OXFORD United are aiming to have Liam Manning’s replacement in charge ahead of the trip to Cheltenham Town at the end of the month.
Craig Short has been placed in interim charge while the U’s board conducts a search to replace Manning, who took over at Sky Bet Championship side Bristol City earlier this week.
Short will oversee United’s visit to Leyton Orient on Saturday, and with the home clash against Portsmouth the following weekend postponed due to international call-ups, it has bought the U’s extra time to appoint a new head coach.
After this weekend, United don’t play until November 25 when they travel to Cheltenham.
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Short said: “The international break has come at a good time in a way.
“I’ll do the game on Saturday and then we’ve got three or four days next week where I’ll give the lads it off, just because they’ll go full-on again until March, and Christmas is a busy period.
“It’s been mentioned to me casually that they’ll have someone in place for the week in the build-up to Cheltenham.
“But there’s an outside chance I might have to be in for the Cheltenham game. I don’t mind that, of course I don’t, it’s my job.
“I think there’ll be someone in place that week, to prep the lads for the Cheltenham game.”
“I had a short time at Oxford, but it was a good time in terms of the progress we made. We left the club in a better position than when we joined.”
— Oxford Mail OUFC (@OxfordMailOUFC) November 8, 2023
Liam Manning discusses his decision to leave #oufc https://t.co/DOAh9Dy5T5
The U’s board took almost a fortnight when they last had to appoint a new head coach.
After Karl Robinson’s sacking on February 26, it was on March 11 when Manning was announced as his successor.
It means United are looking at a similar time frame if they are to have a new boss in place for the build-up towards the Cheltenham match.
In the here and now though, Short isn’t looking to make any serious changes to what has gone before this season, as he looks to keep the U’s on the tails of League One leaders Portsmouth.
Asked whether he will look to stamp his own mark on the team for the game against Orient this weekend, Short responded: “I don’t think I should change something that’s working, I’d be a fool to do that.
“These lads know, and they’ve been coached from the middle of June onwards about a series of standards, the philosophy of Liam and Chris [Hogg], and they’ve kept to that.
“At home and away, there’s been a different set-up sometimes. We’ve gone four at the back, we’ve gone three at the back, we’re very flexible and they understand the tactical changes. The subs when they come on understand things.
“So why would I want to change something that’s worked? I just want to keep on with the same drum and I’d be a fool to change anything.”
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