After a brutal start, Oxford United slipped back into the drop zone, losing their first three Championship fixtures and ending Christmas two points adrift of safety. Head coach Gary Rowett, who had guided the club to last‑season survival, was dismissed and ex‑Luton boss Matt Bloomfield took the helm on 9 January. The change failed to spark a revival.

Bloomfield's first nine games yielded only one win, four draws and four defeats, leaving Oxford six points from safety by late February. A brief lift saw the U's win West Brom, Preston and Blackburn, level with Leicester, but a subsequent win‑less run dropped them five points behind Blackburn and six from Charlton, making relegation inevitable.

The season's downturn also hurt the club's morale. Long‑time defender Sam Long admitted the squad had “hurt” and fans deserved better. Despite a 25‑year absence from the second tier, Oxford's promotion last year was a high point, yet the club’s high‑cost Championship campaign proved unsustainable.

With a final away trip to promotion‑hopeful Millwall, Bloomfield vowed to “keep fighting” after a 2‑0 loss to Wrexham. The U’s finish the season knowing relegation is confirmed, leaving the club to regroup before the next campaign and decide whether a return to League One will rebuild their standing.