Transfer Window January 2024 Transfer Window Thread

[allaboardtheox]

Karl, if you're reading this, please come and get you're old pal James

Seriously though, the most frustrating thing for me is having a player like JH still at the club on a huge salary when we could have an Owen Moxon/El Mizouni type in his place which could be the difference between promotion and a middling season. Smyth is to be fair to himself is looking like a decent utility squad player. Unfortunately we got Mceachran a couple of years too late as unfortunately he's clearly past it. Worrying for me Des is making comments about the centre of midfield not being a priority, I'm still hoping he's bluffing

 

[WEYellow]

McEachran - not good enough.
Henry - not good enough.
Smyth - not good enough.

19 league games hoping McGuane & Brannagan can stay fit, unsuspended & get back to form.

That’s a major risk.

Moxon at Carlisle, Conteh at Grimsby (looks like he’s off to Gas) are 2 we should be looking at.

There have been some good midfielders available this window.

Port Vale have signed Weir & Gore, Charlton have signed Coventry & Bakinson. MK also signed Bate who’d be a big upgrade on McEachran/Smyth/Herny.

No, absolutely not.

 

[JOHN BOY]

We still have lot of Robinsons dead wood.In the summer we will be able to off load them.I think Des will be looking more to next season.lets be honest Robinson reLly fucked us up.

 

[Sheik djibouti]

Maybe Des sees Oisin Smyth now flourishing into the centre midfield role he was originally brought here to play?

Maybe there's a gem coming through the youth teams that is weeks/months away from making a huge impact on the team

Or maybe, in the list of priorities that Des has for the squad (and there are many), centre mid is not THE most pressing in the limited time and manouvreability that the mid season window affords.

If this is still the case in the summer however (where we don't know who we might lose too) . . . .

 

[werthersoriginal]

We still have lot of Robinsons dead wood.In the summer we will be able to off load them.I think Des will be looking more to next season.lets be honest Robinson reLly fucked us up.

We'll have some of Des's dead wood to get rid of soon! We've already had to clear out some Manning crocks and flops.

 

[OX14]

"The wrong manager"

imagine saying this after less than three months (And 4 wins in the last 7)

Well with a top 4 budget in the league I would expect us to beat.

Carlisle
Burton
Cambridge
Charlton

When Des took charge we were second in the league and now find ourselves 6th (we could be 7th if Stevenage win their game in hand)

Take the born in Oxford fairytale out of the equation and look at the bigger picture, we are only going backwards this season.

 

[chromeyellow]

Go back to

Well with a top 4 budget in the league I would expect us to beat.

Carlisle
Burton
Cambridge
Charlton

When Des took charge we were second in the league and now find ourselves 6th (we could be 7th if Stevenage win their game in hand)

Take the born in Oxford fairytale out of the equation and look at the bigger picture, we are only going backwards this season.

“Look at the bigger picture “

 

[Osei Yaw]

Well with a top 4 budget in the league I would expect us to beat.

Carlisle
Burton
Cambridge
Charlton

When Des took charge we were second in the league and now find ourselves 6th (we could be 7th if Stevenage win their game in hand)

Take the born in Oxford fairytale out of the equation and look at the bigger picture, we are only going backwards this season.

The "top 4 budget" is an interesting one.

We've spent a lot of money. Our wage bill is high.

How much of it is fit and available to play? How much of that is down to Des, how much is down to Robinson and the management above him at the time those contracts were dished out?

 

[Sheik djibouti]

Well with a top 4 budget in the league I would expect us to beat.

Carlisle
Burton
Cambridge
Charlton

When Des took charge we were second in the league and now find ourselves 6th (we could be 7th if Stevenage win their game in hand)

Take the born in Oxford fairytale out of the equation and look at the bigger picture, we are only got backwards this season.

So do you think we have a competitive squad then?

Do you not think the injury challenges are real?

And do you think that bringing in new players is as easy as looking on ebay and clicking "buy now"?

And do you think that an enforced manager change 3 months into the season with a significant number of players brought in by the departing manager (coupled with the growing injury list), will have absolutely no effect on performance?

Clearly I'm being facetious and your frustration at how the season is going right now is palpable, but I am wondering which of these facts you don't or won't accept?

 

[BrockBuster]

Not massively concerned if McEachran or Smyth get a run in the side in midfield. Quite keen for them to get a proper chance rather than bits and pieces, especially if MM continues to be off the boil.

That's not to say if an opportunity to bring someone quality in comes up we should turn it down, especially for someone with a physical defensive mindset - assuming that fits into the system DB wants to play.

 

[Tomox]

Personally I think we’re in big trouble if one of MM or Cam gets injured. We don’t have anyone to replace McGuane’s mobility and Brannagan is the best central midfielder in the league. I can understand that we are hamstrung by the wages we are paying to injured players, but if it’s between 2 forwards or 1 forward and a midfielder then it’s a tough decision to make.

 

[OX14]

So do you think we have a competitive squad then?

Do you not think the injury challenges are real?

And do you think that bringing in new players is as easy as looking on ebay and clicking "buy now"?

And do you think that an enforced manager change 3 months into the season with a significant number of players brought in by the departing manager (coupled with the growing injury list), will have absolutely no effect on performance?

Clearly I'm being facetious and your frustration at how the season is going right now is palpable, but I am wondering which of these facts you don't or won't accept?

The failings don't just lie with the appointment of Des. The board have been failing for the last 2 years at running this club.

 

[Nadi-]

McEachran - not good enough.
Henry - not good enough.
Smyth - not good enough.

19 league games hoping McGuane & Brannagan can stay fit, unsuspended & get back to form.

That’s a major risk.

Moxon at Carlisle, Conteh at Grimsby (looks like he’s off to Gas) are 2 we should be looking at.

There have been some good midfielders available this window.

Port Vale have signed Weir & Gore, Charlton have signed Coventry & Bakinson. MK also signed Bate who’d be a big upgrade on McEachran/Smyth/Herny.

Jack Diamond to Carlisle if he’s match fit, that’ll be one of the best signings this January

 

[arthurturner]

But didn’t DB say 6 incoming this window and even by his own maths we’ve only had 5 so far…..

This window doesn’t end for 6 days. Have some patience!

 

[n1]

People are correctly identifying that there is still plenty of dead wood in the team and lots of the wage bill tied up in those players. Several will be gone in the summer when their contracts are up.

This was always going to be a three transfer window project to put us back on track. I think we're in a good place right now, and with more funds being freed up in the summer, we will start next season in great shape.

Sorry, but we all need to be patient. The people at the club now are working to a plan, but it takes time and some of the things that I have no doubt they'd like to do will be restricted by being unable to move everyone that they'd like out of the club.

 

[Sheik djibouti]

The failings don't just lie with the appointment of Des. The board have been failing for the last 2 years at running this club.

So you ARE saying that the appointment of Des was a failing then?

I don't disagree that the board have failings btw, letting Robbo run amuck for as long as he did being among their most heinous crimes. I'm just not sure you can say, right now, that appointing Des was one of them. By that logic, appointing Manning without realising how quickly he;d jump ship was another.

 

[5aside]

Jack Diamond to Carlisle if he’s match fit, that’ll be one of the best signings this January

Recently accused of Rape Nadi so probably needed a change of scenery

 

[arthurturner]

Ah well, what a waste of a season. Finishing 8th when a few more signings and we’d be pushing top 4.

Realistically, to be promoted you need a team which will at least survive in the Championship. We don’t, whoever else we sign this month. We have a new manager getting to grips with League 1 and too few players on the books good enough to compete at a level above.

 

[MustardYellow]

Jack Diamond to Carlisle if he’s match fit, that’ll be one of the best signings this January

Agree. Remember seeing him play for Lincoln a couple of times and thought he looked good. 10 g/a in 29 starts isn't incredible but still only 24.

 

[werthersoriginal]

Realistically, to be promoted you need a team which will at least survive in the Championship. We don’t, whoever else we sign this month. We have a new manager getting to grips with League 1 and too few players on the books good enough to compete at a level above.

Don’t agree. If you get promoted and are ambitious you can sign more if you go up. But you need to be as good as your promotion rivals and we aren’t