PRE-SEASON means nothing. I have seen teams cruise to victory in every game, then lose their first five league games, writes The Oxonian.

I have seen teams sail onto the rocks, lose heavily in each friendly with an alarming lack of players available, then win promotion. Games in July mean nothing unless it’s England.

Over the last couple of weeks, Oxford City have won 9-0, 5-2 and 9-1. Meanwhile, Oxford United have lost to a team you’d be hard-pressed to find in an atlas, let alone a book of World Soccer.

United’s Women beat City’s 10-1 on Sunday. Which manager do you think learned the most about his players? Correct. All of them equally.

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Obviously winning is a great habit, and builds confidence and belief, but the point of matches at this stage in the summer is really just to gain peak fitness by the start of August.

It takes a couple of games before shape, set pieces and tactics come into play. Right now, it is about careful management, avoiding injuries and a slow stepping up of intensity.

Tonight, Oxford City welcome Oxford United to Court Place Farm. It should be a terrific occasion and there will be a big crowd, especially at the ‘Meet the Managers’ VIP event being held in City’s plush new events marquee. The sun will shine, fans from across the city will mingle happily as the sun sets and Oxford football will be united for an evening.

It’s a chance for City to show off their brilliant new kit and sponsor, but as general manager Chris Williams told himself, the name on the shirt isn’t really a sponsor…

“It’s more of a partnership,” he said. “We have the University of Oxford on the shirt, but it’s more symbolic of the way we will work together rather than a traditional sponsorship.

“I’m not convinced many people will see the university on our kit away at Marine on the first day of the season and go ‘that sounds like a good place to study, I’ll apply’.

“But the club and the university will be working together over the next few years in many, many ways and this is a fantastic way to show people the connection, with Friday a great chance to underline the way we can work together.”

For United, it’s a chance to come (almost) home and show off their new signings, some of whom will be a challenge for the fans to sing about, let along commentators to pronounce.

They will probably win. They should do as they are now four divisions higher than the Hoops. But it’s not really a rivalry anymore, is it? Fans from both clubs go and watch the other regularly and if anything, it’s a sibling rivalry these days with United the big brother.

Both clubs will be keen to give a friendly signal of intent for the months ahead. Maybe pre-season does mean something after all.