MICHAEL Appleton says there is no better place for Oxford United to win this season than Fratton Park – and it has nothing to do with his links to Portsmouth.

Away days in Sky Bet League Two are often a mixed bag, with the U’s playing in front of crowds ranging from 1,065 at Accrington Stanley to 11,020 at Plymouth Argyle.

But even Home Park pales in comparison to Fratton Park, where average crowds this season are in excess of 15,000.

It is a figure which not only stands out in the fourth tier, but is higher than all in League One, with the exception of Sheffield United.

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But Appleton, whose side have risen to the occasion at Bristol City and West Bromwich Albion and will be backed by well over 1,000 travelling fans, believes United will relish playing on the grander stage.

The head coach said: “I just want to use the fact there will be a big crowd there on the day as a positive thing for the players.

“I used to love playing away against big crowds and they don’t get any bigger in our division than the Pompey lot.

“They’re loud, I can vouch for that and when they get behind the team they stay behind them.

“It’s going to be a lion’s den, but I’m excited and can’t wait for it.”

It all means for the U’s boss, Portsmouth is the best place to win in League Two.

“Without any shadow of a doubt,”

he said.

“I’m sure the fans might disagree in terms of going to the likes of Luton or Wycombe from their point of view.

“But I think if you asked the players in every team up and down our league where’s the one place they wanted to win, it would be Pompey.”

The fixture is given extra edge by the fact both coaching set-ups have a man coming up against his former employers for the first time.

On the one side is former U’s head coach Gary Waddock, now Pompey No 2, while Appleton is taking a side to Fratton Park for the first time since walking out as boss in 2012.

It ended a chaotic 12 months in charge of a club in the midst of financial meltdown.

The 39-year-old has only been back in disguise since and admits to feeling uncertain about the reception he will receive.

“It will probably be 50/50,” he said.

“There will be people who will appreciate the fact I was fighting fires every day for 12 months and there will be those who can’t forgive because I left.”

Although it was far from an ideal start to his managerial career, Appleton believes the experience has helped him during a bumpy first season at United.

He said: “There was a lot of stuff that over the next 20 years will help me, big-time.

“There’s no doubt about it, this year has been very difficult.

“The amount of players we’ve had to turnover for the right reasons – what you’ve got to realise is some I just felt were on Easy Street.

“We’ve got some very good young players who at the right time will be first team players for Oxford United.

“It’s just about getting them with the right mix and the right experience.”