Generation Ox

At what point does four games unbeaten under Manning become four games without a win? The former MK head coach has certainly stabilised United, who look better on the ball, more prepared in transition, and have stopped conceding from every shot they face (although Simon Eastwood's discovery of his inner prime Yashin may play some role in that).  The reality is, however, that United went from three points and two places above the drop zone before Manning arrived, to two points and one place since his four draws.  This is not to say things have declined under Manning. The nature of the fixtures and league meant things were always likely to get worse before they got better.  But whether in desperate hope or genuine belief, fans who thought the removal of Robinson would lead to an immediate escape from the dotted line were mistaken.  Oxford are in a serious relegation battle.  But if you'd rather skip the hassle of checking the scores each Saturday and desperately hope that United

Liam Manning is the new Oxford head coach, and has been propelled directly into a relegation scrap as he prepares Oxford for a trip to fellow strugglers Morecambe.  It is difficult to tell how much Manning can change the style of play this season as he look to make up the points to avoid an unexpected drop to League Two, but fans should be optimistic about a manager who was so successful at MK Dons just last season.  He's already using exciting words like improving Oxford's counter pressing, transitions, and even floated the idea of actually playing a holding midfielder.  Manning's approach at MK was well documented, and seemingly makes him a good fit for the ball playing philosophy Oxford at Oxford. But with results going stale, how might Manning look to shake up play at the Kassam?  Looking back at his highly successful 2021-22 season at MK Dons, we draw a picture of some of the key areas Oxford fans can expect to change under the new boss.  Slower Build-up One of the key

If there is one positive to take from the 2-0 loss to Wycombe, it is that Oxford at least didn't concede their customary set piece goal to the Chairboys.  Oxford have been consistently good at defending set pieces and pose a major threat going forward, something which must be credited to the now departed John Mousinho.  The now Portsmouth manager had a growing influence on United's set plays, particularly corners, since he joined the club in 2017, and for the last three years or so, has been the main man in charge of Oxford's routines.  In this time, Oxford have looked more sturdy at the back and proved a real threat going forward.  Whilst this might not sound all that impressive for a League One outfit usually challenging near the top end of the division, it is a lot more than most previous United teams could claim to be.  In an interview with the Oxford Mail earlier in the season, Mousinho confirmed as much: "When I came to the club we weren't particularly good a