Pundit plays down potential Cardiff City approach for Oxford United boss Des Buckingham | OneFootball

Carlton Palmer has told FLW that he does not foresee the Oxford boss leaving to fill the Bluebirds' managerial vacancy

Former England international and current pundit Carlton Palmer has dismissed the likelihood of Oxford United boss Des Buckingham leaving the U's to fill Cardiff City's managerial vacancy after he was linked to the job following Erol Bulut's sacking on Sunday.

Bulut was relieved of his duties by the Bluebirds' chiefs after 15 months in charge, despite signing a new deal in the summer, following a poor start to the new season in which his side picked up just one point from the first six league games on his watch.

Prior to his sacking, Football Insider reported that Cardiff could turn to Oxford head-coach Buckingham if they were to get rid of the former Fenerbahce boss, and now that he has left, they may move to try and secure his appointment soon.

Buckingham has enjoyed a brilliant time in charge of the U's since his appointment in November last year, as he guided his side to promotion to the Championship in May through the play-offs, and has led them to a decent start in the second-tier so far with three wins from six league outings leaving them in ninth place.

Carlton Palmer downplays potential Cardiff, Des Buckingham appointment

Buckingham has been a huge success since he made the surprise move from Indian side Mumbai City to take over at the Kassam Stadium last year, and has quickly become known as one of the best upcoming young managers in the EFL as a result.

It would, therefore, be a shock to see him leave Oxford to join Cardiff, who are rock bottom of the league as it stands, and Palmer has spoken exclusively to Football League World about his thoughts on the link.

He said: “He is enjoying a fine season at Oxford. He’s done a fantastic job there."

“He got them promoted to the Championship, and they’re flying high so far on nine points.

“Why would he want to leave Oxford, who clearly have funds, and go to a team that is rock bottom of the division in Cardiff?

“I think it is highly unlikely, and it’d be very ambitious by Cardiff to think that he would leave Oxford for them.

“I think Oxford are in a good financial position, they’ve backed him last season and this season, so I think it is highly unlikely."

Buckingham is unlikely to leave Oxford at this moment in time

There are few stories in English football that are like Des Buckingham's, and he will feel like he is fulfilling somewhat of a destiny at the Kassam Stadium after he was born and raised in the area and began his professional coaching career with the U's at the age of 18, initially working through the club's age-group squads.

He progressed to become a first-team coach under then-manager Chris Wilder at the start of the 2013/14 campaign with the club in League Two, but left midway through that season to become a football development manager with New Zealand’s FA.

Buckingham soon joined A-League side Wellington Phoenix as a goalkeeping coach in 2014, then was later made assistant coach in 2016 and interim head coach in December of the same year, before being appointed on a full-time basis to become the youngest manager in the league's history at 31-years-old.

Spells at Stoke City and New Zealand's under-20 and under-23 sides followed before he became Melbourne City assistant coach in 2020 and helped them to complete the double, then took charge of Mumbai in 2021.

He led the Islanders to a record-breaking IPL league title in his second season as boss and won the Coach of the Year award for his exploits, which Oxford saw as enough to bring him back to his hometown as head-coach nearly ten years after his initial departure.

The 39-year-old has not looked back since taking over, and his side lost just one of their last 11 games of the League One campaign to reach the play-offs, then defeated Bolton Wanderers in the final in a shock result to seal their return to the second-tier after 25 years away.

Buckingham has stuck to his guns in the Championship, and it has paid off so far as they sit in ninth place after six games, so it would make little sense to undo his and his players' hard work in getting to this point to leave for Cardiff, who are seemingly in dire straits with just one point and one goal to their name so far.