Transfer News Transfer Window Summer 21

[battman]

I don't really want to be the grumpy miserable old sod - but honestly, Karl's squad construction is driving me nuts.

Each year I complain that the squad is imbalanced and lacks defensive depth, and each year Karl goes 'Hold my Beer', and builds an even more top heavy squad!

We currently nominally have five defenders, but one is 35 and coming off a horrible injury, and another has never played a game at League One level.
Meanwhile we now have eight really good options for the two wide attacking roles. Very capable League One forwards like Agyei & Sykes probably won't even be able to get on the bench, while at the same time a single injury is going to leave us utterly screwed at the back.

Gavin Whyte is an excellent player, but he's a complete luxury for this Oxford squad. We don't need him to compete at the top of the table this year. We do need more defensive cover, otherwise one serious injury to Long, Moore or Seddon and we are proper ****ed.

Genuinely, if we don't bring in two more defenders this week, I'm starting a "Bring Back Ian Atkins' campaign. Never had to worry about a lack of decent defenders with him!

If you bang your head on the table in disbelief enough times it'll give you concussion. Which isn't great, but it makes you stop worrying about a lack of defenders. I'm fully expecting the 'we're going to score one more than you' approach to games this season.

 

[Oxford84]

I don't really want to be the grumpy miserable old sod - but honestly, Karl's squad construction is driving me nuts.

Each year I complain that the squad is imbalanced and lacks defensive depth, and each year Karl goes 'Hold my Beer', and builds an even more top heavy squad!

We currently nominally have five defenders, but one is 35 and coming off a horrible injury, and another has never played a game at League One level.
Meanwhile we now have eight really good options for the two wide attacking roles. Very capable League One forwards like Agyei & Sykes probably won't even be able to get on the bench, while at the same time a single injury is going to leave us utterly screwed at the back.

Gavin Whyte is an excellent player, but he's a complete luxury for this Oxford squad. We don't need him to compete at the top of the table this year. We do need more defensive cover, otherwise one serious injury to Long, Moore or Seddon and we are proper ****ed.

Genuinely, if we don't bring in two more defenders this week, I'm starting a "Bring Back Ian Atkins' campaign. Never had to worry about a lack of decent defenders with him!

Good job we’ve finished in the playoffs for 2 seasons in a row and score plenty of goals then really.

 

[battman]

Don’t understand why we need to get someone in to compete with Gorrin. He doesn’t miss games through injury and if we were to change how our midfield plays, it would mean CB dropping deeper to play a slightly different role.

Getting another player in leaves a lot of bodies in the middle when we are already packed with class there.

We can't play Gorrin every game though, can we? Especially when he's a walking yellow card at the best of times. Dropping Brannagan back there to be the backup DM isn't the answer, and if you want to push Gorrin to improve you'd bring in competition, or cover at the very least. It also gives you the flexibility to start with two defensive midfielders in some games and bring one of them off the bench to see games out in others. And let's be honest, we have some talented midfielders, but how many of them have the bite we've lacked in the past season or so?

 

[werthersoriginal]

Don’t understand why we need to get someone in to compete with Gorrin. He doesn’t miss games through injury and if we were to change how our midfield plays, it would mean CB dropping deeper to play a slightly different role.

Getting another player in leaves a lot of bodies in the middle when we are already packed with class there.

TBH I would like someone there, Gorrin is great when on form but keeps fouling and getting booked! A Jimmy Case type would be good

 

[Yellowarmy]

I don't really want to be the grumpy miserable old sod - but honestly, Karl's squad construction is driving me nuts.

Each year I complain that the squad is imbalanced and lacks defensive depth, and each year Karl goes 'Hold my Beer', and builds an even more top heavy squad!

We currently nominally have five defenders, but one is 35 and coming off a horrible injury, and another has never played a game at League One level.
Meanwhile we now have eight really good options for the two wide attacking roles. Very capable League One forwards like Agyei & Sykes probably won't even be able to get on the bench, while at the same time a single injury is going to leave us utterly screwed at the back.

Gavin Whyte is an excellent player, but he's a complete luxury for this Oxford squad. We don't need him to compete at the top of the table this year. We do need more defensive cover, otherwise one serious injury to Long, Moore or Seddon and we are proper ****ed.

Genuinely, if we don't bring in two more defenders this week, I'm starting a "Bring Back Ian Atkins' campaign. Never had to worry about a lack of decent defenders with him!

Maybe you should wait till the end of the transfer window before finalising your conclusions. As for Ian Adkins, he is the only manager I know that most wanted sacked and we were top 2. Think we had 51 points at Xmas and finished the season with 69 points.

 

[IsleofWightYellow]

We can't play Gorrin every game though, can we? Especially when he's a walking yellow card at the best of times. Dropping Brannagan back there to be the backup DM isn't the answer, and if you want to push Gorrin to improve you'd bring in competition, or cover at the very least. It also gives you the flexibility to start with two defensive midfielders in some games and bring one of them off the bench to see games out in others. And let's be honest, we have some talented midfielders, but how many of them have the bite we've lacked in the past season or so?

I’d rather have a centre back than a DCM!

 

[Nadi-]

Thorniley seems like the obvious one. Not played many games for his age so something of an unknown quantity. Certainly a risk. Probably cost a small fee too.

Hope we haven't rushed into this.

Beevers played for Peterborough today so won't be at our training ground for talks.

Portsmouth can’t be more than a hour away

 

[Teacher]

 

[MJB]

View attachment 6878

I’ll take that as a maybe.

 

[WRox]

I don't really want to be the grumpy miserable old sod - but honestly, Karl's squad construction is driving me nuts.

Each year I complain that the squad is imbalanced and lacks defensive depth, and each year Karl goes 'Hold my Beer', and builds an even more top heavy squad!

We currently nominally have five defenders, but one is 35 and coming off a horrible injury, and another has never played a game at League One level.
Meanwhile we now have eight really good options for the two wide attacking roles. Very capable League One forwards like Agyei & Sykes probably won't even be able to get on the bench, while at the same time a single injury is going to leave us utterly screwed at the back.

Gavin Whyte is an excellent player, but he's a complete luxury for this Oxford squad. We don't need him to compete at the top of the table this year. We do need more defensive cover, otherwise one serious injury to Long, Moore or Seddon and we are proper ****ed.

Genuinely, if we don't bring in two more defenders this week, I'm starting a "Bring Back Ian Atkins' campaign. Never had to worry about a lack of decent defenders with him!

Agree with this to a great extent, but Whyte isn’t a luxury for this Oxford squad. I’m not convinced Holland/Bodin/Williams is a definite improvement on Barker/Shodipo/Lee, add Whyte to the first group and it’s stronger for sure.

The squad imbalance though is potentially a massive issue. It can be largely solved with the right two players coming in, particularly if the full back can adequately cover both sides (Tomlinson would have been ideal). Any prolonged period without Moore or Long at the minute and we look done for. We probably need three defensive reinforcements to be safe.

I think the ‘power’ issue has been exaggerated off the back of the Blackpool game. If Gorrin and McGuane are both fully fit, and we sign a relatively physical central defender, I don’t think that’s an issue we need to build a squad around.

 

[Leysboy]

Bailey Wright? Would he be good enough…

 

[Yellowarmy]

Bailey Wright? Would he be good enough…

Any meat on this bone?

 

[Wallop]

Buckley Ricketts, Smith Jones?

 

[battman]

I’d rather have a centre back than a DCM!

Why not both?

 

[Nadi-]

Mousinho is a half-retired player/coach who will not be capable of playing even semi-regularly in L1 - stick him in for 8-10 games and see what happens - so we have four ‘reliable’ defenders. Long, Moore, McNally, Seddon. That’s one less than we had last season, when we were already short and lacking cover.

We need two more bodies at the back. One player to cover two spots and we will have learned nothing. Let’s see.

Said it before
For me Masterson and Gibson or Brown and we’re going to be amongst it.
Going forward Robinson usually gets it right.
But Long, Masterson, Moore, Gib/Bro and Seddon is championship standard
Edit
Not forgetting McNally

 

[Leysboy]

Any meat on this bone?

Just putting a name out there. I personally think he could do a job. Whether he’s who KR has spoken to is another thing.

 

[Yellowarmy]

Interestingly Thorniley has always played for Northern teams. Maybe EC Yellow knows who it is?.

 

[jambon46]

I don't really want to be the grumpy miserable old sod - but honestly, Karl's squad construction is driving me nuts.

Each year I complain that the squad is imbalanced and lacks defensive depth, and each year Karl goes 'Hold my Beer', and builds an even more top heavy squad!

We currently nominally have five defenders, but one is 35 and coming off a horrible injury, and another has never played a game at League One level.
Meanwhile we now have eight really good options for the two wide attacking roles. Very capable League One forwards like Agyei & Sykes probably won't even be able to get on the bench, while at the same time a single injury is going to leave us utterly screwed at the back.

Gavin Whyte is an excellent player, but he's a complete luxury for this Oxford squad. We don't need him to compete at the top of the table this year. We do need more defensive cover, otherwise one serious injury to Long, Moore or Seddon and we are proper ****ed.

Genuinely, if we don't bring in two more defenders this week, I'm starting a "Bring Back Ian Atkins' campaign. Never had to worry about a lack of decent defenders with him!

and he writes the team sheet on the back of a fag packet

 

[Archieyellow]

Jordan Thorniley - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

current team us??

 

[Followtheox1]

Agree with this to a great extent, but Whyte isn’t a luxury for this Oxford squad. I’m not convinced Holland/Bodin/Williams is a definite improvement on Barker/Shodipo/Lee, add Whyte to the first group and it’s stronger for sure.

The squad imbalance though is potentially a massive issue. It can be largely solved with the right two players coming in, particularly if the full back can adequately cover both sides (Tomlinson would have been ideal). Any prolonged period without Moore or Long at the minute and we look done for. We probably need three defensive reinforcements to be safe.

I think the ‘power’ issue has been exaggerated off the back of the Blackpool game. If Gorrin and McGuane are both fully fit, and we sign a relatively physical central defender, I don’t think that’s an issue we need to build a squad around.

Robinson himself mentioned needing more athleticism.