THE late, great Bill Shankly, the former Liverpool manager who is still idolised on the red half of Merseyside, certainly had a way with words.

He once said: “Some people believe football is a matter of life and death. I am very disappointed with that attitude. I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.”

Ok, it was a bit of an exaggeration, but the beautiful game means so much to so many people.

Many of them are Oxford United fans. Small in numbers, by comparison with Premier League clubs, they are more than a match for their bigger rivals when it comes to passion and desire.

So, as their club sits on top of Sky Bet League Two this morning, their thoughts will be on a meeting which took place yesterday.

Chris Wilder, the manager who has guided them to the top spot, has been in talks with Portsmouth about a possible move to the South Coast.

If he did go, the timing could not be worse. Wilder has not always been flavour of the month, but he has done a great job this season.

He is out of contract at the end of the campaign and will no doubt be looking for more security for his family.

We can only hope that it will be forthcoming, but from Oxford United chairman Ian Lenagan, instead of his Portsmouth counterpart.