Pep Clotet have been backed into odds-on favouritism to become the next manager of Sky Bet League One side Oxford United. The U’s are on the lookout for a replacement for Michael Appleton, who left his role recently to take on the assistant manager’s job at Premier League side Leicester City.
Clotet recently left his job at Leeds United, where he had served as assistant manager to Garry Monk. With Monk heading off to take on the management of Middlesbrough, the Spaniard decided against following suit. He is now set to an outright manager again for the first time since 2013. His last ‘number one’ management job was with the Malaga B side.
Clotet is now as short as 4/9 to become the next manager at the Kassam Stadium. The likes of Chris Powell, Frank Lampard and Steve McClaren had been linked with the role in recent times. 40-year-old Clotet has also managed the likes of Halmstad and the Espanyol B team too. He first linked up with Monk at Swansea as number two in 2013, then joining him at Elland Road a few years afterwards.
In addition to chairman Darryl Eales, Sky Sports presented David Jones and Steve Dolton, both directors at Oxford, will oversee the appointment of a new manager at Oxford, according to the Oxford Mail. Past managers of the Oxfordshire club include Jim Smith, Denis Smith, Chris Wilder and even BBC pundit Mark Lawrenson.
Should Clotet take on the job at Oxford, he won’t have to wait long until he returns to Elland Road. Although they’ll be playing the league below Leeds next season, both are arranged to meet in a pre-season friendly on Saturday 29th August. This is based on an agreement when Kemar Roofe swapped between the two clubs last season.
