Oxford United sacked Des Buckingham as manager on Sunday afternoon, a decision that has shocked and angered the fanbase.

Less than 24 hours after losing 3-1 to Sheffield Wednesday, Oxford confirmed that Buckingham would “leave his role as Men’s First Team Head Coach” – a decision that was completely unexpected.

Buckingham lead Oxford to promotion to the Championship last season, beating Bolton Wanderers 2-0 in the League One play-off final.

The decision has angered lots of United fans, both for the choice to sack Buckingham, but also for the way in which the announcement was made.

Outrage from Oxford United fans at Des Buckingham sacking

The announcement has been met with anger from United supporters in a way rarely seen before. There is a feeling among fans that the club have been disrespectful towards Buckingham, who provided potentially the most memorable moment in their history. It brought the club back to its highest point in a quarter of a century.

The announcement was less than 50 words long. The sort of statement you would see if the club were sacking a manager who had underperformed and was losing the faith of the players and fans.

Due to the connection Buckingham had with the supporters, many will have seen the statement from the club as a disrespect to them and every other fan. He is an extension of the fanbase, and when the club act in this manner, the Oxford community feel like they are being disrespected. It shows a clear lack of understanding and disconnect between the board and the supporters.

Des Buckingham’s relationship with the fans

To understand the anger from the fans, there is some context that must be given. Buckingham grew up an Oxford supporter and was first involved with the club as a coach when he was just 18 years old, working in the youth setup.

After eventually making his way onto the first team staff under Chris Wilder, Buckingham fled the nest in search of his own challenges.

Upon making his return to the City he was born in, the local lad was embraced by United fans. He captured the imagination of those who followed the U’s, and after a shaky spell towards the back end of the season, led his boyhood club back to the second tier of English football for the first time in 25 years.

It’s hard to put into words how supporters feel about Buckingham. He symbolised a connection between the club and the fans. There was a bond between the sideline and the stands, unlike any other manager the club has had.

If any other manager was in charge of the club in their current form, the fans would be calling for the sack. And yet after losing to the Owls on Saturday, there was no indication from the stands, or on social media, that the club needed to sack Buckingham.

He had the admiration, the respect, and the trust of the fans. There was a feeling around the club that even if they were to get relegated, they would have a fantastic manager in Buckingham to take them forward.

The next step

The board have put themselves, and the next manager of Oxford, in a really tough position with this decision.

Choosing to sack Buckingham is a statement of intent. The club were heading for relegation. The form and performances were getting worse each week, and the majority of the squad looked as if Championship football was one step too far for them. One win in 15 meant United had fallen to within a point of the drop zone.

Many fans were content with this, knowing that if they were relegated, the club would have a top-quality League One side, coached by a fantastic manager who the fans adored.

The club, on the other hand, are clearly not content with this and are determined to do whatever it takes to stay in the division.

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The manager who comes in now has a herculean task in their hands. Coming into a club in awful form, with a core squad who seem not good enough for the Championship, and a fanbase who are furious that the previous manager was sacked. Who would want to take that job on?

The sacking took everyone by surprise, including members of the media who are close to the club. It is unknown how long the board had been discussing removing Buckingham. One would hope that the club have got a replacement lined up.

The alternative is a desperate and rash decision by the club without the ability to realise how it would go down with the fans. If the latter is true, it raises more concerns about why the club are so desperate to stay in the league. Would they not be able to afford the higher wage bill without the income stream that comes with being a Championship side?

One thing is certain, this is a very scary time for the football club. The division between the club and the fans is clear to see.

United have a huge decision to make. And if they get it wrong, it could end in disaster.