A34 MISERY WILL

FOR RESIDENTS Crunch time for United Ian Atkins has warned Oxford United supporters attending today's Division 3 battle with basement boys Halifax Town at The Kassam Stadium to expect a totally different ball game to Luton on Boxing Day.

"They'll come here and will try to frustrate us," said United's director of football.

"They'll try to close us down and get people behind the ball and it might not be very pretty."

The match against Luton Town was unusual in that, after a slow start, it became an attractive contest, with the Hatters looking to attack whenever possible as they strove for the three points they needed to maintain their push for automatic promotion.

But Halifax, who United have already beaten 2-0 at The Shay, and who have won just once in 15 league games, are more likely to try to grind out a draw.

"It's a big period for us now," Atkins stressed. "Our next five away games (Rushden, Shrewsbury, Rochdale, Plymouth and Scunthorpe) are all against teams near the top, so it's important we get results at home."

Although the U's lie 18th in the table, they will not give up the ghost on chasing a play-off place while the points gap remains small.

"The main thing is that we stay in this division, but I still keep looking at that seventh spot and a place in the play-offs," Atkins said.

He will be stressing to his players that they need to go out and make things happen, rather than be dictated to.

One change he is considering is to bring back Dean Whitehead into central midfield because Rob Quinn looked off the pace against Luton.

Jamie Brooks is also in the squad, and may be considered for a place on the bench.

The 18-year-old has only been training this week following a knee injury, and has not had the benefit of a reserve game to sharpen him up, so it would be asking a lot to expect him to start and last the whole match.

"He'll be in the squad of 17 and he might even be on for 45 minutes," Atkins said.

Halifax welcome back last season's 19-goal leading scorer Steve Kerrigan following a one-match ban for accumulating five bookings. Despite that impressive haul last term, he has yet to find the net this season.

Kerrigan will probably replace Jamie Wood.

Substitute goalkeeper Peter Crookes is suspended, so Halifax seem likely to do without a keeper on the bench.

But Atkins has taken that somewhat risky route in the last three matches.

So what would he do if Ian McCaldon gets injured or is sent off?

"Wayne Hatswell would probably go in goal," he said. "I don't know whether he's played there before, but all the players seem to think he's the one best suited."

Crookes is one of three different players Halifax have had sent off in their last three matches. The others are winger Peter Wright, who is suspended today, and defender Andy Woodward, who took Boxing Day too literally and threw a punch in the game at Macclesfield.

Oxford Utd: (from) McCaldon, Richardson, Crosby, Bound, Hatswell, Stockley, Savage, Whitehead, Powell, Moody, Scott, Omoyinmi, Gray, Morley, Ricketts, Brooks, Quinn.

Halifax Tn: (from) Richardson, Woodward, Mitchell, Jules, Stoneman, M Clarke, Harsley, Herbert, Bushell, Middleton, Kerrigan, Fitzpatrick, Midgley, Redfearn, Jones, C Clarke, Wood. CENTRAL ROLE? Dean Whitehead could replace Robert Quinn in midfield today Atkins set to be named boss OXFORD United look set to change Ian Atkins's title from director of football to manager within the next week, writes JON MURRAY.

Atkins confirmed that director Bill Smith had talked to him about it before the festive period.

Some national newspapers have been referring to the third division outfit as 'managerless Oxford' which makes it sound like a rudderless club, and that clearly is not the case with Atkins undertaking all the duties that a manager does, including coaching.

"Bill said he thought it was something that needed to be done. We're just waiting to get the Christmas rush of games out of the way and then I'm sure we'll sit down and do it," Atkins said.

The former Northampton and Carlisle boss is currently on a 'firefighter's' until-the-end-

of-the-season arrangement, but chairman Firoz Kassam may feel it appropriate to give him a longer contract when he does officially make him Mark Wright's successor as manager. WAITING: Ian Atkins