By Jerome Sale, BBC Radio Oxford pundit for Oxford United
What Gary Rowett is, is a championship manager.
He has hundreds of games behind him in the second division and joins a club that, in the last quarter of a century, has made just 20 appearances at that level.
If the owners, executives, and most players don’t know the Championship, he doesn’t know.
Over all his games as boss his teams have a points per game record of at least 1.3. Simulate his worst performance at any Championship club and he’ll get Oxford to safety – and that’s what he was hired for.
What Gary Rowett is not, Des Buckingham is. And that’s not his fault.
United have been dealt a more brutal blow than they expected when they sacked Buckingham, a successful local boy, promotion man and legend.
At least with this selection they have not been turned heads by the name of a star or someone who has no more level experience than Buckingham.
I’m not sure they would be forgiven for that.
Many will see this as Oxford hiring firefighters. They think it’s long-term – which in the championship is not that long.
Either way, right or wrong, the fairy tale is over, this is now about the hard truth.
Five months to digest the results to ensure what Buckingham achieved in the heat of May last year is not lost come the spring of 2025.
