Oxford United

The BBC's 72+ EFL podcast team have taken a look at the Championship relegation picture, with some huge games in store at the end of the international break.

Easter Monday (6 April) sees Blackburn and West Brom face-off, level on points just above the drop zone, just hours after second-bottom Oxford United head to Portsmouth.

Third-bottom Leicester will also head to Portsmouth and Blackburn during the run-in.

Former Watford and Reading winger Jobi McAnuff said: "We know Easter weekend is absolutely pivotal and that Portsmouth v Oxford game is looming large, though they both have another game first (on Good Friday).

"It could genuinely could come down to those matches against the teams in and around you. They are absolutely massive.

"Portsmouth are, at the moment, the team I'd be a little bit concerned about in terms of their current form.

"You take it game by game, of course, but that is 100% one everyone in the squad is looking at going 'we need to win that game - if we are going to stay up that is a must win.'

"This two weeks now for Portsmouth is going to be the longest because it's doom and gloom - (losing) 6-1 against a team on their holidays in QPR (in their final game before the break)."

McAnuff also hailed the impact of interim West Brom boss James Morrison, who has taken eight points from his five games at the helm after replacing Eric Ramsey, winning the past two and only being denied three straight wins by a last-gasp leveller against Southampton.

"The big thing about those games - clean sheets," McAnuff said. "When you are in a battle, being hard to beat is the fundamental thing.

"They were really close against Southampton and got pegged back right in the last couple of minutes. It could have been a killer blow.

"To come back from that and now find those couple of wins, they'll have gone into this break absolutely bouncing. The confidence, that feeling back in the dressing room, is absolutely massive at this stage.

"Massive credit to James Morrison because there were a few eyebrows raised. He knows the club inside out and sometimes that's what it takes.

"At the moment he's had a really positive upturn."

Matt Bloomfield is delighted with his start to life at Oxford United and believes the U's have what it takes to beat the Championship drop.

Bloomfield was appointed as successor to Gary Rowett in January with the club second-bottom, three points from safety.

While they remain 23rd, the U's are now just a point from safety with seven games remaining after Bloomfield steered them to 17 points from his 15 games.

Improving the defence has been a key pillar of their improvement with just 16 goals conceded over that period after allowing 35 in their opening 24 matches.

"It's been a really intense period," Bloomfield told the BBC's 72+ EFL podcast. "It's the first opportunity we've really had to reflect on what's gone and what's coming up.

"It's been great since I've been here. We've really had a go in all the games. We've been really good defensively, kept ourselves in games, thrown some punches and got some points on the board.

"We've really evolved the way we're playing, they have been some really positive signs of improvement, particularly over the past five games.

"We're pleased with where we are at but hungry for more improvement to go and get the points we need between now and the end of the season."

While Bloomfield revealed he has not set a points target for survival, based on the unpredictable nature of the division, he said putting together a string of positive days on the training ground, and on the pitch, would be key to their survival.

"There's some good energy," he added. "The lads understand the fight and grit needed to get ourselves out of it. We got a bit of fresh energy in January to add to the experience and senior players we have got - it's a nice blend.

"When you take over mid-season it's all about results. For me it's about trying to create a team that can put as many points on the board as possible between now and the end of the season and doing it in a manner I believe is correct.

"It's all about substance."

In his fourth experience of joining a club mid-season, Bloomfield insisted: "I knew the situation walking into the job, I knew we had a lot of work to do.

"We believe we have enough in the building to do what we need to do between now and the end of the season. The only way we're going to get there is work."

Bloomfield also reflected on a 'tough couple of weeks' for the club following the death of teenage academy keeper Amelia Aplin during a match on 9 March.

"Football managers are just humans," Bloomfield said. "To meet her parents on the Monday after the tragedy happened on the Saturday and have two heartfelt and emotional home games in the following week - I have to admit I was emotionally drained by the end of the week, but my heart bleeds for her parents.

"I am a father of two daughters myself and it was heart-breaking to see her parents.

"We wanted to make sure we paid our respects in the right manner, on and off the pitch, and I think we did that. Amelia's family will be friends of our club forever."

Image source, Getty Images

Oxford United boss Matt Bloomfield said that he was really disappointed after the U's suffered defeat at Southampton.

Cyle Larin scored early before Shea Charles struck from range to give Saints the three points.

Despite the loss, Bloomfield said that he was still proud of the effort shown by his side.

"I'm really disappointed, especially with the second goal, for him to strike from that far away, there's not a huge amount we could have done about that," he told BBC Radio Oxford.

"We came out from a set piece and I'm not sure he'll [Charles] ever score another goal like that, it was an unbelievable strike.

"We had some moments before they've scored, a couple of long throws, some moments in their box and then we found ourselves two goals down but we kept going and I'm proud of the boys for that."

Image source, Shutterstock

Oxford United have used a free week to prepare well for Saturday's Championship match at Southampton (15:00 GMT), according to head coach Matt Bloomfield.

The U's 1-1 draw with Charlton last weekend ended a sequence of three games in six days and extended their unbeaten run to four matches.

"The lads have trained and trained really well. We're obviously working really hard towards the end goal," Bloomfield told BBC Radio Oxford.

"This week we've had some time on the training ground which we've enjoyed and spent some time with the lads which has been really good."

Oxford are third from bottom in the Championship table but only one point short of safety after winning three of their four past matches.

"We've had the time to focus on it in amongst playing Wednesday and Saturday last week," added Bloomfield.

"You have to be careful how much change you put in because of the time you have to prepare for weeks like that.

"We've had time to prepare for this [game] and we hope top put our best selves out there on Saturday."

Southampton and Oxford United will be fighting for points at either end of the Championship table when they meet at St Mary's on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

A win will guarantee the Saints a longer stay in the top six, with Wrexham keen to take back the spot against Sheffield United.

However Oxford are seeking an escape from their predicament. They are one point adrift in the bottom three and they will want to avoid watching the gap extend.

• This will be the first time Southampton have hosted Oxford in a league match since November 1987, in a 3-0 home victory for Chris Nicholl's side in the top-flight.

• After winning 2-1 in this season's reverse fixture (Boxing Day 2025), Oxford could achieve the league double over Southampton for the first time ever.

• Southampton are unbeaten in their last five league games on a Saturday, winning four of them (D1); as many victories as they had in their previous 25 (W4 D7 L14).

• Oxford are unbeaten in their three away league games on a Saturday under Matt Bloomfield (W1 D2), after losing five of their first six (W1) in the Championship this season.

• Finn Azaz has been directly involved in four goals in three Championship games against Oxford, with all four of those coming in a single game (2 goals, 2 assists in a 6-2 win for Middlesbrough in November 2024).

Image source, Getty Images

There have been plenty of contentious decisions in the 2025-26 Championship season so far.

Offside goals given, perfectly good goals ruled out, red card offences missed, penalties not given, dubious spot-kicks awarded. You name it.

With the video assistant referee (VAR) only used for the play-off final, the outcome of every second-tier game in the regular season can hinge on how on-field officials see incidents in real time.

• Would you want VAR introduced for every league game in the Championship?

• If so, why?

• And if not, let us know your reasons.

You can share your thoughts on VAR here or comment below, and we will publish a follow-up article soon with a selection of your responses.

Oxford United conceded a stoppage-time penalty to draw 1-1 with Charlton at home on Saturday.

It saw their three-game winning run end, and the U's are now back inside the relegation places.

Former Oxford defender Ben Purkiss admits Ciaron Brown's decision to pull back Charlton's Lloyd Jones and give away the spot-kick was "odd".

"(Brown) has been exceptional for the entire time they've been in the Championship and prior to that as well, and he's such an experienced player

"It was just odd. For me, their penalty was more of a penalty than ours, and I'm just not sure what he was doing.

"It was silly to say the least, and the impact was two crucial points. This is that time of the season when you're going to come away and say 'how did that happen?'

"How did Blackburn beat Millwall away? Millwall had a man sent off. How did West Brom beat Hull? Hull got a man sent off".

Purkiss adds: "Its crucial at any stage of the season, but absolutely critical right now, but it happens.

"If you look at it in the round, 10 points from 12 is a pretty exceptional return, and it's all to play for".

You can listen to more from Purkiss and the rest of the team in the latest The Dub podcast above or on the club's BBC Sounds page.

Oxford United boss Matt Bloomfield spoke to BBC Radio Oxford following their 1-1 draw against Charlton.

"Really disappointing to not be walking away with three points," he said.

"We've waited so long to get a penalty and then we give one away on the same day so we're really disappointed with that.

"But I think we need to stay on an even keel, 10 points from the last four games is obviously a really good return from where we were, so we have to take the positives from that and move on quickly.

"They're (the players) are giving us everything they've got and they've been going consistently for the last few weeks.

"It's an opportunity to refresh in midweek and we go again next Saturday."

Oxford United will be aiming to continue their winning streak and move out of the bottom three when they host Charlton Athletic on Saturday (12:30 GMT).

The U's have won their past three league games, and are only inside the relegation zone on goal difference.

But the Addicks have back-to-back wins from their past two matches and will be full of confidence after beating second-placed Middlesbrough last time out.

• Oxford are unbeaten in seven home league meeting with Charlton (W4 D3) since a 2-1 defeat in January 1998.

• Charlton are looking to complete their first league double over Oxford since the 1997-98 campaign.

• Oxford have won just one of their last 12 league games that have kicked off at 12:30pm (D7 L4), a 1-0 home win over Derby in October earlier this season.

• Charlton boss Nathan Jones has won all three of his EFL matches against Oxford, beating them twice with Luton and again with the Addicks earlier this season.

• Charlton have won their last four league games against sides with United in their name - and all by a 1-0 scoreline.

Image source, Rex Features

Oxford United manager Matt Bloomfield has been speaking to the media before their home game with Blackburn Rovers on Wednesday (19:45 GMT).

Here are the main talking points:

• The 42-year-old says there is a real feel-good factor after back-to-back wins, against West Bromwich Albion and Preston North: "In the dressing room, the stands and the town, there's a confidence and a belief coming back to our football club, but again there's still so much more work to do. We have to keep our feet on the floor."

• So, do those previous two results take the pressure off the visit of Blackburn? "No game is must-win until maybe the final game. It's an important three points we're chasing. We have to try and play the game in front of us, not the situation we find ourselves in. That will take care of itself if we perform properly and pick up the points."

• Bloomfield finds himself up against Rovers boss Michael O'Neil, who knows a number of U's players through his dual role as Northern Ireland boss. "It's a fairly unique situation. Michael will have a big know-how about a lot of our players, and I'm sure he'll be using it to the best of his advantage".

• On Blackburn: "We're going to have a tough game. He's an extremely experienced manager whose teams are hard to break down, really organised, and have good players in attacking areas, too."

• Even though this is the second of three matches in nine days, Bloomfield isn't tempted to rotate too much: "For me it's just about worrying about Wednesday night, picking the best team that's right for that game, and from there we deal with Saturday."

• Bloomfield on the role of the fans over two successive home matches: "It's been crucial that we've been able to show the fans they have something to cheer about and follow. We need them all this week. They are the lifeblood of the club, we need their voices and their numbers, and I know they'll give us their backing."

Listen to more from Matt Bloomfield and all things Oxford United on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Opta

A win for Oxford United on Wednesday (19:45 GMT) would make it three consecutive league victories for the first time since January 2025.

Blackburn Rovers will arrive at The Kassam Stadium having won more points away from Lancashire (21) than at Ewood Park (18).

• Oxford have won just one of their past eight league games against Blackburn (D3 L4), though it was in this exact fixture last season (1-0).

• Blackburn have won three of their five league meetings with Oxford this century, but are winless in the last two (D1 L1).

• Following their 2-1 victory against West Brom, Oxford are looking to win consecutive home league games for the first time since March/April 2025.

• Blackburn have won just one of their past nine away league games (D3 L5), beating QPR 3-1 last month.

• Coming into this round of matches, only bottom side Sheffield Wednesday (11) have failed to score in more different Championship home games than Oxford (8) this season.