Transfer News 2022/23 Season Incoming Transfers and a few other things

[Marked Ox]

Long is decent but he should have decent competition at right back, not Forde. As we saw with Seddon last season, if you don't have other fullbacks to rotate you risk burning out your only decent options there. I'm hoping we will learn from these mistakes.

Agree with that.

 

[dickwalton1964]

Strange how we nearly got promoted with him as player of the year?

And can you run through his many faults from last season? He wasn't on top of his game but I'm not sure that would make him at fault for many of our defensive problems.

You said it, ‘nearly’.

The margins are small, it could be a point or two that’s the difference. We need better, not just better than Long but better everywhere hence why Robinson has targeted a new keeper when neither of our existing two keepers have been calamitous. It’s great that Taylor got 20 but we might need even better there too, someone who can get 21, 22, 23 ….

‘Nearly‘ doesn’t get you promoted and we’ve been near or nearly for the past three years now, that’s no coincidence.

 

[greatunclekip]

Unlikely he’d come to us when there’s probably a team that would pay him three times what we could. That’s nothing to smirk about @greatunclekip

I don't smirk, it's a disgusting habit

 

[nige01ox]

The comment from YellowForever about Seddon/Long is spot on I’m afraid. You sit there watching Seddon get dogs abuse on here and in the ground last season and you think, “Long is exactly the same”. Don’t get me wrong, Long has done very well in his career to stay at this level for this length of time, teams target him and any half decent winger absolutely rips him a new one. I’d love if he was to prove me wrong, but been waiting for 6 seasons for it to happen. Time to upgrade.

I'm not sure I quite agree with that. Teams did noticeably target Ruffels during 20/21, when Long was absolutely exceptional both offensively and defensively. However, I do concede he has not been quite the same player since his recurring hamstring problem during the latter part of that season, and seems to have lost half a yard of pace. I think his best position now is part of a back 3.

As for upgrading - absolutely. I've always said if we can get someone in for the right price who improves the team, all positions should be open for upgrading.

 

[Golden Dr Otto]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1549787699913048070

Right... Fess up.

Who's the Oxford United transfers page on twitter, that's just regurgitating information from here? Lol.

Yanic Widschut looks to be a strong contender, by process of elimination performed by YF contributors .. And suddenly the Twitter page says we're linked with him lol.

Either UTO or an imposter lol

It’s this guy @joeysleftboot

 

[Topper Haines]

Big difference between Long and Seddon is the latter's positioning, You wouldn't very often find Long appearing as a striker or 40 yards away from where he should be. That's nothing to do with being an Oxford boy.

 

[horseman]

Watching as i've had to from my relaxed mode on Ifollow, i am struggling to think of any left winger that had Sam Long for toast.
It's commented on his perceived lack of pace, again i'm not seeing this and think he has excellent powers of recovery.
Cannot recall the opposition but he went from the opponents byeline and had recovered and caught the attacker by the half way line making a superb tackle and this from a 10-15 yard disadvantage.

I say this not bothered whether he's from Oxford or outer Mongolia, players who can play anywhere across the back 4 and do a decent job are a rare breed.

 

[headingtonoldboy]

Big difference between Long and Seddon is the latter's positioning, You wouldn't very often find Long appearing as a striker or 40 yards away from where he should be. That's nothing to do with being an Oxford boy.

If that's the case, isn't that down to the manager to sort out.

 

[yellowbow]

Interesting observing this debate about Sam Long. It could almost - post for post - just as easily be about Jack Stevens.

Totall agree. Jack Stevens didnt get passed the halfway line anywhere near enough either

 

[holdsteady]

If you were to pick out Sam Longs best games last season I think they would all be when he played centre back, whether in a two or a three, he had some good games there and when we were really short on players was a bit of a saviour.

He started out as a centre back I believe, got moved because he didn’t grow tall enough and worked hard to become a decent right back, especially given the injuries he has had, that led to one season where he really shone there. As he gets older though I feel he will move more central, he is a good organiser and tough with a decent brain and positional sense, not slow and fairly athletic, all qualities that will help him as a CB.

His best position is probably on the right of a back 3, having him gives us a lot of flexibility but a new right back wouldn’t be the worst idea with Long being cover there but also developing himself as centre back, you never know he could turn into the new little Jake Wright.

 

[dickwalton1964]

No one is saying he’s a bad player but we need to aspire to the level Cadden was at with us. A right back of Baldock‘s quality would be out of reach in L1 but I think we could get another as good as Cadden was - and he was better than Long.

 

[Common Villager]

Long is a decent player at this level and great to have in the squad given he can cover all positions across the back line. Although he's evidently worked very hard to improve his game, I don't think he's a natural 'modern' full back that is comfortable having lots of possession and getting up and down the line for 90 minutes. If compared with some other RB's we've had in recent years (Baldock, Kenny, Cadden), I would say he's the most limited, especially from an attacking perspective.

I still think we should be in the market for a new Nr 2, retaining Long as competition and defensive cover.

 

[RgYellows]

You said it, ‘nearly’.

The margins are small, it could be a point or two that’s the difference. We need better, not just better than Long but better everywhere

If you lose a play off final you need to replace every player?

 

[CCYellow]

No one is saying he’s a bad player but we need to aspire to the level Cadden was at with us. A right back of Baldock‘s quality would be out of reach in L1 but I think we could get another as good as Cadden was - and he was better than Long.

Now I've seen it all.

At the time, Long was a better player.

 

[WokinghamYellow]

If we actually had another decent right back to compete with Long, some of the rose tinted glasses for long may come off when they see what the alternative is

 

[Topper Haines]

If that's the case, isn't that down to the manager to sort out.

Maybe, but every player has different characteristics....and Seddon did get dropped.

 

[WRox]

Long’s a useful squad player - best on the right in a 3, competent right back, central cover. If him or Seddon left, they’d have offers from L1 clubs.

He is not at the level of people like Brannagan, Taylor, Moore, Browne… and that’s ultimately the quality that will take us to the Championship, but we can get away with one or two at Long’s level playing regularly. He’s not a horrible weak link by any stretch and was excellent in 20/21, but equally if something came up there’s an opportunity to improve there.

 

[Northernyellow]

If we actually had another decent right back to compete with Long, some of the rose tinted glasses for long may come off when they see what the alternative is

Correct. Example, Chris Cadden, who was miles better.

 

[TeamOX]

No one is saying he’s a bad player but we need to aspire to the level Cadden was at with us. A right back of Baldock‘s quality would be out of reach in L1 but I think we could get another as good as Cadden was - and he was better than Long.

Not at defending. But undoubtedly offensively.

 

[holdsteady]

You don’t realise how interrupted Longs career has been until you look at his stats, he has only played 124 games and he is 27 and a half, that’s not many at that age. Given that he spent most of his youth as a centre back he probably hasn’t actually played a load of games at right back compared to other players who play that position by his age, he has always had to be catching up in that regard. As players get older they do end up in more defensive roles sometimes, I can’t see Long playing right back in his thirties myself.