Manager's Thoughts on Ole Romeny's Debut at Oxford

Ole Romeny made his debut for Oxford United in a Championship match against Stoke City on Saturday, January 25. The 24-year-old forward came on in the second half, and his coach, Gary Rowett, shared his thoughts on Romeny's performance after the game.

Romeny entered the field in the 79th minute and quickly had an opportunity to score just three minutes later. After a mistake from Stoke City's goalkeeper Viktor Johansson, Romeny was able to steal the ball on the sideline, take it into the penalty box, and fire a shot toward an empty net. Unfortunately, the ball hit the post, and the chance went to waste. The match ended in a 0-0 draw, and that missed opportunity kept Oxford from securing all three points.

Rowett expressed disappointment over Romeny's missed chance, as he considers the striker to be a skilled finisher. He acknowledged that it might have been a little too much pressure for Romeny in his first game but noted that the young forward was unlucky.

Despite the missed opportunity, Rowett was satisfied with his team's overall performance, especially considering how difficult the match was. He highlighted that Oxford had more possession, created more chances, and was able to control the game without facing major issues. Rowett also mentioned that the clean sheet and one point from an away game were valuable, particularly given Oxford's previous struggles on the road.

Romeny is a potential player for the Indonesian national team, and the president of the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), Erick Thohir, recently stated that his naturalization process is almost complete, with just the oath of citizenship remaining. If everything goes smoothly, Romeny could make his debut for Indonesia during the March 2025 World Cup qualifiers against Australia and Bahrain.