"No offence to Oxford United" - QPR reaction given as new Michael Beale manager link emerges | OneFootball

FLW's QPR fan pundit has given his reaction to speculation linking former manager Michael Beale with the Oxford United vacancy.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Oxford United are on the hunt for a new manager after parting company with Gary Rowett on Tuesday morning.

Rowett took over at the Kassam Stadium last December, and he successfully guided Oxford to safety in their first year back in the Championship last season as they recorded a 17th-placed finish.

However, it has been another season of struggle for the U's this time around, and after a run of just one win from the last 10 games that has left the club sitting 22nd in the table, two points from safety, the board have taken action, with the 1-0 defeat at Charlton Athletic on Saturday proving to be Rowett's final game.

Craig Short has been placed in interim charge of the Yellows after Rowett's exit, but as they begin the hunt for his permanent replacement, journalist Alan Nixon has claimed that former QPR, Rangers and Sunderland manager Michael Beale is one of the names under consideration.

Beale took his first steps into management with QPR in the summer of 2022, but after leading the R's to the top of the Championship table, he walked out on the club just a few weeks later to join Rangers, despite previously stressing his commitment to the job at Loftus Road after rejecting a move to Wolverhampton Wanderers.

However, the 45-year-old only lasted just over 10 months at Ibrox, and he has been out of management since being sacked by Sunderland in February 2024 following a dismal 12-game spell in charge at the Stadium of Light, during which he won just four games.

QPR concerns raised as Michael Beale linked with Oxford United vacancy

When asked for his reaction to reports linking Beale with Oxford, FLW's QPR fan pundit Louis Moir claimed that he would be a risky appointment for the U's, and he admitted that he fears the ex-Rangers manager could use the club as a stepping stone until a bigger opportunity comes along.

"I think if Oxford go ahead and appoint Mick Beale, it will be an interesting one," Louis told FLW.

"When he left QPR, he probably thought he had the ability to manage in the Premier League.

"It showed by him going to Rangers, who are a massive club in Scotland, and failing there.

"It would be a bit of a come down for him, no offence to Oxford, going to a club like them when they are struggling in their position.

"If he gets them playing, then he could argue that they will confidently stay up.

"But it's that same thing, because he's tarnished his reputation from what he did leaving us, if he did go to Oxford and did really well and suddenly transformed them, you've got that worry as an Oxford fan that a bigger and better club will come calling for him, and it'll be the same situation that we suffered.

"If I was an Oxford fan in their position and you want to try and survive in the Championship this season, Beale would come in and play better football.

"But, then again, it would be a challenge because if you look at Oxford and their squad quality-wise, would he be able to do it with a squad like that or would he need better players than what he would have at Oxford.

"It's certainly interesting.

"It would be a bit of a risky appointment on both sides, but I could potentially see the positives if he came in and got them playing and they were comfortably above the drop zone come the end of the season."

Michael Beale appointment may be too much of a gamble for Oxford United after Gary Rowett exit

Oxford have won just four games in the league this season and are currently languishing in the relegation zone, but it was still something of a surprise to see Rowett lose his job.

Rowett may not play the most exciting football, but he has proven himself to be an incredibly effective manager at Championship level over the years, and as the U's are still firmly in touch with safety, they have taken a big risk by making a managerial change.

Aside from his strong start to life at QPR, much of Beale's managerial career so far has been disappointing, and his spell at Sunderland was particularly disastrous, so he would certainly be an intriguing appointment for Oxford, and it is difficult not to feel that he is too much of a gamble for them to take in their current predicament.