Oxford United head coach Gary Rowett has admitted he isn’t concerned about the threat of relegation from the Championship, despite sitting just three points above the bottom three.
The U’s returned to the second tier this season for the first time in 25 years after a stunning League One play-off win last May. They were widely tipped to feature prominently in the relegation battle and appeared to be on course for a scrap during the early stages of the campaign.
Despite a reasonably strong opening few games, they embarked on a run of just one win in 16 league outings between September and Christmas to plunge into the drop zone. This saw Des Buckingham replaced by former Millwall boss Rowett in December, with the 51-year-old providing an instant upturn in result.
This saw Oxford start moving towards mid-table, although they once again became embroiled in the fight for survival in recent weeks. They currently sit 19th in the table with two games remaining but have the likes of Hull City, Derby County and Luton Town breathing down their necks.
Rowett Unconcerned About Relegation Prospects
Oxford were forced to come from behind on Easter Monday to secure a draw against fellow strugglers Cardiff City. They host Sunderland on Saturday, where a win would almost guarantee their safety.
Speaking to BBC Radio Oxford, Rowett backed his squad to pick up the win and extend their stay in the second tier:
“I’m not concerned at all, the squad is full of character.
“We have shown that at home we are more than a match for any team, every game is in isolation and we have to go and take care of business next weekend.
“There are twists and turns and there will be all kinds of movements, we have a home game next and if we win that then it’s all over isn’t it.
“Hopefully we’ll perform a bit better. We need to focus on the performance and not get caught up in the moment of the season, we need to have a bit more intensity and quality about our play at the weekend.”
Writer’s View
Although the gap is just three points, it would be a shock to see Oxford suffer relegation. They’re not losing games consistently at the moment and seem to picking up wins here and there. The only concern is that the majority of the teams below them are also doing the same, which is preventing them from pulling away from the drop zone. Still, Rowett is clearly confident that his team will get a result against a Sunderland team that are currently on the beach – having seen their play-off place confirmed two weeks ago.
