Oxford United boss on open play goals and summer window…
GARY Rowett says Oxford United will look to recruit in a way which will help the team score more goals from open play next season.
The U’s scored most of their goals in Sky Bet Championship during the 2024/25 campaign from open play (27), while 21 goals were netted from set pieces.
That figure was the second highest in the division, with only Derby County (22) grabbing more goals from set plays.
United utilised set pieces more following the appointment of Rowett as head coach in December, with that evident by the increased use of Will Vaulks’ long throw-in, which was broadly limited to when the U’s were chasing games late on under Des Buckingham.
READ ALSO: U’s boss hails Wembley heroes following their release
Rowett said: “If you look at some of the teams near the top and in the play-offs, they’ll score goals from set pieces.
“You have to find every advantage you can in any division in my opinion. I think there’s always a bit of snobbery around football.
“There are people after a game that will extol how well their team played and how great the possession was even if it isn’t.
“That’s just how football works. People will try and sell something because of the narrative around the ideal style of play.
“I’ve never done that. I’ve always been quite honest I think, and sometimes when you’re honest, it’s easy then to label you.
“Nobody really says that tactically we’ve had to set up in really clever ways against teams to stop them beating us and stop them scoring lots of goals against us.
“People don’t view that necessarily. They just view the open play nature of beautiful football.
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE OXFORD MAIL ONLINE
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE OXFORD MAIL ONLINE (Image: Newsquest)
“For us, of course you want to try and improve a lot of those things, but at the same time there wouldn’t have been much point us playing fantastic football and being eight points adrift at the bottom of the table.
“I think you have to find ways to create the best opportunity to win games of football for your club.
“That’s what I’m paid to do. I was paid to keep the club up. I wasn’t paid to come in and play a style that looked amazing regardless of results. I was paid to win games of football.
“Moving forward, you always try and adapt that. I’ve always done that, and you try and improve certain aspects.
“Certainly, we’ll have to score more open play goals next year, and that will be a big part of us trying to recruit and improve over the summer.”
About The Author
