Transfer News Summer 2023 Transfer Window Thread

[tatabanya]

Whilst I admire the enthusiasm, I am still baffled we are talking about the playoffs being our target.

Last season we barely escaped relegation. We haven't been told we have some kind of massive budget for a total overhaul so it's fair to say a lot of those players will still be here this year. I really can only see this as a year for bedding in and achieving a top half finish rather than challenging for the top; we have so much rebalancing to do and so many players who are simply not at the level for promotion chasing who we can't simply jettison due to contracts and who we can't sell due to nobody wanting them.

I like the faith but I think it'll be 2 or 3 windows before we could see a team that pulls together and gels. Do hope I'm wrong though.

I don’t really agree to be honest. Last season was a total disaster, but let’s not pretend it wasn’t a massive underachievement rather than an accurate representation of the squad’s quality. It was a total failure of the previous manager to both recruit to fill clear gaps in the squad, and then turn those players into an effective football team.

We’ve already made some impressive signings that show that we still have some financial clout when it comes to attracting players, so it’s fair to assume that more will follow.

When you look at what came before last season it’s a more accurate and consistent representation of where this football club is and should be when things aren’t falling apart in the dugout. I’d be surprised if internally we weren’t expecting to challenge for the Top 6 at the very least.

 

[OxShireWest]

This always seems to be an accepted myth.
We've literallly had one up until last season ourselves!

5 players hit 20 goals last season in League One. One of those played for Cheltenham (May) and is absolutely available and achievable. One was at Pompey (Bishop) and is exactly the sort of signing we should have made last summer. Both showed the previous season that they are that calibre.

Then you have those who scored 14+ (often in bottom half sides) and easily have the potential. Yes, Sam Nombe at Exeter could well hit 20 this season at this level in a promotion chasing side. Adeboyejo went from Burton to Bolton in January - expect him to get to that level too. Not to mention players like Hardie who were heavily rotated and would likely get 20 as a first choice No.9.

It's a competitive market but they're not mythical or unattainable. We could have had Bishop last summer. We could have had Adeboyejo in January and we could yet have May or Nombe this window.

We don't need to dismiss this as some pipe dream. We're not expecting a striker who is inexplicably still at this level despite banging 25 season after season - that won't happen.

We need to either spot them on the cusp and/or be one step ahead of the competition on those who have done the business at Accrington or Burton or Cheltenham.

With the signing of Rodrigues we've shown we're now more than capable of doing just that.

You mention 5 players hit 20 goals, but how many strikers are there in L1? I have no idea but I'm sure if we found out those 5 would be part of a very small fraction. By definition, a 20 goal a year striker is a rarity.

How much do you reckon those players would cost us? May & Bishop no less than £500k, Nombe still only 24 and although his contract is up next year Exeter manager has said they don't need to sell.

The reality is it's pot-luck. Adeboyejo was rubbish prior to last season, and may go back to that next season, he may be brilliant - there's no way of knowing.

That's why as part of my original point I say there is no guarantee and we therefore need goal contributions from other areas - the current players we have in said other areas don't provide anywhere near enough.

 

[Orkney Islands Yellow]

Our season will likely be defined by the striker(s) we bring in more than any other position. I personally think we'll be looking at an established striker plus a younger PL/Champ prospect. There will likely be plenty of competition for both types of deals, but we've seen with getting Rodrigues that we can compete with the best of them.

I think it'll be defined by totally changing the back 4 and keeper. Not enough clean sheets last season and whilst it's good to see Beadle and Thorniley arrive that still means 3 of last year's back four will need to play currently which is far too many. Successful managers build their teams from the back.

 

[Charles]

Not convinced about money available for incoming players,so far Three out of contract players and one loan which would not break the bank !
To much deadwood still at the club at least Three/Four players

 

[tatabanya]

I think it'll be defined by totally changing the back 4 and keeper. Not enough clean sheets last season and whilst it's good to see Beadle and Thorniley arrive that still means 3 of last year's back four will need to play currently which is far too many. Successful managers build their teams from the back.

2nd best xG against from open play tells a different story and suggests it's tweaks rather than an overhaul needed?

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

You mention 5 players hit 20 goals, but how many strikers are there in L1? I have no idea but I'm sure if we found out those 5 would be part of a very small fraction. By definition, a 20 goal a year striker is a rarity.

How much do you reckon those players would cost us? May & Bishop no less than £500k, Nombe still only 24 and although his contract is up next year Exeter manager has said they don't need to sell.

The reality is it's pot-luck. Adeboyejo was rubbish prior to last season, and may go back to that next season, he may be brilliant - there's no way of knowing.

That's why as part of my original point I say there is no guarantee and we therefore need goal contributions from other areas - the current players we have in said other areas don't provide anywhere near enough.

So you need someone to have proven it consistently year on year at this level, over a number of years, and yet not have moved up a level? Yeah good one.

It's not 'pot luck' - plenty of us called Bishop last season. May got 23 the season before last - who could have imagined he'd reach 20 again! That was Adejoyejo's first season of regular starts FFS!

You can't expect this striker to fall into your lap, I've given you criteria by which you can make an educated guess as to who are likely to be those strikers next season. Don't come crying to me when May hits 22 this season for Barnsley or Nombe get's 19 at Bolton. And definitely don't cry 'it's 'pot luck'!

Of course we need goals from other areas, but unless you're expecting your Left Back to get 9 and your CDM to get 12 then you'll need a striker capable of 18+ in a League campaign and we desperately need one (or two, please).

They're out there, they're obtainable. I'm confident we'll get one.

 

[JOHN BOY]

We all knew it would be difficult to offload the dead wood.And most clubs pick players up for free.we have done very well so far without paying any fees.

 

[OUFC OX3]

I’m not sure what you’re smokingwe have enough wingers. Maybe one more will do like a Corebeanu We’ve got Rodrigues Browne and Bodin can play in the 10. 25 G/A ain’t bad when you look at the side last season. I think 3 Wing backs if Seddon goes, 2 strikers, and a winger if we let one go

Theo? Is he more of a second / shadow striker?

 

[n1]

I think it'll be defined by totally changing the back 4 and keeper. Not enough clean sheets last season and whilst it's good to see Beadle and Thorniley arrive that still means 3 of last year's back four will need to play currently which is far too many. Successful managers build their teams from the back.

Goals conceded weren't our biggest issue looking at the table. 56 conceded (probably need to reduce this by about 15%). 49 scored (probably needs to improve 25-30%).

 

[OUFC OX3]

The aim every season should be to finish as high as you possibly can.

If you're writing on behalf of certain players? Then please don't name any here. Thank You

 

[Bornyellow]

We all know we need to add at least 1 CF to our squad pretty sharpish, I noticed in todays OM article LM refers to adding a few high profile players now, would suggest to me he’s after proven L1 quality.

 

[uptheus]

My wife sent me out to do the big shop the other day. She said "make sure you get a good balance of food to last us the whole week!"

Needless to say I thought that was boring.

So I drove straight to Waitrose and bought a delicious chateaubriand and a lovely looking bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon to accompany it. Then I thought 'why not?!' and picked up a pot of caviar to have as part of a starter. Whilst I was there I thought I'd also pick something up for dessert, so I got us a cake. It didn't look particularly nice nor great value, but I was already in the shop so it was convenient to buy a cake there. The box also said it would serve 16 people, so I thought that would be plenty for the 2 of us at home.

That was Monday's dinner taken care of.

Then I looked at what I had left in the food budget for the remaining 6 days of the week - and I managed to scrape together enough to get some Aldi own brand baked beans, some Billy Bear ham and 2 bags of skittles.

Now I have to say I was disappointed by my wife's reaction when I got home. She started waffling on about "budgeting" and how I had been "reckless" and how things weren't "balanced".

Still, when I do have the steak dinner it'll be the best dinner in the house that week. It'll probably be so good that it'd actually belong in one of the posher neighbourhood's. My wife said she would rather have 7 good dinners a week rather than 1 amazing dinner and 6 terrible ones, but I can't understand how it'd be possible as I really do need my chateaubriand. If needs be, some of the leftover cake could 'do a job' as part of dinner tomorrow, I just can't see why that's not acceptable?

Are you Karl Robinson?

 

[uptheus]

Cor, isn’t it nice to actually have a manager whose judgement you can trust?! I don’t really care who we sign or who we let go. Well, I do of course, but I’m not going to stress about it because I am already certain that we’ll have a broadly balanced squad, with plans to further strengthen in January and again next summer. After so many windows of chaos and bullshit from KR this already feels so much better.

Did you think the same when Karl first came here?

 

[Sheik djibouti]

Are you Karl Robinson?

Clearly not.

He said his wife sent him out, not kicked him out.

 

[uptheus]

Clearly not.

He said his wife sent him out, not kicked him out.

I did think that when I wrote this, but went for the benefit of doubt!

 

[Paul Cannell]

Clearly not.

He said his wife sent him out, not kicked him out.

Also, none of the expensive flim-flam appears to have been inedible. The Clown would have been digging in a skip and brushing maggots off having given the money to a bloke in Marbella.

 

[Millman]

I did think that when I wrote this, but went for the benefit of doubt!

If it had been Karl he would have bought no main courses or desserts, just 6 bottles of wine for £50 each, 2 of which would be corked and the others well past their sell by date. Half of these would be delivered after half the week had past. But don't worry next week he would get the shopping done early and it would be of amazing quality.

 

[Mad Dog]

Whilst I know battering our resident breadcrumbed egg is the fashion on here after last season, I don't think he's at all wrong to question people being overtly negative about our window so far.

Only two clubs (Pompey & Stevenage) have signed more players than us, and 19 teams have signed less players than us. We've signed a Championship quality CB, one of the brightest young GK talents in the country, and made arguably one of the best L1 signings of the window so far in Ruben Rodrigues. Are there still gaps? Yes, but it's not even July ffs. The window has been open for 2 weeks, and we're still over 5 weeks from the season opener.

I know we're generally a moody bunch on here, but it's been a damn good window so far, and the names we're linked with and the speed and efficiency of which we're completing transfers is reason to be optimistic for once!

I agree.

I’m happy with the signings so far, and confident in the clubs new found ability these days to continue to bring in good quality players.

Personally, I haven’t felt this excited for the start of a new season since the MApp days.

Can’t bloody wait!

 

[ChamonixOx]

Gorrin played the third most games in the 2019/20 season when we went to the playoff final, and then another forty games the following year when again we got to the playoffs. He was certainly good enough for a top half League One team (before he did his first ACL).

Not in terms of his passing (which was always limited) but in terms of his defensive discipline and positioning, and his ability to win back and recycle the ball. He provided a platform for the more talented midfielders and forwards alongside him to go out and play. Neither Kane in 2021/22, nor McGuane in 2022/23, were as good at that part of the game as ARG was pre-injury.

Hopefully McEachran is - and from the sounds of things, he can pass the ball as well.

(he certainly wasn't Gundogan though......more Rodri. The Spanish destroyer!)

The defensive qualities we can agree on, but a defensive midfielder who has ‘limited passing’ is a top half L1 player? We clearly have a difference of opinion on what constitutes such!

 

[Mad Dog]

The aim every season should be to finish as high as you possibly can.