Oxford United boss Chris Wilder paid tribute to the work done by chairman Kelvin Thomas in helping to tie up the new signings early in the summer.

“It may seem like an appreciation society between me and Kelvin, but the work the chairman’s done is imm-ense, in terms of all the players coming in, and it’s very refreshing for me to work with someone who’s got the enthusiasm and drive for this football club,” Wilder said.

“It’s been done within budget. We’ve cut our cloth accordingly, even though other people will try and deflect certain things.

“As happened with the comments about Dannie Bulman (from Steve Evans), we’re not going to sit back and let people talk about us as they are.

“We want to be competitive, yes, but we’re working within a budget that the chairman sets, and he tells it as it is.”