Oxford United: 26-year-old can stake his claim in early post-Des Buckingham era | OneFootball

Owen Dale has been a rare bright spark in a very poor Oxford United side recently, and could see more game time under new manager

Oxford United have flattered to deceive in recent months, with injuries in key areas being a big part of that.

Oxford have lacked the quality to compete in the Championship at times this season. A large percentage of the players brought to the club in the summer have not lived up to the hype.

Under Des Buckingham, wingers were a huge part of how he wanted his team to play. But injuries saw Siriki Dembélé, Matt Phillips, Przemysław Płacheta and Kyle Edwards all sidelined for extensive periods.

Owen Dale, who plays his best football on the left wing, has been a constant in the Oxford team since signing for the club in January. Despite not always playing this season, he has always been available for selection, an underrated trait for any manager to have at his disposal.

Despite not being the best attacking option United have, Dale has a work rate and desire to do as well as he can for his team, something which has not gone unrecognised by the fans.

Owen Dale's recent performances

United's most recent game was against Sheffield Wednesday, and Dale was awarded a start in what turned out to be Buckingham's final game for the club.

United took the lead 17 minutes into the game through Gregg Leigh, but could not kick on and put the game to bed. The Owls ended up winning 3-1 in a game that became far too comfortable for Danny Rohl's side.

Dale was one of only a few players to impress in the defeat. He was his usual aggressive self when it came to pressing, and putting the opposition under pressure. In the first half in particular, United were able to turn the ball over in the final third on several occasions, but were unable to create any goalscoring opportunities. Dale was at the heart of this.

He provided an outlet on the left flank, and was able to use his pace and energy to get at his fullback on a number of occasions, even having an opportunity to score a second for United, but for some excellent last-ditch defending by the recovering Wednesday back line.

At this stage in Oxford's season, we've seen that the bulk of the squad are top League One players, but have not been able to make the step-up to the Championship. What United need is players like Dale who will continue to put the effort in.

Dale was used as a sub against Millwall a couple of weeks ago. United were a goal down when Dale replaced Phillips in the 73rd minute. His introduction aligned with United getting back into the game, and putting the Lions under more pressure. Dale was able to once again get at his fullback, something that this current United side is lacking. Whether it is a lack of confidence or fitness, there has been a lack of players running at the opposition back line and trying to make something happen. United managed to force a late equaliser courtesy of Tyler Goodrham, with a wonderful left-footed finish.

In moments like this, when United are defending for large spells of the game, the team desperately need an outlet like Dale who will progress the ball up the pitch and give the opposition something to think about defensively. United will not dominate the ball in the majority of games, so making their possession count, and relieving the pressure on the back line, is vital.

Dale can have success under a new manager

Buckingham's sacking shocked and angered large sections of the fanbase, and for good reason. Last campaign, United returned to the second tier of English football for the first time in 25 years under the former Mumbai City FC manager.

Despite the love United fans have for Buckingham, the results and performances of recent weeks and months suggest relegation is on the cards. They became far too easy to beat, and looked short of ideas and ability going forward.

Reports by BBC Oxford Sport suggest that Gary Rowett will be announced as the new manager shortly. The decision has had mixed reviews from the United fans, as was expected. The man who replaced Buckingham was always going to walk into an atmosphere of unease. He, and the Board, have a lot to prove.

Rowett's style of football is different to how Oxford are used to playing. The hope is that the U's will become a lot harder to beat. The former Birmingham City manager will be looking for players with some grit and determination to help get United out of the relegation fight.

Dale will be looking to use this to his advantage. He may not possess the ability or skill that Dembélé has, but with the former Birmingham player still out with injury, Dale will be a useful tool for Rowett initially. His industry and workrate will be noticed by Rowett and could see him play some important minutes over the coming months.

Whoever the new manager is, will have just a couple of weeks to discuss who to bring in during the January transfer window, where we will see the new head coach bring in some players to help play the intended style of football. Dale finds himself in an interesting position where a new manager could mean an extended run in the team.