Oxford United will unveil their new manager at a press conference arranged for this afternoon.

 Chairman Ian Lenagan offered the position to the club’s chosen candidate, who remains un-named, yesterday afternoon and received a verbal acceptance.

It is believed the contract has now been formally signed and the new man will meet the media at 2pm, before beginning preparations for Monday’s away game at Southend United.

Caretaker boss Mickey Lewis took charge of the side for last night’s 1-0 win against Hartlepool United, but he backed out of the final interviews earlier this week.

The 49-year-old, will remain at the club with the existing coaching staff, but despite United struggling for results in the last month, Lenagan thanked him for the work he had done.

He said: “We have lost some opportunities, but I don’t regret doing the decent thing.

“That was giving Mickey Lewis an opportunity, because he is Oxford through and through.

“The players responded very well at the beginning to Mickey, but we’ve had some bad luck and played some very good teams.

“Who’s to say we would have beaten those teams anyway?

“But it was obvious we needed to do something a while ago.”

Lenagan would not give any clues on the identity of the appointment at the end of a week when Exeter’s Paul Tisdale and Accrington boss James Beattie were linked with the post.

He said: “I’m very happy with where we are. I wish I could name who it was but that’s inappropriate until the contract is signed.”

United have come in for some criticism over taking more than 50 days to make a decision.

On Monday, the supporters trust OxVox called for a decision to be made by this weekend.

Lenagan defended the path the club had gone down, but had no problem with the demands from fans.

“I haven’t felt pressure from supporters, because that’s their job.

“It’s their job to have a go, but you have to learn to ignore that because you get the five or ten per cent extreme views.

“I think I’ve earned the right with Oxford fans to allow me to follow the business process of employing people.

“There’s a pressure to perform on a chairman as well as everything else, but you just have to stick to your guns.

“We have done the process and we feel great at the end of it.”