New Oxford Manager Soon to be Confirmed?

Speaking with Oufc.co.uk, Oxford United Chairman Kelvin Thomas has stated that “We have now gone through all of the applications and have whittled that down to six or seven people that we would like to talk to”, so it would now seem that a decision is close to being reached and that Oxford United will soon have a new manager.

Jim Smith has done an excellent job since he’s been back; he’s won two, drawn one, and all three games have been played away from home. Oxford had won only two away games all season prior to Smith’s temporary appointment and he’s therefore done a magnificent job to double our away record in the space of three games, managing as many wins in three as what Darren Patterson took thirteen to achieve.

Despite Jim Smith’s magnificent return so far though; I certainly wouldn’t want him to take on the role on a permanent basis. It didn’t work out too well last time, and I don’t think it’d turn out particularly sweetly this time either. That’s not something to really dwell on though as he doesn't actually want the job so a new manager will therefore be brought into the club soon, and I can’t wait to see who gets chosen for the challenge.

Unless Oxford United are up near the top then a lot of fans will see the team as underachieving; the fact of the matter though is that the Blue Square Premier is quite a difficult league, and it’s not actually that easy to place near the top. I’m not so sure it’s a case of underachieving, more a matter of the club not having the money to bring in players of a high enough calibre. Loan players are all well and good, but only if they’re willing to really give it their all for the club, which hasn’t always proven to the be the case this season. Let’s face it; life is always going to be tough when your stadium’s owned by a failed former chairman and you’re charged astronomical amounts to play their each season.

Let’s hope someone decent is picked to become the next manager of Oxford United, and that someone is chosen who can really get the best out of the players we have at the club at current, perhaps bringing in a few pivotal players in January also. Jamie Guy is once more beginning to show some of his pre-season form, and if the new Oxford manager can continue to get the best out of Guy and Constable then Oxford United may yet achieve greatness this season, in the league, or even in the FA Trophy.