The news that (almost) no Oxford fan wanted to hear has just been confirmed. Niether Horacio Rodriguez nor Jean-Marc Goiran are remaining at the club, and Pablo Fernandez is also leaving.

The remains of Ramon Diaz’s management team were presented with an offer by Firoz Kassam that they felt unable to accept, and so negotiations came to a halt. Kassam has asked them all to leave immediately, and so coach David Oldfield will be taking charge of the team before Saturday’s game against Chester (preview to appear later).

It is unknown at this time whether or not Kassam has anyone lined-up to replace the Argentineans, although almost certainly there won’t be anyone available to take on the role that Goiran was hopefully intending to play. Dave Moss, former United assistant manager under Brian Horton, and currently second-in-command at Northwich Victoria, was spotted at the Rochdale game and was quickly associated with the post. It seems apparent now that only someone prepared to work for a small salary and with almost no budget will be favoured by Kassam, which must leave United supporters worried about the club’s potential to follow Cambridge out of the league. Fans are actively discussing protesting during the Chester game, and while not opposing any such voicing of opinion, we have to wonder what has to be done to persuade Kassam that his failure to invest in the long-term future of the club could ensure that there is no long-term future.

Bugger.