Former Luton Town boss Matt Bloomfield is in the running to become Oxford United's new manager, according to BBC Radio Oxford. The 41-year-old is the leading candidate to replace Gary Rowett, who was fired before Christmas. BBC Sport England reports that Rowett's dismissal came after a 1-0 defeat at Charlton Athletic on December 20th, which left Oxford United in the relegation zone, just above Norwich City and Sheffield Wednesday. These teams have been docked 18 points for entering administration.
In the meantime, Craig Short has been put in interim charge. He led Oxford United to a win over Southampton before suffering defeats to Swansea City and Ipswich Town. The team's match at Sheffield United was postponed due to a frozen pitch, leaving Oxford United second from bottom in the table but with a game in hand over Norwich City.
Bloomfield has been out of work since being sacked as Luton boss in October. He began his managerial career at Cambridge United and then took over at Wycombe Wanderers in 2023, leading the team to League One promotion despite competition from big-spending clubs like Birmingham City and Wrexham. However, he was unable to prevent Luton's back-to-back relegations to the third tier and was dismissed after an underwhelming start to the season, with the team 11th in the table.
