Oxford united FC
Oxford United boss Matt Bloomfield slams Southampton tricks
Saints staff moved the stadium’s advertising boards closer to the pitch prior to kick-off, seemingly in order to prevent the threat of the U’s long throw-ins from Myles Peart-Harris and Ciaron Brown.
It is understood that United boss Bloomfield complained about the boards to officials before the game and the hosts were forced to move them further back to within the official rules, getting out tape measures to measure the distance.
“There are rules, but we’re all grown adults and there is common sense that kicks in in that moment when you start measuring things,” the 42-year-old said after the game.
“We didn’t need it for our long throw because we could just change to Ciaron Brown. Myles has had a bit of a bad back which is why he missed last week so he wasn’t taking the long throws anyway, it was Ciaron.
“My point was, if they want to do that and look for a competitive advantage, use the soft advertising board because the hard ones had a corner that if a player fell into it, we could have been looking at – it was unlikely but you saw a couple of players fall into them today – in my opinion, it is not worth taking a risk with player welfare.
“Although there’s a small chance of something happening, there is a chance that a player fell into the advertising hoardings and hurt themselves today.
“Football is a really important sport but these players have got families to go home to. So, to take a risk of players welfare and safety in my opinion was completely wrong.
“I don’t think I should comment any further on that. They know my opinion. To start getting measuring tapes out and getting small print and all that…in my opinion, it was not worth the risk today.”
READ MORE: Oxford United beaten 2-0 by Saints in first St Mary’s visit
During the game, two players in Saints’ James Bree and the Yellows’ Stan Mills did fall into the boards during the game but were thankfully not hurt.
Southampton’s Cyle Larin and Shea Charles scored the two early goals which saw the U’s lose their first ever visit to St Mary’s.
Oxford fall to 23rd in the Championship, only on goal difference, and are one point from safety.
The 35-year-old was appointed into his first head coach role in June, taking over at United from Matt Bloomfield after retiring from professional football in April.
Ramsey has enjoyed a successful start to his tenure in OX4 so far, securing four wins from four pre-season fixtures, including a 2-0 victory over Premier League side Ipswich Town.
The former Gunners midfielder has also had to manage the squad amidst a temporary transfer ban which sees Oxford unable to register any new player until they prove compliance with the EFL’s Squad Cost Management Protocol (SCMP) regulations.
The ex-Wales international played under some world-renowned managers during his successful playing career in the likes of Wenger, Aston Villa boss Unai Emery and former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri.
“Arsene was a huge part of the success that I had as a player,” the Yellows head coach detailed after the pre-season win over Ipswich.
“And obviously, I took so much from him as well, from the manager side of things.
“But I’ve been very lucky and blessed to have played for some really good managers over the years, which I’ve taken little bits from as well.
“So, yes, I wouldn’t just say it’s all him, but definitely he’s formed part of that.”
Similarly to Wenger, Ramsey possesses a calm demeanour on the touchline, more often than not on the edge of his technical area with the occasional instruction directed at a player or the team as a whole.
READ MORE: Will Vaulks leaves Oxford United to join Tranmere Rovers
READ MORE: Aaron Ramsey emphasises importance of Oxford United’s Stan Mills
He is visibly calm and contemplative, something which he himself acknowledges.
“I think that’s me as a player, though. I’ve always been quite calm and comfortable in situations. So for me, that’s the way that I am.
“And I want my players to feel that and to feel like they can go out there and express themselves.
“So, yes, when they play like that [against Ipswich], it does make it a lot easier for me on the side lines.
“I think we need to be confident in what we’re trying to do for us to be able to really showcase exactly what we can do.
“It’s that confidence which is important without stepping over the line, but we need to embrace that.”
The U’s begin their campaign this Saturday with a Carabao Cup clash with League One rivals Leyton Orient.
Ramsey will be hoping his side can take the confidence and impressive performances from pre-season into the competitive campaign.
League action begins a week later, with the Yellows hosting newly-promoted MK Dons at the Kassam on the opening day.
The U’s return to the third tier after a two-year stay in the Championship, suffering relegation last term with a 22nd-placed finish under Matt Bloomfield.
The club revealed their new home strip last month and have worn it twice during pre-season when they beat Crawley Town 3-1 and Ipswich Town 2-0 at the Kassam Stadium.
Oxford’s away kit was released with a video on social media titled ‘Performance Inspires’, the shirt being inspired by Oxford’s performing arts, with a ballet performance filmed at Oxford New Theatre.
The video is soundtracked by a reimagined take on Oxford band Foals’ song ‘What Went Down’.
The shirt is available to buy online and in-store.
The 32-year-old midfielder joined United in 2024 and played 88 games for the club, scoring two goals.
His last goal for the club came in the final home game of last season, a 4-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday.
On 14 January 2025, he scored his first goal for the club in a 1–1 league draw away against Plymouth Argyle.
He will now join Tranmere who are in League Two.
The Wales international did not make any senior appearances for Tranmere in his first spell but has signed a two-year deal with the club.
The U’s are in the midst of a temporary transfer embargo and will not currently be able to replace the midfielder.
As well as his contributions on the pitch, Vaulks was also a pioneer in the Oxfordshire community, using his personal story to establish the award-winning Can We Talk? suicide prevention campaign.
READ MORE: Jack Currie hails Oxford United versatility under Aaron Ramsey
READ MORE: Aaron Ramsey emphasises importance of Oxford United’s Stan Mills
He introduced a suicide prevention check-in app for staff, delivered training to employees and supporters, and led workshops across the county, including at RAF Brize Norton.
He was nationally and internationally recognised for his campaigning, winning awards including the FIFPRO Player Voice and was recently named PFA Community Player of the Year.
Vaulks made seven appearances for Wales, his most recent coming in a 1-1 draw with Czechia in 2022.
Oxford United begin their League One campaign next week with a home clash against MK Dons after suffering relegation from the second tier last season.
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