Manning set to leave Oxford

neyo said:
Assuming it's all announced tomorrow morning, I think a lot of the fanbase will see him as a snake as @JJpool mentions. To go so quickly at the first sniff of something 'bigger' just seems like he had no love for the club (which is in contrast to what he said to fans and signings alike). That being said, the level headed fans amongst us will probably say...

He joined, we were on our way to League 2, he kept us up, helping shape an incredible summer transfer window and leaves us second. Not a bad turn around which opens the door to perhaps better candidates this time around?

Would I want him back, given all of this? No, if he left 'on better terms' on not a drop of the hat, perhaps?
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No doubt he’ll want a copy of Critchleys leaving message to the fans, oh wait a minute!🤣
 
I'd have given Dobbie the chance to manage us not Critchley returning, but since he was selected again by the guy who pays the bills I very much doubt he'd even consider doing a bunk again so we need to support him. I understand it's not as easy second time round though. Personally I wouldn't be that bothered if we or he parted company, barring the fact that it would cause even more instability. He's not going anywhere in my book so I will try to get behind him hoping Sadler made the right decision.
 
Decent news for us I suppose but can't help but feel sorry for Oxford fans.

Doesn't say much for them that after not even half a season of good form their manager leaves for the poisoned chalice of Bristol City.

Usually you'd at least hope to keep a slightly over performing manager for one full season, two if you get promoted.
 
Realistically and just be honest with yourselves…

If someone came in for you at work and offered you double or treble your salary working in a better environment, granted more pressure, but if it didn’t work out you got paid out still, who’s going to turn that down?!

“I’ve turned that job at Bristol down love, I know it would mean we were mortgage free and set us up for life but on the plus side Neyo thinks I’m loyal and keeps singing about my yellow army”…

Granted, there’s a way to leave but you can’t turn down at least doubling your salary, it’s about maximising your income for you and your family. You also have to do it when the opportunity comes & your status is high & sometimes it’s just daft to turn things down.

Manning is actually the perfect example of this. They have a brilliant season when he’s boss of MK Dons finishing 3rd in LG1 but lose in play offs. He’s very highly rated & linked with big jobs but his best players get sold that summer and they start the next season badly and MK pot him after 20 games.

Instead of then going to a bigger job he ends up at Oxford.

Football fans will all start calling him a snake but I know what I would be doing if I was him… same as when NC left us.
 
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Totally see where you’re coming from, but i think possibly he’s missing a trick by going in November. Moving on a couple of months, I would imagine he could of been getting offers at the clubs much more likely to get out of the Championship. Bristol City have aspirations, sure, but seem as likely as PNE of actually achieving it, whilst say Norwich…
 
Maybe he feels Oxford are in a false position and he needs to take a better offer while his stock is high? 🤔🤘😉

But actually Oxford's summer business was good and with the right appointment there's no reason why they can't press on.
 
neyo said:
Totally see where you’re coming from, but i think possibly he’s missing a trick by going in November. Moving on a couple of months, I would imagine he could of been getting offers at the clubs much more likely to get out of the Championship. Bristol City have aspirations, sure, but seem as likely as PNE of actually achieving it, whilst say Norwich…
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I get that but after MK Dons went pear shaped he’s probably thinking he needs a nice big contract whilst he’s flying…

Whatever happens he’s set himself up £££..

Not saying it’s right but I’d do the same.
 
neyo said:
Totally see where you’re coming from, but i think possibly he’s missing a trick by going in November. Moving on a couple of months, I would imagine he could have been getting offers at the clubs much more likely to get out of the Championship. Bristol City have aspirations, sure, but seem as likely as PNE of actually achieving it, whilst say Norwich…
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Possibly, or in his eyes Bristol is the perfect club. It’s established in the Championship, getting decent results with the current squad and wouldn’t have to uproot his family to the other side of the country!
 
TangerineTom said:
Possibly, or in his eyes Bristol is the perfect club. It’s established in the Championship, getting decent results with the current squad and wouldn’t have to uproot his family to the other side of the country!
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Yeah true - but do any of you, especially with recent Championship exposure see Bristol City as likely to go up (there's clearly expecations of...)?
 
neyo said:
Yeah true - but do any of you, especially with recent Championship exposure see Bristol City as likely to go up (there's clearly expecations of...)?
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They’re certainly more likely to go up than Oxford and are well established at Championship Level.

I think your reaction to this is normal and this kind of “I understand that he would go, but can’t understand why he would go to Bristol Rovers” thing, is also normal…

Looking at it as an outsider, what AK says above makes perfect sense and BC is a solid Club at that level. Gives him a chance to establish himself at a higher level and then advance his career from there.

He’d be daft not to take the opportunity…. And moving now gives him time to assess his squad before January.
 
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He has every right to leave, just as Critch did. And just as clubs have the right to sack managers at the drop of a hat. Which is what normally happens.

neyo said:
Yeah true - but do any of you, especially with recent Championship exposure see Bristol City as likely to go up (there's clearly expecations of...)?
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Every possibility I'd say. There's a number of big clubs in there with parachute money so Bristol won't be favourites but I think they can do better than they have been doing with the right leadership. Seems to be a selling club though, they've lost Alex Scott, Semenyo and Massengo this year. I wonder if there's money to spend?
 
BFC_BFC_BFC said:
They’re certainly more likely to go up than Oxford and are well established at Championship Level.

I think your reaction to this is normal and this kind of “I understand that he would go, but can’t understand why he would go to Bristol Rovers” thing, is also normal…

Looking at it as an outsider, what AK says above makes perfect sense and BR’s are a solid Club at that level. Gives him a chance to establish himself at a higher level and then advance his career from there.

He’d be daft not to take the opportunity…. And moving now gives him time to assess his squad before January.
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He's gone to Bristol Titties not Rovers
 
Oxford fans have a serious superiority complex for some reason. It is 25 years since they were in the 2nd Tier of English football and have also dropped out of the League for some of those years. Manning has virtually rebuilt the team and got them heading in the right direction so maybe the Oxford board should have offered him an improved contract with a higher release clause. He still may have gone to Bristol City who knows (cares).
 
Seainsea said:
Oxford fans have a serious superiority complex for some reason. It is 25 years since they were in the 2nd Tier of English football and have also dropped out of the League for some of those years. Manning has virtually rebuilt the team and got them heading in the right direction so maybe the Oxford board should have offered him an improved contract with a higher release clause. He still may have gone to Bristol City who knows (cares).
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How do they have a superiority complex? Interested.

Yes theyve been down the lower leagues, but through poor ownership which is why they are at the Kassam.

Theyre no longer going to be palying there, building a bes stadium and paying good wages. I’m not sure there’s any notion of being superior, especially when we gave the likes of Derby, Charlton, Pompey, Barnsley all in this league.

But what is history worth? Doesn’t dictate your future…
 
Who's up for a mass gloat on the Oxford forum if/when Manning leaves? They love a bit of banter on there.
 
Just seen an Oxford fan suggest Graham Potter. Thought he was just having a laugh, but no he was deadly serious. Nice to see that it's not just our fan base that has some delusional supporters in it.
 
voyeur said:
Who's up for a mass gloat on the Oxford forum if/when Manning leaves? They love a bit of banter on there.
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😃 I remember years ago, on the old Avfft board, we used to have the odd "day out" and invade another teams message board for a few hours! That was a laugh. 😃
 
HappyasLarry said:
For those who want to ditch Critch, look at this utterly uninspiring list of favourites for the Oxford job ..

Des Buckingham
John Eustace
Danny Cowley
Steve Cotterill
Craig Short
Dean Holden
Luke Williams
Gareth Ainsworth
Dave Challinor
Brian Barry Murphy
Stephen Bradley
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What no Dobbie? Thought clubs would be queuing round the block to have him as manager given the clamour for him here.
 
HappyasLarry said:
For those who want to ditch Critch, look at this utterly uninspiring list of favourites for the Oxford job ..

Des Buckingham
John Eustace
Danny Cowley
Steve Cotterill
Craig Short
Dean Holden
Luke Williams
Gareth Ainsworth
Dave Challinor
Brian Barry Murphy
Stephen Bradley
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Seems to be pretty much the same list churned out for anyone in the EFL.

Lampard was top earlier FFS. As if.
 
Precisely. Might as well say June 2207.
If he doesn’t get them promoted - he’s gone.
If he does get them promoted - he’s gone to a bigger Prem basket case club.
 
neyo said:
How do they have a superiority complex? Interested.

Yes theyve been down the lower leagues, but through poor ownership which is why they are at the Kassam.

Theyre no longer going to be palying there, building a bes stadium and paying good wages. I’m not sure there’s any notion of being superior, especially when we gave the likes of Derby, Charlton, Pompey, Barnsley all in this league.

But what is history worth? Doesn’t dictate your future…
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Maybe it's a North/South thing or a legacy of the Karl Robinson/Brannagan debacles. Also, you listed four League 1 clubs that have been in the Premier League with one glaring omission and I don't mean Wigan or Bolton 😉
 
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Seainsea said:
Maybe it's a North/South thing or a legacy of the Karl Robinson/Brannagan debacles. Also, you listed four League 1 clubs that have been in the Premier League with one glaring omission and I don't mean Wigan or Bolton 😉
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Haha that's because I was picking our likely rivals for promotion... ;) No Wigan, Reading or... 😅
 
Always interested to see how team's do after a manager has left. Leyton Orient aren't any great shakes still and so it's one to watch out for tomorrow ... be lovely to get 3 points closer to both them and Bolton tomorrow night.
 
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