I know it's unfashionable but why not...

He is a L2 player ffs.

The minute you start playing against one man in a team rather than select and set up your own best 11 you've already lost.

I kind of see your point, but each week we pick 3-4-5 defenders to stop the opposition scoring and work on defensive set-pieces as well as offensive ones....he's one man currently in great form, we'd mark him at a corner, why not mark him in open play?

I think giving the beard a man marking role would be wise. Especially as Oxford have played 2 games in a week, so if we can keep it tight for an hour or so then we can afford to be more expansive later on in the game when Oxford should tire.

And Sinclair is highly suited for a man marking role. Roofe will be sick of the sight of the little bearded energiser bunny. Hell, if Sinclair got asked to man mark him before and after the game, he'd do it.

Roofe picking up a pint of milk, who does he see over his shoulder?
Roofe making love to his wife, who does he see over his shoulder?
Roofe driving to the game, who does he see over his shoulder?

"Watch out, Sincs is about"

But we are talking about having to alter our whole team set up and tactics just to deal with a single player.

Oxford aren't making any changes.

ah come on that's disingenuous.  We all know he's going to be a Champ player soon.  His goals have quite literally won many games for them this season.  And often from shooting from distance.

man marking one man is not setting up your team to lose.  It is asking 10%, just 10%, of your outfield team to do a job on another player.  Why has a recognised tactic literally been thrown out of the game as if it's illegal?  In the right time and place, and with the right players, it works.

EVERY team has someone who is first on the teamsheet and dominates the team.  One that always stood out for me was Dean Cox at leyton orient.  He obviously enjoyed being the big fish in a little club and is probably well paid for it.  On the pitch he was stoppable, but week after week teams let him dominate. 

We would be altering our team and tactics to give us the best possible chance of winning the game. Simple as. 

How do you know Oxfords tactics? I bet you they will have players set up to contain some of our offensive players.

Or as MM has put it. We do already have a spare man in the midfield, so it wouldn't be playing an alien formation for this player. It would be utilising what we already have and playing to OUR strengths as well. We all know Sincs is a nightmare to get away from. 

I agree with being on the front foot. But if you've got a danger like Roofe being given too much time and space, then we won't have the opportunity to be on the front foot.

Sometimes you have to sure things up a bit more at the back to allow our offensive players to shine. 

fair enough.

you write 'panicking'.  I would writing 'planning'.  what do we pay and manager for, and use DVD's, scouts, analysts for then?  why would they blatantly ignore hot evidence?

roofe has 17 in 30, including 6 times directly contributing the winning goal(s).