Pick of the stats: Oxford United v Queens Park Rangerspublished at 13:49 GMT
13:49 GMT
Image source, Opta
Relegation-battling Oxford United will seek a first win under new boss Matt Bloomfield when they welcome Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday night (19:45 GMT kick-off).
The U's are five points adrift of safety and have won just one of their past eight games (D2 L5).
Meanwhile, the Hoops are 11th but still in touching distance of the play-off spots, four points behind the top-six.
Oxford United are winless in four league meetings with Queens Park Rangers (D1 L3), but have never gone five without a win against the Rs.
QPR won this exact fixture last season 3-1, but have never won back-to-back away league games at Oxford United before.
Oxford United are without a win in their past 10 midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) Championship games (D4 L6) since defeating Luton 3-2 in January 2025.
QPR have won each of their previous three away league games played in midweek (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday), last winning four in a row in August 1971.
Oxford United have only won one of their past eight league matches against London clubs (D3 L4), beating Millwall 1-0 away from home in January 2025.
Bloomfield debut 'opened door of hope' for U'spublished at 10:27 GMT
10:27 GMT
Marc Webber BBC Final Score reporter
Image source, Getty Images
The football purists won't be banging on the Oxford United club shop door for a DVD of Saturday's game against Bristol City.
Both sides made it a difficult watch for most of the match.
Thankfully, United lit the touch paper late in the game and those oh-so-near moments when Stan Mills forced strong saves in the 72nd minute and injury time really gave the home crowd something to get behind.
It was a debut managerial performance from Matt Bloomfield that opened the door of hope, rather than shut the trap door to relegation.
It was solid defensively - a rare clean sheet - and still had some power in it to go for that last-gasp goal.
New signing Myles Peart-Harris on the left flank had an engine on him with as much rev as one installed at the local Mini car plant at Cowley.
And there are more new faces to come into the club to help with the fight, such as Jamie McDonnell, who signed from Nottingham Forest on Sunday.
But Oxford now face a flurry of games against sides who are pushing for the play-offs, as opposed to relegation rivals.
Normally the type of games you'd be happy to get a draw from. But some of those games need to be three-pointers if Bloomfield's men stand a chance of staying up.
Bloomfield takes positives from rare clean sheetpublished at 18:38 GMT 17 January
18:38 GMT 17 January
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Matt Bloomfield was pleased with his first game in charge of the U's
Oxford United head coach Matt Bloomfield told BBC Radio Oxford:
"I'm fairly content. I would have been ecstatic if we'd got that winner at the end but it wasn't quite to be.
"There's loads of things to be pleased with today including our first clean sheet for a while.
"We played against a very, very good Championship team who have scored 12 goals in their last three games and we were the ones offering the threat so plenty to be content with but loads to go after as well.
"We'll continue to try to work on what we need to work on but the input from the players this week has been fantastic and that's what we are going to need between now and the end of the season."
Oxford 'felt right' for new boss Bloomfield published at 18:09 GMT 15 January
18:09 GMT 15 January
Media caption,
Meet new Oxford United boss Matt Bloomfield
New Oxford United boss Matt Bloomfield said that he "trusted his gut" when making a decision over his future and joining the club simply "felt right".
The former Colchester, Wycombe and Luton Town manager signed a deal last week to become the new U's head coach, taking over from Gary Rowett who was relieved of his duties in late December.
On Thursday, Bloomfield spoke to media for the first time since his appointment, and discussed just why he decided to make the move after a short period away from the game following his dismissal as Luton Town head coach.
"I think there's been several positions that have been vacant since I've been out where I've had some phone calls and they haven't felt right," Bloomfield told BBC Radio Oxford.
"This one felt right and I'm a big believer in trusting your gut and following your instincts
"I met Ed [Waldron, head of football operations] and I think he's an incredible guy, the way he carries himself and represents his football club is amazing.
"I just came away with a good feeling from that and went through the interview process with nothing changing, I was really keen on getting the job and was absolutely delighted when it came through and was offered."
Oxford are currently second from bottom in the Championship table with 22 points, three adrift of safety and Bloomfield's first assignment is against Bristol City on Saturday (15:00 GMT).
Bloomfield will be tasked with repeating what Rowett was able to achieve last season by keeping the U's in the second tier.
Oxford finished five places and four points above the Luton team that Bloomfield was unable to keep in the division having taken over at Kenilworth Road in January.
"I've come in the building here with a freshness," Bloomfield added. "I've recharged the batteries and I'm really pleased to be here.
"I'll implement a style of football and a system that I believe that we can get the best out of the players, that's the only thing that matters is to get results and to keep us in this league."
Pick of the stats: Oxford United v Bristol Citypublished at 13:10 GMT 15 January
13:10 GMT 15 January
Image source, Opta
The Matt Bloomfield era at Oxford United begins as the U's welcome Bristol City on Saturday (15:00 GMT).
Oxford are second-bottom of the Championship, three points from safety, after a run of one win, and four points, from their past seven games.
Two defeats in their past three league games has seen the Robins slip to 10th, though they remain within two points of the play-off places.
Oxford are looking for a league double over Bristol City for the first time since the 1995/96 season under Denis Smith.
Bristol City have won on just two of their 18 league visits to Oxford United (D6 L10), winning 2-0 in 1972/73 and 1-0 in 2000/01.
Since the start of November, only Sheffield Wednesday (5) have picked up fewer points in the Championship than Oxford United (10), winning just two out of 13 games in that time (D4 L7).
Bristol City are 17 points ahead of Oxford but they've only won two of their past 10 league games when starting the day 17+ points clear of their opponents (D2 L6).
Excluding play-offs, only three players have been involved in more Championship goals in the past two seasons than Bristol City's Anis Mehmeti (20 goals, 7 assists) – he scored earlier this season against Oxford in the Robins' 3-1 defeat at Ashton Gate.
🎧Risky business in the Championshippublished at 09:50 GMT 15 January
09:50 GMT 15 January
Media caption,
"It's obviously a little bit of a gamble from their point of view."
Will it work out between West Bromwich Albion and fresh face Eric Ramsay? Is Matt Bloomfield the man who will keep Oxford United up?
The 72+ pod are joined by AFC Wimbledon boss Johnnie Jackson to discuss the latest managerial appointments in the Championship, the struggles at Shrewsbury Town, Jackson's experience with the Dons in League One as well as reflecting on a big FA Cup weekend.
Dodds was sacked by the Chairboys in September having led them to the League One play-offs last season and moves to The Kassam Stadium as assistant head coach.
Ben Cirne, who worked with Bloomfield in his previous roles at Colchester, Wycombe and Luton, is joining Oxford as coach analyst.
The U's have also confirmed Craig Short, who was interim boss following the departure of Gary Rowett last month, goalkeeping coach Lewis Price and coach Craig Hackett will remain at the club.
'Only time will tell' if Bloomfield is the right man for Oxfordpublished at 13:28 GMT 10 January
13:28 GMT 10 January
Image source, Getty Images
We asked you for your thoughts on new Oxford United boss Matt Bloomfield and he certainly seems to have caused a stir.
Here is what you had to say about the appointment:
Matthew: No. Doesn't have the right experience. No decent track record. Can't see what's he's going to add. I agreed with the decision to remove Rowett but frankly I'd rather have Rowett, is this the best we can do?
Connor: I think this appointment reflects what Luton attempted to do last season by bringing in a young manager who has a talent for developing young players, and has a strong sense of how he wants his teams to play. He very nearly got it right last season elsewhere, so let's hope he can go one better at Oxford and keep us in the Championship. He has to hit the ground running though, or else I fear the fanbase may not be very forgiving. Good luck Matt, I think you might need it.
Charles: He has the right manager/player experience to move us towards safety. It will depend on how the existing players respond to him and how he integrates the new players into the squad. Cautious optimism!
Jacob: As an Oxford fan, I'm honestly disappointed after what he did with Luton.
Finn: I think the board have made a solid appointment which I think is what Oxford United needs right now.
Simon: Got to give him a chance, like any new manager he deserves the backing of the fans.
Neil: Only time will tell. I think the rest of this season is going to be really hard regardless of who took over. COYY.
Keith: Very underwhelmed. Considering the managers out of work feel we could have done better with regard to experience and knowledge in this league.
Cosmo: Solid appointment but doesn't explain (why it took) over two weeks to get it done.
Richie: Awful appointment. We've gone for the cheapest, lazy option. At Oxford the manager isn't involved in transfers as it's all left with the recruitment team. The trouble is the last four managers we've had all play a different style so it'll never work. We had the right man in Gary Rowett but he was given an unbalanced squad to work with.
William: Can he keep us up? Only time will tell and only if we back him both financially and as fans. This is an almost impossible job already and we all need to know that going into the second half of the season.
Mark: Sadly, I think Oxford are down, but hope I am wrong. No manager really wanted to come to Oxford when there is only money planned for another new stadium. I have travelled many times from Canada to watch Oxford play. You look at teams around us - Portsmouth, Norwich, Sheffield Wednesday - none of them should be down the bottom, and let's face it, Sheff Weds, are only there because of a very unfair point deduction. Good luck to all at the club.
Short unsure of Oxford future as Bloomfield takes overpublished at 11:24 GMT 10 January
11:24 GMT 10 January
Image source, Getty Images
Image caption,
Craig Short has had two spells in interim charge of Oxford United
Oxford United's Craig Short is uncertain whether he will remain at the club after overseeing their FA Cup third round win at MK Dons on Friday.
Short had been in interim charge after Gary Rowett was sacked last month but is now unsure where his future lies after Matt Bloomfield was appointed as the U's new head coach.
"I don't know if he wants me," Short told BBC Radio Oxford.
"I understand when new managers come in they want their own staff, it's a ruthless business and you want people around who you can trust."
The former Ferencvaros and Notts County boss has been on the coaching staff at Oxford since August 2020 having also served as caretaker manager when Liam Manning left the club to join Bristol City in November 2023.
"I think he (Bloomfield) knows I don't want the job, I'll make that clear to him anyway and if I can be of any help to him then I certainly will," Short added.
Image source, Opta
