Oxford United

Oxford United winger Przemyslaw Placheta says his side are moving "in the right direction", after their 2-2 draw with Millwall on Saturday.

Placheta came off the bench to secure a point for the U's with a 96th-minute equaliser to make it four points from two games.

"It was a tough opponent and we knew it would be because they are doing well so far this season, but I am really happy with my performance and the team performance, to fight until the end." Placheta told BBC Radio Oxford.

"I knew that in the last few matches I've not been able to score, but my hard work has paid off and I am glad to be able to help the team.

"We know the Championship is a very difficult league. It was last season and this time around we know we need to do better, but we are going in the right direction..

"We obviously always want three points in the end, but it is a long season, so we all just need to stick together."

Listen to the full interview with Placheta and more Oxford United content on BBC Sounds.

Image source, Rex Features

Oxford United boss Gary Rowett said a defeat to his former club Millwall would have been "harsh" on his side following today's 2-2 draw against the Lions.

The U's snatched a dramatic point thanks to Przemyslaw Placheta's stoppage-time equaliser at a rain-soaked Kassam Stadium.

The result lifts the U's into 18th on 13 points in the Championship table.

"It was a nice way to end the game – we haven't had too many of those," Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford.

"I think it's the first time this season a sub has come on for us and scored, which in some ways shows we've lacked impact from the bench, but it was great to get it in a game like this.

"It was a competitive game – you can see why Millwall are where they are because they can mix it up.

"We kept going and I'm pleased with how we finished – it would have been harsh to have lost."

Millwall will look to sustain their impressive run of form as they visit Oxford United on Saturday (15:00 GMT).

The Lions have won four successive games to place them just two points adrift of the top two, giving them their best ever start across their opening 12 games to a Championship campaign.

Hosts Oxford, however, will be seeking their first back-to-back win of the season to help them climb further away from the bottom three.

• Oxford United are unbeaten across their last three league games against Millwall (W2 D1), only once having a longer run against the Lions in EFL history – four matches between 1969 and 1970.

• Millwall remain unbeaten across their last five away league games against Oxford United, winning four of those matches and netting 2+ goals in each victory (D1).

• After beating Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 last time out, Oxford will be looking to win consecutive Championship matches for the first time since January earlier this year (30 matches played since).

• Millwall have won each of their last four league games and will be looking to win five in succession for the first time since their final five Championship fixtures of 2023-24.

• Millwall have won seven of their opening 12 Championship games this season (D2 L3), the most they've ever won at this stage of a second-tier campaign across club history.

Oxford United manager Gary Rowett says there is an "overall raised quality" in his side after they picked up their second away victory of the season.

The U's spoiled Sheffield Wednesday's day on Saturday, winning 2-1 as Owls fans ended their boycott of Hillsborough due to administration and the effective end of Dejphon Chansiri's reign.

The result saw Oxford rise to 19th in the Championship.

"The second half was certainly a tough watch from the sideline because we couldn't seem to get out and play with any sort of composure," Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford.

"I was really pleased with the first half, it's never easy these games with a full house, it could've been a very difficult half.

"I was really pleased to make those moments but disappointingly not take them.

"The main positive to come from the second half is when you see the back three, the likes of Longy [Sam Long] and Jack Currie clearing balls out the box and defending the box like their lives depended on it.

"We've played well in games and lost where we've had a soft edge to us. We didn't play well second half but had a tough edge to us. We just had to find a way to win."

Oxford next host third-placed Millwall on Saturday (15:00 GMT) with Rowett having spent four years in charge of the Lions from 2019-2023.

Listen to the full interview and more on BBC Sounds.

Turmoil-filled Sheffield Wednesday host Oxford United on Saturday (15:00 BST) as they look to escape the basement.

A third successive loss for the Owls extended their winless streak to a fifth game and placed them at the very bottom of the table.

Though Oxford will be looking to avoid dropping into the bottom three, with just one point keeping them above as it stands.

• Sheffield Wednesday have won just one of their last eight league games against Oxford United (D3 L4), a 3-1 success in December 2024.

• Oxford United are unbeaten across their last five away league games against Sheffield Wednesday (W3 D2), conceding just two goals in total across those five visits to Hillsborough.

• Sheffield Wednesday have lost each of their last three league games, last losing four in succession in August 2023.

• Oxford have lost four of their last six away league games (W1 D1), as many as in their first 13 games of 2025 (W2 D7).

• Oxford manager Gary Rowett is unbeaten across his last five league meetings with Sheffield Wednesday (W2 D3), since a 2-0 away defeat with Derby County in February 2018.

Oxford defender Michal Helik said his side's inconsistency is their "weakness at the moment" after a 1-0 defeat at Wrexham.

A sixth defeat of the season leaves Oxford in 20th - one point above the relegation zone.

"If we play well one game we don't follow it up, that's our issue at the minute and we have to work it out soon.

"I think mentality is a big part, that's the area that we need to improve. To be stronger, hungrier, to show more because we can't start games like this.

"It was a poor performance from us in the first half for sure and we need to step up, we need to do better.

"We're not accepting that, we've got leaders on the pitch but I think everyone needs to take responsibility.

"We won the game last Saturday [a 1-0 win over Derby] and we expected so much more. We need to react now against Sheffield Wednesday."

Listen to the full interview with Helik and more Oxford content on BBC Sounds.

Oxford United defender Ciaron Brown says he is "feeling good" after making his first league appearance of the season in Saturday's 1-0 win against Derby County.

The Northern Ireland international kept a clean sheet in his return following six month's out with a knee injury.

"I think while being out on the sidelines, when you are imagining playing again, getting this sort of result with a win and a clean sheet is what you would wish for as a defender", Brown told BBC Radio Oxford.

"My body feels OK, it kind of feels better than I expected it to be so that is good.

"One of the things that I may have forgotten over the time of being out is how much the fans give to the team and myself, so when I got out onto the pitch it was nice to hear and it shocked me a little bit if I'm honest."

The U's will be looking to secure back-to-back wins for the first time this season, when to action when they travel to Wrexham on Wednesday night (19:45 BST).

The Welsh side are one of five teams in the division yet to claim victory at home this season.

"I can respect what Wrexham are doing. I kept an eye out for them when they were in League One because obviously it was a big story," Brown added.

"They did really well and now they are stepping up to the Championship where anyone can beat anyone.

"We obviously go there with the confidence that we can get what we want to from the game."

Listen to the full interview with Brown and more Oxford content on BBC Sounds.

"The positives massively outweigh any concerns - the distance in quality between the two sides was massive."

The team discuss Oxford's first home win of the season after a dominant display against Derby County and look ahead to games against Wrexham and Sheffield Wednesday.

Listen to the full episode of The Dub and more Oxford United content on BBC Sounds.

It's been over two decades since Oxford United last took victory over Wrexham but they will be looking to do when they visit the Stok Cae Ras on Wednesday (19:45 BST).

Both sides sit next to each other on the table in 18th and 19th position respectively, though Wrexham do have one more point than the U's.

However, the Red Dragons have yet to claim a victory on home soil in the Championship this season, and Oxford's visit see them coming off a high after a 1-0 win over Derby County on the weekend.

• This will be the first Football League meeting between Wrexham and Oxford United since a 1-1 draw in April 2006; the Welsh side are unbeaten in their last 12 such encounters (W9 D3) since a 0-2 defeat in March 1983.

• The last competitive meeting between Wrexham and Oxford United saw the U's win an FA Cup second round tie 2-1 in 2013-14.

• Wrexham remain winless at home in the Championship this season (P5 D3 L2) – their longest ever winless home start to a Football League campaign.

• Since the start of last season, the only ever-present side in England's top four tiers with fewer away league wins than Oxford United (3) are Southampton (2).

• Wrexham's Phil Parkinson has won five of his seven managerial league matches against Oxford United, although the exceptions were his last two at home, defeats with Bradford City (1-2 in 2013) and Bolton Wanderers (0-2 in 2016).

Image source, PA Media

Oxford boss Gary Rowett hailed an "excellent performance" from his side as they beat Derby County 1-0 at the Kassam Stadium.

The U's had 19 shots during the game and would have had a far easier afternoon but for the efforts of Rams keeper Jakob Widell Zetterstrom.

"It was a perfect game apart from not coming in at half-time three or four nil up," Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford.

"First half, we were outstanding and created countless chances, we should have been well away from Derby with the scoreline and when you don't take those opportunities, when you are in such a dominant spell on the ball, you leave the door open.

"They're a very physical side, they're good at set pieces, they test you with big strikers so it's hard to get out and put pressure on the ball without leaving a little bit of space somewhere (at the back)."

He added: "What I'm really pleased about is we've won a game finally that we actually deserved to win, which is what we've done a lot of times and ended up losing those games. I thought it was an excellent performance."

Having won for the first time in four matches, Oxford are next in action when they travel to north Wales to face Wrexham on Wednesday evening.

Oxford United manager Gary Rowett says his team's performances have "warranted more points", as he draws on similarities to weekend opponents Derby.

The Us are 22nd in the Championship after winning one match this season - a 3-1 victory over Bristol City.

Oxford have drawn three games, and their five defeats have all been by just one goal.

"A lot of our performances have been pretty positive as a whole, and probably warranted some more points," Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford. "I think that is just a fact.

"What we have got to do now is make sure we get more points, because what we don't want to do is we don't want to be sat where we are in a very difficult division for too long, it is as simple as that.

"I don't think our performances have warranted us being sat there for too long."

Oxford host Derby on Saturday (12:30 BST), where a win would see them leapfrog The Rams in the table.

"I assess the game against Derby like I would any other game," added Rowett.

"Whether I have played there or not. I have got a pretty strong history with the club as a player, youth coach, manager and I live in the area.

"They are a little bit like ourselves, where John [Eustace] went in there and did a fantastic job to keep them in the division last year, it looked like a very difficult job.

"And a very similar challenge to us this year where you have some new ideas and some new things you want to do, and they have not quite gelled points wise and in terms of where you want to be right at this moment."

Listen to the full interview with Rowett and more on the U's on Sounds.

The international break is finally over and Oxford United and Derby get back to business with a meeting at the Kassam Stadium on Saturday lunchtime (12:30 BST).

The U's slipped into the relegation zone last time out courtesy of a 2-1 defeat at Watford, making it one point from their past three Championship games and Gary Rowett's men are still awaiting their first home win of the season.

The Rams are two places and two points better off, though , like their hosts, have also won only one of their nine games so far.

John Eustace's side have scored only four and conceded only four in their past five games, with the past three ending in 1-1 draws.

• Oxford United have won just one of their past seven Football League games against Derby County (D2 L4), with both encounters last season ending level.

• Derby County are unbeaten as a visiting side to Oxford United in the Football League this century, winning on two of their three trips (D1).

• After a run of four successive home league wins between December 2024 and January 2025, Oxford have only won three of their past 12 games since (D3 L6), failing to win any of their last four (D2 L2).

• Only Watford (8) and Southampton (7) have earned more points from losing positions in the Championship this season than Derby (5), coming from behind to draw each of their past three matches.

• Patrick Agyemang has been involved in three of Derby County's past four Championship goals, scoring against Southampton last time out and assisting in games against West Brom and Wrexham in September.

"I feel like with the work I'm doing, I'm making a positive change and genuinely for me the main thing is to prevent what happened to my family happening to other families."

A special edition of The Dub marks the one-year anniversary of the launch of Oxford United's 'Can We Talk?' suicide prevention campaign and World Mental Health Day on Friday.

Robyn Cowen is joined by U's midfielder Will Vaulks, whose family have been personally affected by suicide, to discuss his important work in the community with Baton of Hope, external, Oxford United in the Community and the Joey Beauchamp Foundation., external

The club's latest step in their ongoing 'Can We Talk?' campaign is the launch of suicide prevention workshops for Oxfordshire schools, along with piloting an innovative app designed to save lives.

Information and support for those affected by mental health can be found at the BBC's Action Line website.

Listen to the full episode and more on BBC Sounds.