KARL Robinson insisted he was not concerned about Oxford United’s prospects this season after their rotten start was extended by a thrashing at Fratton Park.

Jonathan Mitchell’s penalty save was only a temporary reprieve for the visitors, as Portsmouth ran out 4-1 winners.

It left United stuck on zero points in Sky Bet League One, having conceded ten and scored just once in the opening three games – that coming courtesy of an own goal.

Head coach Robinson readily acknowledged his side had been below their best again, but remains convinced their stay at the wrong end of the table will be a short one.

“I’m not using excuses, we know we’ve underperformed, but it will turn – I know that for a fact,” he said.

“I feel sorry for the players, because they’re trying their best.

“They’re giving everything and are just maybe feeling sorry for themselves a little bit. We’ve got to get ourselves out of the rut.

“There’s 43 more games to go. I’m not worried.”

While those in the United camp will look to downplay it, the pointless start heaps pressure on tomorrow night’s home game with Accrington Stanley.

Robinson felt some at United were “wallowing in self-pity”, but stressed the only way the results would turn is by staying upbeat.

He said: “I just feel they’ve got to believe a little bit more.

“We’ve got to stick together and get behind them.

“You have to take all of the negativity, but it doesn’t help either.”

He added: “It’s not nice, it hurts me.

“It digs deep, but you have to be a leader of men and take the criticism.

“We go away with a nasty feeling in our stomach and wanting to put it right.”

Robinson has been dealt a tough fixture list so far and had four key players – Simon Eastwood, Samir Carruthers, Rob Hall and Ricky Holmes – missing on Saturday.

But United are also not helping themselves, as the head coach revealed.

He said: “What frustrates me more than anything at the moment is we work on set pieces every single day.

“Every free-kick was meant to go to the back post. The first one did and nobody ran there.

“The next four go to the near post.

“If I was a fan I’d be saying ‘do they work on them?’

“Not only do we work on it, but we film it, we go through it the next day and we went through it this morning.

“They have to learn, it’s as simple as that.”