Oxford United manager Karl Robinson insists the club need to continue to build of they are to achieve promotion next season.
The U’s boss saw his side lose 2-1 to Wycombe Wanderers in the League One play-off final on Monday in a game which could have seen the club return to the second tier for the first time since 1999.
While still hurting from the result, Robinson has just three weeks until pre-season begins but is hopeful the board can back him this season.
Speaking to the Oxford Mail, Robinson said: “People keep saying ‘is that the best opportunity (for promotion) Oxford will ever have?’ In my view, no – if we build properly. Yes – if we don’t.
“For me and where I go they are decisions I still can’t make now, but you have to plan for the future, always.
“You’ve got to make sure the club is in a place where it can’t go backwards, that’s got to be the message to everyone.
“We can’t get loose with recruitment, sports science, analysis, the academy, the training ground, or the desire to build a stadium. It has to be stronger than ever before.”
Despite losing key players in Shandon Baptiste and Tariqe Fosu on deadline day during the January transfer window, the U’s continued on their quest for promotion. But, selling players is something the Oxford boss is hopeful the club won’t do this time around.
He added: “It seems to me there’s a long-term plan. I see building and Oxford United’s growth within the community and the football world.
“(But) we can’t have another year where we sell players in January, that can’t happen. There are things we’ve learned from this year, can we make them better?
“If we’re going to sell do we do it now so you have enough time to build? We don’t leave ourselves struggling to fill voids.”
Robinson seems settled at the club, with his family based nearby in Buckinghamshire. Despite the convenience of the setup, the U’s manager has ambitions of managing in the Championship.
He added: “I owed Oxford United for two reasons – giving me the opportunity to come home to my family every night and for sticking with me in the bad times last season.
“There are so many things I owe to this club and then the support I’ve seen this year for this team has been quite mind-blowing.
“I want to be in the Championship, but equally I want to be at home as often as I can. That’s as basic as the answer gets.”
