ELLIOTT Moore is unconcerned that Oxford United have been broadly written off ahead of their trip to Elland Road.
The U’s haven’t had the most ideal week in terms of preparation for the game against Leeds United tomorrow, with Des Buckingham sacked less than 24 hours after the weekend’s 3-1 defeat at home to Sheffield Wednesday.
With no successor appointed, assistant first team coaches Craig Short and Chris Hackett, plus goalkeeping coach Lewis Price, have led training for a United side with just one win in their last 15 games.
The Whites meanwhile are second in the Sky Bet Championship table, and boast the best home record in the division.
Daniel Farke’s team has won nine and drawn one of their 11 league matches at Elland Road, and have been victorious in their last eight home games.
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U’s skipper Moore said: “It doesn’t really bother me in the way of negativity. Everyone wrote us off against Bolton [Wanderers] in the play-off final and look how that turned out.
“If people want to write us off, then that’s fine. We’ll go out there with a game plan and we need to stick to it.
“It’s about putting in a performance to try and win the game, and let’s see what happens.
“Every game is a challenge and every game has its own challenges. It’s an experience and a game where I’ve never played there personally, so I look forward to going there and facing a challenge like that.
“They’re a top team. You have to respect them and respect the players they’ve got, but we’re not going to not try and win. We want to come away with something from that game.”
He added: “We started off the season well and it might’ve heightened the expectation from us inside as well as outside.
“We’ve gone through a bit of a rough patch, and the manager going puts things into a bit of turmoil, but it’s up to us now to just focus on Saturday.
“Whatever happens outside with a new manager, that’s going to happen, and that will take care of itself.
“It’s up to us now to just get our heads down and work, and take it to Leeds on Saturday.
“What I do know is that as players, we need to stick together and make sure we take on whatever the new gaffer says and whatever he wants.
“We will make sure we stick together as a team. We’re going to have rough patches and it’s about how we all pull together and make sure we get out of it as one.”