It's been a week of personnel change at Grenoble Road, as a number of players have started to feel the backlash of failure to win promotion this season. It has already been announced that Yemi Odubade has signed a new two-year deal at United, and yesterday there was news of backroom change as former club secretary Mick Brown was announced as General Manager in charge of all the administration functions at the club. This will also involve many of his secretarial duties. Ian Lenegan's son Simon is to be the General Manager in charge of the youth and community side of the club's activities.

There was further news today on the playing side. Andy Burgess, who has another year to run on his contract, has been transfer listed. Most of the out-of-contract players also learned their fates today, as the side's longest-serving player Steve Basham[@player]basham, steve[/@player] has been released, as has former skipper Chris Hargreaves[@player]hargreaves, chris[/@player], who joined the club two years ago as one of Brian Talbot's first signings. Basham has apparently been told that if he is unable to find a new club he is welcome back to join in pre-season training. Also released are the aging left wingback duo of Gavin Johnson[@player]johnson, gavin[/@player] and Rufus Brevett[@player]brevett, rufus[/@player], while there was no joy for the youngsters, with all three of the former youth-teamers, Billy Beechers[@player]beechers, billy[/@player], Andy Gunn[@player]gunn, andrew[/@player], and Josh Kennet[@player]kennet, josh[/@player] allowed to leave. Kennet recently received some note as being one of a very small handful of homegrown Jewish professional players in England. Georges Santos hasn't been mentioned in despatches, but it seems reasonable to assume that he will not be donning a yellow shirt again (at least, not Oxford Yellow).

Some of the out-of-contract players have been offered new deals, though. Both Barry Quinn and Chris Willmott have certainly had pieces of paper shoved under their (or their agents') noses, while we believe that the Foster twins, Luke and Martin, have also been courted (FozM being out of contract at Halifax this summer). Michael Corcoran has now been released by Cardiff City (as has his fellow loanee, Greg Coombes), and we believe that he has also been offered something sweet and tempting to try and get him to stay. Two of the other loanees, Danny Rose and Chris Zebroski, have returned to their substantive clubs (Manchester United and Millwall respectively), although it is thought that Oxford are trying to offer them both deals as well, with Rose being o-o-c at Old Trafford, and Zebroski having been on Jim Smith's wish-list since before the start of last season.