Transfer Window January 2026 Post Transfer Window Thread

[Carpy]

 

[billyturleyscurlywurly]

That’s that then.

Unrelated but are you in the market for a bridge?

So you’re suggesting they aren’t to be trusted then..
Not great news considering their positions and the stadium move on the cards.

 

[billyturleyscurlywurly]

If you believe anything that comes out of the mouths of Tim Williams or Grant Ferguson then I've got some ancient woodland to sell you..

Anything? Can you clear that up for me please. So you’re saying they’re both liars. Correct? Meaning they can’t be trusted.

 

[uptheus]

One thing that does make me wonder is if we go down how many of these loan with an option to buy deals will we make permanent?

Donley has an option for £4.5m. Makosso has an option for £3m. Prelec for £1m (hopefully we don't trigger this). How much is the option for Rooksen?

That's potentially £8.5m being spent as a League One club even before we sign other players that we need!

I wasn’t that impressed with Donley’s touch in his brief cameo role, so I’m not that hopeful he’ll turn out to be the second coming.

Who does he replace if he does indeed turn out to be half decent?

 

[OxfordYankee]

I wasn’t that impressed with Donley’s touch in his brief cameo role, so I’m not that hopeful he’ll turn out to be the second coming.

Who does he replace if he does indeed turn out to be half decent?

Have you ever said anything positive about any of our players or the club?

 

[holdsteady]

I wasn’t that impressed with Donley’s touch in his brief cameo role, so I’m not that hopeful he’ll turn out to be the second coming.

Who does he replace if he does indeed turn out to be half decent?

He only played 11 minutes

 

[uptheus]

No one's here for that long full stop - apart from Cam and Sam Long.

There’s a difference!

 

[uptheus]

Have you ever said anything positive about any of our players or the club?

Yeah, Makosso looks good, Roosken has something about him, Lankshear’s good, Mills has his moments, Long and Cam are very dedicated/good players, Cumming is good, Helik, Brown, Currie, Prelec, etc have something!

 

[uptheus]

He only played 11 minutes

Just saying what I saw, but also still open in hope!

 

[holdsteady]

Just saying what I saw, but also still open in hope!

He played so little that all I saw was him lying prone on the ground as I missed the first 10 minutes trying to figure out what channel the MK Dons game was on, so if never plays again that will be my memory of him.

 

[Boris]

Just saying what I saw, but also still open in hope!

I was at MK and I thought he did okay in his brief time on the pitch. Nothing amazing, but then to do something amazing on your debut you'd be looking to score in the first minute, have your second after 20 mins and complete your hat trick just after half time. Never going to happen!

 

[Bicester Yellow]

A loyal servant who has been paid handsomely for his services. Let’s not pretend that Brannagan is here because of some sort of unconditional love for the football club.

He has been a good servant, but he deserves to come under the same scrutiny as everyone else, and for a considerable period of time this season, he’s fallen a long way short of what a commanding championship CM looks like.

If we could offload him in the summer, pick up a fee to offset the £1 million plus that we spent on the Millwall lad () and release his substantial wages, then i wouldn’t hesitate. The club needs a reset, and that includes the leadership group on the pitch.

Have to say you are spot on with this EC.

We have had his best years, he didn’t control games at this level and looks like he’s lost a step to me.

You ought to whisper it quietly though as you’ll get crucified on X if you say it on there.

 

[Bicester Yellow]

'Pretty f*****g awful' teams generally don't finish 5th in the league. Also Dale did very well for us in League 1.

His end product is utter garbage.

We should be aiming for better.

 

[Bicester Yellow]

Saying we only survived on vibes, big moments and long throws is wrong in my view.

Des got us some important early wins and gave us some excellent home form, up until Middlesbrough battered us.

We barely scored an open play goal in the last few months of the season, I reckon 60% or more of our goals came from setpieces or second balls at setpieces, hardly anything from open play and it’s continued this season and the setpiece goals have dried up

 

[Bicester Yellow]

I mean if we do go down, I kind of hope a half decent Championship club gives him a good crack at it at this level. He's given us a lot, so don't think he owes us another League One season.

He’s not a championship player, there’s a reason a half decent championship side has never offered us decent money for him.

 

[90syeIlow]

We barely scored an open play goal in the last few months of the season, I reckon 60% or more of our goals came from setpieces or second balls at setpieces, hardly anything from open play and it’s continued this season and the setpiece goals have dried up

Yeah, but it wasn't like that through the entirety of last season. We scored some good open player goals under Des and a few when Rowett joined when we won loads in a row.

 

[Bicester Yellow]

Grim reading, particuarly last season's list.

Where are the sellable assets in that? BDK, Currie, McDonnell? Goodrham was on course to be a substantial transfer out of the club, we're talking between £5m and £8m, we gave him a new contract, banished him out the squad for Krastev and Dembele now he's out for the season and there's every chance he's back in L1 next season rated at £1m tops.

Kioso, El Miz, Sibley, Bradshaw all sitting on healthy wages and contributing nothing to us but for other clubs. Vaulks sitting cosily on a £10k a week for the next 18 months. Dembele the same. Phillips paid out of his healthy high wage contract. Romeny looking good on instagram but not the football pitch. The squad planning since our promotion has been absolutely criminal.

Add Brannagan on £15k a week to that and offering nothing like that value for money.

 

[Bicester Yellow]

Yeah, but it wasn't like that through the entirety of last season. We scored some good open player goals under Des and a few when Rowett joined when we won loads in a row.

I wasn’t on about under Des though.

Once rowett came in we barely scored an open play goal in the last 3 months.

The warning signs for this season have been months in the making under successive managers.

 

[90syeIlow]

I wasn’t on about under Des though.

Once rowett came in we barely scored an open play goal in the last 3 months.

The warning signs for this season have been months in the making under successive managers.

Ok, but you quoted my post which mentioned Des.

 

[Bicester Yellow]

Ok, but you quoted my post which mentioned Des.

Your post mentioned a lot of things.

 

[uptheus]

I was at MK and I thought he did okay in his brief time on the pitch. Nothing amazing, but then to do something amazing on your debut you'd be looking to score in the first minute, have your second after 20 mins and complete your hat trick just after half time. Never going to happen!

No Boris, just from what I saw I thought his touch was poor, so I hope that was just him over trying etc, but players who are generally good are able to do the basics, so I have my doubts at the time, so just saying what I saw/felt! But, obviously hoping it was that over trying bit and that he turns out to be the missing piece of the jigsaw!

I hope that he does turn out to be great, but I guess we’ll just have to wait and see!

 

[BrockBuster]

He’s not a championship player, there’s a reason a half decent championship side has never offered us decent money for him.

Aye that's why it's a hope rather than anything else!

 

[BicesterU]

I wasn’t that impressed with Donley’s touch in his brief cameo role, so I’m not that hopeful he’ll turn out to be the second coming.

Who does he replace if he does indeed turn out to be half decent?

Do you have the first four words of this post saved in your drafts?

 

[uptheus]

Do you have the first four words of this post saved in your drafts?

I wasn’t that impressed….oh sorry, yep!!

 

[uptheus]

I think Massoko and Roosken have both looked ok. Massoko in particular. Of course, that’s assuming he’s played in a position he’s familiar with.

I still thought he played ok at RB, but it was the whole set-up that was wrong against Norwich!!

 

[Some U's fan]

I wasn’t that impressed with Donley’s touch…
Who does he replace if he does indeed turn out to be half decent?

In my preferred 3-3-2-2 formation I had him earmarked instead of Cam alongside BdK as one of the forward two in a midfield triangle, so if it’s Cam then I’m okay with that!

 

[SteMerritt]

In my preferred 3-3-2-2 formation I had him earmarked instead of Cam alongside BdK as one of the forward two in a midfield triangle, so if it’s Cam then I’m okay with that!

Surely you can't have a midfield triangle in that formation. Your midfield is the '3-2' part in the middle, that is clearly a midfield trapezoid.

 

[m]

Surely you can't have a midfield triangle in that formation. Your midfield is the '3-2' part in the middle, that is clearly a midfield trapezoid.

I suppose it depends how close together the 2 of the 1st 2 stand.

 

[swolley]

Not sure if appropriate thread but a great article by George Elek on NTT20 today on our championship experience since Wembley. (sorry my IT skills do not stretch to copying it onto here}
I thoroughly recommend reading it, its a good thoughtful piece.

 

[SteMerritt]

Not sure if appropriate thread but a great article by George Elek on NTT20 today on our championship experience since Wembley. (sorry my IT skills do not stretch to copying it onto here}
I thoroughly recommend reading it, its a good thoughtful piece.

https://www.ntt20.com/p/george-elek-two-years-in-a-bear-pit

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

Not sure if appropriate thread but a great article by George Elek on NTT20 today on our championship experience since Wembley. (sorry my IT skills do not stretch to copying it onto here}
I thoroughly recommend reading it, its a good thoughtful piece.

I'll save you the bother.

"Oxford are tiny, relegation was always inevitable".