Lenagan - my vision for United

9:30am Saturday 14th July 2012 in Sport Photograph of the Author By David Pritchard, Chief Sports Reporter covering Oxford United. Follow us on twitter: @oxfordmailoufc. Call me on 01865 425458

New Oxford United chairman Ian Lenagan addresses the media yesterday New Oxford United chairman Ian Lenagan addresses the media yesterday

Big changes have taken place at Oxford United’s training ground this summer, but if they can have even half the impact of similar steps made by Wigan Warriors it will be money well spent.

Ian Lenagan, who owns both clubs, has a clear view on how United get out of the Football League’s basement division and achieve his goal of reaching the Championship.

Getting the best out of the existing squad through cutting edge sports science is fundamental, while improved youth development is also a priority.

They are measures which propelled the Warriors from also-rans to champions.

In attempting to repeat the success at United, a six-figure sum has been spent recruiting a strength and conditioning coach, Alasdair Lane.

Equipment has also been bought for the club’s gym, while all players will have their progress monitored with a new computer programme.

Lenagan, who became United’s executive chairman after Kelvin Thomas stepped down yesterday, said: “At Wigan it was worth 25 per cent extra performance. It transformed them from being tenth in the table to being champions and then cup winners and now being top of the league again.

“The structures are a good way of preventing injuries – the soft-tissue injuries at Oxford are massive compared with other environments. They won’t be in the medium term.

“I would normally say ‘no you won’t see it the first season’, but in that time Wigan went from eighth to being champions, so it could happen.”

Youth development will take longer to reap results, but three promising academy youngsters will be promoted to train with the senior professionals this season as part of an ‘accelerator squad’ which is designed to fill in when the first-team is hit by injuries.

Manager Chris Wilder enjoyed a close relationship with Thomas, but Lenagan was keen to stress there was no intention of making any changes to the coaching staff.

He said: “My relationship with Chris is I thought he was the right appointment.

“He’s done a very good job for us, one might be a little irritated we’ve not got promoted out of the division in the last two years, but if we get it this year that will be great.”

Lenagan only expects to dedicate half his working week to running United, although there is the potential of hiring a general manager to take on some of the lower level day-to-day elements.

The 66-year-old said: “If you’ve got the right people around you and you know what you’re doing, you don’t need to spend seven days a week on it.

“I know how to run a professional sports club and I think that in the two and a half days a week I can push Oxford United even further on than the great job Kelvin’s done.”

Comments(25)

oxfordus says...
10:20am Sat 14 Jul 12

Sounds very promising.

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AylesburyOx says...
10:25am Sat 14 Jul 12

All sounds great - now let's go out there and take this division by the scruff of the neck!

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Joe1 says...
11:44am Sat 14 Jul 12

What a positive attitude he seems to have. Now lets transform that into a good season & onwards & upwards.

"COME ON YOU YELLOWS"

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stephen burrows says...
1:53pm Sat 14 Jul 12

Well done and thank you Kelvin Thomas. Terrific to have Ian Lenagan steering the club.

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A Scroat says...
4:38pm Sat 14 Jul 12

stephen burrows wrote:
Well done and thank you Kelvin Thomas. Terrific to have Ian Lenagan steering the club.
Just need to get a striker who is better than conference standard and it might take shape after last season's fiasco.

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BenkiuGuasu says...
9:03pm Sat 14 Jul 12

All the best Ian. There will be downs as well as ups. But keep cool and do things the way they should be done. Critisisms will come, as they have with Kelvin and Chris, but they are very often the product of ignorance and over-active negativity. Clarity of thought, conviction, and your relationship with Chris are crucial towards acheiving our goals of promotion and general success. COME ON YOU YELLOWS

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mikek says...
10:38pm Sat 14 Jul 12

Ha ha ha ha ha the small club up the A420 are full of dreamers and think they suddenly have all the answers, all I can say is keep dreaming little yellow ones as the mighty Swindon Town will storm Division one and will be in the Championship long before you lot and I don't expect we will meet again in league football for a very long time. Forever in our shadows Pox and keep eating our dust.

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Whitstablexile says...
8:54am Sun 15 Jul 12

So I think we can safely conclude that the rednoses are EVEN MORE JEALOUS THAN BEFORE.

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Chish and Fips says...
11:51am Sun 15 Jul 12

Whitstablexile wrote:
So I think we can safely conclude that the rednoses are EVEN MORE JEALOUS THAN BEFORE.
How in the 'eck do you reckon that Whit ?? - wishful thinking more like .... nice one, the ol reverse psychology trick falling flat on its @rse again.

Good luck with the new chairman and the 'egg chasers' ripping up the pitch, hopefully the pitch has been re-seeded to suit during the close season - or was it a trip to B&Q see if they had any offers on rolls of lawn turf for patching.

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Simple man says...
2:55pm Sun 15 Jul 12

One thing we will never be, is jealous of Swindon. Facist of a manager, absolute dump of a ground and throwing money away like water at the moment. Weather it's well spent, and doesn't backfire will remain to be seen. We've seen many expensive signings mishap before haven't we, so don't count your chickens yet! Congratulations on your promotion, but move on and shut up.. Is there a Swindon Mail website (??) that Ox fans log onto and comment constantly about our double last year?

I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again before long - adios.

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Chish and Fips says...
3:18pm Sun 15 Jul 12

Simple man wrote:
One thing we will never be, is jealous of Swindon. Facist of a manager, absolute dump of a ground and throwing money away like water at the moment. Weather it's well spent, and doesn't backfire will remain to be seen. We've seen many expensive signings mishap before haven't we, so don't count your chickens yet! Congratulations on your promotion, but move on and shut up.. Is there a Swindon Mail website (??) that Ox fans log onto and comment constantly about our double last year?

I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again before long - adios.
Try the Swindon Adver, you are welcome to air your views on there, as well as the 'double' if you like - lets face it that's all you have to shout about from last season.

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stephen burrows says...
4:17pm Sun 15 Jul 12

I cannot understand why certain supporters of other clubs try to contaminate OUFC discussions and to lower the level of discourse. Could they be benefit claimants with nothing else to do but to be parasitic? Or that they cannot find a girlfriend and so work out their frustrations with trivia? The other (Oxford) contributions ARE worth reading.

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Chish and Fips says...
4:31pm Sun 15 Jul 12

stephen burrows wrote:
I cannot understand why certain supporters of other clubs try to contaminate OUFC discussions and to lower the level of discourse. Could they be benefit claimants with nothing else to do but to be parasitic? Or that they cannot find a girlfriend and so work out their frustrations with trivia? The other (Oxford) contributions ARE worth reading.
That's Life sometimes - very difficult for the narrow minded I can understand that, but all clubs and all boards have input good and bad from supporters from other clubs, some as good banter, others as nasty wind ups and some giving a good different view, learn to live to with it, we have too when your lot come on the Adver (and they are quite welcome to air their views).

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oldun says...
5:22pm Sun 15 Jul 12

"Six figure sum spent on recruiting a strength and conditioning coach" - amazing - they had better be very strong and very well conditioned! Amazing amount

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mikek says...
5:57pm Sun 15 Jul 12

stephen burrows wrote:
I cannot understand why certain supporters of other clubs try to contaminate OUFC discussions and to lower the level of discourse. Could they be benefit claimants with nothing else to do but to be parasitic? Or that they cannot find a girlfriend and so work out their frustrations with trivia? The other (Oxford) contributions ARE worth reading.
Its called payback mate after the dire gutter filth we had to put up with from some of your inbreds calling themselves yellows fans. Revenge is sweet and I must insist that now and again I duly reply and give some back. Yes may be not all fans are the same and would like to bet that even Oxford has its fare share of decent supporters, but the memories of some of the vile comments on our forum last season are still fresh in the mind so as I say its called payback. Mind you its a pleasure to have friendly banter and the odd wind up without taking it to the gutter like some.

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oldun says...
6:07pm Sun 15 Jul 12

By 'they' , I meant 'the players' - not just the super duper and very expensively recruited coach!

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karatavuk says...
9:59pm Sun 15 Jul 12

Mikek is a fool. He complains about people putting rubbish on their website and then does the same thing here.
"Pot calling the kettle black" is the right expression I believe.
If you call people "pox" then you are no better.

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mikek says...
8:41am Mon 16 Jul 12

karatavuk wrote:
Mikek is a fool. He complains about people putting rubbish on their website and then does the same thing here.
"Pot calling the kettle black" is the right expression I believe.
If you call people "pox" then you are no better.
Calling you lot "pox" is mild compared to what we had to put up with from your rabble. Champions, Champions,Champions and forever in our shadows. Yes may be I am a fool for keeping my post in check and not getting to the level your inbreds got.

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oldun says...
8:52am Mon 16 Jul 12

Gentlemen please - it is only a game - which so many love. Yes, I am a boring old ****. Clubs need rivals - Celtic will miss Rangers - and not just for financial reasons. United are in a worse spot than our 'traditional ' rivals - but we must hope against hope for automatic promotion next season (442 , if we have Constable) Why not chill out?.

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Chish and Fips says...
8:54am Mon 16 Jul 12

karatavuk wrote:
Mikek is a fool. He complains about people putting rubbish on their website and then does the same thing here.
"Pot calling the kettle black" is the right expression I believe.
If you call people "pox" then you are no better.
Nothing like a good bit of banter - Mikek point is some go lower than a snakes belly with vile guttural comments, and changing the name to pox - again its banter, lighten up Kat

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oldun says...
9:24am Mon 16 Jul 12

Amazing - a four letter word I used rhyming with cart and beginning with a letter between e and g (get my gist??) was **** ed out . Nanny is in charge. Blank out the bile, Nanny - not a benign word like that one. Expecting to be banned

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oldun says...
9:24am Mon 16 Jul 12

Amazing - a four letter word I used rhyming with cart and beginning with a letter between e and g (get my gist??) was **** ed out . Nanny is in charge. Blank out the bile, Nanny - not a benign word like that one. Expecting to be banned

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Chish and Fips says...
10:32am Mon 16 Jul 12

f@rt did that work Oldun ?

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Chish and Fips says...
10:33am Mon 16 Jul 12

yep !

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yellowhoods says...
9:56pm Mon 16 Jul 12

Wilder out!!!!!!!

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