49-year-old emerges as a contender for Oxford United managerial vacancy | OneFootball

Oldham Athletic manager David Unsworth has emerged as a contender for the managerial vacancy at Oxford United, according to Football Insider.

It is understood that Unsworth is on the club's shortlist as they look to draft in a replacement for Karl Robinson.

Robinson was sacked by Oxford last month following a poor run of results in League One.

Unsworth began his coaching career at Preston North End and went on to work for Sheffield United and Everton before being appointed as Oldham's boss last year.

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During his time at Goodison Park, the 49-year-old worked with the club's Under-23 side and oversaw nine first-team games in a caretaker role.

Since being handed over the reins at Boundary Park, Unsworth has guided Oldham to eight wins in the 26 games that he has presided over.

Unsworth's current contract with the Latics is set to run until 2025 and thus Oxford would need to pay some compensation in order to appoint him as their new boss.

The U's were recently linked with a move for Charlton Athletic manager Dean Holden.

However, as per South London Press sports editor Richard Cawley, the Addicks have yet to receive an approach from Oxford for Holden.

As it stands, caretaker manager Craig Short is set to take charge of Oxford's clash with Derby County this weekend.

The Verdict

If Unsworth is indeed a key contender for the vacancy at Oxford, it will be interesting to see whether the club decides to step up their pursuit of him in the coming days.

When you consider that Unsworth has only managed to record a win percentage of 30.77% during his time in charge of Oldham, it could be argued that he may not be the right man to take over at the Kassam Stadium.

Furthermore, Unsworth also lacks experience as this is the first full-time managerial role that he has undertaken.