Oxford United

Former Southampton boss Will Still has emerged as the bookies' favourite for the vacant Oxford United head coach role - but is he the right man for the job?

The 33-year-old managed just two wins from his first 13 Championship games in charge of the Saints and was sacked after only five months in charge.

"If I was the sporting director, I wouldn't be looking at somebody like a Will Still," former Cardiff City defender Sean Morrison told the 72+ EFL podcast.

"Unless he's going to really change how he wants to play, I don't know if he's going to be the right man to keep them in the Championship."

Ex Crystal Palace, Watford and Reading midfielder Jobi McAnuff believes Still - who enjoyed a relatively successful spell at French Ligue 1 club Lens in 2024-25 - should "steer clear" of the U's, who sacked Gary Rowett on 23 December.

"I'd go a step further than that and say 'I know you want to get back into management and it's important that you do, but sometimes you have to look at everything when you're going into a job'," McAnuff said.

"Does that give him the best chance of re-establishing himself? Because if that doesn't go well, after what happened at Southampton, what's his next opportunity going to be in England?

"I was surprised to see him be the favourite on both counts because I don't think he fits the mould for what they need and I don't think the club from his perspective is probably what he needs at this moment in time."

McAnuff said Oxford need a manager with "know-how" and not someone "too open or expansive".

"This is someone who has got a little bit of a track record of salvaging seasons and getting the best out of a group that quite frankly isn't as good player for player as many others it's coming up against on a weekly basis," he added.

"If you're looking at a profile of manager, it sounds like a Gary Rowett-type job."

Listen to the full episode of the 72+ podcast on BBC Sounds.

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Oxford United have confirmed that Craig Short will remain in charge for Friday's FA Cup tie against MK Dons.

The U's beat Southampton 2-1 on 26 December in Short's first game in interim charge, but lost 1-0 at home to Swansea and 2-1 at Ipswich before Sunday's fixture at Sheffield United was postponed.

They remain second-bottom of the Championship, three points from safety.

Short, alongside Chris Hackett and Lewis Price, will remain in position while the U's close on the appointment of a new permanent manager following the sacking of Gary Rowett on 23 December after a run of one point from 10 games.

Ahead of the third-round trip to Stadium MK (19:30 GMT) Short - who is in his third spell in caretaker charge since joining the club as a coach in August 2020 - told the club website: "It's been a demanding period with a lot of preparation in a short space of time.

"The club are working hard behind the scenes. In the meantime, I'm happy to continue overseeing first-team duties alongside Chris and Lewis.

"Our focus is firmly on Friday's FA Cup tie and doing everything we can to progress."

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Fulham have recalled midfielder Luke Harris from his loan spell at Championship side Oxford United.

The 20-year-old made 17 appearances in all competitions for the U's, including scoring in a 1-1 draw at home to promotion-chasers Middlesbrough in November.

Harris spent last season on loan at League One side Birmingham City, helping them get promoted up to the Championship.

The former Fulham academy player previously spent five months on loan to Exeter City during the 2023-2024 season.

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Derek McInnes says it made "perfect sense" to sign Stuart Findlay on a permanent deal at Hearts after his impressive impact on loan.

The 30-year-old centre-back, a Premiership ever-present this season with 20 appearances and four goals, will officially become a Hearts player on a two-year contract in the summer when his Oxford United deal expires.

"Stuart has been every inch the Hearts player I expected him to be when he came in during the summer," manager McInnes told the Hearts website.

"He's been part of a successful defence and he's a danger in opposition boxes, and he is the type of character you want around the dressing room.

"He loves it here and wants to be part of something special, so it made perfect sense to take advantage of his contract expiring down south and get his future sorted with Hearts."

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Aidan Elliot-Wheeler is to remain on loan with Gateshead for the rest of the season.

The Oxford United defender, 19, has made six appearances for the Heed since his initial move in late November.

But Kian Pennant and Ibrahim Bakare have returned to Leicester City and Kyle Hurst to Doncaster Rovers upon the completion of their loan deals with the Tyneside club.

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Oxford United have recalled defender Jordan Thorniley from his loan spell at League One side Northampton Town.

The 29-year-old made 22 appearances in all competitions for the Cobblers, the last of them on 29 December.

"He has battled through some games for the sake of the team and we applaud and appreciate his commitment," Northampton manager Kevin Nolan told the club website.

"Neither party thought it was fair though - either us or Jordan - for him to have to battle through.

"We have had a chat about it and it was agreed best for all parties that he returns to his parent club to allow him to continue his rehabilitation."

"It'll be interesting to see who it is. I would be surprised if there is a huge surprise in terms of a left-field name."

The hunt for the new Oxford boss continues as The Dub team speculate on who could get the call, injury issues plaguing the side, new signing Jamie Donley and the cold, cold snap.

Listen to the newest episode of The Dub and more Oxford United content on BBC Sounds.

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Oxford United have recalled injured defender James Golding from his loan spell at Crewe Alexandra.

The 21-year-old Republic of Ireland youth international joined Crewe last summer and was due to spend the entire season with them.

He made 15 appearances but has not played since being injured in a 2-1 defeat at Cambridge United on 29 November.

Golding will continue to rehab with his parent club.

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Oxford United caretaker manager Craig Short says the injury suffered by midfielder Tyler Goodrham in the 2-1 defeat at Ipswich on New Year's Day "looks nasty".

The 22-year-old, who has scored one goal and provided one assist in 11 Championship appearances this season, was forced off in the 23rd minute at Portman Road.

"He's gone over on it, he's in a boot now," Short told BBC Radio Oxford after the game.

"[We were] just getting Tyler back into a run of form, he's so important to us. He's a goal threat, he plays well above his weight.

"He's an aggressive little so and so on the pitch but he loves it. He's fearless with the ball so it will be a blow if we lose him but we've just got to assess that.

"The lads have a day off [on Friday]. They've been so busy, working so hard over Christmas. We will go again on Saturday before we travel to Sheffield [United]."

Wide player Przemyslaw Placheta was also forced off with an issue at half-time.

"That's the reason we didn't start two wingers really because we just have to be careful," added Short.

"We don't want to lose them, not just for me but the future manager. I knew I had to share the load.

"Unfortunately he [Placheta] just felt his calf a little bit so as a precaution, I took him off. Hopefully he will be okay."

Oxford United have entered talks with Brentford over a possible loan deal for Bees midfielder Myles Peart-Harris, with the 23-year-old Englishman yet to feature in the Premier League this season. (Football Insider), external

Want more transfer news from the EFL? Take a look at Friday's gossip column here.

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Oxford United caretaker manager Craig Short was unhappy with the manner of the second goal in their 2-1 defeat at Ipswich.

Chuba Akpom scored the winner after 40 minutes, six minutes after Will Lankshear levelled from Jaden Philogene's opener.

Short said Oxford did not defend well enough.

"In the last two games, I've said I want performances and we'll see where we go from there.

"This is a difficult place to come in a busy period, confidence is low. We stuck at it, stayed in the game. I was disappointed when we got back to 1-1, you know we'll have to defend and we had to like we did against Southampton.

"If you stay in the game you've got people to come on and be a threat at the end. The second goal was soft and it deflated us."

Short added that, while he'll need to pick the players up, he is confident results will improve if they continue to show the same attitude.

"The lads are flat but they've got confidence because of the performance. Everyone is going to play their part in this busy period; it is a massive game on Sunday [against Sheffield United].

"If they have the attitude and desire of today, they'll have a chance."

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Promotion-chasing Ipswich Town welcome relegation-battling Oxford United for a clash with permutations at both ends of the Championship table on New Year's Day (15:00 GMT kick-off).

The Tractor Boys moved within two points of the automatic promotion spots with an excellent 2-0 win at leaders Coventry City on Monday night.

Kieran McKenna's side have won four of their past six (D1 L1) and have only suffered one defeat at Portman Road so far this season (W7 D4).

The U's have won just one of their past six games (D1 L4) and are three points adrift of safety having played a game more than Portsmouth in 21st.

• Ipswich Town lost 2-1 to Oxford United in the reverse fixture back in November and could suffer a league double to the U's for the very first time.

• Oxford have only won two of their 12 away games against Ipswich in the EFL (D3 L7), winning 2-1 in October 1988 and 1-0 in February 2020.

• Ipswich have only won their opening game in one of the past 17 calendar years (D9 L7), beating Gillingham 4-0 in 2022.

• Oxford have won their opening league game in both of the past two calendar years, last doing so in three consecutive years between 2016 and 2018.

• Oxford's Mark Harris netted the opener in his side's 2-1 win against Ipswich earlier this season but only against Carlisle in 2023-24 and Norwich in 2024-25 has he scored home and away for the U's in a league campaign.

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Oxford United winger Stan Mills believes the players let down former manager Gary Rowett, who was sacked just before Christmas.

Rowett's departure was announced on 23 December, after a year in the post, with the club struggling near the foot of the Championship and Mills says the squad has to shoulder the blame for his exit.

"We obviously know we haven't been up to standard this season and unfortunately that got our last manager sacked," Mills told BBC Radio Oxford.

"That's down to us as players really. We know it's a tough league and we need to step up.

"It's our fault we've not performed as well as we probably should have done and a manager has been sacked because of that."

Mills, who grabbed the late winner in the Boxing-Day win over Southampton with Craig Short in interim charge, feels Oxford have the talent to escape the drop.

"We know what we've got in that changing room. We know that if we all pull in the right direction we have got enough to stay in this league," he said.

"I think it's a good group. It's very hard working. We've got very talented players. I think if we all pull in the same direction, if we all work hard for each other that's all the new manager will want.

"Everyone, when a new manager comes in, raises their game a little bit because they want to be the one that makes the difference and I think we're all going to do that and it's going to help us perform on the pitch."

The U's, currently outside the relegation zone on goal difference, host Swansea City on Monday [19:45 GMT].