MATTY Taylor’s long-term future will be put on hold for the time being as Oxford United head coach Liam Manning concentrates on an intense run of fixtures.
Taylor made a shock January deadline day loan switch to Sky Bet League One rivals Port Vale, while his contract with the U’s expires in the summer.
The 33-year-old is United’s seventh-highest goalscorer of all time, netting 64 time for his hometown club.
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He struggled this season though, scoring just six times across all competitions, while only three of those came in League One.
Since joining Vale, he has scored twice in 10 appearances and most recently found the net in a 2-2 draw at Portsmouth on March 25.
Taylor will be ineligible to play for Vale when the U’s make the trip to Vale Park this afternoon.
Ahead of the clash, Manning said he would have a proper talk with Taylor once a hectic schedule which sees United play six times in 19 days is completed.
The U’s boss said: “I’ve spoken with Matty on the phone, we had 20 minutes on the phone and it was good to talk to him.
“When he’s in the area, he’s going to stop by and have a coffee.
“I think at the minute with where he’s at and where we’re at, it’s a case of let’s just concentrate on the immediate situation in hand with the games coming up.
“It’s such an intense, heavy period and it’s the same for him.
“He scored recently and I’m sure he’ll want to build on that, and continue his good form.
“It’s a case of getting the games done, and then we’ll sit down and have a chat.”
“He looked controlled, he won his headers, he got stuck in like he always does and we see it every day in training so it’s no surprise.”
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Goalkeeper Jack Stevens is also on loan at Vale and has played 28 games in all competitions since making the move back in August.
After almost two months out of the side, Stevens returned in goal for Vale’s 3-0 defeat at Accrington Stanley on Good Friday.
The 25-year-old scored an own goal just after the half hour mark when he failed to keep hold of a high ball and dropped it over the line.
Like Taylor, he will also be unavailable to face his parent club this afternoon.
Stevens was handed United’s No 1 shirt in the summer but did not feature in the opening three games of the season.
He signed a new contract with the U’s prior to joining Vale on loan, and is tied to the club until 2025, meaning his situation is arguably less pressing than Taylor’s.
Manning delivered a comparable point when it came to Stevens’ future though.
He said: “I’ve spoken with most of the loan players so I had a good chat with him [Stevens] as well.
“It was a similar message in terms of that nothing can be done until the season’s finished.
“We’ve had a chat and it’s similar that when he’s in the area, we’ll catch up and I’m sure I’ll see him after the game on Monday.”
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About the author
To sign up to Liam’s latest Oxford United newsletter for free, click here: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/newsletters/
Formerly the politics reporter for the Oxford Mail, Liam now covers all things Oxford United.
Liam attends the U’s home and away, as well as covering other big sports stories across the county.
His Oxford United newsletter is released every Saturday morning at 6am.
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