By their standards, this has certainly been a season of disappointment for Oxford United.
A frustrating transfer window set the tone before winless runs and the dismissal of long-serving Karl Robinson followed.
In came Liam Manning who, by then, was tasked to ensure the club’s League One status by avoiding the drop.
Here is our team of the season:
Back Five
Simon Eastwood
With Jack Stevens surprisingly loaned out to Port Vale, Simon Eastwood was once again restored to the number one role.
In all fairness, it was a pretty decent campaign for the 33-year-old who has improved on many aspects of his game.
Despite that, the U’s shipped several goals from outside the box and Eastwood conceded 51 in 43 league games.
With the potential return of Stevens and the emergence of Ed McGinty, it will be interested to see who Manning selects next season.
Ciaron Brown
Brought in following a productive loan last season, centre-back turned left-back Ciaron Brown’s season ended in success with the Players and Supporters Player of the Year at the club’s end-of-season awards.
On the pitch, the 25-year-old scored twice from 49 appearances and was a consistent presence in the Oxford defence.
While he may not have stood out against previous Oxford left-backs, like Josh Ruffels, his performances rarely dropped below a seven out of ten.
Stuart Findlay
Oxford had been chasing Scottish defender Stuart Findlay for some time so were relieved to finally secure their man.
And he looked solid on his debut at Derby, despite being at fault for the opener. For the most part, he looked fairly comfortable.
Then came a turning point. Performances began to dip, he was dropped from the squad by Karl Robinson and touted with a move away – some suggest that the defender may have even questioned the manager.
But the arrival of Liam Manning restored the Scot’s confidence and he has arguably been one of the most improved players under the new head coach.
He hasn’t quite fit the mould of previous centre-backs by being comfortable on the ball and happy to run out from the back but, like Brown, he is fairly consistent.
Elliott Moore
Captain fantastic makes the list, yet again. Elliott Moore, like many other players in this list, may not have had as productive a campaign as previously but the skipper has still been a key part of the team.
The defender may have also been distracted this season, missing a few games through injury but also personal reasons.
That said, his presence in the back four doesn’t go unnoticed and he has remained a key part of the team.
Sam Long
Like Moore, Sam Long hasn’t had an extremely productive season but he has once again put in plenty of consistent performances.
The Oxford-born right-back has covered all the positions across the back four, which at times has been crucial, but will be disappointed with his lack of goal contributions compared to other campaigns, with three goals and two assists.
Djavan Anderson often came in for Long and offered something completely different. That said, while his attacking threat was exciting, his defensive flaws left the rest of the defence vulnerable, and Long was a more consistent player over the season.
Midfield Three
Marcus McGuane
This was Marcus McGuane’s best season in an Oxford shirt. The 24-year-old turned out 51 times in all competitions, which is the most he has played in a full season.
Ok, his goal contribution wasn’t great, providing just two assists all season, but his all-round play was brilliant.
Playing as the holding midfielder under both Robinson and Manning, he was asked to play slightly out of position but he took to the role with ease, providing a shield to the backline.
However, many fans feel he would have been more effective being played further up the field. Maybe we will see that next season under Manning.
Cameron Brannagan
The season started in style with Cameron Brannagan rejecting an offer from Blackpool before signing a new deal with the U’s. He also ended the campaign as the club’s top scorer with 12.
That said, that was as good as it got as even the midfielder had a below-par season, and he has been the first to admit that.
Despite that, he remains a constant at the club and his loyalty, commitment and effort for the fans remains unquestionable.
Lewis Bate
The final midfield position was a difficult choice between Lewis Bate and Billy Bodin, but I have selected the former.
Bate arrived on loan from Leeds in the summer with high expectations and, although it took him a while to find his feet, he really began to show his class before picking up a season-ending injury.
Despite the 20-year-old only netting once and adding four assists, it was a solid season for the youngster.
Bodin scored nine and provided five assists and while that is more than Bate, none came in match-defining moments. Bate’s solitary goal came as an equaliser at MK Dons and he provided two important assists in a vital win at Bolton.
He will be a miss next season but Bodin will be called upon again.
Front Three
Marcus Browne
Like Findlay, Marcus Browne is another player to show signs of improvement following the arrival of Manning.
Despite missing a chunk of the season through injury, Browne netted just once under Robinson but found the net in a further three games under the new head coach.
However, even under Manning, he was deployed in several attacking positions, maybe showing that both the two managers and the player himself are still yet to find his best position.
Kyle Joseph
On loan from Swansea, Kyle Joseph showcased two things that Oxford were missing all season – goals and commitment.
For the last few seasons, the U’s have been one of the highest-scoring sides, not only in the division but also in England. This season, goals were hard to come by.
But from 41 appearances, Joseph found the net on ten occasions. There was the brace at Exeter, the sweet strike at Portsmouth and the opener in the must-win game against Forest Green.
While he wasn’t your typical ’20-goal-a-season’ striker, it was his work rate off the ball that also got the fans off their feet. The 21-year-old chased every second ball, even when he knew he wouldn’t get there.
Tyler Goodrham
You knew it had the potential for a frustrating season when the club were reliant on two academy players to bring success.
That said, both Gatlin O’Donkor and Tyler Goodrham embedded themselves well into the first team and although the former won the Young Player of the Year, it’s Goodrham that makes our list.
In what should have been another season of development, the 19-year-old turned out 44 times in all competitions.
His last-minute winner against Cambridge in the first home game of the season would prove to be pivotal, while he also found the net in important victories over Cheltenham and Forest Green.
Many fans would like to see the duo spend time away on loan but their exposure to first-team football has been good for themselves and the club this season.
