The season may well be over but it has still been a very busy last seven days at Oxford United.
The week began with head coach Liam Manning discussing that some players would leave before the club announced their released and retained list on Wednesday.
The U’s chairman, Grant Ferguson, also came out and spoke to the media this week about the departure of Karl Robinson, while there was also a poll in the village of Kidlington – where the club hope to build a new stadium – and a first pre-season friendly fixture has been announced.
Oxford United Weekly Round-Up: Player Departures, Transfer News and Parish Poll
Manning Discusses Player Departures
In what has been a below-par season, new U’s boss Liam Manning has discussed that some players will need to move on.
Oxford avoided relegation on the penultimate weekend, despite losing against already relegated Accrington Stanley on the final day.
It is believed the club had a ‘top six’ budget, meaning they have severely underachieved this season.
Speaking to the Oxford Mail, Manning said: “There’s still a lot of work to do, some players have shown that they’re all in for the club and that’s going to be really important.
“There’ll be some players that we need to move on and that’s inevitable at any football club. There’ll be a large amount of work done this summer.
“I’ve got conversations to have with the players and then it’s a case of following that up to see what the situation is. We’ll be working like crazy to get it right.”
Manning added that telling players they are no longer needed is a difficult conversation to have but is a necessity if the club are to move forward.
He said: “It’s not nice in terms of delivering that message but at the same point we’re in an industry and I want a culture, and to be successful.
“I want the club to be successful and I want the team to be successful, so we have to have people that fit that profile.
“Players that can step up in the key moments and deliver, players that have the right quality, whether it be physically, technically or tactically.
“We have to have people that the second they put on the shirt and step on the pitch, they’re ready to deliver and win games.
“I’ve had a good opportunity up until now to have a real assessment of the group.”
Joseph Remains on Oxford Radar
Manning then said that Swansea City loanee Kyle Joseph is a player the club are looking to bring in next season.
The 21-year-old netted ten goals in 41 appearances for the U’s, finishing just two behind top goal scorer Cameron Brannagan.
However, he has two years left on his current deal and an impressive campaign mean the club may need to pay a hefty transfer fee to land the former Wigan Athletic man. However, he could be available for another loan spell.
Speaking to the Oxford Mail, Manning said: “Kyle’s done great for us and there’s no snobbery around the fact he loves running.
“It’s almost a thing now where young players especially, you don’t associate it with them.
“It’s always the technical skills, which he’s got as well, but his appetite to work is outstanding.
“He’s been terrific to work with and I’ve really enjoyed working with him.
“He’s someone that will progressively get better and it’s one of those where we have to go away and look at the situation.”
Oxford United Chairman on Karl Robinson Sacking
U’s chairman Grant Ferguson has admitted the club acted too slow in sacking Karl Robinson but assured fans that the board were not ignoring the situation.
A run of seven defeats in eight games promoted the decision to relieve him of his duties, just shy of reaching five years at the club.
Several fans had been vocal in the weeks building up to the decision and were worried the move came too late, with the club heavily involved in a relegation battle.
Speaking to the Oxford Mail, Ferguson said: “I think anyone who’s looking at it with hindsight would come to that conclusion (it was too late).
“What I would say is that it wasn’t a late decision, in that it was an evolving decision over what turned out to be quite a long period of time.
“The fans rightly get concerned about the on-field performance.
“It’s a key part of the decision but it’s only one part of the decision.
“We’re dealing with legal, contractual, financial and human wellbeing issues, so we’re constantly looking at the balance of those and the risk-reward trade-off.
“We got to the point where the downside risk became too great.
“Changing manager is inherently a risky process – Chelsea and Spurs have found out that to their cost, and Leeds as we know have just rolled the dice as well.
“It wasn’t being ignored, it was a process that was being worked through and I think with hindsight, it has worked out.”
U’s Announce Retained List
On Wednesday, Oxford announced the players that will be leaving the club in the summer, with striker Matty Taylor the most high-profile on the list.
The 33-year-old is the club’s ninth-highest goalscorer with 64 in 164 appearances but fell out of favour under Karl Robinson before being sent on loan to Port Vale in January.
Summer signings Djavan Anderson and Jodi Jones have also been told they won’t be offered new deals, while youngsters Slavi Spasov, Kie Plumley, Ben Davis, Yoav Sade and Will Owens have also been released.
Brandon Fleming, Tyler Smith and Kyle Joseph have returned to their parent clubs, along with Lewis Bate and Ateef Konate, who had previously done so.
Speaking to the club’s official website, head coach Liam Manning said: “We held one-to-one meetings on Monday; these things are never easy and I believe should be face to face when possible.
“Obviously Matty Taylor is a club legend and has been here in two spells since he was just a kid, so I am sure the fans will join us in thanking him for everything he has done for the club. The other players are also good people who we wish well for the future.
“We have also told Alex Gorrin that he can continue his rehab from his long-term injury with us into pre-season and we will see how that works out for the best for both the player and the club.
“With all of the players, they know what we expect, they know the standards we have and they know that the fans deserve a much better season next time around. We will spend the summer adding new faces and building a squad that we believe will be far more competitive next season.”
Parish Council Poll: Oxford United Club Statement
Later that day, residents of Kidlington – the area where Oxford United hope to build a brand new stadium – voted in a poll issued by the Parish Council asking ‘Should Kidlington Parish Council support the building of a stadium for Oxford United Football Club in Kidlington?’
A 29.99 per cent turnout saw 928 people vote ‘yes’ and 2,073 vote ‘no’, but that leaves over 70 per cent of residents without expressing their views.
The club issued the following statement, which read: “Community involvement is a critical part of the plans for our new stadium. We welcome all the comments, thoughts and concerns which have been raised so far.
“We are constantly listening to local communities and are committed to further discussions to shape our plans to design the best scheme for Kidlington and Oxfordshire.
“This non-binding poll has been another opportunity for us to listen and take away feedback about how we can improve our proposals.
“In the next couple of weeks, we will be holding a series of exhibitions to showcase the first parts of the detail. Residents will also be receiving leaflets and information from us through the post and online in the weeks and months ahead. All of this will also be posted on our stadium website: https://oufcstadium.co.uk/
“We are working hard to get our plans out there as quickly as we can. We want to give the community every opportunity to influence and shape the design and to tackle any concerns which may arise. Our detailed plans, once published, will help us to reassure residents and present this exciting vision for Oxfordshire.”
First Pre-Season Friendly Announced
Oxford will welcome Championship side Swansea City in their first pre-season friendly, the club have announced.
The game, which will take place on Friday, July 21, will be the third meeting between the sides at Grenoble Road.
The U’s famously won the first, picking up a 3-2 victory in the FA Cup, before a 2-2 draw in the Carabao Cup at the start of the season, which Oxford won on penalties.
