Oxford United manager Mark Wright believes Saturday's first Division 3 fixture against Rochdale is as tough an opener as they could have got.

But he says his team will do well if they can reproduce what they showed against Crystal Palace.

As work continues frantically at The Kassam Stadium to get everything ready for Saturday, and for the start of the league campaign, Wright has been sharpening up the players at the nearby Horspath training ground and has been continuing his attempts to bring players in.

He looked yesterday at a goalkeeper and is also understood to be trying to offload one or two players.

Mark Wright But he predicted that Rochdale, who finished eighth in the table last season - missing the play-offs by just one point - will be very difficult opponents.

"This game is going to be a very hard opening fixture," Wright warned. "We all have to be on our toes and on top of our game.

"We know about them, and Rochdale will know about us, but if we can produce the type of play we did against Palace, we'll do OK."

Managed by Steve Parkin, Rochdale conceded only 23 goals away from home in the league last term, the second best in the third division. So with United's midfield likely to be much less open than it was last season, The Kassam Stadium's opening league match is likely to be a tight affair.

"I'm toying with one or two formations," Wright said.

Whether he chooses 3-5-2 or the more attacking 3-4-3, he seems certain to stick with his three-man central defence of Phil Bolland, Scott Guyett and Wayne Hatswell, who nine months ago were all playing Conference football.

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