Oxford United

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Oxford United first-team coach Chris Hackett says there is a "massive emphasis" at the club on developing young players through their academy.

Former U's winger Hackett himself came through Oxford's youth ranks - and one of his first coaching roles at the club was with the youth team.

He worked his way up to becoming manager of the Under-18s side before taking up a first-team coaching role in 2023.

"The academy is massive at Oxford," Hackett told BBC Sport.

"It's a one-club county so it gives us the benefit of being able to 'own' our county and make sure we get the best players from the region into our club.

"There's been a massive emphasis on developing young players and progressing them into the first team."

Two prime examples of academy products in the first team are forward Tyler Goodrham and full-back Sam Long.

The pair came through the academy at Oxford and have had a big impact at senior level.

Both played 90 minutes at Wembley in 2024 when Oxford beat Bolton to win the League One play-off final, and since then have been key members of both Des Buckingham and Gary Rowett's sides.

"At the moment if you look at Sam and Tyler, they are playing regularly for us and are a massive part of what we do," Hackett added.

"They show there is a pathway for those academy players to come through if they put in the work.

"Behind them we have a group of talented young players as well. It's exciting times for the academy."

Dan George
BBC Sport, South

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Oxford United first-team coach Chris Hackett has said the club "don't pay much attention to outside noise" they might struggle this season.

The U's currently sit third from bottom in the Championship and are yet to win a game.

But after three consecutive league defeats their last two matches, against Coventry and Leicester, ended in draws.

"The Championship is a relentless league," Hackett told BBC Sport.

"For a club like us in this league we have to stick together and stay positive, that is the main thing."

Hackett is currently a member of Gary Rowett's first-team coaching staff and was previously involved with Des Buckingham's coaching group.

After winning the League One play-offs in 2024, the U's managed to achieve Championship safety last season in late April, finishing four points clear of the bottom three.

Some have suggested that Oxford might struggle to survive this season after a slow start and such a close call last campaign.

"We have a really positive group of players and staff at the club," Hackett added.

"Everybody doubted us in the League One play-offs and everyone doubted that we'd stay up last season.

"But in-house we have a strong group and bond as well as a great group of staff. Regardless of the outside noise we crack on with our work and we don't pay much attention to the talk.

"Gary [Rowett] has brought a real positive culture within the staff and the club and we're driving things forward here. We'll be a in a really positive place in a few years' time because there is some real positive noise right now."

Oxford United defender Ben Davies says he was delighted to make his U's debut in the 2-2 draw with Leicester City - his first game of football since April.

Davies signed for the U's on a season-long loan from Scottish Premiership side Rangers this summer, having been on loan last season at Birmingham City.

"It's been around five months since I started a game so I was not sure how my fitness would last but I've been working hard after pre-season," Davies told BBC Radio Oxford.

"To play a full 90 [minutes], that's good for me. I think there'll be improvement off the back of that from a personal point of view.

"I love that Saturday feeling of game day and it's good to be back playing."

After returning to Rangers following his loan spell at Blues, Davies did not feature in any of the Gers' pre-season friendlies before signing for Oxford in late August.

Davies played as the left sided centre-back against Leicester in a back four rather than head coach Gary Rowett's usual back five. His defensive stability, combined with fellow debutant Filip Krastev's attacking attributes, balanced out the team.

"You can see that [balance] when you're trying to play, trying to build and trying to get into good positions," Rowett told BBC Radio Oxford.

Midfielder Krastev also had a limited pre-season with his parent club Lommel SK, who play in the Belgian second tier. He joined them in 2020 but has been sent out on loan seven times since.

"I thought he'd been sharp in training and I thought he showed some lovely positions, some lovely touches [against Leicester]," Rowett added. "He picks up very good defensive positions as well."

Listen to the full interviews with Ben Davies and Gary Rowett on Sounds.

"The takeaway from the last two games is that Oxford were able to compete, to play in matches against Coventry and Leicester where you can make a genuine case for at least either side winning the game, [and] if not it should've been Oxford.

"We're seeing progress."

This week on The Dub, Robyn Cowan, Ben Purkiss, George Elek and Jerome Sale react to the 2-2 draw with Leicester City, discuss individual performances and the character of the playing squad before previewing the Bristol City game.

Listen to the full episode of The Dub and more Oxford United on Sounds.

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Boss Gary Rowett speaks to BBC Radio Oxford after Oxford United draw 2-2 with 10-man Leicester City.

When asked if felt like points dropped, he said: "A little bit. But if you look at that result against a former Premier League side, and one with lots of Premier League quality players and athletes, then I'd say overall you would be reasonably happy with a 2-2. But with the way the game goes, you always react to that.

"I thought we started the game fantastically well, I think for 25 minutes 11 v 11 we were the better side. We played really well and built on that Coventry performance, and I was really encouraged by that.

"We scored the early goal, then we made a mistake to let them back in it before having a little bit of fortune with the second goal, but nevertheless it comes off the back of a lot of pressure and good control.

"I'm disappointed with the second goal [conceded]. It was clinical from their perspective, but it was a giveaway from ours. It's those little moments that we need to have a little bit more to win there games."

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Oxford United have named midfielder Cameron Brannagan as their new club captain following the departure of Elliott Moore on transfer deadline day.

The 29-year-old will wear the armband for the first time in Saturday's Championship game against Leicester (12:30 BST).

Brannagan has been at Oxford for the last seven years making 331 appearances and scoring 59 goals.

Defender Michal Helik has been named vice-captain.

"This is a very proud moment for me and my family," Brannagan told the club website., external

"I've been here for a long time, and it's been an incredible journey so far. It's a big privilege to be given this honour and I want to continue to push forward and create new memories.

"I learnt a lot from Elliott, who was a great guy and is a big part of the club's history, helping to take us back to the Championship as captain.

"I now want to lead in my own way and be the person who stands up in big moments, I want to lead by example off the pitch and in training every day.

"It's about setting standards and being the positive influence that the collective follow."

Oxford United host Leicester City on Saturday early afternoon (12:30 BST) in a bid to claim their first victory of the season.

The U's have only one point to their name after their opening four league games, though they did gain it last time out with a 2-2 draw against Coventry City.

They will look to do one better against Leicester, who have won all but one of their league games so far (L1) to sit one point above the Sky Blues in fourth place.

It's been over three decades since the two sides last met in the English Football League - who will claim the first bragging rights of the 21st century?

• This will be the first Football League meeting between Oxford United and Leicester City since a 2-2 draw in the second tier in April 1994.

• Five of Leicester City's last seven Football League trips to Oxford United have ended in a draw (W1 L1), with both sides scoring in five of those games.

• Oxford have only won four of their last 22 league games (W4 D7), picking up the fewest points of any ever-present Championship side in that time (19 points since 22nd January).

• Leicester have won six of their last eight Championship games (L2), while the Foxes could record three successive league clean sheets for the first time since October 2022 in the Premier League.

• After a run of 15 games without a goal, Abdul Fatawu has scored in consecutive league appearances for Leicester for the first time.

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Indonesia international Marselino Ferdinan has been loaned out to Slovak club AS Trencin for the rest of the season.

The 20-year-old attacking midfielder is currently on international duty, where he appeared as a second-half substitute in his country's 6-0 friendly win over Chinese Taipei.

Ferdinan has played just twice for the Us after joining them from Belgian club Deinze last year.

He made his debut as a late substitute in the FA Cup defeat by Exeter City last season and made his league debut against Swansea City in May, making him the first Indonesian to play in the English second tier.

"I wouldn't change a thing. I loved my time. It still is and will be my favourite football memory. When I think of that it will be Wembley, it will be promotion after being out the league for so long. It was 13 months which was a whirlwind but exciting."

This week on The Dub, Jerome Sale speaks to former Oxford United manager Des Buckingham in his first interview since being sacked by the club.

Elsewhere, Robyn Cowen, Ben Purkiss and George Elek give their verdict on the state of Oxford United's season so far and talk through the submitted 25-man squad.

Listen to the full episode of The Dub and more on Oxford United on Sounds.

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Oxford United's latest signing Filip Krastev will make a big difference to their team, according to a journalist who watched him play in the Netherlands.

The Bulgaria midfielder, 23, has arrived on a season-long loan from Belgian side Lommel having had two spells in Holland with top-flight side PEC Zwolle.

"He's a very technical player - he can make a difference and make a goal or a lovely pass out of nothing," said reporter Erik Riemens who watches Zwolle for the newspaper De Swollenaer.

"He's a lovely player to watch and his best thing is to dribble into the midfield and give a pass or shoot on goal - he is best on the left side in the attack," he told BBC Radio Oxford.

Krastev has won 24 caps for Bulgaria, scoring one goal and Riemens says Zwolle supporters were hoping he might return to them this season.

"Zwolle has no money to buy him or loan him so the trainer said last week he talked to him a lot but he wouldn't come, the fans are disappointed but you have to be realistic," he added.

"The Championship in Holland is very big - there is no weak team so it's interesting to watch on TV and for players in Holland to play there.

"Krastev was a very popular player and the fans will watch him on TV playing for Oxford."

Krastev could make his Oxford debut against Leicester City on 13 September (12:30 BST) when the Championship resumes after the international break.

Sam Ashoo
BBC Final Score reporter

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Cameron Brannagan is already an Oxford United legend, but if he can drag his side to Championship survival this season, it might be his greatest achievement yet.

The U's captain led from the front against Coventry and played a key role in nullifying an excellent Sky Blues midfield.

Brannagan's standout moment, though, was an outrageous free-kick that wouldn't have looked out of place in the Premier League.

Whilst the obvious option was to go over the Coventry wall, he bent it ingeniously around it, leaving goalkeeper Carl Rushworth in a state of shock.

After the game an Oxford fan posted on X saying, "Cameron Brannagan, the beating heart of this team." They are not wrong.

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Northern Ireland defenders Daniel Ballard and Brodie Spencer have been ruled out of the forthcoming World Cup qualifiers away to Luxembourg and Germany.

Sunderland's Ballard was forced off in the first half of his side's 2-0 loss against Burnley on Saturday, while Spencer was injured in Oxford United's 6-0 Carabao Cup defeat against Brighton on Wednesday.

It is a further blow for boss Michael O'Neill, who is already without goalkeepers Pierce Charles and Conor Hazard as well as defender Ciaron Brown and midfielder Jordan Thompson through injury.

O'Neill has called up uncapped trio Kofi Balmer, Ryan Johnson and Jamie McDonnell as replacements and further cover.

Motherwell defender Balmer, 24, has made 20 appearances for Northern Ireland's Under-21 side and been called up to the senior squad on six occasions without making an appearance.

Johnson, a 28-year-old centre-back at League One AFC Wimbledon, receives his first senior call after featuring for Northern Ireland at under-21 level.

Midfielder McDonnell is currently on loan at League One side Mansfield Town from Premier League side Nottingham Forest, who took the 21-year-old from Irish Premiership side Glentoran in 2020.

He has represented his country at under-17 and under-21 level.

Northern Ireland begin their World Cup qualifying campaign in Luxembourg on Thursday, 4 September.

They travel to Cologne to take on Germany in their second Group A game on Sunday, 7 September.

Oxford United will be hoping to bounce back from a humiliating 6-0 home defeat to Premier League side Brighton in the EFL Cup, with Gary Rowett's side also searching for their first league point of the season following three defeats so far.

Frank Lampard's Coventry City side come into the game with plenty of confidence after their 7-1 thrashing of Queens Park Rangers last weekend, despite being knocked out of the EFL Cup by Millwall in the week.

• Oxford United have won just four of their 13 EFL games against Coventry City (D1 L8), though three of those victories have come on home soil.

• Coventry City have won their past two league games against Oxford United, and will be looking to win three in succession in the EFL for the first time.

• Oxford have averaged just 35% of possession across their opening three Championship matches so far this season – the lowest share of any side in the competition.

• As well as scoring the most goals in the Championship so far this season (12), Coventry also top the charts for most shots (57), most shots on target (21) and most touches inside the opposition's penalty area (114). Across England's top four tiers this season, Coventry's Milan van Ewijk has provided the most assists amongst defenders (3), whilst he's now recorded five across his last five appearances for the Sky Blues, including last season's play-offs.