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

[The mighty Aldo]

Does he get in the starting XI of the bottom 6 teams in the championship?

I’m not trying to bash the guy, he’s been solid for us. Just think there is conversation to be had as to whether he is more part of the problem than he is the solution. Prepared to be proven wrong.

Branagan,Browne possibly Bodin, Baldock and Taylor are the only players we have that would get into a bottom six championship team at the moment and there is our problem the teams that have gone up have 7/8 players in their teams that are good enough.

Mc Nally and Elliot need another season to see if they are good enough and I feel getting in a top quality defender will help them.

 

[Scotchegg]

Branagan,Browne possibly Bodin, Baldock and Taylor are the only players we have that would get into a bottom six championship team at the moment and there is our problem the teams that have gone up have 7/8 players in their teams that are good enough.

Mc Nally and Elliot need another season to see if they are good enough and I feel getting in a top quality defender will help them.

The entire Rotherham team have not been good enough to get out the bottom three the last two times they have gone up.

It's impossible to judge players in a league that they are not playing in. Plenty of average players have made a real impact when surrounded by better players. Others that have been brilliant struggle with the step up.

We need to focus on getting a team good enough for promotion before we worry about our chances in the Championship.

 

[Swaby39]

The entire Rotherham team have not been good enough to get out the bottom three the last two times they have gone up.

It's impossible to judge players in a league that they are not playing in. Plenty of average players have made a real impact when surrounded by better players. Others that have been brilliant struggle with the step up.

We need to focus on getting a team good enough for promotion before we worry about our chances in the Championship.

In fairness I think he/she was expanding on my comment and you make a valid point but I slightly disagree with you.

As a general rule clubs will look to pick up the best of the division below or at least those they think are capable of the step up with a development programme. It’s standard practice as it makes financial sense to shop where prices are low and in the simplest terms, players exceeding at one level should be considered good enough for a chance at the next level. But as with any transfer the guarantees are minimal and the boot has to fit. And you’re right, team mates, style of play and surroundings play a big part. But you try (and often fail) to determine that before you buy the player, not after. So all you have to go off is what he’s doing now and what he could do if A, B, C happened.

So… If we focus on Moore again, it’s not an unfair question to ask whether he would appeal to the bottom 6 clubs in the championship in January to come in and plug/organise a leaky defence. My view is he wouldn’t. That doesn’t mean we should kick him aside, nor does it mean we can attract better all of a sudden - there’s all sorts of challenges within that, particularly financial. But I’m suggesting if an opportunity presents itself to bring someone in that could be an upgrade on Moore, or at the very least give him a reason to believe his selection was not guaranteed, it may extract that ‘something’ from him that I think we are missing. It’s not simple, but if it’s doable it could only be good for us.

 

[The mighty Aldo]

The entire Rotherham team have not been good enough to get out the bottom three the last two times they have gone up.

It's impossible to judge players in a league that they are not playing in. Plenty of average players have made a real impact when surrounded by better players. Others that have been brilliant struggle with the step up.

We need to focus on getting a team good enough for promotion before we worry about our chances in the Championship.

True Scotchers but it really helps if you only need to make a few adjustments
I would say we are similar to Peterborough in the style we play but Blackpool and Hull seem to have a more robust style, same as Coventry. This season I think Wigan will do ok Rotherham will struggle and who knows with Sunderland but they will attract players they are a big club

 

[Gregortheox]

I agree with the sentiment that we are not collectively good enough at defending.

I think Moore, McNally and co actually get too exposed and we have to do better from the front and through our midfield. Thats not to say that I wouldn't want a tough, quality, experienced centre back through the door.

Our lines are too easily breached and Im sure that KR and his team have got this on the radar as a priority. I bloody hope so anyway. Think of any successful football team in the modern day game...There are a few things that they do, and there are a few more that they never let happen. For eg. the intensity from the front is always high, the oppositions defence is closed down with purpose (particularly at full back so they can't get up the pitch), the balance is evident in the side (workers, clobbers, creators, finishers etc), they find a way not to lose when things are going against them, and they ensure either mental stability after scoring or conceding or a select few can respond immediately to disappointment. What they definitely do not allow is being physically dominated if it turns in to a bit of a slog fest. Great teams cover all bases and they become tribal in the face of adversity.

I think at OUFC right now, we are a little romantic when it comes to our football. The players we have at the club can do a certain job very well, and although I would argue we are technically superior to most others, we are also drastically lacking in strength, aggression, and shithousery in order to pick up those 9 or 12 extra points a season required to get promotion. Teams aren't scared of us and we don't get in to the heads of the opposition, and I fear that playing your way out of league 1 just isn't going to happen. Sometimes you just have to blow the doors off.

 

[WuTang]

Moore and McNally are both very good centre backs but I think they could both do with a more experienced centre back to play alongside and rotate with during the season. One with Championship experience, a physical presence and a leader. Aden Flint or similar.

I think it's well worth spending big on a centre half this summer.

 

[Kiewhite]

Moore and McNally are both very good centre backs but I think they could both do with a more experienced centre back to play alongside and rotate with during the season. One with Championship experience, a physical presence and a leader. Aden Flint or similar.

I think it's well worth spending big on a centre half this summer.

Experienced? Championship experience? Look no further than are very own John mousinho

 

[FalmouthOx]

We could just play 5 up top and 5 in the middle and look to score twice as many goals as we did this year.

 

[bazzer9461]

True Scotchers but it really helps if you only need to make a few adjustments
I would say we are similar to Peterborough in the style we play but Blackpool and Hull seem to have a more robust style, same as Coventry. This season I think Wigan will do ok Rotherham will struggle and who knows with Sunderland but they will attract players they are a big club

That’s true, but I wonder how many that played yesterday will be in their squad next season.

 

[The mighty Aldo]

That’s true, but I wonder how many that played yesterday will be in their squad next season.

5/6 probably Bazzer,one thing getting up,another thing staying up

 

[YellowinBirmingham]

So we all agree then... We need to do better than 8th if we're going to go up. (I'm sure someone will be able to prove me wrong on this, though )

We all have slightly different views on whether we need a. a new or different system/style of play, b. better players in our current system or c. both.

You can make a case for any of the above, probably.

I think we need c. but only tweaks in both cases.

I'd love to see the following because I think they are key to any system:
-full/wing backs
-a great CDM (or two).

I'd love to see the some of the kids come through instead of new signings. Are any of them good enough yet?

Other areas are less worrying for me... They are more "of interest" rather than a priority.

Keepers - maybe, maybe not. Let's see. Our manager and recruitment team probably know better than me.

CBs as I said before, we have great centre backs and we pick good ones. McNally and Moore will both play in the championship 2023/4, with someone else if we don't get there. Need more but trust we'll get there.

Wingers - we don't need many of them in a 3-4-1-2 if we take the full/wing back recruitment seriously, but we're normally good at finding one or two on loan anyway. I trust the process.

Strikers - we just won't find a 20 goal a season striker in our budget or free IMHO. Matty + Baldock would be great. We have a system that gets goals from other areas of the pitch. So can we find a decent back up or Plan B?

 

[SteMerritt]

So we all agree then... We need to do better than 8th if we're going to go up. (I'm sure someone will be able to prove me wrong on this, though )

Wycombe, two seasons ago. Think they were 8th when the season was suspended...

 

[WuTang]

This is going to sound far too simplistic and old school, but has anyone else ever thought our last two squads have been "too nice"?

Lots of talented players but all seem to be the nice guys, and not quite physical enough.

I want to sign some bigger physical hard nuts to play alongside them so we can mix it and win those battles against more physical sides. Recently promoted teams often seemed to have a a mix of bigger players so they can play direct and ugly if need be.

 

[OX14]

This is going to sound far too simplistic and old school, but has anyone else ever thought our last two squads have been "too nice"?

Lots of talented players but all seem to be the nice guys, and not quite physical enough.

I want to sign some bigger physical hard nuts to play alongside them so we can mix it and win those battles against more physical sides. Recently promoted teams often seemed to have a a mix of bigger players so they can play direct and ugly if need be.

We need 3 of them players through the door this window. One upfront who bullies a defence with his strength, one in defensive midfield to break up play and be the brick wall in front of the defence and finally the other one in defence, I do like Moore but for a big fella he's hardly dominant.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

This is going to sound far too simplistic and old school, but has anyone else ever thought our last two squads have been "too nice"?

Lots of talented players but all seem to be the nice guys, and not quite physical enough.

I want to sign some bigger physical hard nuts to play alongside them so we can mix it and win those battles against more physical sides. Recently promoted teams often seemed to have a a mix of bigger players so they can play direct and ugly if need be.

Nope - I’ve said it before myself. You need your Hylton, MacDonald, Maguire, Wright, Mullins types to be successful. None of them were exactly bad players at that level, either, so they were hardly ‘cloggers’. You need character and a bit of grit, otherwise you end up with a team of “lovely footballers” who don’t win anything.

It’s why I was more enthusiastic than most about Ryan Williams signing last summer. Decent and reliable if nothing else, has got out of the division before and isn’t afraid of a ruck. We need another 2/3 of his kind, ideally in the middle of the pitch in midfield and defence.

 

[Oufcrealist]

We need 3 of them players through the door this window. One upfront who bullies a defence with his strength, one in defensive midfield to break up play and be the brick wall in front of the defence and finally the other one in defence, I do like Moore but for a big fella he's hardly dominant.

Spot on!!
Technically we were one of the best. Physical presence we were one of the weakest.

 

[The mighty Aldo]

This is going to sound far too simplistic and old school, but has anyone else ever thought our last two squads have been "too nice"?

Lots of talented players but all seem to be the nice guys, and not quite physical enough.

I want to sign some bigger physical hard nuts to play alongside them so we can mix it and win those battles against more physical sides. Recently promoted teams often seemed to have a a mix of bigger players so they can play direct and ugly if need be.

No I agree we are far too nice especially at the back. Gorrin was a big miss he rattled players. Kane was asked but could never perform his role
What you want at the back are players who are tough and no nonsense
I would bet that if you asked most teams forwards which defences they enjoy playing against we would be top 6

 

[Hamiltons Knee]

That's a very simplistic view that our failure was only due to us not having a defensive enforcer, especially when we only truly played this system well in the handful of games Baldock played up with Taylor.

Not sure we are discussing the same thing here.
The common view seems to be that the lack of a strong defensive midfielder (Gorrin) allowed the opposition at times to cut through our midfield like a knife through butter.
My question was, if we are likely to play with 3 at the back plus Taylor and Baldock up front with Browne in behind and two wing backs that only leaves 2 spaces. You suggested it would be great to keep Brannagan and sign Kane, therefore who from Brannagan, Gorrin, Kane and Browne will not play ?

 

[Leysboy]

Who cares! Let’s just sign some real quality, and cross that bridge once we have the best squad in Lge 1.

I’m more concerned about the fixtures coming out. So I can book holidays from work and go to as many away games as possible.

 

[werthersoriginal]

Nope - I’ve said it before myself. You need your Hylton, MacDonald, Maguire, Wright, Mullins types to be successful. None of them were exactly bad players at that level, either, so they were hardly ‘cloggers’. You need character and a bit of grit, otherwise you end up with a team of “lovely footballers” who don’t win anything.

It’s why I was more enthusiastic than most about Ryan Williams signing last summer. Decent and reliable if nothing else, has got out of the division before and isn’t afraid of a ruck. We need another 2/3 of his kind, ideally in the middle of the pitch in midfield and defence.

I agree, but must of those guys weren’t particularly big, and neither is Williams. Big characters with a bit of toughness