Transfer News January 2021/22 Transfer Window

[arthurturner]

After all the rhetoric before, during and after, the window, it's ended up much like any window under KR. We didn't attract the players for every position desired but, we did get a new body for the treatment room, a new prospect and a potential defender. (Jury appears out on how good or not he is)
I worry about the lack of a striker as I don't believe anyone could say, hand on heart, that Winnall will suffice. Bonus that we retained Sykes and Brannagan. Shame that Hanson is still injured and nobody is going to take him off our hands. Can but hope that he will be fit enough, at some point and for long enough to cover any gaps that arise.
Getting promoted is paramount but the squad may not be robust enough to see us through the play-offs. I would love to be wrong but I have reservations and that, is a shame. To reach the play-offs again and fail again would just not be acceptable.

May still be possible to get an OCC striker. Brown is only on loan for the rest of the season so we have options depending on how he performs.

 

[brightonyellow]

Great window in my eyes. I think a lot of you are writing off O’Donkor as a back up to Taylor and Winnall. I'd rather see one of our own developed than throwing on a 39 year old Defoe, whose played 10 odd minutes this season on 6k a week for example...

Hoping Brown comes good as Thornliey will be a big miss but hoping McNally steps up. Keeping Sykes, Brannagan and Kane is fantastic business!

 

[Pontification]

Great window in my eyes. I think a lot of you are writing off O’Donkor as a back up to Taylor and Winnall. I'd rather see one of our own developed than throwing on a 39 year old Defoe, whose played 10 odd minutes this season on 6k a week for example...

Hoping Brown comes good as Thornliey will be a big miss but hoping McNally steps up. Keeping Sykes, Brannagan and Kane is fantastic business!

We’re not writing O’Donkor off, it’s that KR has not mentioned his name or any of the youth players to be in around the squad. Prime example is on Saturday only having 5 or 6 on the bench.

 

[Upthecowboys]

You write Smyth off as one for the future. McNally was one for the future too and the likes of Atkinson. Like Smyth they were from part time football but adjusted and showed their class. No reason at all why Smyth cannot make the match day squads and have an impact between now and the end of the season. Robinson has shown that class will over ride experience.

Fair comment, let’s wait and see.

I would have thought it would take a while to get ‘pro’ fit. If all goes to plan my hunch is we’ll see him on the bench a few times this season, and the next season we’ll see more.

 

[Horse]

I still can’t understand why deadline day happens like it does. Take Liverpool missing out on the Fulham player because they ran out of time. If they’d started negotiating even a day earlier it would have worked out.
Did Oxford really identify the Cardiff player early and want him, or was he all that was left?

 

[Gregortheox]

Ps. I see Cameron bran plays for Blackpool if you read the internet this am!

 

[brightonyellow]

We’re not writing O’Donkor off, it’s that KR has not mentioned his name or any of the youth players to be in around the squad. Prime example is on Saturday only having 5 or 6 on the bench.

What about Spasov? Did well at Woking too.... I know KR hasn't mentioned them but this is a 3rd choice back up player. Browne or Whyte have had success playing up top previously too?

 

[werthersoriginal]

“A great window”?! I think you’re in the minority there with that opinion. We are no better off than we were a few weeks ago and have failed to strengthen the squad for the run-in. That was the purpose of the market and KR has failed to produce.

You love your ‘KR’ dont you? Whiny

 

[Jason N]

Great window in my eyes. I think a lot of you are writing off O’Donkor as a back up to Taylor and Winnall. I'd rather see one of our own developed than throwing on a 39 year old Defoe, whose played 10 odd minutes this season on 6k a week for example...

Hoping Brown comes good as Thornliey will be a big miss but hoping McNally steps up. Keeping Sykes, Brannagan and Kane is fantastic business!

Yes, it is time for KR to believe in GOD. Well, at least have him on the bench in case we require divine intervention.

I'm more worried about the leftback situation. Brown is left footed but not a leftback, he has said that himself. I've lost count of the times we have tried a Centre back at fullback and they've failed miserably, maybe just not agile enough. The only Centre Back that I thought did OK at full-back was Luke "Marseille turn" Foster.

If we don't have a decent youth leftback then we should play a back three, using the wingers as a wingbacks. I quite liked that shape against Sheffield Wednesday. Like the old 4-3-3, it is seems to be coming back into fashion.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

I think my verdict is that the window has left us neither significantly weaker nor any stronger so far as the rest of *this* reason is concerned.

Thorniley? I hope Brown is better than his reviews, but actually, let's just play McNally. Neither Agyei nor Cooper were going to bother the first team much and maybe Bodin (not Whyte!) is a suitable emergency striker? And perhaps it is time to see some of our developing players step up? Of course, keeping our in-demand players was a bonus - but I don't think you can say that has made us stronger!

 

[OX14]

What about Spasov? Did well at Woking too.... I know KR hasn't mentioned them but this is a 3rd choice back up player. Browne or Whyte have had success playing up top previously too?

Think it's time Karl used the youth as subs, none of this were keeping the 2 teams seperate because of Covid. Covid isn't going anywhere and if everyone has to get on with it so should Karl and the squad.

 

[OX14]

What about Spasov? Did well at Woking too.... I know KR hasn't mentioned them but this is a 3rd choice back up player. Browne or Whyte have had success playing up top previously too?

Think it's time Karl used the youth as subs, none of this were keeping the 2 teams seperate because of Covid. Covid isn't going anywhere and if everyone has to get on with it so should Karl and the squad.

 

[brightonyellow]

Yes, it is time for KR to believe in GOD. Well, at least have him on the bench in case we require divine intervention.

I'm more worried about the leftback situation. Brown is left footed but not a leftback, he has said that himself. I've lost count of the times we have tried a Centre back at fullback and they've failed miserably, maybe just not agile enough. The only Centre Back that I thought did OK at full-back was Luke "Marseille turn" Foster.

If we don't have a decent youth leftback then we should play a back three, using one of the wingers as a wingback. I quite liked that shape against Sheffield Wednesday. Like the old 4-3-3, it is seems to be coming back into fashion.

Completely agree here. Bit gutted we missed out on Cadden who could have given us cover down that left side.

 

[Jason N]

Completely agree here. Bit gutted we missed out on Cadden who could have given us cover down that left side.

Yes, Cadden was the player I was most excited about us getting in.

 

[Andy1505]

Let's give Ciaron Brown a chance! As others have said, he must have some ability to play 20 games in the Championship and three NI caps, he should be perfectly able to play at our level.

Yes we probably didn't get the players in that most supporters would have wanted (ST, CDM) but we got Browne (even if we have to wait a bit), and most importantly we kept Sykes and Cam, which is huge - with Kane back and McGuane slowly finding some form we have on paper the best midfield in the league.

Yes Winnall as back up is a worry, and I still think a specialist LB should have been acquired from somewhere (Tomlinson who has gone to some club in Wiltshire would have been perfect) but I don't think we are weaker even with Thorniley going.

Our much vaunted wide players must now start doing it regularly, we have to pray Matty stays fit, and we now make use of our squad depth (ie Forde, Williams, Jamo, Whyte).

We are in a good place in the league, let's start by giving a good account of ourselves tonight (really hope Sykes has a blinder and shows them he's too good for them!)

 

[OxfordYankee]

Many aspects of the window were positive. The 'fist pump' moment of Karl telling us that Kane was staying was my highlight. It was also great to see the board remain resolute by turning down offers for players. All good stuff.

Why then, would they risk all that by allowing us to go into the run-in hoping that Taylor stays fit, which, given he has played nearly every minute of the league season, is a clear risk. His backup uses white/red FRAGILE packing tape to keep his socks up cannot be relied upon to be available and after that, we're looking at children to fill the void. The often lauded 'Whyte/Browne can play as strikers' idea is nonsense. Neither of them are strikers on which we can depend and nor should they have to shoulder that responsibility.

If Taylor gets injured, the supporters will have every right to ask Karl and the Board why they took no steps to mitigate this glaring risk.

 

[brightonyellow]

Many aspects of the window were positive. The 'fist pump' moment of Karl telling us that Kane was staying was my highlight. It was also great to see the board remain resolute by turning down offers for players. All good stuff.

Why then, would they risk all that by allowing us to go into the run-in hoping that Taylor stays fit, which, given he has played nearly every minute of the league season, is a clear risk. His backup uses white/red FRAGILE packing tape to keep his socks up cannot be relied upon to be available and after that, we're looking at children to fill the void. The often lauded 'Whyte/Browne can play as strikers' idea is nonsense. Neither of them are strikers on which we can depend and nor should they have to shoulder that responsibility.

If Taylor gets injured, the supporters will have every right to ask Karl and the Board why they took no steps to mitigate this glaring risk.

Comes back to the youth argument though when you have both O'Donkor and Spasov... what's the point keeping them both if we aren't going to give them the chance to prove themselves as a 3rd choice back up? Surely the motivation for them to grab their chance and impress is far superior to that of Defoe or Hylton who are in the latter stages of their career looking for that final pay day.

 

[Sheik djibouti]

So were people hoping for a striker that could come in and replace Taylor, just like that, should he get injured?

Just trying to understand what people's expectations were and how realistic they might be

 

[Scotchegg]

It was a strange window with many trams wanting to keep what they had rather than cashing in. On one hand we did well to keep hold of Brannagan and Sykes, but equally struggled to bring in the likes of Nicky Cadden, Cole Stockton or Sami Szmodics. The only difference was that we were respectful of the other teams in not making all of our dealings public. As others have said, we're at a net zero but that could improve. If Brown is first team ready then he replaces Thorniley and we get more game time for McNally. If Browne is match fit in the next few weeks then he could make all the difference. Smyth will just benefit from full time training and development 6 months ahead of hopefully making an impact next season. We've also had Bodin hit form and, as much as the majority dislike him, Winnall is now fully fit. His goal and work rate against Sheffield Wednesday gained us 2 points, and although Gillingham were dead and buried by then, his near post run and dummy for Forde to score was a little bit of class. So it's not what we wanted or expected, but we're still in a great position to cement a playoff finish at least.

 

[werthersoriginal]

It was a strange window with many trams wanting to keep what they had rather than cashing in. On one hand we did well to keep hold of Brannagan and Sykes, but equally struggled to bring in the likes of Nicky Cadden, Cole Stockton or Sami Szmodics. The only difference was that we were respectful of the other teams in not making all of our dealings public. As others have said, we're at a net zero but that could improve. If Brown is first team ready then he replaces Thorniley and we get more game time for McNally. If Browne is match fit in the next few weeks then he could make all the difference. Smyth will just benefit from full time training and development 6 months ahead of hopefully making an impact next season. We've also had Bodin hit form and, as much as the majority dislike him, Winnall is now fully fit. His goal and work rate against Sheffield Wednesday gained us 2 points, and although Gillingham were dead and buried by then, his near post run and dummy for Forde to score was a little bit of class. So it's not what we wanted or expected, but we're still in a great position to cement a playoff finish at least.

Do you think we habitually try for targets we’re unlikely to get, leaving us scrambling around for alternatives? Should we have just slapped down the money for John Marquis early on, knowing we needed a decent backup striker?