Oxford united FC
Oxford’s Sam Long calls international break bad timing
The U’s were unbeaten in four Championship games before their 2-0 loss at St Mary’s thanks to goals from Cyle Larin and Shea Charles.
There are seven huge games remaining for the Yellows as they look to survive in the second tier.
“We’re in a good spot and I think it’s probably coming at a bad time if anything,” Long told BBC Radio Oxford after the match.
“But we’ll take it anyway and we’ll use it to rest up, recoup and go again after the break.
“There’s a points total that we’re aiming for as a target, and that’s all we’re focusing on.
“If we focus on ourselves, I think we did it last year and look what happened, and if we do the same, I don’t see why we can’t do exactly the same as what we did last year.”
Two early goals downed the U’s on the south coast, conceding a poor opener after just six minutes and a screamer from Charles for the second.
Striker Will Lankshear had a perfect chance to get United back in the game in the second half when he found himself one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but put the ball agonisingly wide.
“I don’t many people externally would have had us getting anything from the game, but we had belief and we were coming here fully in our minds to come get a result so we’re disappointed,” Long continued.
“It was a game of moments. To concede so early on two early goals, one poor and one that you can’t really do much about. We could’ve probably set up a little bit better but it’s a great strike.
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“It’s disappointing but if you’d have told us five games ago that we’d be in this position, any Oxford fan or player or staff member would’ve snapped your hand off.
“We’ve shown a lot of character to show that we’re fighting to obviously stay in this league.
“If our moments go in, especially in the second half, then it’s a different game and it would’ve looked a lot different towards the end of the game.
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“We’ve all been in those situations this year, we’ll never point fingers,” the 31-year-old said when recalling the first goal.
“Everybody knows their roles and responsibilities and it’s obviously a disappointing goal for us to concede as a team. When you concede that goal so early on as well it’s very difficult.
“Moving forward, they’re the sort of things that we need to brush up on. I think having those small lapses in concentration, we’ve got to be a bit better.”
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.
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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.
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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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