Despite not securing a playoff spot, it was still a relatively successful season for Oxford United.
In what proved to be a very difficult division, the U’s surpassed last season’s points tally but still found themselves seven points off a top-six finish following their draw against Doncaster on the final day.
Here is our Team of the Season:
Read: Oxford United Season Review
Back Four
Jack Stevens
After taking the number one spot from Simon Eastwood last season, it looked like this could be a breakthrough year for Jack Stevens.
The young goalkeeper, who was linked with a move to Aston Villa at the start of the campaign, played the first 13 league games before being struck down with glandular fever, which ruled him out for a significant period.
During the opening run, the 24-year-old kept three clean sheets – one more than Eastwood managed in 21 appearances. Despite that, Stevens looked fragile for parts of the season and will certainly be looking for improvements next year.
He managed just six shutouts from 30 league appearances, where he conceded 42 goals. Clean sheets and fewer goals conceded will certainly be something the club will need to address next season.
Jordan Thorniley
Despite being recalled by Blackpool in January, defender Jordan Thorniley was certainly a standout player for the U’s.
The 25-year-old turned out 25 times before returning to Bloomfield Road. As we’ve already noted, clean sheets were a struggle for the U’s this season but with Thorniley in defence, the backline looked more assured than it did following his departure.
Elliott Moore
Alongside Thorniley in our line-up is captain, Elliott Moore. The 25-year-old has seen several centre backs come and go since his arrival in 2019 but he remains a key figure for Karl Robinson.
Despite missing a few games through injury, Moore turned out 35 times and scored his only goal of the campaign in a 2-1 defeat against Sunderland.
His presence in the back four was key over the course of the campaign, particularly when Thorniley was recalled and the inexperienced Luke McNally stepped in.
Luke McNally
This really was a breakthrough season for Luke McNally. Signed in January 2020, the defender had to wait until the first round of the Carabao Cup to make his club debut.
From there, he featured occasionally when Moore and Thorniley were rested or injured and his exposure to the first team was beneficial.
Despite picking up two red cards during Football League Trophy matches, the 22-year-old grew into his role following the recall of Thorniley in January. From there, McNally missed just one game for personal reasons and became a key member of Robinson’s squad.
His marauding runs and towering headers were just two attributes the youngster was signed for and he showcased them brilliantly. He also ended the campaign as the highest-scoring defender with four goals.
