This Manning love affair is embarrassing. We gave him an opportunity only a few months after being sacked by another league one club and gave him pretty much everything he wanted. The club got rid of established staff to bring his own people in, and many of those leaving were treated like absolute s**t. We then backed Manning in the summer transfer window and would have spent several hundred thousand more if we could have got the right deals done. Assurances were given to further invest in the playing squad in January and beyond.
The board and the whole club gave him everything he could have wanted, and he fucked off the second another club showed him any interest. f**k him and his poundshop Klopp celebrations. And remember that he didn't even wait around to speak with the players. They found out he was going via a text message on the Monday and Manning was in early on the Tuesday to clear his desk before the players arrived. He has also never once spoke of his time at Oxford as anything over than a footnote. So, once again, f**k him.
And before anyone brings up his contract situation, that was perfectly reasonable in the circumstances. He was being paid a very good salary for league one, as was Hogg. The club were still paying off Robinson and didn't want to get burnt by paying big money if we dropped into league two. The contract was reasonable AND Manning was happy to sign on these terms. Following the decent start, I'm sure the club would have been happy to discuss a deal that would have given him more security, but they didn't have that option because he had packed up and gone the moment he could get away.
Buckingham may not be the right manager, but neither is Manning and I hope that the only time we see him anywhere near Oxford again is when we're beating the teams he ends up with after Bristol City get rid of him.
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