Rowett Pledges Utmost Effort for Oxford United’s Advancement

Gary Rowett has been named the new head coach of Oxford United. The newly appointed Oxford United manager, Gary Rowett, has assured supporters he will “give everything” in his role as the U’s head coach. Oxford confirmed Rowett’s appointment on Friday, following the dismissal of Des Buckingham. Buckingham’s departure came after a period of poor performance that saw the team fall to within one point of the Championship relegation zone. Rowett, returning to management after approximately a year, arrives at the Kassam Stadium with the objective of maintaining the Yellows’ position in England’s second division. “I’m really excited to be here,” Rowett stated to BBC Radio Oxford. “We’re at the stage where I just want to get to work, get on the training ground and meet the players, I’ve had more or less a year recharging my batteries but I’m ready to go.” Rowett previously managed Birmingham City in March 2024, serving on a caretaker basis for the last eight matches of the previous season after Tony Mowbray’s illness necessitated his departure. He secured three victories but was unable to prevent the Blues’ relegation to League One, departing before the club appointed its current manager, Chris Davies. Under Buckingham, Oxford commenced this season with a promising period of form, occupying a position in the top half of the table and achieving a six-game unbeaten run at home. The U’s maintained an undefeated league record at the Kassam until November, when Swansea defeated them 2-1. While a home win against Hull City offered some supporters reassurance, Oxford subsequently lost five of their following six matches, leading to Buckingham’s termination. “I saw how well the team started this season,” Rowett commented. “The Championship has this really uncanny way of dragging you back down. It’s such a competitive league but the team have shown their potential.” “I’m excited because it’s a really good group – most importantly to me it looks like a group that wants to work really hard to try and achieve success.” “Now it’s up to me to try to find the right balance and chemistry to give them the chance to show the quality they’ve got. “It’s important that they get the opportunity to stamp their authority on Championship matches.” The announcement of Buckingham’s dismissal drew considerable criticism from U’s supporters. Many expressed sympathy for the 39-year-old, who possessed local ties and had guided the club to promotion to the second tier of English football for the first time in 25 years, following their victory in the League One play-off final at Wembley. “I’m really respectful of the fact that Des was a really popular guy,” Rowett stated. “Him being local also means a lot more to the fans and I respect the role he played in getting the club to where they are now.” “But my whole focus now is to move Oxford United forward.” “I’ll do that with everything I can, I’ll put a lot of effort into that. I’m a passionate manager and I love the game.” “I’ve got to try to move the team forward, I’ll try to do it by hopefully winning games, by trying to create performances that excite the fans and make them buy into what the team do.” Oxford is scheduled to visit Leeds United on Saturday [15:00 GMT], where it has been confirmed that Rowett will observe from the stands before assuming full managerial duties for the match against Cardiff City on Boxing Day.