I promise things are changing – Karl Robinson defiant as Oxford lose again

Posted Sunday, February 19, 2023 by PA

Karl Robinson was defiant about his future as Oxford boss despite defeat at Cambridge.

The match was a meeting between two sides in poor form, with Cambridge only recording two league wins since the end of September and Oxford now having collected only one point from their last seven outings.

Lloyd Jones headed the winning goal in the eighth minute to end an eight-match winless streak for Mark Bonner’s side.

“We’re not good enough, we know that,” said Robinson.

“A lot of our performances have been too individually based and not collective as a team.

“The players know we’re underachieving. The buck stops with me. There were certain aspects of our game today that looked completely disconnected. We’re absolutely fuming. It’s not good enough.

“I know what I can do and I know these players better than anybody. Do I think I know what I’m doing to turn this around? Yes. I’ve been here before with this club, in a worse position than this in the first year.

“There are certain players that might have fallen short of what we thought they could have done.

“I’m in front of you now, naked emotionally, with an understanding, a belief, a desire, an energy to change this round.

“Today was another one of those bad days that we can’t keep having and I know that. But while all this is going on I can promise you things are changing.”

Mark Bonner felt his Cambridge side performed at a much higher level than Tuesday’s home defeat to Cheltenham as they secured a needed victory.

“We absolutely needed the win, but I think actually more than that we needed that performance level, because then people believe in us again a little bit,” said Bonner afterwards.

“The reality is that parts of that game is night and day from Tuesday. We said to the players yesterday that I’ve never seen a team booed off the pitch here that gives everything, regardless of the result.

“That was probably the most important thing for us today, and it gives us a little bit of a reminder of what it takes for us to win, reminder of what we’re capable of doing, but also the recipe for 15 games of how we’ve got to be. That’s the level we’ve got to hit as often as possible, because it gives us the best chance of winning.

“Whatever happens and however many games we win before the end of the season, if that’s the level then I think people will accept that.

“We needed a reaction and we got it, but it’s no good if it’s a one-off. We’ve got to stop being a sometimes team and be the team we’re capable of being.”