"A change had to be made now" - Key Oxford United figure addresses surprise Des Buckingham sacking | OneFootball

Oxford United chairman Grant Ferguson has spoken out on the club's decision to sack head coach Des Buckingham.

Oxford United chairman Grant Ferguson says that head coach Des Buckingham was sacked to give the club the best possible chance of staying in the Championship.

Oxford announced the surprise dismissal of Buckingham on Sunday morning, and many supporters were incredibly disappointed to see the 39-year-old depart.

Boyhood U's fan Buckingham spent time in the club's academy as a player, and he later became part of the first-team coaching staff under Chris Wilder before moving abroad to have spells in charge of Wellington Phoenix, New Zealand's youth teams and Mumbai City.

Buckingham returned to the Kassam Stadium as manager last November to replace Liam Manning after his move to Bristol City, and after a challenging start to his tenure, he led Oxford to promotion to the Championship for the first time in 25 years after a 2-0 win over Bolton Wanderers in the League One play-off final at Wembley in May.

The Yellows made an impressive start to life back in the second tier, winning three of their first five games, but they have now won just one of their last 15 matches, and the board decided to part company with Buckingham after the 3-1 home defeat to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

Buckingham leaves Oxford sitting 20th in the table, just one point above the relegation zone, and he won 20, drew 16 and lost 23 of his 59 games in charge during his 13-month reign, giving him a 33.9% win percentage.

Oxford United chairman Grant Ferguson explains Des Buckingham sacking

Ferguson insisted he understands the frustration many Oxford supporters feel about Buckingham's sacking, but he explained that after a decline in performances and results over the last few months, the board believed a change was needed in order to help the club secure their Championship status.

"As you know, we have made the difficult decision to part company with Des Buckingham as Head Coach, a decision that I understand will not be popular with everyone," Ferguson said in a statement on the club's official website.

"Des was not only an integral part of one of the best days in the Club’s history, he also holds deep ties to Oxford United and the city. We did not hire Des due to his Oxford connections, but fully understand how us parting ways impacts you as supporters.

"I want to start by expressing my thanks to Des for everything he did for us. Des played an important role in the Club’s success as we reached the Championship for the first time in 25 years – an achievement which will live long in the memory, especially for the unforgettable day at Wembley.

"In just over a year as Head Coach, he took us a step closer to realising our overall ambition as a Football Club.

"Since my appointment as Chairman in the summer of 2022, the Board, Tim Williams and I have been very clear about our ambition: to establish Oxford United as a stable and sustainable Championship club.

"Whilst we are now in the Championship, we acknowledge that there is still much work to be done. We will forever be grateful to Des for helping us reach this point, but we believe that in order to protect the best interests of the Club, this decision needed to be taken.

"Our primary goal remains to secure our place in the Championship - not just for this season, but for the future. Although our expectations are realistic, we firmly believe that our current position and recent form are not reflective of the potential this squad holds.

"Many factors are taken into consideration with decisions like these but, ultimately, results are the defining one. Given performances over a number of months, and following the recent defeat to Sheffield Wednesday, we as the Board agreed that a change had to be made now.

"Taking this course of action at this point in the season will ensure the new Head Coach has the best opportunity possible to work with the team and be involved in the upcoming January transfer window."

Grant Ferguson facing Oxford United pressure after big Des Buckingham call

Given that he led the club to promotion to the Championship just over six months ago, it is undoubtedly a harsh decision by Oxford to sack Buckingham.

As Ferguson says, survival is the main priority for the U's this season, and they are currently outside the relegation zone, so on that basis, Buckingham was on course to achieve that objective.

However, one win in 15 games is alarming form, and the board will argue that they are acting early to avoid being dragged even deeper into the relegation battle, which could prove to be a shrewd decision.

Oxford are reportedly hoping to name a new manager before the tough trip to face Leeds United at Elland Road on Saturday, and as many supporters are unhappy with Buckingham's exit, Ferguson is under big pressure to get this appointment right.