Out of form, out of confidence, out of the top half of the table but not out of time, Oxford United and Bristol Rovers' woeful results in recent weeks lead to a high-stakes clash at the Kassam Stadium on Saturday.
The teams share a spot at the bottom of the League One form table with rock-bottom Forest Green Rovers, taking just one point from their past six games; their seasons have stalled with the home stretch fast approaching and while both will still feel confident that they will not get tangled up in the relegation battle, security is far from assured.
Of course, both managers are under increased pressure, but that feeling is more acute for Us boss Karl Robinson. While the teams are separated by just two points and a single league place, 16th in the table in their first season back in League One is a much more satisfactory effort from Joey Barton and his players compared to an Oxford team that has consistently been in and around the play-off places for several years.
"I know what I can do and I know these players better than anybody," a defiant Robinson told the Oxford Mail in the wake of Saturday's defeat to Cambridge United.
“Do I think I know what I’m doing to turn this around? Yes, I’ve been here before with this football club in a worse position than this in the first year. I still believe I’ll get this football club out of this league. I know the players inside out, I know what it takes in this league and it’s something I have belief in 100 per cent.”
While Robinson's position is uncertain if Oxford's form continues, there is no sense that Barton's job security is in question. Still, he will know the dangers of poor form snowballing out of control at the back end of the season – that is precisely what happened when Rovers' previous stay in League One came to a crushing end.
These managers do have a history and it is cordial. Both Liverpudlians, Barton has said in the past he has relied on his counterpart as a sounding board. Barton said before last season's thrilling FA Cup clash against Oxford: "There were times, certainly in the early part of the season, where I picked the phone up on a Sunday and just have a chat; somebody who feels the pressure, somebody who feels the nuances of this job."
But Robinson won't need any reminding that Barton has held the bragging rights throughout their duels in the dugouts. Barton, across his stints with Fleetwood Town and the Gas, has never lost to Robinson. Last season's remarkable comeback FA Cup win over Oxford is a highlight of Barton's tenure and he followed that up with a 1-0 league win at the Mem in August as Rovers returned to the third tier.
It is impossible to tell whether that hoodoo will have any material impact at all, but the difference this time is their teams meet in rank-bad form. Confidence in both squads is in the gutter and it makes for a hugely intriguing early kick-off at the Kassam in front of what promises to be a lively crowd.
This is no relegation six-pointer, but the victor – if there is one – will feel a lot better about themselves and, obviously, the chance of any late-season scares will be reduced.
It feels like anything is possible. Does the lack of form and confidence lead to a cagey game where both teams settle for a draw and no damage done?
That does not feel fitting with either team's inherent attacking principles, though.
So, could a slugfest between two hurt fighters be on the cards? That certainly would be entertaining albeit stressful for those of a blue and white or yellow persuasion.
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