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.
