Damian Batt: One of Wilder's original golden generation.

Following a impressive win over Burton, it could be argued that Chris Wilder is in the best shape he's been in for years. The dawning of another golden era? Time will tell. But this peak comes in the same week that Damian Batt, the first of his original golden generation retired from full time football. 

Even the paramilitary wing of the Wilder Out campaign will have to admit that our manager is having a half-decent time of it at the moment. After our 2-0 win over Burton on Saturday, we're unbeaten in seven, nine if you count last season, with maximum points away from home and we're sitting comfortably second in the table.

It is sometimes difficult to remember what the club was like pre-Wilder. He, along with Kelvin Thomas, took a bloated mush and managed to use a key quality - our size - to our advantage. If Oxford were going to break out of the Conference, they needed to meet their own rhetoric and psychologically dominate the league. The result was a barrage of signings designed to meet that specific brief.

Of the team that eventually took us up at Wembley, Damian Batt, who retired from full-time football last week, was Wilder's first permanent signing. Of the Wembley team, Adam Chapman had come in on loan, James Constable was already in place. If you want to have an idea of the state we were in at the time, a YouTube clip of Batt's debut opens with the announcement that the club had been deducted 5 points for fielding an ineligible player - Eddie Hutchinson. The height of our incompetence and disjointedness.

The deduction ultimately put paid to our play-off chances, but in the final months of that season, Wilder's United created a template for how it was going to take on the Conference. The following summer, the Wilder/Thomas revolution truly rolled with singings of Matt Green, Jack Midson, Dannie Bulman, Mark Creighton and Ryan Clarke amongst others.

Batt was part of that new culture, the Conference is made up of three types of teams; those who are in chaos, those who are well organised and those who are well organised and have a striker who scores goals. With that paucity of quality; Batt's physical attributes; his pace and fitness, allowed him to maraud up and down the right flank, overwhelming and demoralising those who played against him.

It was during the 2009/10 season that he scored his only Kassam Stadium goal from open play; in some ways it summed up much of the season. It was a cold, grey Halloween day against a well organised Altrincham side. The best part of the season. We bludgeoned away at them, missing a penalty along the way, eventually in the second half, Batt stepped up and larruped the ball home; a frustrated hurrumph which finally put them to the sword.

I said at the time, "Come the day of victory, you will cover us in garlands and kiss us passionately on the lips, and celebrate us with us as one, but as much as we will tell you the stories of Damien Batt’s 20 yard drive, you will never know what we’ve been through."

Batt was part of the first generation of tweeters, which galvanised his relationship with the fans. He came over as intelligent and articulate as those coming from non-league football often do. He built up a reputation as one of the good guys; something that proved increasingly important during the season's wobble when the club wrestled to find a replacement for the injured Adam Murray.

Adam Chapman was that man, and Wembley happened. The following season, Batt continued to prowl the flanks of League 2. It was a season of giddy abandon, we had highs, like the 6-0 win over Bristol Rovers, but were more often than not sucker punched by teams with no more quality, but a bit more guile. The season could have gone horribly wrong had Wilder not signed Paul McClaren to bolster a soft midfield which had been stripped of Dannie Bulman.

Batt built a reputation that got him into the League 2 end of season team. That surprised some given that we'd been undermined by naive defending. But with his pace and fitness Batt, plus his ability to whip in a mean outswinging cross, he would have been enough of a pain to build a reputation amongst a sea of anonymous League 2 right-backs.

At the end of the season, Batt acknowledged that despite the accolade, his defending needed to improve. Chris Wilder concurred, signing Andy Whing, Michael Duberry and Tony Capaldi with a plan to create a more mature back-four alongside Jake Wright. It seemed like Batt's days were numbered. Capaldi missed the whole of his first season and Whing, after a shaky start, was detailed to fill in in the middle of the back four or in midfield. Batt continued as a first choice pick, albeit in a more shackled role.

Meanwhile, off the field, Batt's attention seemed to be turning to his next career; not joining the Herbalife bandwagon, he launched something called Alexander Dubell. I've no idea what that is, and I don't know what 'living life exclusively' actually is, I suspect I'm not really the target audience; anyone who can afford a £10k+ watch rarely needs a price discount to persuade them to buy.

Batt's final season came with the fog of injuries, poor pitches, hand-wringing and finger pointing. He continued to perform solidly in between comparatively brief spells of injury. But a clear out was looming. A clutter of loanees and short term deals were shelled, stars who'd lost their shine moved along. Batt didn't seem to have done much wrong, so it was a bit of a surprise when his name was included on the list. The reason seemed to be little more than it was time for a bit of a refresh.

A move to Vancouver Whitecaps seemed to be on the cards, but for some reason that didn't materialise. Talking about having some great offers, which couldn't have been that great given he turned them down, he announced his retirement and then promptly turned up; part-time, at Eastleigh, playing some way below where he should be, you'd think.

It's difficult to place Batt in the great scheme of things. He should always be remembered as one of the brave that took on the club and its demons and helped to turn it round. As an early adopter of that new culture, he gains extra points for not caving in during those formative months. Perhaps he doesn't realise how deep a hole he managed to dig us out of. For that he'll always be welcomed back to the Kassam.

Good Friday agreements

The last minute draw against Morecambe brought the most vocal complaints yet from the East Stand. However, the more concerning thing has to be the fact that come the end of the season, we'll have something like 18 players free to leave. 

The temptation, after Friday's draw with Morecambe, is to launch into another debate about the future of Chris Wilder. But his fate is surely sealed one way or the other; whichever side Ian Lenagan falls on, he's not likely to need anymore evidence to aid his decision. Friday's performance was not bad, it was average and massively frustrating, like our season.

I do take some exception to two key criticisms of Wilder, however. The first is the complaint that his interviews on the radio are full of excuses, when in fact they are merely explanations. His explanation of the mistakes that were made in the lead up to the equaliser were descriptions of fact not excuses.

I also doubt that Wilder is not aware of the link between the players' performances and his responsibility as manager. So while he talked about his players actions - not taking the ball into the corner, Constable getting caught offside - he's not simply absolving himself of his ultimate accountability to deliver performances.

The question that Lenagan needs to answer is whether Wilder can establish forward momentum and more crucially, what impact his presence might have on the club in the short term, not least in terms of season ticket sales.

So, that's me not debating Chris Wilder. The more concerning thing is the number of players who are about to go out of contract. By my reckoning 19 players can walk away come May.

The club have options on Crocombe, Marsh, Potter and Davis, and it seems fairly logical that they will be taken up. Crocombe and Marsh are a sign that there have been improvements, at least, in youth development. Davis can be a bit heavy footed, but he has pace and strength and gives options down the left. Potter's form is fitful, but he offers creativity and, though its often difficult to see it, something approaching a goal threat.

You'd expect Damian Batt and Andy Whing to be offered new deals. However, I think Whing may go; he's not stupid and will know that he has value in the market at League 1 or 2 level. The club's potential is not what it was when he originally signed, there'll be no Leven or Duberry type signings this summer, will he want to stick around to see whether things improve when there's a risk he'll spend another two years treading water? He'll be 32/33 at the end of another contract, so you'd think this was his last chance at commanding a reasonable salary before he retires. Batt seems settled at Oxford, he's got other interests, the manager likes him, and it's difficult to see why he wouldn't sign.

Last season, alongside Whing, there was a glut of comparatively big time signings. Tony Capaldi barely featured in his first year due to injury, and has done little to suggest he'll be the first in the queue for a new contract. Deane Smalley has had a torrid time, although there's something about his general application  that makes me think that he's worth another year. Jon-Paul Pittman whose injuries suggest he hasn't got the robustness we need; I can't see him staying.

The big two from 2011 were Peter Leven and Michael Duberry. If Leven is offered a new contract, then it's surely going to be on terms that reflect his general lack of availability. I doubt he'll take that sort of offer and, while he still maintains some kind of reputation, will move on. Duberry, I think, may be interested in another season, especially as this season as been so wretched for him. I think there's a chance the club may oblige in the vein hope that he'll recreate the commanding form of his first season. I think that's a mistake. When fit, he's the best defender in the club and can be one of the best in the league, but age plays against him. Duberry was part of a strategy to have accelerated success, this doesn't seem to have worked, it's time to move to something else.

We're also seeing the expiration of the post-promotion contracts with Tom Craddock, Simon Heslop and Harry Worley all up for renewal. I still think Craddock is a class act, but his style (less aggressive than Constable and Smalley) and his injury record play against him. His future, I think, is based on whether alternatives can be found, but I also think that his goalscoring record will see him getting other offers. I'd be surprised if he was at the club next year.

Simon Heslop has continuously flattered to deceive. Scorer of howitzer goals in his first season in particular, he now looks like someone who doesn't even want to play football anymore. Worley also just doesn't seem to have the extra gear in his development. He was part of a error prone defence in the first year back, it seemed Duberry could come in and steady the ship while Worley found his feet. While I think that he may have a future as an impact striker, there's no way the club will take the time to test that theory. Neither will be at the club next year.

Which leaves more recent signings; I like Scott Davies and think it worthy of a new contract, and O'Brien offers reliability we're looking for. Parker is willing, but replaceable. And I can't see the club using up unnecessary wages on McCormick if Ryan Clarke is coming back with Crocombe and Brown as cover.

All of which could leave us with a gaping hole next season. All of which suggests summer risks becoming a massive scramble just for bodies let alone the class we need or that Wilder will be going and the decisions are being delayed to give his replacement more options.

2012 squad review - goalkeepers and defence

With the post-season hysterics starting to subside, clubs up and down the country are going through the cathartic process of shedding themselves of deadweights. This process of renewal - soon to be followed by a slew of new signings - encourages everyone to return in August with renewed vigour and enthusiasm.

Reading some views of our squad, it's a wonder that we have any players left at all. Some would have preferred a  frenzied mass slaughter with no player spared the pyre. One of the few exceptions was Ryan Clarke, who gets the Oxblogger Player of the Year Award for the second year running. It is to our massive advantage that other clubs seem too dopey to look at Clarke. His presence, or not, has defined our season. With him in goal we were dependable and effective. Then, when injured he palmed the ball into his own net against Torquay which was a pivot in our and his season.

In came Wayne Brown, who I'd envisaged had spent most his time doing odd jobs around the stadium. He proved himself to be more than a worthy replacement. Just as we thought we'd got away with it he too got injured. Connor Ripley came in and looked shakey beyond belief. We completed the season with four keepers in five games. It was hardly the bedrock upon which to sustain an effective promotion chase. If people want to blame Chris Wilder for any failure; they might want to consider how good Ryan Clarke was up to the point he got injured and how much we missed him at the moment we needed him most.

The hand-ringing that surrounded our failure to reach the play-offs masks the fact that defensively this season has been a vast improvement on last. Last season we looked porous and niave. The introduction of Michael Duberry has transformed the back-four. His influence, assurance and experience made a critical difference. For a period he was neck and neck with Clarke in terms of player of the year, but he seemed to fade marginally as the season progressed.  Phil Gilchrist was similarly dominant when he returned to the club in our first Conference year, but his performances fell away as a career of wear and tear took their toll. The only concern about Duberry, given his age, is that he could blow up spectacularly at any point next season.

Jake Wright is a great leader and clearly respected by his team mates, but he still gives me the heebie jeebies. He has been caught out many times over the last couple of years trying to be too clever; glancing back headers or playmaking from the back-four. I do wonder whether Harry Worley, whose brief appearances this season have shown him to be a more than able deputy, might feature more regularly next season.

With the introduction of Liam Davis our full-backs have looked more balanced. Davis is pacey and strong, although his crossing could be improved and he always seems to want to beat one too many players. On the other side, Damien Batt, fresh from being voted the best right-back in the division at the end of 2010/11, seemed a more subdued. Perhaps he was fulfilling his pledge to work on his defensive work, perhaps age is beginning to catch up on him a little. It's a tricky balance because Batt is a potent force going forward; but it does leave us with a gap at the back when he does.

Wembley romantisists will be saddened by the inevitable departure of Anthony Tonkin. Oddly, Tonkin has looked more aggressive than in previous years, with his performance against Swindon being his standout display for Oxford. The emergence of Davis and the largely absent Capaldi did leave Tonkin with little future at the club.

Kassam All Star XI - Right back

Sam Ricketts started no more than 10 games at the Kassam Stadium, but his name is so significant it’s practically a noun. Ricketts was the Nicky Butt of his generation, the nearly man in comparison to contemporaries Paul Powell, Chris Hackett, Jamie Brooks, Dean Whitehead and the daddy of them all, Joey Beauchamp.

Eventually he was jettisoned to few complaints. Ian Atkins had an experienced side that Ricketts rattled around the fringes of. He found a home at the financially reckless Telford, moved to Swansea and then to Hull. He became a Welsh international (but, who hasn’t?). At Hull he was part of the squad promoted to the Premier League and despite their implosion, he found himself at Bolton, a Premier League regular.

To ‘Ricketts’ at Oxford is to leave the club an apparent failure only to succeed elsewhere. The Kassam’s history is flooded with similar stories, but Ricketts is the biggest Ricketts of the lot.

The first right-back at the Kassam Stadium was Sam Stockley, who arrived with a reputation for being the division’s best right-back. In a re-modelled back-four he stuttered along with the rest of the defence.

Ian Atkins replaced Stockley with Scott McNiven. McNiven, like all Atkins’ defensive signings was as solid as a rock. But despite being involved in the win against Swindon and the subsequent trip to Arsenal, can I remember a definitive McNiven moment? Not one. He had a big backside, but that's all I remember.

Graham Rix replaced McNiven with Dave Mackay who occupied the right-back slot for a solid year before Lee Mansell was brought in to steer the team into the Conference. Mansell did at least look like he was trying, although it was rarely with any effect. He moved on to Torquay and conspired get relegated again.

The Conference-era opened with Eddie Anaclet being drafted into the right-back slot. Not a typical Jim Smith signing; Anaclet was young and inexperienced. He was a consistent performer in his first season, winning the Oxblogger Player of the Season. When we failed to get promoted, confidence drained form the club and Anaclet’s with it. Injury didn’t help, but he was never the same.

Darren Patterson’s paternal instincts saw James Clarke graduate from his all-conquering youth team. Despite charitable support from the fans he was limited in ability and short of temper. Chris Wilder arrived, and he too was gone.

Wilder’s man has always been Damien Batt who would have been a shoe-in for the right back slot in the All-Star XI. But, for his phoenix-like qualities, Sam Ricketts is the man who gets the nod.

The season in review: the defence

A Chris Wilder squad is like Crash Mountain on Total Wipeout. It continually spins forebodingly. Some make it to the relative calm and stability of the centre, but most end up being thrown in the water.

In such a dynamic environment, it is somewhat ironic then that in a season in which we struggled to keep clean sheets and ended with a negative goal difference that the back five were the most stable component of the first team.

In a sense it’s telling, worrying really, that Ryan Clarke is my player of the season. When goalkeepers are noticeably the best player in team there’s usually something wrong that’s leading to all his champagne moments. But credit where it’s due, the odd flap aside, Clarke’s shot stopping has been of a quality of a much higher level.

Damien Batt’s inclusion in the team is a question of tactical philosophy. He may not be the best defender in the world, but to replace him would sacrifice something going forward. Nobody has his dynamism and impetus. For many years we’ve seen wingers toiling as they try to carve out a cross without any support. Batt’s willingness to get forward is something to be celebrated.

On the other side Anthony Tonkin has perhaps struggled a touch. Neither rock hard defender nor rampant wing back; he’s often caught between those two stools. It’s telling that a lot of goals have been conceded from crosses, and a lot from the left hand side. Tonkin doesn’t impose his game on opponents like Batt does. His place is perhaps most under threat.

For me, Harry Worley ran Clarke close for player of the season. He’s a modern defender in the sense that he mixes both athleticism and ability with the classic willingness to put his head where others won’t. If he’s missing something it’s the ability to organise, which will come with experience. Jake Wright clearly has the respect of his team, but of the two was probably more prone to individual mistakes during the season. If you’re going to tighten up the defence you’d expect to see some focus being put on the centre. Wright’s had a decent season, but may not be as prominent during 2011/12 has he has been.

Wee Stevie Kinniburgh looked a bit out of depth. He may be lacking match sharpness, but Chris Wilder isn’t the kind of man to give that kind of excuse any sympathy. It was not a surprise when it was announced he was free to go. Ben Purkiss is a bit more of a surprise as he is both versatile and dependable. He’s not likely to see an extended run in the team over, say, Batt, but when he was needed he did his job well.

Many other defenders wallowed in the water of Chris Wilder’s Crash Mountain pool - Lee Franks, Ben Futcher and Mark Creighton – joining them will be Eastwood, Hanson and Sangare, who enjoyed an odd but fleeting cult status, but none will be missed come next season.

Accrington Stanley 0 Yellows 0

Floating around mid-table with a goal difference of 0 we are having, according to Danny Baker, “the season that never happened”. We went into the season with a goal difference of 0 and an inconsequential league position and we’ll come out of it largely the same.

If that’s true, then Accrington Stanley is the fixture that never happened. Over a period of nearly 50 years we’ve been ships that pass in the night with not so much as a gentle nod of acknowledgement to each other. Then, when we finally do meet, firstly back in August and again on Saturday, we produce two barely memorable 0-0 draws.

Except, of course, 0-0 is not a score we’re particularly familiar with this season. Which is why it was particularly surprising to many that Damien Batt has been voted the best right-back in the league by his fellow professionals.

For a team that managed to go a full 23 games without keeping a clean sheet, the idea that a member of our defence performed better than, say, the right back at Stevenage, who have conceded 15 less goals, seems barely comprehensible.

But whilst your average Oxford fan will look at Batt (and others’) weaknesses when assessing the season, fellow players will view it differently. If you’re playing against Batt, and you have the beating of him then you’re much more likely to put this success down to your strengths, not his weaknesses. What’s more, when you’re on a roll, the opposition become invisible. As Barry Davies famously said when commentating on Great Britain's third goal Olympic Hockey final in Seoul; “Where was the German defence? But frankly, who cares?”

Batt must be a nightmare to play against; he’s phenomenally fit, blisteringly quick and always willing to push forward. You can see how playing against him would be a daunting prospect.

It does leave him high and dry on occasions, but look at his positioning when we go forward – sitting on the right of midfield, if you look across to Tonkin on the left he’s in exactly the same position. The weakness, therefore, is tactical.

And there's the quandary, make him sit on the edge of his own penalty box and you lose the impetus going forward. Playing to Batt’s strengths you're going to give the opposition a hellish ride.

Batt does what he does. We might benefit from a bit of midfield cover when he’s bombing on, because he’s never going to be a sitter but considering who he is and the tactical framework he’s playing in, he’s had a fine season and has improved on last year.

Comment: Oxblogger Official Favourite Player

If Chris Wilder threw together his team this season, he fair blew it to bits on announcing his retained list this week.

It’s a heartless business, and in a sense its sad to see the likes of Barry Quinn and Yemi take the bullet. Quinn, I maintain, was never a defender, but he was a good hard working pro. Yemi was given ample opportunity to shine, especially against Northwich, and failed miserably by skulking disinterestedly on the wing like a sixth form goth in a games lesson.

Craig Nelthorpe was a surprise, presumably brought in because his wages were right, and his performances were decent. We all know that wingers’ performances are fitful, but Nelthorpe was a player in the mold of Beauchamp, Cook, Angel and Powell – we’d not had his like for some time. His attitude was spikey, which may have been a reason for his release.

Chris Willmott deserved better. His injury record, lack of versatility and wages will have played against him; but his partnership with Foster this season was immense. Perhaps there is better out there and Willmott’s role would have been as a back up next season, but it still seems wrong.

It also leaves a vacancy for Oxblogger’s Official Favourite Player and post-clear out there’s not masses to choose from. But one man fits the bill. In the same way that Kate Moss is attracted to men who are not classically good looking, the Oxblogger Official Favourite Player is should never be a classically good player. No Turley, Constable, Murray et al. We like our players flawed, but we love watching them succeed; so no bench-huggers need apply. Just one man does it for me; and that’s Mr Damien Batt: Official Oxblogger Favourite Player number 3.