According to The Sun’s Alan Nixon, former Barcelona and Holland legend Patrick Kluivert has possibly scuppered his chances of becoming boss at Oxford United.
Oxford have been in need of a man at the helm since former boss Pep Clotet was sacked in January after a particularly bad run of results. Clotet is back in football with Garry Monk at Birmingham City, yet Oxford are still chasing his replacement.
Former Barcelona legend was seen as “first choice with new money man Sumrith Tanakarnjanasuth” with the Thai national inviting Kluivert over to London for a “summit” meeting during the weekend just gone. However, it was Kluivert’s response to this that has soured his chances of managing the Us.
Instead of jumping on a flight from Spain to London, Kluivert instead angered Oxford’s new owner Tanakarnjanasuth by insisting that instead he do the opposite and visit Kluivert “at his home base in Barcelona instead.”
Now it appears that the 79-cap, 40-goal Holland international has fallen down the pecking order, despite Oxford finding it difficult to recruit a new boss. Other possible candidates such as Craig Bellamy and David Unsworth have fallen by the wayside since Clotet’s sacking.
However, Nixon points out that an array of others are seemingly still in the hunt following Kluivert’s snub, with name such as Steve McClaren, Karl Robinson, Steven Gerrard and Sven-Goran Eriksson said to be in the running for the job at the Kassam Stadium.
Oxford currently sit 17th in the table on 42 points and are five wins away from a play-off place. They face Steve Evans’ play-off chasing Peterborough United side on Saturday at home and will be looking for a welcome three points.
