6. No Distance Left To Run?

Moment of Truth

As Paul Warne leads his Rotherham side out at Wembley in the final of Papa John’s Trophy, a few miles away Karl Robinson is pounding the capital’s streets, still seething from Oxford’s narrow defeat to Plymouth while he completes the London Landmarks Half Marathon.

Two days later Oxford travel to Lancashire to take on relegation-threatened Morecambe, needing a victory to get their play-off bid back on track. But injuries to four key players leave Karl with a depleted squad to call upon.

Ahead of the match, Karl and his assistant manager Craig Short reminisce over the old-school simplicity of coaching during their own playing careers, before the boss delivers an impassioned pre-match speech to his squad. But is his message getting through? With Morecambe’s keeper in inspired form, Oxford find their lowly opponents are no pushovers.

Karl takes a detour to his parents’ house on his way back to Oxford and questions the mindset of the modern footballer during his post-match debrief. How can you create a team bond when your players would rather drink a protein shake than go to the pub?