Wilder seeks 100 per-cent show in FA Cup (From Herald Series)

Wilder seeks 100 per-cent show in FA Cup

10:00am Saturday 5th January 2013 in Football By David Pritchard, Chief Sports Reporter covering Oxford United. Follow us on twitter: @oxfordmailoufc. Call me on 01865 425458

Total commitment is the minimum Oxford United manager Chris Wilder will demand from his players as they look to avoid a repeat of last season's FA Cup meeting with Sheffield United.

The sides meet this afternoon for a third round tie at the Kassam Stadium, just over a year after the Blades cruised to a 3-0 win at Bramall Lane.

The manner of the first -round defeat was a bitter pill to swallow for Wilder against one of his former clubs, whom he grew up supporting.

Today’s referee Carl Boyeson was also in charge of last season’s meeting, but the U’s boss is hoping the similarities end there.

He said: “Last year I don’t know if I got caught up in it, but it was a really disappointing day because I felt that we all let the supporters down.

“This game is one that really Sheffield United should win, but first and foremost I want us to turn up. “The game last year was far too easy and we went out the back door, which is not like us.

“If they’re not right and we’re bang at it, I think we’ve got a really good chance of going through, but we’ll only have that opportunity if we play to our maximum.”

The U’s go into the game as the side in better form.

While the Blades lost 3-2 at home to bottom-of-the-table Hartlepool United last week, the U’s are unbeaten for ten games.

They had a useful dress rehearsal on Tuesday, when they needed to show plenty of grit to win 1-0 against Cheltenham Town.

Wilder said: “There will be a period of the game when we come under pressure and we can’t be embarrassed about that. “We have to play sensible, positive football. They have been big qualities of ours over this recent period.”

The hosts will have to make three changes to their squad due to James Constable’s suspension and the end of loan deals for Lee Cox and Jake Forster-Caskey.

New loan signing Justin Richards has been added to the squad, while Simon Heslop and Tony Capaldi are in contention to start.

Liam Davis faces a late fitness test, but Michael Raynes should be available after recovering from a virus.

Blades boss Danny Wilson is likely to hand a debut to winger Jamie Murphy, who signed from Motherwell.

The fourth-round draw will be televised live on ITV at 3.30pm tomorrow.

Oxford Utd: from Clarke, Batt, Duberry, Wright, O’Brien, Potter, Heslop, Leven, Capaldi, Rigg, Craddock, Parker, Worley, Davis, Raynes, Marsh, Brown, Roberts, Lynn, Richards.

Sheffield Utd: from Long, McMahon, Maguire, Hill, Higginbotham, Murphy, Doyle, McDonald, Flynn, Kitson, Blackman, Kennedy, Whitehouse, Coyne, Westlake, Williams, McAllister, Cresswell, Ironside.