Des Buckingham: Oxford United part company with head coach

by Jerome Sale, BBC Radio Oxford’s Oxford United commentator

When a team has won only once in 15 games it might seem strange to talk about the outright shock that cascaded through Oxfordshire within moments of this news breaking.

It is not about Des Buckingham being a local guy, or even the guy that took Oxford into the Championship for the first time in 25 years.

I did a phone in when of the 100 or so calls, text messages and social media comments we received after Oxford were beaten at home by Sheffield Wednesday, a grand total of one called for a change of manager.

Relegation always was, and remains, a possibility for a club that almost surprised itself by winning the League One play-offs following a late charge last season.

My initial thought is that the fans have been happy just being in the Championship – the club clearly isn’t.