the role. It may work for the short term but it remains an area that needs addressing, particularly when John Mousinho was the only defensive option on the bench against the Addicks.
However, one positive was that it was another promising display from McNally. The defender struggled in the first half against Burton but recovered well and looked assured against Charlton, leaving Robinson with some solid central options when all of his players are fully fit.
Brannagan Playing Higher Works Better
Last season, Cameron Brannagan dropped into the holding midfield role after the club lost Alex Rodriguez Gorrin to injury. Despite Gorrin returning from his spell on the sidelines, Brannagan continued in the position.
However, against the Addicks, Gorrin and Brannagan started with the latter adopting a more attacking role and his influence on the game was far more effective.
He played a pivotal role in the opening goal. Williams won the ball in his own half before playing a short pass to Brannagan. The midfielder then played a perfectly weighted through ball to Gavin Whyte, and although the Northern Ireland international saw his effort saved, Williams continued his run and tucked away the rebound.
Then, the midfielder was on hand to score his first goal of the season. Again, the U’s won the ball in their own half and it was eventually played out to Mark Sykes down the right. Brannagan made an attacking run into the box and smashed the ball home after the defence failed to clear James Henry’s delivery.
His attacking creativity is more effective when Gorrin is protecting the back four behind him, and he can have a bigger influence on the game. However, Robinson is a fan of Brannagan sitting deep, so playing forward may not happen as often as we would like to see.
Sam Winnall Chances
“Sam’s a Championship striker and we’ve got two top strikers at the football club,” said Karl Robinson before the game. While the 30-year-old may have had his injury concerns in his first season at the club, being given a starting opportunity ahead of Matty Taylor for an important game shows the manager believes in him.
We’ve also seen what he is capable of – just look at the goal he scored against Burton on the final day of the season. However, against the Addicks, he squandered some very good opportunities.
The striker clipped an early effort wide before missing from inside the six-yard box from a Sykes cross in the second half. While both could have gone in on another day, the forward will be frustrated at missing the chances. However, it was good to see Robinson rotating the forwards.
