Ex-Blackpool and Preston man emerges as favourite to take over at League One rivals of Sheffield Wednesday

Former Blackpool manager Michael Appleton is the current favourite to take over at Oxford United. The League One outfit are without a head coach since sacking Karl Robinson last month.

Robinson spent five years in Oxford and reached the play-offs on two occasions before narrowly missing out last season. The 42-year-old was dismissed witih the U’s sat 17th in the third tier - almost 30 points below Sheffield Wednesday at the top of the table.

Appleton is now the frontrunner to take the reigns at the Kassam Stadium, almost a month after he left Blackpool. The former Preston North End and West Brom midfielder moved to Bloomfield Road in the summer but failed to impress, leaving them in the Championship’s relegation zone.

He previously enjoyed a three-year stint with Oxford, leading them to automatic promotion to League One in 2016 and also guiding them to the EFL Trophy final twice. The potential arrival of Appleton could prove to be a huge coup for the U’s if he can pick up where he left off all those years ago.

Other candidates for the job include former Peterborough United boss Grant McCann and ex-Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler. It is unclear when Oxford will bring in a new manager but it seems highly likely that their will be a new addition to the dugout in time for Sheffield Wednesday’s trip to the Kassam Stadium in April.