Midfield Four
Steve Seddon
Filling the boots of Josh Ruffels was always going to be a difficult task but from the outset, it looked as though Oxford may have found their man.
Seddon joined the U’s from Birmingham, having established himself in League One along with a handful of second-tier appearances. He even scored on his debut (1-1 draw at Cambridge).
The left-back looked settled in a regular defence but when Thorniley was recalled from his loan spell in January, his performances started to suffer.
By mid-March, Seddon was dropped from the line-up, down to a mixture of below-par performances along with a change of formation. He returned for the final game of the season against Doncaster, which suggests he may still be part of Karl Robinson’s plans for next season.
His defensive abilities appear to lack in contrast to his offensive displays but if Robinson sticks with a back three next season, Seddon would suit a left-wing-back role.
Ryan Williams
Robinson’s first summer signing, Ryan Williams arrived as an experienced League One winger. By the end of the season, he had become Oxford’s most effective right-wing-back.
Sam Long played right back in a back four and appearances were limited for Anthony Forde but when the U’s switched to a back three, Williams was the main choice wing-back.
And it wasn’t just on the right, either. The Australian also played on the left side of defence as well as both attacking flanks throughout the season.
Williams scored twice in 33 games but he also laid on five assists. Of course, he would have liked to have featured more with many outings coming from the bench but his impact when involved was flawless.
Herbie Kane
Although performances may have tailed off towards the end of the season, Barnsley loanee Herbie Kane will have been pleased with his Oxford tenure.
Despite not scoring, the 23-year-old racked up six assists and could often be found dictating the tempo of the match.
Part of his decline in displays could have come down to Robinson dropping him into the defensive midfield role following the injury to Alex Rodriguez Gorrin. While he still looked comfortable on the ball, his defensive awareness was lacking compared to the Spaniards.
However, many fans were delighted when the club paid a fee in January to remove his recall clause, highlighting just how important he was to the team.
Cameron Brannagan
Of course, this team would not be complete unless Cameron Brannagan featured in the heart of midfield.
The former Liverpool man scooped both the Supporters’ and Players’ Player of the Year and put in another outstanding campaign on the pitch.
Brannagan recorded a career-high 14 goals, which included four penalties in a 7-2 win at Gillingham, while seven of his strikes were the difference between one and three points.
With one year remaining on his contract and plenty of clubs sniffing around, it could well have been his last campaign in yellow.
