City will try to get their season back on track this weekend by beating the “Bradford of the south”.

Chris Wilder’s Oxford may be new to the league after returning from the Blue Square Premier last season but there are some striking similarities between the two sides who will face off at the Kassam Stadium.

Oxford boast the second biggest crowds in the division behind City so expectancy among the fans is always high.

And, just like the Bantams, the ground is not their own. They too have to pay rent to a former owner, Firoz Kassam, which eats into their resources.

Former City full back and Halifax boss Wilder admitted: “We are delighted with the crowds we’ve been getting but straight away you’ve got a big chunk of change to pay to the landlord before a ball is kicked.

“It’s definitely a club that should be battling it out in another league higher. But the club have been in serious financial difficulties and they will never go down that road again.

“Some managers are clever and try to put (pressure) on you, saying we’ve got this and that. But what’s the difference between the clubs?

“You have to look for value for money and keep within a budget. We’ve got a lot of good young players benefiting from this year with vital league experience.”

Oxford have hit form, with five wins in the last six games, and currently sit two points above Peter Taylor’s side – and they will be keen to avenge October’s 5-0 thumping at Valley Parade.

It was a painful return to his old club for Wilder and former City trainee Jake Wright, who was sent off in an incident which also saw James Hanson dismissed – although the striker’s red card was later rescinded.

Wilder admitted: “We never deserved to win the game but nobody saw that scoreline coming.

“At half-time I was pretty comfortable with the way we’d played.

“The first goal really killed us and then, on the counter from our own attack, Omar (Daley) smashed one in from 25 yards. Jake got sent off and then it all got away from us.

“Jake wanted to do well that badly and he got carried away but he’ll learn from it. Losing him for the next three games hurt us the most.

“We will look to get the right result this time. Whatever we use, whether it is the memory of getting beaten 5-0 that day, we’ll try to keep our run going.”

Wilder, who recently brought in City old boy Paul McLaren to beef up the experience levels, is also anticipating a strong response from the Bantams after their Barnet slip-up.

“We know with Peter and the players they’ve got, reading between the lines they will be desperate to put that result right.

“Everybody up there was expecting to make it three wins on the bounce.

“I don’t think their attitude will be off at all coming here. The Bradford players will like coming here because there’s a big crowd, a good playing surface and a decent ground.

“They are a team everybody expects to kick on and I’m sure they will. But hopefully not this weekend.”