These sort of attendances for League 1 are insane.

The potential here for the owners, if they get it right, is huge!

Therein lies the problem. Teams that play in front of far smaller crowds than ours week in, week out, must really be fired up when they walk out to such an atmosphere. We've really got to find a way to nullify this and put these games to bed.

400 from Oxford doesn't sound much cop.

So 29000 of us and 400 of them, sounds like a big opportunity to get very loud!

I just hope they don't park the bus as so many do in this league. If so we need not one but two early goals then we can all enjoy some open football as they will have to come out.
Attack them with pace and run at them as we have the players to do that. Pace and movement will pull them out of shape.

Sounds like the film The 300. Well they put up a good fight but were overwhelmed in the end. Lets hope history repeats itsself on Boxing Day!!

I sincerely hope that we are treated to a better game than the last time Oxford played here. The game was ruined by their excessive time wasting from very early on and all their players seemingly afflicted by an epidemic of falling down with no one near them. Cramp in the first half? Really?.
This game needs a strong ref but that is unlikely. They still seem to be utilising the same tactics as evidenced by their 0 - 0 away at Sheffield Wed last Saturday and almost nicked it but missed an added time penalty. Despicable team against whom we really do need to score early and then with a hopefully restored first choice defence keep them out

Lets make it a BLUE HEAVEN at Christmas-----lets all wear our normal bits and bobs but everybody else where something BLUE----be it just a hanky,pullover or coat etc-----my dutch friends are here, they have their oranje lets give them our blue-----LETS DO IT!!

Oxford warm-ups
Pulling socks up before taking a throw in and then letting someone else take the throw
Feign injury - all players go to manager to get instruction
Goalkeeper Cramp on 60 minutes
Short Goal kick set up and then take a long goal kick
etc
I' hope McKenna raises the issue in his prematch and think local journalists should relentlessly question him about it.
Fans should be on this from minute one - I'm practicing my booing.

Booing won't deter them, it will just encourage them to continue their approach. We need to be on the front foot from the start, take the game to them with pace and aggression, get ahead and go again for another. Not a time for patient ball retention and slow building from the back

If we score a couple of goals in the first half there won't be any time wasting from them. It's up to us.

What I don't want is us leading 2-1 with 5 minutes to go!

IMO the only thing which will stop this is a rule-change to allow a free-kick to be awarded for time-wasting. And what about a corner if the goalkeeper does it, as they usually do? BTW - I thought the ref at Wycombe did his best with that. We saw it in the World cup too, so it applies at all levels. It could be argued that it is the single most important thing that could be done to improve football as a spectator sport. Is it even on FIFA's radar? I doubt it very much.

Such a shame it's Oxford. They'll make it a miserable afternoon I fear. Shytehousery of the first order again.

Until we crack this nut we will struggle. We all know what's coming but the onus is on us to break them down and secure the 3 points. If he has a failing as a manager it has to be this conundrum; personally I think the answer lies in a proven striker(s) in January to turn this superior possession that we've had in this league into something more tangible. COYB

I want to get excited about this, but I just can't. Memories of their last visit, or Lincoln, or Cheltenham, etc., etc. Pub teams that come here, act like training cones and we lack the skill and nous to do anything about it. I predict a 0-1 defeat.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

There could be a countdown clock to get the ball back in play with Yellow card/foul throw, indirect free kick etc.for transgressions. Get injured players off the pitch for treatment. What would catch us out though is if you were only allowed 1 minute to celebrate a goal before the opposition can kick off whether you are ready or not. We must be one of the worst for that.

I think if it's a full house it should be around 28,650 . If any body knows any different feel free to lambast me.

No better motivation to win the game of football.

I have faith

It's time excuses were extinguished for not being able to break down Teams that get men behind the Ball, and of course poor standards of Officials at this level of the game. The latter will not change, it is what it is.
Neither can continue into the second half of this season as a continuous excuse.
Teams have to be dealt with and overcome, but they now come to us with confidence in taking points away with them - because our Achilles Heal continues, and makes it far too easy for them.
We have been sussed as a soft touch - and it is fact, we have !
Just ask Pundits, and opposing Managers / Coaches - they know it is true.
Sideways and Backwards possession achieves nowt - every follower should know that by NOW !
If we want a WIN and 3 points against Oxford, they have to be HIT HARD from the off by seriously attacking them as if we mean business.
None of this usual slow buid up from the back please - or there will be more points leaving Portman Road on that Oxford Coach … !!!

With 25,000 plus Fans in the Stadium and behind the Team - How can there be a reason (???) not to ‘go for it' from the OFF ??
There should only be one result …. !!!

…………except blue boy we sit 2nd in the league 😏

If you're an opposition player you must look forward to playing at PR. A very decent stadium and pitch with a 20k+ crowd in attendance, who wouldn't enjoy playing at our ground? It's not often in L1 they'd be playing in front of crowds that size, it must be a motivating factor.

if we played all our games away we would be ahead by 12 pts....

I haven't done the maths (leave that to Aluko's sister) but I think we should be running away league now. If you take all the points dropped from winning and drawing positions because of our inability to see out games we should have obliterated the rest. That's where the argument that we are 2nd so relax doesn't hold much water.
Merry Christmas everyone.