Des Buckingham wants to make Oxford proud with attacking football

The 39-year-old’s Oxford United side tore apart fellow Sky Bet League One promotion hopefuls Peterborough United with a 5-0 tonking at the weekend, putting the U’s in a strong position to finish in the play-offs.

It has taken time for Buckingham’s ideas to come to fruition, as he looked to mould the team in his image, but United are certainly firing now, with 13 goals scored in their last three games.

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Buckingham said: “My job is to try and create a brand of football that the people of Oxford can be proud of. It’s taken a bit of time, but we’re starting to see those roots and shoots that have been laid down over the last couple of months.

“We must keep working on it. It’s no way near finished. It takes a lot of work, and we’re starting to see it, but it doesn’t guarantee anything.

“You still have to do all the other stuff behind the scenes. You have to work hard and do as much as you can to put yourself in those positions.

“If you do that, then you’re starting to see that performances will come, and that will present opportunities for us to go and approach games the way we’d like.”

Growing up with the likes of Chris Allen, Paul Simpson, and of course Joey Beauchamp, running down the wings for the U’s, Buckingham was asked whether his early introduction to football at the Manor Ground influenced his style as a head coach.

He responded: “It’s not something I’d ever really thought of, but maybe. I’ve got a brand of football that I’ve grown up with and developed in different systems that I’ve been in.

“I want to be excited standing on the sideline watching our team play. I spoke about a brand of football when I came in, and we’re starting to see that now.

“I think that fits what an Oxford DNA could look like. It’s very different personnel and different eras, and it was an exciting time back then, but we don’t get too carried away.

“It’s making sure that we’ve got different ways of doing things. At the minute, there’s a lot of focus on the wingers, but sometimes you miss some of the work that goes on underneath with some of the players around them as well.”

Buckingham meanwhile can call upon a former United wide ace within his coaching staff, in Chris Hackett, and the U’s boss offered a cheeky remark at his current turn of pace.

“He and Jamie Brooks on the other side, I remember the two of them tearing around,” said Buckingham.

“He can’t quite do it as fast as he used to. I just watched him put some crosses in for some of the players just now, and he’s maybe not as mobile as he once was, but Chris is a good example of coming through here.”