YEMI Odubade, the Oxford United fans' favourite last season, has been transfer- listed.

Manager Darren Patterson took the decision yesterday to list Odubade and fellow winger Joel Ledgister, and also to end Ryan Semple's brief time with the U's.

In Odubade's case, it's yet another chapter in the 'curse of the player-of-the-year award' that has, for no apparent reason, plagued Oxford United's players throughout this decade.

Richard Knight, Dave Savage, Dean Whitehead and Chris Tardif are among those who won the accolade one season, but then either saw their form slump or left the club the following campaign.

And Odubade, who joined the U's from Eastbourne Borough three years ago when Brian Talbot was manager, has been totally unable to reproduce his dynamic displays of 2006-7 when his pace, and one or two special goals, helped the team finish second in the Conference.

He is United's leading scorer with eight goals, seven in the league, but has squandered probably two dozen very good chances.

He seems a more natural right winger, but even in that role he has been very inconsistent, and his confidence has been down in recent weeks.

Odubade was the player who, when Patterson announced his first batch of players available for transfer at the start of this year, pleaded not to be listed, because he wanted to prove that he still had a future at Oxford.

Contracted until the end of next season, his name is being circulated to other clubs now to give him a better chance of moving on, either in the next few weeks, or in the summer.

He cost Oxford £35,000 when he arrived, and Patterson said they would be asking for a fee for him.

"It just hasn't happened for Yemi this season," said the U's boss.

"He's unrecognisable from last year when I thought he was terrific with his energy levels, his all-round enthusiasm for the game, and obviously with his goals.

"We've played him up front, we've pushed him out wide - we have tried everything.

"I've had a psychologist come in to speak to him one on one, we've had all sorts of meetings - all positives.

"The last time I put players on the list, Yemi was the one I was umming and aahing about, we talked about it and he said he didn't want to go on. He said he wanted to prove his worth, and since that conversation, I'm sad to say, I haven't seen it.

"And a few times we've had to question his effort levels, which is not acceptable."

So why, when the transfer window is closed, do this now?

"If a club came in for him, it would be a loan deal to start with, because that's all it can be," said Patterson.

"Joel's similarly a good lad, but he again has just not done it, and we've been disappointed by his effort levels and knowledge of the game.

"When push comes to shove, you can only give so many people so many chances."