LIAM Manning wants to use Oxford United’s four-goal display as a benchmark for the rest of the season.
The U’s claimed their first win under Manning as they tore apart Cheltenham Town 4-0 at Grenoble Road.
Tyler Goodrham, Kyle Joseph and a Marcus Browne double ensured United ended a 17-game winless run in style.
READ ALSO: Oxford United score four to end winless run in dramatic fashion
After tasting three points for the first time as U’s head coach, Manning said: “If you look at the performances we’ve had since coming in, we’ve probably merited scoring more goals than we have in games.
“I’m delighted for the players and the staff because I’ve seen the amount of work that’s gone into the performances that we’ve put on.
“We’ve played well in games of late and not necessarily got the points that we feel we deserved.
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“From the start, we found a real good balance of emotionally being fully invested and showing passion, that we want to fight and scrap from a controlled state.
“We pressed well and dealt with long balls well, I don’t remember Easty [Simon Eastwood] having too many save to make, and at the same point we carried a constant threat throughout the game.
“When you look at it and summarise it, there were a huge number of positives to take out of it and it’s about setting benchmarks.
“I thought we set a good benchmark against Portsmouth and tonight’s another good benchmark we have to back up on Saturday.”
He added: “We know people’s abilities, we can see that and what happens tonight is more psychological than anything.
“It’s belief, it’s confidence, it’s real conviction in your actions and you saw that with the frontline.
“I thought the attackers that started and the changes we made in-game had a real positive contribution in all phases.
“That’s the bit I look at that really pleases me, we all attack and we all defend, it’s a collective effort which is so important.”
Manning worked with Browne during the former’s time in charge of West Ham United’s Under-23s side.
He said: “I go back a long way with Marcus, in terms of knowing what he could do at West Ham.
“He’s someone that I know has got the quality to do it.
“He’s got the physical attributes to turn and drive forward with the ball.
“With the whole group now, it’s about consistency.
“What we don’t want to do is perform like that and not follow it up on Saturday.”
Manning added: “It’s about not getting too high, of course enjoy it because we’ve not won in a little while.
“Enjoy that feeling but understand why we’ve won and use that to go again on Saturday.
“I want to win games and do the best that I can.”
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About the author
To sign up to Liam’s latest Oxford United newsletter for free, click here: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/newsletters/
Formerly the politics reporter for the Oxford Mail, Liam now covers all things Oxford United.
Liam attends the U’s home and away, as well as covering other big sports stories across the county.
His Oxford United newsletter is released every Saturday morning at 6am.