Wolves v Oxford United | U23 Match Preview

Wolves under-23s will face their first ever match against Oxford United in the third of six group matches in this season’s Premier League Cup this evening.

Rob Edwards’ side are back in cup action after recording their fourth back-to-back draw in a 0-0 Premier League stalemate against Aston Villa last Monday evening.

Wolves currently sit top of the Group E table, ahead of Swansea City, Hull City and tonight’s opponents – who are playing in their inaugural PL Cup competition, where the top two teams from each of the eight groups will move forward into the last-16.

WHEN

Monday 7pm

WHERE

Meadow View Park, Thame

LAST THREE

Wolves

0-0 v Aston Villa (H)

1-1 v Swansea City (A) PLC

2-2 v Lincoln City (A) CTT

Oxford United (PL Cup fixtures)

1-2 v Hull City (A)

1-0 v Swansea City (H)

2-1 v Southend (A) (qualifying)

WHAT THE BOSS THINKS

On Oxford

We’ve seen the two games that they’re played in the competition so far and they’ve done well. They beat Swansea and lost narrowly to Hull, so we know they’re going to be competitive. They’re a team which Karl Robinson set up since he went in as manager because he thought it would be a good thing to do instead of having a reserve team.

In the two games they’ve acquitted themselves well, so it’s going to be a tough game. They’ve got a good coach in Chris Allen, who’s experienced and had a good playing career himself, so they’ll be very well organised and hardworking, and they’ve got some real threats as well.  

Just because Oxford as a club are at a different level to our football club at the moment we can’t expect it to be easy – that’s not how football works. We’ve got to understand that, be ready for a challenge and do things properly.

On staying top of Group E table

We need to have the right attitude. Obviously, we’d love to win the group but the top two go through in a kind of Champions League qualification, where two from four go through to the last-16.

We’ll try to look to reach the double figures in the points as quickly as possible if we can, but a good attitude is needed tonight, and we need to go into it with the same mentality that we do with every single game which the players have done so far and try and do what we do.

NEXT FIVE

10/12 Sunderland (A)

14/12 Fulham (H)

7/1 West Bromwich Albion (A)

11/1 Reading (H)

21/1 Hull City (A)

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