THESE are difficult times at Oxford United and after a succession of three away games, the next three games, all at home, could go a long way to deciding the future of the manager, Malcolm Shotton.

It was fan power which brought Shotton to the Manor Ground as the successor to Denis Smith and it may well be fan power which forces him out.

After a run of four successive defeats, the supporters have become increasingly restless and some have been turning against the man who lifted the Milk Cup for them in 1986.

It's clear the fans will not put up with a second successive relegation so the next three games appear crucial - not just for the team, but for the boss.

Luton at the Manor in Division 2 is followed by Conference club Morecambe in the FA Cup, then by bottom club Colchester.

Beating Luton will not be easy as they defeated the U's 4-2 at Kenilworth Road only last month. But losing at home to either Morecambe or Colchester would undoubtedly make Shotton hugely unpopular. There's another big home date next Monday, when shareholders turn up to the club's annual meeting. Chairman Firoz Kassam, currently in the United States receiving an award for Holiday Inn, is expected to be back to attend that meeting.

Experienced, senior players have been letting the team down but whether a new manager would make any difference is open to debate.

Perhaps the most damning accusation that can be made about a manager is that he is not getting the best from his players and that has been levelled at Shotton.

It's true that at times there appears to be a big divide between the management team and players, yet when I asked him if he thought the players were playing for him, Shotton answered: "First and foremost they are playing for themselves and for their families.

"When I was a player, I played for myself and it didn't matter to me who the manager was."

He added: "The dividing line between success and failure is so small, it can be just a miss here or a save there. We're not that far away but it's a confidence thing.

"What we need is to score first and get the confidence from that."

Story date: Friday 22 October

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