Michael Appleton is confident Oxford United’s strong form at the end of the season can be translated into prolonged success across the whole of the next campaign.

While for much of the past nine months the side have been hampered by inconsistency, they have shown encouraging signs in recent weeks.

Since Appleton declared in February they had a 15-game season to turn things around, United collected 27 points and lost just twice.

And the head coach is adamant the blueprint they have developed during the run will pay dividends across the long term.

“We certainly expect to do it in a full season,” he said.

United

“I don’t want to give too much away, but we’ve had a way we’ve worked over the last 15 games.

“From a performance point of view we’ve changed how we look at it and how we motivate players to produce performances.

“It’s proven over the last four or five years that if we show that (15-game form) for another two periods next year you give yourself an opportunity to have automatic promotion.”

Averaging 1.8 points per game, the run across a whole season would net 83 points.

While the total would only have been good enough for sixth place in this campaign, it would have earned a top-three finish in six of the past ten years.

Getting out of relegation trouble with several games to spare has also allowed Appleton to have a look at players with a view to the future.

Chey Dunkley has impressed after a long spell on the bench, while Aidan Hawtin and Sam Humphreys have made their debuts.

It has been a useful period for Appleton, who said: “I think the good thing is it’s about the group, not the XI that start."

“Chey and Rosie (Danny Rose) have been a part of that, so have the younger players.

“They go away for the summer and everyone has a fresh start.

“We go into next season now really buoyant.”

Planning for the new campaign began long before the final whistle on Saturday, but before players are signed there are still loose ends to be tied up with the existing squad.

United were expecting to announce their retained list today, but the Oxford Mail understands while most of the out-of-contract players know whether they will be offered new terms or released, not everyone has been informed.

Elsewhere, there is speculation the U’s will make a move for midfielder Liam Sercombe, who has left Exeter City in search of a new challenge, although Portsmouth, Millwall and Southend United have also been linked.