Oxford sack Rowett after one win in 10 games

Gary Rowett, head coach of Oxford United, has been fired from the club’s championship relegation zone.

After falling into the bottom three for the first time in ten days, the U’s are now two points clear of safety after winning just one of their previous ten games.

The 51-year-old had been in charge almost a year prior to Des Buckingham’s election on December 20, 2024, and won 14 and lost 21 of his 50 games.

After taking over the 2024 League One play-off winners by one point above the relegation zone, he led Oxford to survival and a second season in the Championship in May.

“We have had to make this difficult decision in the best interests of the club following a disappointing run of results,” the club said.

I want to express my gratitude to Gary and Mark for their contributions and wish them the best of luck in the future.

Oxford were eager to return to League One after only winning four Championship games in the first half of the previous season.

However, they selected the seasoned Rowett, who had previously led Millwall, Birmingham City, Derby County, and Stoke City in the second tier, in order to ensure Championship survival.

In a nine-game unbeaten run in the league that ultimately secured United’s survival, he quickly transformed Oxford’s fortunes, winning three matches in a row over the Christmas holiday period to open a nine-point gap to the relegation zone.

Rowett’s side won four victories and two draws in its final nine games of the season to finish the campaign in 17th place, four points above the drop zone, despite a five-game losing streak.

However, Oxford have struggled despite having a sizable portion of their squad this year. With on-loan 20-year-old Tottenham striker Will Lanskhear as their top scorer, they have scored the fourth-worst total in the division with their top scorer of five goals.

In the second round of the Carabao Cup, they were defeated 6-0 at home by Premier League side Brighton in the opening three league games of the year, which was a difficult August.

The team won just three games under Rowett, the most recent of which was a 2-1 victory over Ipswich Town on November 21, but it was only a 3-1 victory at Bristol City that day.

BBC Radio Oxford’s Ross Heaton

The owners of United’s decision to part ways with Rowett ends a relationship that began with his debut game on Boxing Day a year ago. His run of just one win in 10 games ended in that match.

Following a 1-0 defeat at Charlton over the weekend, Rowett’s position was under increasing pressure as a result of a significant number of fans’ calls for him to leave.

Rowett made comments about the uncertainty surrounding his budget, which raised other questions about his relationship with the board and the transfer process.