I am struck by what a strange business football business is. It makes money on the back of emotion, but congratulates itself when it makes decisions with emotion removed.

Des Buckingham’s connection with Oxford fans wasn’t just something intangible as it usually is when managers click at their clubs. As we would learn, he went to their schools, drank (and served ) in their bars, cheered on the same team – Oxford United – when the rest of the country had almost forgotten they existed.

Throw in an undoubted talent as a coach and delivering the greatest day any U’s fan under 25 can remember and he’s a popular guy.

Hence the shock, and in some cases downright outrage at the decision to part ways with a man they appointed 13 months ago – a young, marketable, globally experienced City Football Group product who delivered a promotion.

The club made the decision to get rid of Des Buckingham less than seven months after he produced a tactical masterclass in a Wembley play-off final to get the U’s into the Championship.

At points earlier in the promotion season, when times were undoubtedly tough, might he have been let go, had it not been for the ‘one of our own’ shield that he carried? It was powerless in the face of a run of one win in 16 though, even though United remain above the dreaded dotted line that marks the relegation zone.

Were there tell-tale signs that all was not well behind the scenes? There was football insider gossip about Buckingham being linked with other jobs, and with other people being linked with the Oxford job when he was still in it.

Perhaps in hindsight, him not being offered a new contract on the back of promotion – even with years left on his existing deal – was the red flag that should have been picked up on. But then I am not even convinced Buckingham saw this coming.

Not all fans wanted Des to remain as manager, but most did. I am sure that those in charge of the club have wrestled with the decision, and some on the board may not agree with it.

There are mitigating factors in the slump. Those who dispute the dismissal point to injuries, and individuals losing form at a club that by its own reckoning has one task this season, and that is to stay up.