Matt Bloomfield had been looking forward to the new season with Oxford United. The plans were taking shape. The players were due back in soon.
"And then life changed," Bloomfield tells Sky Sports. "It was terribly disappointing. As a head coach, there is so much that is out of your control.
You have to worry about what you can control and take pride in that." And there are things to be proud of. While it is true that Oxford were relegated from the Championship, Bloomfield's own record after being appointed in January with the club one place off the bottom was impressive. During his 22 matches in charge, Oxford actually ranked as high as 14th in the table.
The mood after the final home game, a 4-1 win over Sheffield Wednesday, had been one of relative positivity. Bloomfield's efforts in trying to keep the club up seemed appreciated. An upturn in results had briefly offered hope of an unlikely survival.
"Everyone was really positive about what we had done in giving the place life by giving ourselves the chance to stay up." Bloomfield knows the numbers. The fact that Oxford ultimately fell five points short of the total needed to stay in the Championship shows that it would have required top-half - almost play-off - form during the second half of the season. They could not quite do it.
Given that context, changing the mood around the club felt significant. "The feeling was really positive," he adds. "I felt a bond with the players and the supporters and was really excited about what was to come.
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