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

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I’m not saying I don’t want to see proper competition for Sam Long. I’m not disputing that he wasn’t at his best at the back end of last season, he wasn’t alone there though. And I’m also not averse to him switching to CB permanently if we’re playing 3 CB’s next season (although we do still need a proper, experienced, grizzly centre half to complement Moore & McNally IMO - someone who can have the impact Creighton had on our Conference side when he came in).

But I really don’t want him to leave. I’m unsure why people are so willingly packing him off. Our budget won’t stretch to having top tier players in every position unfortunately. He’s a solid hand who covers multiple positions at a reliably consistent level. And above any of that, he bloody LOVES Oxford. He genuinely cares about playing for us and strains every sinew to get every bit out of himself on the pitch for us.

I won’t ever forget some of his facial expressions on iFollow during the Covid era. His absolute seething anger and disappointment when we bottled it against Swindon. The elation of that last minute winner against Gillingham. The glazed disappointment when he hobbled off with his hamstring during the Burton game.

I have so much time for a player that cares about playing for the club THAT much. Effort and desire isn’t everything. But the fact that he has all that, covers multiple positions and has made himself a genuinely decent, competitive League One player is good enough for me.
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So we've got 2 rumoured to be leaving. 1 is the only defensive midfielder at the club and the other is the only right back at the club.

Just need to get shot of Seddon, sign Whyte and Holland and we can start playing the old 2-2-4-2 formation.
 
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I'd assume that's a joke rather than serious?? 😂

League 1 gets stronger year on year and the fact we are keeping ourselves in the mix every season is progressive in my opinion.

People who are moaning about our progress now clearly weren't at Histon 12/13 years ago on a Thursday night watching us lose to a bunch of part timers.
Just because we were crap in the past doesn't mean we can't strive to be better now, it's a really strange argument. Luton were still a Conference side when we were back in League 2 and they were busy drawing the first leg of their playoff semi for a chance to get in the Premier League while our season was dead a couple of weeks before the end. Yes it's tricky and there are lots of clubs that want to be promoted and are fighting for the same thing but let's have some ambition.

I really can't buy the more points than last year argument either, that's absolute nonsense. From being in the playoffs to missing them by seven points is going backwards whichever way you spin it.

I think the most frustrating thing, for me personally at least, is that we really weren't that far away and the problems were so bloody obvious to most and weren't addressed. Defensively we were incredibly light on the ground, next to no cover and we needed a replacement for Gorrin who was injured almost two months before the window even opened, yet alone closed. We didn't bother getting a holding midfielder in so had to shoehorn Kane in there and signed Ciaron Brown with about an hour of the window left, even that was only replacing Thorniley. This isn't hindsight either, plenty of people on here were begging for defensive reinforcements in January (and before the season started to be fair). The maddening thing is what a missed opportunity the season feels like, genuine progress could have been made but we finished miles off the pace in the end.
 
Would be sad to see Gorrin go, but ultimately can see from both sides.

I imagine Oxford are apprehensive giving a near 29yo a long contract, therefore assume it's 1 year, or 1+1 year option. He's coming out the other side of peak age, significant injury and most likely will be a squad player rather than a regular 40+ game a season player.

How many games this season would we say we needed him? In games we dominate in possession, Kane has been more than adequate. Whilst I admire Gorrin's qualities and feel he brings the best out of other players around him (allowing Seddon/Brannagan to go forward etc), realistically he would have either been used as a squad option, or used in a 3 with Brannagan/Kane either side and subbed when we didn't require the insurance he offers.

I love what Gorrin brings but he's also limited in possession and in my opinion, a little slow on the ball (can obviously argue we don't require him to be more of a ball player with Brannagan/Kane around him). Opponents know when he was in possession you could press him into errors and immediately attack the centre backs with the LB/RB playing progressively.

All of the above said, and from a data perspective, there's very few people that put up the defensive numbers from midfield he does. It would be a shame to see him go and an equally tough task to fully replace him (as we've seen from Kane who has the ability on the ball but lacked the defensive positioning).

Going into next season we have Brannagan, Smyth and McGuane contracted. Assuming Gorrin and Sykes leave we have a serious midfield rebuild on our hands. I'm sure the owners will give KR to resources...let's hope it goes into the right areas!
 
So we've got 2 rumoured to be leaving. 1 is the only defensive midfielder at the club and the other is the only right back at the club.

Just need to get shot of Seddon, sign Whyte and Holland and we can start playing the old 2-2-4-2 formation.
I don't think we need Taylor either, Marcus Browne is a forward apparently. With the wages we save we could try and sign Maguire, O'Dowda and Marvin Johnson who we could stick at left back I'm sure.
 
All of the above said, and from a data perspective, there's very few people that put up the defensive numbers from midfield he does. It would be a shame to see him go and an equally tough task to fully replace him (as we've seen from Kane who has the ability on the ball but lacked the defensive positioning).
Out of interest does anyone stand out data wise in this league or even League 2 who could do the job? Tend to agree that while he did do great stuff defensively he was a bit of a weak link in possession. For someone to be a key man you wouldn't necessarily be dropping them for the easier games because they made you weaker as a team.
 
Would be sad to see Gorrin go, but ultimately can see from both sides.

I imagine Oxford are apprehensive giving a near 29yo a long contract, therefore assume it's 1 year, or 1+1 year option. He's coming out the other side of peak age, significant injury and most likely will be a squad player rather than a regular 40+ game a season player.

How many games this season would we say we needed him? In games we dominate in possession, Kane has been more than adequate. Whilst I admire Gorrin's qualities and feel he brings the best out of other players around him (allowing Seddon/Brannagan to go forward etc), realistically he would have either been used as a squad option, or used in a 3 with Brannagan/Kane either side and subbed when we didn't require the insurance he offers.

I love what Gorrin brings but he's also limited in possession and in my opinion, a little slow on the ball (can obviously argue we don't require him to be more of a ball player with Brannagan/Kane around him). Opponents know when he was in possession you could press him into errors and immediately attack the centre backs with the LB/RB playing progressively.

All of the above said, and from a data perspective, there's very few people that put up the defensive numbers from midfield he does. It would be a shame to see him go and an equally tough task to fully replace him (as we've seen from Kane who has the ability on the ball but lacked the defensive positioning).

Going into next season we have Brannagan, Smyth and McGuane contracted. Assuming Gorrin and Sykes leave we have a serious midfield rebuild on our hands. I'm sure the owners will give KR to resources...let's hope it goes into the right areas!

Agree with pretty much all of that about Gorrin, i guess you forgot about Henry in midfield ?
 
Some rambling thoughts having caught up with this thread:

First and foremost: we have a squad that missed out on the playoffs in the last couple weeks of the season. Absolutely no need to throw the baby out with the bath water as some seem to be suggesting. A few obvious holes filled, sure, but wholesale changes aren’t need imo. (Although, with the caveat that I expect a few to leave - hope to be proved wrong.)

That said, on the calls for Shodipo (should he be available) - if he were to replace a Holland, say, is he really the kind of signing that adds the 5-10 points a season, that you’re looking for? I don’t think so personally.

Long was comfortably our player of the season one year ago. His season has been ravaged by injuries and covid. To whip out a cliche: form is temporary, class is permanent. You don’t get player of the season in a year we made the playoffs, in a team with Brannagan, Taylor, a pre-GF Stevens, Atkinson etc by accident. Would be mad to get rid of him.

The defence would be massively improved with a proper holding midfielder in front of them. That was a huge error in recruitment and squad construction last year. It doesn’t demand, however, a complete haul over of defence imo.

Gorrin leaving would be a real blow. I think this league, at this level, is very horses for courses. Sure, many games a Kane sitting in and dictating play worked. But many others we needed a Gorrin type. He has his deficiencies, as any player does at this level, but he would have been first name on the team sheet jn many games this season if fit. I appreciate ‘the plural of anecdotes is not data’ and all that, but I am reminded of attending that Hull game last year, the first one we were allowed back to in about November. Maybe it was a case of not properly appreciating him before, maybe a case of being consigned to watching OUFC on iFollow for months, but seeing him in the flesh made me really impressed with Gorrin in a way I simply hadn’t before. Was everywhere. Cut out so many attacks against a team that ultimately ran away with the league. An extremely effective player from a defensive standpoint and the kind you would have in your team in any big game in this league to nullify dangerous opposition.

Finally, versatility really is a virtue. Williams was, without hyperbole, outstanding jn a number of positions this year. MOTM as RWB v Charlton (H) and my MOTM v Charlton (A) six months later at LWB, too. At this level (and someone brought up the Milner example to demonstrate that, really, at any level), there really is no substitute, regardless of a player’s technical ability (though I think that element of Williams’ game is underrated) for sheer effort and graft. A really valuable asset to have in the side and one I am surprised people are denigrating.
 
Out of interest does anyone stand out data wise in this league or even League 2 who could do the job? Tend to agree that while he did do great stuff defensively he was a bit of a weak link in possession. For someone to be a key man you wouldn't necessarily be dropping them for the easier games because they made you weaker as a team.
In League One specifically the obvious stand out was Matete before he moved to Sunderland.

Others include Houghton, Digby, Naylor, Morsy - but all at big clubs or age a concern. One interesting one is Ethan Galbraith, and as mentioned before, Fornah.

Intrigued to see how we recruit!
 
Out of interest does anyone stand out data wise in this league or even League 2 who could do the job? Tend to agree that while he did do great stuff defensively he was a bit of a weak link in possession. For someone to be a key man you wouldn't necessarily be dropping them for the easier games because they made you weaker as a team.

Harry Arter from Notts Forest maybe, was on loan with Charlton for the first half of the season then went to Notts County on loan. Contracted to 2023 with Forest who paid over £4 million for him in 2020 🤔 Aged 32 so could be an experienced head at the base of the midfield and he Is actually a defensive midfielder by trade.
 
Agree with pretty much all of that about Gorrin, i guess you forgot about Henry in midfield ?
Nope, didn't forget. Prior to his injury this season we were managing his minutes. We won't get 40 matches out of him next season - he will essentially be a squad player.

Smyth is intriguing as he 'is average at everything without standing out anything'. Part of the recruitment, assuming Smyth won't be an immediate starter next year will include not blocking any pathway into the first team for Smyth. He has the physicality we require in midfield...I've seen him in a holding role for NI U21s and more advanced in the Irish league. Will be interesting to see his trajectory
 
Gorrin could be a liability but that position is so important let's hope we have a strong replacement. We needed a change in personal and we are going to get it.
 
Gorrin could be a liability but that position is so important let's hope we have a strong replacement. We needed a change in personal and we are going to get it.

This is it for me. The reason we blew the second half of the season wasn’t because we lost Gorrin - it’s because we didn’t find a replacement for his position. It caused us to play without a DM or have Kane playing a pseudo-version of the role.

I’ve seen a lot of criticism of the defence on here. It’s easy to say ‘we conceded a lot therefore the defence and ‘keeper are rubbish’ but so much of our usual 4-3-3 relied on support from a DM. Whether we’re going 3-5-2 or 4-3-3 for next season we need a DM - preferably two. It’s a specialist position and can’t be overlooked again.

I’d certainly be sad to see Gorrin go and he undoubtedly has been a big part of our runs to the playoffs. However an ACL injury is not something that’s recovered from with much ease and I can understand the club being cautious in what they offer him. If others have produced longer deals to his agent, he’d be mad to ignore them.
 
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Going to be slightly controversial but I honestly think we do need to sign a couple of wingers!! With Holland and Whyte going I think we need some speed out wide. No guarantee that Browne will return to the speed and threat he was before.

As for Gorrin I’d be very sad to see him leave. He was an unsung hero in my opinion and does the simple things well.
 
If we were to sign Sam Baldock permanently, would we have done it by now as he's OOC?
It’s still very early days. Half of clubs in the EFL still haven’t released their retained lists. Think the deadline is in 7 days time.

Players like Baldock and Bodin will also take their time to negotiate, and of course they may have other offers.

I’d wait at least another 2 weeks before starting to worry. I’d expect both players would very much like to stay here and that it’s a matter of time.
 
I don't think we need Taylor either, Marcus Browne is a forward apparently. With the wages we save we could try and sign Maguire, O'Dowda and Marvin Johnson who we could stick at left back I'm sure.
MAPP stuck Johnson at left back of course
 
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