Championship 'does not get any easier' - Buckingham

Oxford United have won two of their opening four Championship games under Des Buckingham

Oxford United boss Des Buckingham says he still has his feet "firmly on the ground" despite his side's encouraging start to the Championship season.

The U's have won two of their opening four league games back in England's second tier for the first time in 25 years.

Before the next international break, United will take on Stoke City and Burnley at home as well as travelling to Bristol City, Luton Town and Portsmouth.

"It doesn’t get any easier but this is why we're in it," Buckingham said.

"We know every game this year is going to be so tough and difficult, but we’ve done as much as we can to prepare ourselves.

"We've shown across the four games so far that we can compete at this level having got two good wins at home. It’s a start but our feet are still very firmly on the ground."

Saturday's opponents Stoke are one side that Buckingham was previously involved with having been assistant manager of their under-21 side.

Like Oxford, the Potters also have six points from their four games so far this season with both sides coming into their meeting off the back of wins - against Preston and Plymouth respectively.

In-form Harris 'playing with freedom'

United striker Mark Harris has been in hot form, scoring in all four of the U's league games and, as a result, has picked up the Championship's player of the month award for August.

Harris is one of two players in Championship history to score in a newly-promoted club's first four matches of the campaign - the other being Lyle Taylor for Charlton Athletic in 2019-20.

His goal scoring has also caught the eye of Wales boss Craig Bellamy who called Harris into the squads for friendlies against Turkey and Montenegro.

"It's great, I'm enjoying my football," Harris told BBC Radio Oxford.

"At the minute I’m playing with freedom and confidence and enjoying myself.

"Hopefully now we can carry on as a team and individually with the belief we have."

Mark Harris has scored in each of Oxford United's four games so far this season