Chris Wilder has told his Oxford United players: “Forget the hard luck stories.”

The U’s boss says he doesn’t want to be over-critical of his players, who he feels have been the better side in all three games so far this season.

But he doesn’t want them becoming attractive to watch yet struggling for wins. He, and they, are in the results business, he has reminded them.

“I can’t knock the players,” Wilder said after training. “Against Burton, they were the better side – they certainly were against Bristol Rovers – and against Bury they were the better side, I thought. We bossed the second half.

“So I don’t want to be too critical. But as I’ve just said to the players, I don’t want us to be one of those teams that plays well and loses.

“The set piece for Bury’s first goal was a really good delivery in, and for the second one, we were just caught by good play on the break.

“But I was delighted with the number of chances we created.

“And we’re not playing the Forest Greens and Eastbournes any more, remember, we’re playing good sides now.

“We’ve created chances in every game so far, we just need to be a bit more clinical in both boxes.”

Despite the 6-1 hammering of Bristol Rovers in the Carling Cup, the U’s have managed just one point from their first two league games and it doesn’t get any easier, with a visit to promotion favourites Wycombe on Saturday.

Reflecting on the result that got away against Bury, Wilder said: “If we’d scored to make it 2-1, it’s a different story.”

However, United's manager is understandably reluctant to change things too much because he doesn’t want to inhibit the team’s bright, attacking play.

“I'm delighted with the quality of our play, we just need to add a bit of ruthlessness to our game,” he stressed.