In their 4-0 romp at the King Power Stadium at the weekend, the Yellows were at their “absolute best” – in Ramsey’s own words – taking apart Russell Martin’s rigid Foxes in their own back yard.

Oxford played with a refreshing fluidity and directness not seen from a United side in a while, with the club fighting for survival in the Championship in the last two seasons.

Now back in League One, Ramsey is bringing new ideas to the club and is starting to bring the best out of the tools at his disposal.

The U’s adjusted their formation slightly against Leicester, opting for a 4-3-3 rather than a 4-2-3-1 seen in the first three league matches.

The midfield trio of Cameron Brannagan, Jamie McDonnell and Kai Andrews was a clever, compact but flexible unit that helped inspire all four goals and allowed for incisive wing play.

For Oxford’s first goal, this was evident.

The central trio operated in a triangle within passing range of each other, overloading on the right-hand side as Peter Kioso attempting a first ball in behind Mo Missanga who tried to dart behind.

Oxford United midfield trio (Image: YouTube (Leicester City))

On this attempt, Foxes left back Christian McFarlane got his head in the way to intercept but United quickly recycled the ball.

Jamie McDonnell, who had his best game for Oxford since joining in January, won the ball back and played a one-two with Kioso to throw off the retreating City press and create time for him to get his head up play the ball through to Missanga who was on the shoulder.

Jamie McDonnell plays the ball through to Mo Missanga (Image: YouTube (Leicester City))

With McFarlane in no man’s land, the 18-year-old gets forward and is able to put the cross in to assist Mark Harris’ opener.

Evidently, the overloads in wide areas in the midfield create space for the wingers to go one-versus-one and run into space.

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For the U’s second goal, the influential midfield rotations were on display.

Here, Brodie Spencer carries the ball inside and, with Siriki Dembele coming slightly in from the left, Andrews makes a brilliant run on the outside, Brannagan and McDonnell holding the fort further back to allow the Coventry City loanee freedom.

Brodie Spencer plays Kai Andrews in behind (Image: YouTube (Leicester City))

Andrews goes on to assist Missanga’s first goal in senior football.

With Leicester all but beaten, the fourth goal showed yet more precision.

Tyler Goodrham threads Luka Lynch into space (Image: YouTube (Leicester City))

Oxford exploited Leicester’s narrow structure, with City huddled on the left side of the pitch, leaving Aston Villa loanee Luka Lynch alone in space on the right.

Tyler Goodrham’s brilliant turn saw him thread Lynch in, the Villa youngster putting the ball on a plate for McDonnell to tap home.

And a word on McDonnell; the Northern Irishman was immense, positionally smart, a monster in the tackle and influential in starting moves from midfield.

The Welshman bagged a brace at the King Power Stadium taking his tally to three goals from four games so far this season.

A first of the season for Harris came on the opening day at home to MK Dons, the U’s rescuing a late 2-2 draw thanks to a stoppage-time Ciaron Brown equaliser.

Harris has shown the instincts of a natural goal scorer whilst proving invaluable in his aggression off the ball, overperforming in expected goals (xG) with three from an xG of 1.51.

The 27-year-old maintained his goal scoring form at the King Power after bagging the winning goal there last season in a 2-1 triumph back in January.

“It would be alright, I guess,” the Yellows no.9 replied when jokingly asked if he wished could play at the King Power every week.

Mark Harris celebrates scoring his first against Leicester (Image: Oxford United)

“That’s a top performance from us. Coming away from home against Leicester, everyone knows they’re a good side.

“They were relegated with us last year, they’ve got some good players. But to come here and put a performance on like that – 4-0, clean sheet – what more could you ask for?”

Harris’ first goal of the day came from young Missanga’s cross, the striker getting the beating of the back-tracking Foxes centre back Harry Souttar to be in the perfect place to flick the ball home from close range.

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His second saw Coventry City Kai Andrews play the ball the to feet, Harris’ first touch off putting defender Luke Thomas and allowing space to aim for the bottom left corner with his weaker left foot.

A instinctive first finish followed by a two-touch, composed second showed the striking prowess that the former Cardiff City man can possess at this level.

With his two strikes, the U’s front man outperformed an xG tally of 0.72.

On top of the goal scoring, Harris was relentless and clever in his pressing.

Immediately from kick-off in the second half, his pressure on Souttar helped win the ball in the opposition half with the defender kicking it against his own teammate.

Mark Harris celebrates scoring Oxford winner against Leicester last season (Image: ©Jason Dawson)

It led to a chance in the penalty area for Andrews who was intercepted at the final moment.

“That’s exactly what our gaffer wants,” Harris continued.

“He wants us to get the ball back as quick as possible; I think you can see that from today.

“And then when we get it, he wants us to keep it, control games, create chances.

“It was a good shift, a tough shift; I’m sure we’ll all be a bit sore tomorrow.”

Harris notched 19 goals in his last League One campaign as the U’s were promoted and, after four games, he is well on his way to matching, or even improving on, that tally.

The Yellows stormed to a 4-0 victory over Russell Martin’s Foxes on Saturday, Mark Harris with two and Mo Missanga and Jamie McDonnell with a goal each to secure second win of the League One season.

It was a day to remember for many players at the King Power Stadium, with Missanga and McDonnell both notching their first goals for the club, the former on only his second senior start.

Simon Eastwood started the afternoon for a second game running whilst first-choice goalkeeper Jamie Cumming returned to the bench after a groin injury.

Cumming was withdrawn early into the U’s 2-1 win over Stevenage, 37-year-old Eastwood replacing him, and subsequently missed out on a place in the squad for a midweek trip to Huddersfield Town last week which ended in a 3-1 defeat.

After the 27-year-old returned to the bench in the East Midlands, head coach Ramsey offered an update on the no.1 keeper’s status.

“He’s only had one training session with the team,” the Yellows boss disclosed after the win at Leicester.

“So for us, we know how important he is for the team.

“Eastwood did really well last week and for him to come in again today and get that clean sheet is brilliant.

“But now as well, for Jamie’s sake, he’s got a full week of preparation now to really make sure that he’s in a good place now for next week.”

Backup shot-stopper Eastwood secured his first clean sheet in almost three years against the Foxes and the Yellows’ first of the season.

The keeper’s last clean sheet came in December 2023, a 1-0 win at Forest Green Rovers in the EFL trophy.

Eastwood, who has been at the club since 2016, has performed well whilst standing in in-between the sticks.

Despite losing against Huddersfield, the former Terrier did all he could and made five saves at the Accu Stadium.

The Englishman then managed four against Leicester, with a statistic of 0.6 goals prevented according to Sofascore.

His colleague Cumming played every minute of last season’s league campaign which saw United relegated from the Championship under Gary Rowett and then Matt Bloomfield.

The former Chelsea man kept eight clean sheets for a struggling U’s side last term.

His last campaign in League One was in the U’s promotion season of 2023/24 where he joined in January on a six-month loan.

Cumming made 23 league and play-off appearances in that time and managed seven clean sheets, including in the 2-0 play-off final win at Wembley against Bolton Wanderers.