Oxford United can hurt QPR & Sheffield Wednesday in the same way they rocked Sheffield United | OneFootball

Oxford United are more direct under Gary Rowett, after beating Sheffield United, will it work against QPR and Sheffield Wednesday?

Oxford United's pragmatic style of play under Gary Rowett was enough to secure three points at home to Sheffield United on Saturday.

The U's have found goals from open play hard to come by recently, but have seemingly unlocked a secret weapon in Will Vaulks.

Those who are familiar with Vaulks will know he has a particularly long throw in his arsenal, but for the majority of the season, was not used unless United were in desperate need of a goal.

Under Rowett, however, a long throw from Vaulks now seems to be the weapon of choice, and is starting to see rewards.

This tactic saw Siriki Dembélé score his second goal in two home games, and the only goal against Sheffield United, who topped the Championship table at the start of the day of their trip to Oxford.

Oxford are changing their DNA on the field

Oxford fans are not used to seeing a traditionally less attractive brand of football at the Kassam. If you go back through their recent history of managers, Des Buckingham, Liam Manning, Karl Robinson, Pep Clotet and Michael Appleton all opted to play possession-based football, with an emphasis on exciting the fans with the style of play.

That has almost always worked for United, who, whether it's in League Two or League One, have been regarded as one of the biggest teams in the division over the last 15 years.

But now Oxford are in the Championship, and are quite easily one of the smallest sides in the league by almost every metric. And with this, a more pragmatic way of playing has been the order of the day, hence the appointment of Gary Rowett.

Southampton are possibly the best example of a side playing in a division where their players are simply not at the same level as the bigger teams, yet trying to play expansive football, and getting punished as a result.

Set pieces are keeping Oxford in the division

Who knows how Oxford would be doing this season if they chose to stick with Buckingham, and continue to play a less direct brand of football?

It may well be that United would've found their feet again, and picked up enough points to be safe, come the end of the season.

But that isn't the case, and as a result, set pieces have become a more prominent part of Oxford's way of playing.

According to WhoScored, Oxford have scored the second most goals from set pieces this season (15) behind Derby County (18). And some of those have come in crucial moments this season.

Long throws have seen the U's score a stoppage-time equaliser against West Brom, another equaliser away at Norwich City, as well as securing three points at home to Sheffield United on Saturday.

Speaking to the Oxford Mail, Vaulks spoke about this unconventional tactic. He said: "If you can really turn the screw against the opposition and make it tough to play against, and I know that’s not always been Oxford’s way, but there are times when needs must.

"Look at Arsenal. How good are they at set plays? You have to use every trick in the book. When teams feel pressure, then they start to wilt, and that’s why it’s the best sport in the world."

Sheffield Wednesday are the worst side in the Championship at defending set pieces

According to WhoScored, Sheffield Wednesday have conceded more goals from set pieces than any other side in the league, with 18. This is a staggering number of goals to concede, and something that Oxford should be looking to exploit.

Ciaron Brown has been the main aerial threat for the U's going forward, with four goals in the league from defence. The Northern Ireland international scored two goals in two games after Christmas, both from corners.

It's something that has become an active part of United's coaching throughout the week, according to Rowett, with goalkeeping coach Lewis Price and assistant coach Chris Hackett masterminding the designs.

Speaking to the Oxford Mail, Rowett said: "The set pieces are excellent. Pricey and Chris Hackett do a lot of work on those. They get the autonomy to do that.

"The work is good, the detail is really good, and when you show that detail and do the good work in the week, you get the reward."

With a fixture against Sheffield Wednesday on the horizon, set-piece tactics will be under heavy discussion at the Oxford training ground.

Oxford are playing QPR at the best possible time

Queens Park Rangers - Oxford's more immediate opponent - spent a large amount of the season in a relegation battle, playing some very poor football at times.

Around the turn of the year, their form picked up dramatically, finding themselves comfortably in mid-table, and seemingly out of the woods as far as relegation is concerned.

But Martí Cifuentes' side are without a league win in seven, and lacking confidence. The London side have been just about dragged back into the relegation battle, and at the worst possible time.

Although QPR's defensive record against set-piece goals is stronger than most in the division, United should see this game as a huge opportunity to gain a monumental step closer to safety. History tells us that, on average, a points tally of 46 or 47 is enough to keep you in the Championship for next season. But with six games to go, teams will be wanting a few more points just to be safe. United currently sit on 45 points, four above the drop zone.

A win against either QPR or Sheffield Wednesday would provide breathing room as we enter the final games of the season. Winning both would all but guarantee Championship football for the club no one gave a chance at the start of the season. They have to rely on the areas they are strongest when it comes to breaking down their opposition.