Des Buckingham- was he responsible for Oxford being promoted

I have read so much on this forum about this guy taking Oxford up that I decided to look at his record there

When he took over after Liam Manning left, they were in second place and chasing Pompey down for top spot. They had 35 points from 16 games having won 11 drawn 2 and lost just 3.

After he was appointed their form was mediocre, picking up just 42 points in 30 games, finishing 15 points behind automatic and 20 points behind Pompey. They scraped through into the play offs.


He might turn out to be fine and I don't want to knock the guy but lets be realistic about this. He got them through the plays offs I agree but the rest of his time at Oxford was pretty mediocre. It was Liam Manning who effectively got them up.

Well the person on here who watches Oxford regularly says that he did a good job.

So I'll believe that.

A few questions about the appointment of Des Buckingham.

Firstly, why the delay in announcing him as Cardiff manager.
Secondly, why the excitement about his appointment when he doesn't appear to have an impressive record as manager?

I appreciate he may try to get the team to play football the style most of us wish for, but unless Tan and company allows him to bring in the players who suit his style, I'm not so sure success is guaranteed.

Sure, if and when he is named as manager, the fans need to get behind him, but this can't be done until the club have confirmed his appointment.

All rather premature in my eyes!

They slipped out of the playoffs and were looking like they were going to end up mid table. Not many Oxford fans thought they were going to go up automatically under Manning.

They reminded me of Cardiff that year we flew out of the blocks and went top. Just knew it wasn’t going to last.

After losing 5 nil to Bolton there was an international break and that’s when Oxford started playing really good stuff and that run took them into the playoffs which they won.

Des was the manager who took them up. Their budget was about mid level for league one.

Well the person on here who watches Oxford regularly says that he did a good job.

So I'll believe that.

Just look at the record. Second when he came in a third of the way through the season and they finish 15 points behind second and scrape through to the play offs. I have nothing against the guy but I dont understand the love in on a guy with very little experience, not a particulary brilliant record and someone who most of us had had hardly heard of. It seems a bit of hysteria that has affected the forum. Emperors new clothes!

I will say that he did ok in the championship given the side he had.

They slipped out of the playoffs and were looking like they were going to end up mid table. Not many Oxford fans thought they were going to go up automatically under Manning.

They reminded me of Cardiff that year we flew out of the blocks and went top. Just knew it wasn’t going to last.

After losing 5 nil to Bolton there was an international break and that’s when Oxford started playing really good stuff and that run took them into the playoffs which they won.

Des was the manager who took them up. Their budget was about mid level for league one.

You are wrong. Check it out. Manning left first week of November. They had a little blip just before then - two draws and a defeat but then had a comfortable away win. The slip came in when Buckingham took over. They had a win percentage of 38 % under Buckingham that season - mid table form at best and 67 % under Manning.

Lots of Oxford fans thought we had peaked

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Manning stats in the League One promotion

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Buckingham stats in the League One promotion

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Des was manager and deserved the credit he got.

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Liam Manning got Bristol City higher than they had been in many years, so is obviously the better manager.

However, we are League One and Des will suffice for the job at hand.

A manager normally gets sacked for poor performances and a new manager often improves those performances.

When a manager comes in when a club is at the top it’s very rare they keep that going albeit Oxford under Manning had a dip in form compared to the form they had shown.

I can only say what Oxford fans think and what I think from watching them. That is that under Manning the performances were becoming poor and the results were dipping. It’s widely felt that the results would have been the same had Manning stayed as Des didn’t change a lot.

When he got a chance to implement his tactics the results improved significantly.

He was close to getting sacked March 2024 after a 5-0 loss to Bolton but after that they went on a run of 5 wins, 2 draws and a loss in their last 8 games followed by 2 wins and a draw in the playoffs.

Three of those games were 5-0, 4-0 and 4-0 wins.

We will have to agree to disagree. We will never know if Manning would have taken Oxford up or not. Des did.

Soon we will find out if Des can get Cardiff playing. I think he will.

Manning stats in the League One promotion

Thank you, it exactly shows what I have been pointing out. The stats are glaringly in Mannings favour but some people on here seem to think that black is white.

Manning stats in the League One promotion

Thank you, it exactly shows what I have been pointing out. The stats are glaringly in Mannings favour but some people on here seem to think that black is white.

I’ve explained why the stats can be misleading,

I literally was watching oxford at the time and saw both managers operate.

Manning took over from Karl Robinson. It was easy to improve things. He made them solid and functional. That worked and Oxford started well. But it was felt that the results were going to soon match the performances which were bad. Can never prove it either way.

I would much prefer to have Des as manager to Liam Manning. I think most Oxford fans would say the same.

Manning stats in the League One promotion

Thank you, it exactly shows what I have been pointing out. The stats are glaringly in Mannings favour but some people on here seem to think that black is white.

I’ve explained why the stats can be misleading,

I literally was watching oxford at the time and saw both managers operate.

Manning took over from Karl Robinson. It was easy to improve things. He made them solid and functional. That worked and Oxford started well. But it was felt that the results were going to soon match the performances which were bad. Can never prove it either way.

I would much prefer to have Des as manager to Liam Manning. I think most Oxford fans would say the same.

I am not a great fan of certain stats that are used these days but points per game are pretty accurate and Buckinghams were mediocre to say the least. To be in an automatic spot when he took over to falling 15 points behind is pretty stark. We will just have to agree to disagree

No guarantee Manning would have taken Oxford up. He started the previous season really well with MK Dons, then tailed off before missing out in the play offs.

Season after then he got sacked with 15 points after 20 matches.

How are those stats?

No guarantee Manning would have taken Oxford up. He started the previous season really well with MK Dons, then tailed off before missing out in the play offs.

Season after then he got sacked with 15 points after 20 matches.

How are those stats?

As I said we will have to agree to disagree.

No guarantee Manning would have taken Oxford up. He started the previous season really well with MK Dons, then tailed off before missing out in the play offs.

Season after then he got sacked with 15 points after 20 matches.

How are those stats?

As I said we will have to agree to disagree.

I thought we had but you brought it up some more.

No guarantee Manning would have taken Oxford up. He started the previous season really well with MK Dons, then tailed off before missing out in the play offs.

Season after then he got sacked with 15 points after 20 matches.

How are those stats?

As I said we will have to agree to disagree.

I thought we had but you brought it up some more.

?????. You were the one who responded with more stats not me mate

No guarantee Manning would have taken Oxford up. He started the previous season really well with MK Dons, then tailed off before missing out in the play offs.

Season after then he got sacked with 15 points after 20 matches.

How are those stats?

As I said we will have to agree to disagree.

I thought we had but you brought it up some more.

?????. You were the one who responded with more stats not me mate

In the other post. Unless I’m messing up timings.

Bristol City fans wanted him gone. MK Dons fans wanted him gone and Oxford fans were (eventually) really happy they got a manager who liked attacking football.

I feel there is a time limit on managers who go for functional football. Rowett has his detractors at Oxford and he did an amazing job.

No guarantee Manning would have taken Oxford up. He started the previous season really well with MK Dons, then tailed off before missing out in the play offs.

Season after then he got sacked with 15 points after 20 matches.

How are those stats?

As I said we will have to agree to disagree.

I thought we had but you brought it up some more.

?????. You were the one who responded with more stats not me mate

In the other post. Unless I’m messing up timings.

I was replying to someone else's post. I was drawing his attention to what I regard as a mediocre record at Oxford. Up to others to judge. You believe it was good. Fair enough we disagree.

Bristol City fans wanted him gone. MK Dons fans wanted him gone and Oxford fans were (eventually) really happy they got a manager who liked attacking football.

I feel there is a time limit on managers who go for functional football. Rowett has his detractors at Oxford and he did an amazing job.