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Oxford are looking for a new manager and the best betting sites believe there are several names in the frame.
The club made the difficult decision at the weekend to part ways with Des Buckingham, the coach who took them to the Championship last season.
The Oxford board pulled the trigger following a downturn in results which saw Buckingham’s team collect just one point from the last 21 available.
Oxford are now just a point clear of the bottom three. A relegation battle is what everyone expected for the U’s, but the hierarchy at the Kassam Stadium decided to act decisively in a bid to stop the rot.
Who will be next through the door? Let’s take a look at the latest next Oxford manager odds.
Next Oxford Manager Odds
Rowett Odds-On Favourite For Role
Gary Rowett is the 4/5 favourite with football betting sites to be in the dugout at the Kassam Stadium next.
Aside from a brief stint as Birmingham’s interim boss earlier this year, Rowett has been out of work since leaving Millwall in October 2023. The 50-year-old may feel this is the right time to get back into management.
Rowett has significant Championship experience, not only with the Lions but also with Stoke, Derby and, between 2014-16, Birmingham.
Oxford will surely have him on the shortlist as they look for someone to keep the club in the second flight.
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McCarthy Wants To Get Into Management
Paddy McCarthy is currently working as an assistant to Oliver Glasner at Crystal Palace.
The chance to shadow a Europa League-winning manager is invaluable for the former centre-back, but McCarthy has made no secret of the fact that he wants to be a head coach himself one day.
The Irishman, who reportedly interviewed for the Oxford job before Buckingham was appointed last year, is available at 3/1.
However, a lack of frontline experience could ultimately count against him.
It would be a risk for Oxford to appoint someone like McCarthy given their current predicament at the wrong end of the Championship.
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Appointing Robins Would Be Major Coup
Mark Robins was relieved of his duties as Coventry boss a few weeks back, much to the dismay of most supporters.
Robins remained a popular figure right until the end, with Coventry fans fully supportive of a manager who took them from League Two to the Championship play-off final and an FA Cup semi-final.
Given those achievements, Robins probably feels he has done enough to earn a bigger job than the one at Oxford.
He is one of the favourites for the role at the Kassam Stadium at a best price of 4/1 with betting apps.
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Schumacher Has Championship Experience
Steven Schumacher is on the hunt for a new job after being dismissed by Stoke in September.
Many felt the Potters were too hasty in sacking Schumacher after just five games of the 2024/25 campaign, and the former Plymouth head coach will feel he still has plenty to offer at this level.
Oxford would no doubt prefer someone who has managed at this level before, and Schumacher ticks that box.
He is listed at 6/1 with BetVictor to fill the vacancy at Oxford.
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Terry In The Running
John Terry had a trophy-laden career at Chelsea, but has yet to make an impact on the coaching front.
The former England captain has had a couple of spells working under Dean Smith at both Aston Villa and Leicester, but has never been a manager.
Terry returned to Stamford Bridge in the summer of 2023 to lead the club’s Academy team, but is now a coaching consultant at the club’s Cobham training ground.
The ex-Blues defender would be a risky appointment, but he is 10/1 fourth favourite to land his first managerial role.
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Cooper Surely Out Of Reach
Steve Cooper did not last long at Leicester following his appointment in the summer.
The Welshman is out of work and he may have to drop into the Championship for his next job.
Having said that, Cooper will have his sights set on a promotion contender rather than a relegation candidate considering his achievement at Nottingham Forest.
Odds of 14/1 show how difficult it will be for Oxford to persuade Cooper to take over.
Lowe Another Outsider
Ryan Lowe is another dark horse at 14/1. Sacked by Preston a few months back, we do not know whether Lowe intends to have a break from the game or whether he wants to get back in the dugout soon.
The ex-Plymouth boss would have plenty to offer Oxford, but for one reason or another the bookies do not see him as a standout contender.
Perhaps Lowe is hoping for a job higher up the Championship.
Elsewhere, Alex Neil’s extensive Championship experience means he is in the conversation at 16/1, while Matt Bloomfield is 20/1.
Bloomfield has steered Wycombe to the top of the League One table and understandably his name has been in the frame for several vacancies lately.
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