Gary Rowett believes his achievement of keeping Oxford in the Championship is equal to anything he has managed as a head coach.
The U’s secured their safety in the English second tier with a 2-0 victory over Sunderland, thanks to goals from centre-halves Ben Nelson and Michal Helik.
Rowett said: “I did a similar job at Birmingham and did a similar job initially at Millwall but it feels, personally, as big an achievement as I’ve had, but everyone’s worked so hard throughout the club to get to here.
“It would have been easy for our players to feel the pressure and melt under it a bit but whenever this group needs a result, they seem to come up with a big performance.
“I don’t think there’s been a better performance all season. Yes, Sunderland were already in the play-offs, but they’re still a quality side.
“I thought we created some good opportunities, some good moments and scored two very good set-piece goals.
“When you’re a club that doesn’t have a stellar amount of money to spend on players, you have to find different ways to get goals and it’s a remarkable stat that our top scorer is on six goals.
“But what we’ve got is another on five, a couple of others on similar numbers and someone like Michal Helik – to sign in January and to score the important goals he’s got for us has been massive.
“It’s hard to single out individuals but I thought Michal Helik and Ben Nelson were absolutely superb. Nelson showed every inch that he’s a Premier League player in the making.
“When you come into the building and we had something like 18 points from 21 games, even I felt it would be a monumental task to keep the team in the division with the sort of group that we’ve had.
“But consistently over 24 games we have been a top-10 team in this division which is a great achievement. The staff have worked tirelessly, there’s a real togetherness about the club to get us over the line and we’ve got a real opportunity now to build to the next level.
“The final game at Swansea next week will now be a lot more relaxed. It’s been a long four to five months.”
It was a fourth-successive defeat for Sunderland, who will finish in fourth place.
Black Cats head coach Regis Le Bris said: “Today it was clear that we didn’t match the energy of our opponents.
“They were fighting for their life – it wasn’t the case for us. And for duels, for direct play, for set plays and so on, we were not at the level and it was really difficult to manage these situations.
“So I think the game shifted a bit – and higher up the pitch we were not efficient enough to create chances, I think we created only one. That is not enough to win the game.
“So I don’t think we deserved to win the game.
“For me it’s a strong reminder, because this competition is violent, that if you don’t match the energy of your opponents, you can’t play.
“It was a strong reminder rather than a worry for me.
“But we don’t like the feeling of defeat but at the same time we have to stay humble and confident and that’s the case in the dressing room right now.”
[(Shimizu S-Pulse) Weakness]: 1. Shimizu S-Pulse are 13th in the J1 League table. Facing 2nd-placed Kashima Antlers, they will find it hard to win this match due to their declining form, indicating doubtful motivation.2. Shimizu S-Pulse defender Yuji Takahashi and forward Sena Saito will miss this league game due to injuries.3. Shimizu S-Pulse were winless with 2 draws and 3 losses in the last 5 g...
Liverpool table fresh Guehi bidAccording to The Athletic, Liverpool have submitted a fresh bid worth £35 million ($47m) to sign Marc Guehi from Crystal Palace. The Reds had earlier seen two bids rejected by the Eagles, but they remain hopeful that this time the offer will be accepted.Fenerbahce eyeing move for EdersonTurkish Super Lig giants Fenerbahce are eyeing a move for out-of-favour Manc...
Roma medical for Liverpool fullback TsimikasAS Roma are holding a medical for Kostas Tsimikas today.The Liverpool fullback is leaving Anfield after finding himself third-choice this season behind fellow left-backs Andrew Robertson and Milos Kerkez.La Gazzetta dello Sport says the Greece international is expected in Italy today to finalise his move.Tsimikas will undergo a medical ahead of signing a...
FBL-ENG-PR-CHELSEA-FULHAMMarco Silva has demanded an explanation from the Premier League after lambasting three "shocking" refereeing decisions in Fulham's 2-0 Premier League loss at Chelsea.WHAT HAPPENED?The Whites thought they had taken the lead against their west London rivals Chelsea when 18-year-old Josh King coolly slotted past Robert Sanchez. However, the goal was chalked off by referee Rob...
[(Shonan Bellmare) Strength]: 1. Shonan Bellmare are one of the bottom teams in the table, taking 25 points and being in the relegation zone. They are strongly motivated to grab points.[(Shonan Bellmare) Neutral]: 1. Shonan Bellmare drew the last 4 home games, revealing mediocre home performances.[(Shonan Bellmare) Weakness]: 1. Shonan Bellmare lost 1-0 to Fagiano Okayama on the road in the last g...
Manchester United Training Session And Press Conference - UEFA Europa League Final 2025Chelsea have completed the signing of Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United.WHAT HAPPENED?Garnacho has signed a seven-year contract with the Blues after the two Premier League clubs agreed a deal worth a fixed £40 million fee ($54m) with a 10 per cent sell-on clause, Goal understands. The 21-year-old ha...
Marc Guehi Crystal Palace 2025-26Liverpool have launched a fresh bid for Marc Guehi as they hope that Crystal Palace will finally accept their proposal and agree to sell their star defender before the summer transfer window closes on Monday. The Reds have been linked with a move for the England international throughout the summer and the champions are determined to secure his signature.WHAT HAPPEN...
West Ham United v Lille OSC - Pre-Season FriendlyAston Villa are close to signing West Ham United midfielder Lucas Paqueta on an initial loan with an obligation to buy next summer.WHAT HAPPENED?Villa are on the brink of agreeing a £47 million (€54m/$63m) package for Paqueta which includes a loan fee and add-ons, according to Fabrizio Romano. The report also states the 28-year-old has ac...
[(Nagoya Grampus) Strength]: 1. Nagoya Grampus currently have only 28 points and are near the bottom of the league table. To avoid relegation, they need to earn points.[(Nagoya Grampus) Neutral]: 1. Nagoya Grampus' 7 successive games ended with OVER.[(Nagoya Grampus) Weakness]: 1. Nagoya Grampus lost 2-4 to Sanfrecce Hiroshima in their last Emperor's Cup game, with poor performance.2. In the lates...
Cody Gakpo Liverpool 2025Premier League champions Liverpool have confirmed that star attacker Cody Gakpo has put pen to paper on a new long-term contract, which has extended his stay at Anfield beyond 2028. The Dutchman who joined the club in January 2023, during the Jurgen Klopp era, has established himself as a regular starter under new boss Arne Slot and has now committed his future to the Reds...
