With just one win from their opening nine league games, the pressure is starting to build on Oxford United head coach, Gary Rowett.
The U’s boss replaced Des Buckingham back in December and made an immediate impact, but a slow start to the new campaign has raised some questions about his position in the role.
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Pressure Building on Gary Rowett at Oxford United
Comparisons to Last Season
After nine league games, Rowett’s side sit 22nd in the league with six points. They’ve accumulated those points with one win and three draws, while there have also been five losses.
Last season under Buckingham, the U’s had picked up double the points tally with 12. This included three wins, three draws and three defeats from the first nine fixtures. Given the good start, the lowest Oxford sat in the table was 12th.
Signs of Promise But Inconsistent Performances
Oxford looked poor in the opening three games of the current campaign with defeats against Portsmouth, Hull and Birmingham.
However, Rowett then tweaked the system, welcomed players back from injury and started to show a more attacking style of play.
This was highlighted with credible draws against Coventry and Leicester before their solitary win of the season at Bristol City, which produced seven goals from those three fixtures having scored just twice from the opening three.
However, when winless Sheffield United came to Grenoble Road, the U’s reverted to their defensive style and were punished with a 1-0 defeat. In the following fixtures at QPR and Watford, that trend continued with Oxford scoring just once in the form of an own goal.
What Setup Should Gary Rowett Play?
Rowett has several wingers at his disposal but none have hit the ground running yet, with all of them churning out inconsistent displays.
Last season, as Oxford looked to avoid the drop, he deployed a defensive system in order to grind out results, which ultimately worked, but this season, he’s looking to add variety to the play, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
However, due to the poor form of the wingers, his squad may be better suited to a back three with attacking wing-backs. Ben Davies and Ciaron Brown are due back from injury which will help the defensive options, while Brodie Spencer, Greg Leigh and Jack Currie all like to get forward from the full-back roles.
Of the opening nine games, Rowett has played a back five twice in the defeat at Birmingham and draw against Coventry but you could argue that he didn’t quite have the personnel at the time to play that way. After the international break, he will.
Poor Record But Right Option
While there may be calls from some fans for him to go given the poor start, he’s the type of manager to find those results and guide the team up the table.
Ironically, if Oxford were to dismiss him as head coach, he is the ideal candidate to come in and turn the tide, as he did last season.
Therefore, while there are cause for concern at parts of the season, a fully fit squad and players finding form should be enough to lift the U’s from trouble.
