Oxford United: Why the club are fighting on two fronts in 2023-24

Liam Manning’s side proved it was talented in an August that earned him the Manager of the Month prize.

No team in the EFL with more than a couple of years in the competition, had waited longer for such recognition. Who would have predicted in 2005 when Ramon Diaz was the last Oxford United manager of the month it would be more than 18 years – a period that included a promotion and play-offs – for the next one?

Mind you, people back then were still a bit stunned that Diaz was the Oxford boss at all, so they might have believed anything!

Meanwhile, back in 2023, United have to fight on two fronts. There are salutary tales of teams crippled as club directors fund new stands or stadiums and neglect the playing side. But when owners are wealthy and committed to the long-term, new stadia can be the key to unlocking the potential of the playing side.

At a meeting in Houses of Parliament last week, Oxford United CEO Tim Williams, speaking about the Fan Led Review of Football Governance, said Oxford United’s decades of struggle for sustainability, in a stadium it doesn’t own, makes it the poster child for football regulation. No good club or good owner has any reason to fear it.

There is a lot of investment going into the U’s from the ownership group it has now – into the stadium project and into the team.

One day, they may see return on that investment financially, but they know that is many years away. The team giving some payback in pride, rather than pounds could come sooner.

You can hear every Oxford United match live on BBC Radio Oxford with Jerome Sale.