Oxford united FC
Oxford United boss baffled by Wrexham and Derby struggles
The U’s lost 1-0 to play-off chasing Wrexham last night thanks to Josh Windass’ goal in the first period.
The result came three days after another 1-0 defeat away at Derby County in which the Rams also scored the only goal of the game in the first 45 minutes.
After back-to-back defeats for the first time since early February, Oxford look destined for relegation with two Championship fixtures remaining.
“I don’t know,” Bloomfield replied when asked why his team has struggled in the opening half of the last two matches.
“I need to give it some consideration before the weekend because it felt like both games have been a bit tentative. In possession, there were too many turnovers in the first half in both games, so we just need to find some calm.
“We need to care about the situation, but we also need to be able to play the game.
“We need to find a freedom…because without that then you find you get tense and turn the ball over too many times.
Video thoughts as #OxfordUnited stare down the barrel of relegation to League One after defeat to Wrexham. 😖
Two games to go with hope almost completely gone, fate now out of The U’s hands.#oufc 🟡 pic.twitter.com/fRalCjuBZz
— malachi (@MalachiObrey) April 21, 2026
“It just felt like that’s happened two games in a row so we need to give it some consideration before the weekend.
“We’ve been beat in two games, two games where there’s not a huge amount in it by two good strikes outside the box.
“The boys gave it everything, especially second half.
“There’s never a doubt they give everything that they’ve got and we’re really frustrated they weren’t able to find that breakthrough.
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“We get the ball wide to Stan Mills and Aidomo Emakhu; we’re really attacking and obviously there’s loads of nearly moments and unfortunately one didn’t fall to us to be able to stick it away.
“It’s two games in a row where we’ve thrown everything at it in the second half. We feel like we could have deserved something out of both games but unfortunately we haven’t got anything from either.
“Our supporters are going to be disappointed. I totally understand that. I’m disappointed.
“We’re all feeling it right now. I think that’s entirely natural when you care about what you do so much and they care about their club so much.
“Where we are in the league is not comfortable. But it’s the reality and we have to deal with it.”
When asked whether he can keep Oxford in the second tier with two games left, Bloomfield replied: “We have to attack the game on Saturday and get the points on the board.
“Until we do that, it doesn’t matter what goes on elsewhere, we have to get our points on the board starting on Saturday.”
League One club Oxford had a bid rejected for the 22-year-old last month, according to Pete O’Rourke , with the Baggies and newly-promoted Championship side Lincoln City also seeing offers denied.
West Brom have since progressed in their talks for the centre forward and have reportedly reached an agreement to secure Stewart’s services.
The former Queens Park Rangers trainee scored 10 goals in 21 appearances for Falkirk in the second half of last season, with the Bairns finishing sixth in the Scottish top tier.
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He has visited Birmingham and accepted the opportunity to play for James Morrison’s side, according to @talkwba , with Stewart wanting the move.
Contract details are still to be finalised with the signing announcement to follow.
🚨 EXCLUSIVE: Agreement reached for Barney Stewart to Join West Bromwich Albion. 22yo visited Birmingham recently & accepted opportunity; contract set to be finalised – announcement to follow. Primary target throughout + wanted #wba move. W/ @EyaWeGew @WestBromXtra pic.twitter.com/6DJJUozR6I
— westbrom.fc (@talkwba) June 15, 2026
The SFWA Young Player of the Year had addressed transfer links previously, saying: “It is insane.
“If it was to happen it would be a massive step and a quick rise if it does happen and one I would have to take in my stride.”
Oxford currently have strikers Nik Prelec and Mark Harris on their books but supporters are keen to see the club add a more prolific goal scorer to the ranks.
Martin has agreed a deal with the Foxes, who are the early bookmakers’ favourites to be promoted, to take over as head coach in League One after the club was relegated from the Championship last season.
Ex-U’s head coach Rowett took Leicester down in 23rd place after being sacked by Oxford back in December.
Rowett had taken over from Marti Cifuentes who was sacked in January following a 2-1 defeat to Matt Bloomfield’s Yellows.
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Former Queens Park Rangers boss Cifuentes had Leicester in 14th at the time and six points away from the play-off places but the club were then hit with a six-point deduction in February for breaching EFL financial rules.
Leicester’s new man charge has been out of work since being sacked by Scottish giants Rangers in October after a poor start to the Scottish Premiership season.
Martin previously took Southampton to the Premier League via the Championship play-offs in 2023/24.
He began his managerial career with MK Dons after retiring with the club before moving to Swansea City in 2021 where he spent two years.
The 40-year-old was a defender in his playing days, appearing in 586 matches across his career, 309 of which were for Norwich City.
Whing, who was a key figure at Oxford United under Chris Wilder and Michael Appleton and went on to coach the youth team, led the Puritans to promotion to the National League North for the first time in their history, winning the Southern League Premier Division Central title.
After keeping Banbury in the sixth tier in their first season, the former boss resigned in May 2023.
Whing went on to become to manager of his local club Solihull Moors, guiding them to the National League play-off final before joining Barrow in League Two.
After being sacked by the Bluebirds in December, the 41-year-old is now boss of National League North outfit Brackley Town.
“I’d been there for two-and-a-half or three years, and the rise of the club was unbelievable,” the ex-Coventry City and Brighton & Hove Albion defender exclusively told the Oxford Mail.
“A new stand, went from 300 or 400 fans to 1500 or 1600, 2500 at FA Cup games. It went through the roof and I wanted to keep that going and I just felt they couldn’t, or they wanted to slow down. I thought, if we slow down, we’ll go back down to where we’ve just come from, we need to keep going.
“They were too slow with certain things and I just knew that we were going to struggle next season, going to get relegated.
“One thing was how that would look personally on me and I didn’t want that to happen to the club so I just felt it was the right time for me to go. It was a big gamble because I didn’t have anything lined up.”
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The Banbury job was Whing’s first as manager of a club.
“When I was a youth team manager [at Oxford], we’d sent a few youth team lads out on loan to Banbury so I kind of knew of the club.
READ MORE: Cult hero Andy Whing relives chaotic life at Oxford United
“It happened out the blue really. I’d left Oxford, I had a stint at Kidderminster, a stint at Coventry Under-18s, a stint at Hereford. None of them really worked out.
“I was just working with my mates at a sofa warehouse, didn’t know where to go next, didn’t have a clue.
“I got phone call out of the blue asking if I wanted the Banbury job. And I just thought, it’s a great opportunity, it’s in Oxfordshire and I’ve got contacts in Oxfordshire. I’ve got the football club down the road who I can rely on to send me loan players, which they did do…anything I needed I could always get from them.
“I thought it was a perfect fit [and] luckily I got the job. In the end, it was an absolute perfect fit.”
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