Latest news with #GARYRowett
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Initial reaction from U's boss after opening day defeat
GARY Rowett felt his Oxford United side were 'a little off it' aside from the final 20 minutes in their Sky Bet Championship opener at home against Portsmouth. The U's were beaten 1-0 in their first game of the season, with the only goal coming seven minutes before half-time. A sloppy back pass from Cameron Brannagan allowed Colby Bishop to get in ahead of Michal Helik, however Jamie Cumming saved well from the Pompey striker. The loose ball though fell nicely for Adrian Segecic, who finished neatly with a first-time effort. United head coach Rowett said: 'It was a physical encounter which we knew against a Portsmouth side who are good at what they do. They're quite a physical side. We have our own level of physicality as well, so there are certainly no complaints with that. 'If you looked at the game, probably for most of the first half and a little bit of the second half, I just felt we were a little off it. 'We just couldn't quite connect possession together well enough. We had some moments and couldn't quite move quickly enough to not allow them some moments in the final third. 'I felt as though we allowed them to dictate some of those moments and then I thought for the last 20 minutes was exactly what you'd hope from the first 70 minutes, and we had a little bit more edge about us and a little bit more quality, some great balls in the box and some good shots. 'We maybe should've hit the target on a few more, but we've had lots more shots than them, and a lot more moments in that last 20 minutes, and really should punish one of those. '[Nicolas] Schmid makes two or three very good saves, and of course Jamie [Cumming] made one for us in the first half, but certainly I think that last 20 minutes, we deserved something out of the game, but we didn't get anything.' Rowett added: 'It's one mistake that's the main factor in the game because other than that, I felt as though Portsmouth certainly edged the share of the game without really causing lots and lots of problems. 'They've had a couple of moments in the first portion of the game, but one mistake gives them that little bit of impetus and gives them something to hold onto and defend for the last 20 minutes. 'I thought they defended well, I thought the keeper steps up and makes good saves when you need to him, and I thought the centre halves headed the ball out the box when they needed them to. 'Like I said, certainly the last period was encouraging. We know we've got players in there that have probably trained three or four days. We know we've got lots of key players out.'
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Gary Rowett hints at formation changes this season
GARY Rowett has suggested that he might start varying up his formation to allow Oxford United to field more than one striker this season. The U's head coach favoured a 4-2-3-1 set-up during the previous campaign, however the recent addition of loan centre forwards Will Lankshear and Nik Prelec now provides Rowett with more options. Lankshear and Prelec join Tom Bradshaw, Mark Harris, Gatlin O'Donkor and Ole Romeny as the likeliest players to lead the United attack this season, and Rowett has hinted that he could switch up formations in the months ahead. READ ALSO: Approval recommendation described as 'massive step forward' for U's He said: 'I think we've got a really competitive frontline right now, which might allow us to occasionally play more strikers in the starting XI than perhaps a No 10 and a number nine. 'We need goals. We spoke about it last season, but at the same time, you've got to have the balance in your team. You've still got to have a balance off the ball. You've still got to be balanced in terms of creating chances for whoever plays in those forward areas. 'Goals were certainly something we wanted to take a little bit of a gamble on by strengthening that line further, and I think they're two very good additions.'
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Gary Rowett: ‘Probably the harshest I've been with the players'
GARY Rowett admitted he was the harshest he has been with his Oxford United players after watching them throw away a lead inside 10 minutes at Hull City. United nudged in front with 66 minutes on the clock, when Michal Helik crashed in a first-time volley from a Matt Phillips corner, however the U's found themselves behind just 10 minutes later. Both goals conceded were sloppy, as Joe Gelhardt managed to find a way through a gap in the United defence to then apply the finish seven minutes after taking the lead, before an even more frustrating goal was conceded in the 76th minute. Gustavo Puerta squeezed the ball inside Jamie Cumming at the near post from the left-hand byline, with the deflection off Cumming seeing the goalkeeper awarded an own goal. U's head coach Rowett said: 'I'm really angry if I'm being honest. Quite frankly, we've thrown the game away. That's how it feels. 'It feels like a game of huge importance for us. It felt like an incredible opportunity at 1-0 to go and win the game. 'It took a lot of hard work to get there. I don't think we necessarily started as well as we wanted. 'I thought we were a little bit passive early on in the game, but I thought we grew into the game, and to go 1-0 up, I felt we got ourselves into a really good position. 'When you do that, you've got to protect the goal and the lead with your life. Earlier on in my tenure, we were doing that, and we just allowed two very soft goals. 'Unfortunately, if you're going to play with that naivety in the Championship, then you're going to make it a very difficult end to the season.' Rowett added: 'When you get in front, you've got to try and defend really well. The first goal, they just walk through the middle of the pitch. It was really disappointing to get into those positions. 'The second goal of course they shouldn't be able to wriggle through wide, and then they shouldn't be able to score from that angle. 'When you see those goals go in, they're so deflating on the sideline because there's literally absolutely nothing you can do about those moments. 'I'm just frustrated with the players. I think we've gone from a position of winning games and seeing those moments out, and looking very solid, to just feeling like we've got more to give, and I'm not quite sure why. 'That's probably the harshest I've been with the players in the dressing room, and it really does feel as though we've thrown something away.'
Yahoo
08-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
U's boss pleased to see striker rewarded for relentless endeavours
GARY Rowett was pleased to see Mark Harris rewarded for his relentless endeavours leading the Oxford United forward line. Harris netted four goals in the first four Sky Bet Championship matches of the season, but then had to wait until Boxing Day for his next strike. The 26-year-old grabbed his sixth goal of the campaign with the close-range leveller in last night's 1-1 draw at Norwich City. READ ALSO: Gary Rowett delighted to see tactical tweak pay off at Carrow Road U's head coach Rowett said: 'I thought Sparky was excellent. He's just started to come back with that little bit of stardust about him. 'He's running around with a little bit of extra life, and I'm really pleased about that. It's a hard job up there sometimes for a team that's just come into the Championship. 'It's a thankless task, and what you want is the odd reward of a goal of course, or a chance. 'I thought maybe Ole [Romeny] struggled a little bit. The game was really quick. He started quite bright, and Ruben [Rodrigues] coming on gave us a little bit of a lift. 'I thought Hidde [ter Avest] did great. When you haven't played for so long, you can end up getting frustrated, but he's kept himself in incredible shape. He's a professional and I thought he did really well.'
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Initial reaction from Gary Rowett after first home defeat under him
GARY Rowett was disappointed by the overall performance as his Oxford United side were beaten for the first time on home soil under him. The U's lost 2-0 against Portsmouth, with goals coming from Andre Dozzell and Mark O'Mahony at either end of the second half. For large periods, United were clumsy in possession with poor decision-making halting any progress up the pitch. U's head coach Rowett said: 'I thought our performance was just a little bit too rigid in the first half. We needed to play with a little bit more freedom in certain areas and I thought we got into some really good positions. 'It's been creeping in the last three or four games, that final pass and final action to get someone into a goalscoring position just hasn't quite been there. 'That's been the disappointment because we've got into some great positions. There was one where Ruben [Rodrigues] just needs to dink it over the defender for Shemmy [Placheta], and he plays it too hard and the goalkeeper is there. 'They did what they did, which was kick the left back up and go really long with the goalkeeper to try and create a game of seconds and a little bit of a fight. 'I thought when we showed composure, we got into good areas, and in the second half, you could see it. 'We conceded a very poor goal from a set piece with bodies in the box, and we don't deal with it, and you end up 1-0 down. 'We had three absolutely clear-cut chances where we should score all three of them, let alone one of them, and we don't. 'We chased the game at the end, and we obviously left ourselves open, but again it was a poor goal. 'It was a disappointing performance overall, but I think we still did more than enough to get something out of the game, but you've got to go and finish things off.' He added: 'I think we've done enough in the games to warrant people keeping their place, but people have to perform. 'I said that at half-time. I could've taken all the front four off in some ways because we didn't create enough. 'It's not just the four. You can't start dissecting the game and saying it's about the defenders keeping clean sheets and the forwards scoring. 'You have to work hard as a team and be accountable as a team, but certainly when you get into those areas, someone has to produce something. 'There was one where Stan [Mills] flashed a ball across the box and the space was there, and everyone was pulling back for a nice goal. 'You don't score nice goals all the time in the Championship. You have to throw yourself in there. 'There were some areas of the pitch where we certainly need to work hard and be a little bit braver, and throw a few more bodies in the box to score the goal.'
