Six Points thank you very much

Pre-match talk

Di Canio's fourth match in charge was a 2-1 home to defeat Oxford United. 

PDC: "It was a medicine for us.  In a way, they helped us become stronger.  I want to thank them for this because since that day we've become more of a unit.  The damage they did to us gave us more togetherness. We came out from a bad moment and became stronger. In some ways they have built what we are now." 

"This is the game that can show us what level we can reach. We play away from home, we play in a derby match and there will be a hostile atmosphere.  For this reason it will be more a maturity test for my players, to use their energy in the right way and play their football without nerves.  We will go through a difficult moment because I am sure they will use their physical presence to press in the first few minutes but we have the better fitness and I believe we will come through it.  I am sure that we are going to win because we are a better side than them, but if we are to lose then we have to make sure we play our football, like we did in the first derby match.  This way we will prove that they have to be very lucky to win again and I am not worried for the future.”

Post-match

"It reminded me a bit of the beginning of the season where we dominated the first 20 minutes but don’t score the goal. In a way today was similar.   We had three crazy minutes that unfortunately it had to happen today against Oxford. We have paid our price and in some ways they deserved to win, even if we had 20 shots.  It didn’t happen for us, we paid our price but at the end of today we will still be at the top.  We move on from this game and look at Tuesday.  We have to win this game and keep going with the run we have had until today.  My players today proved they are not ready to play this type of game.  They are not effective, do not play with fire.  To win a war you have to go through many battles.  There was mental fatigue.  ”