Oxford United manager Karl Robinson has played down talk of bringing another defender to the club during the transfer window.
The U’s have shipped eight goals from four league games and have had numerous injuries to contend with in the early stages of the season, so is the Oxford boss right to focus his attention elsewhere?
Karl Robinson Happy With Current Defensive Options
Injuries and Goals Against
Promotion hopefuls Oxford United 21st in League One with just one win from their opening four league games. The U’s lost at Lincoln City and at home to Sunderland before recording their first win – a 4-1 victory at Accrington Stanley.
But Saturday’s defeat at Gillingham saw the U’s concede another three goals and questions were raised about defensive reinforcements.
Following the sale of Rob Dickie to Queens Park Rangers, Robinson has 23-year-old Elliott Moore and 22-year-old Rob Atkinson as his central partnership. Moore played 35 times in all competitions last season following his summer move from Leicester City, but was partnered by the experienced Dickie. However, this season, Moore has taken on the more experienced role and is alongside Atkinson – who is playing in his first season in the Football League following his arrival from Eastleigh.
The U’s do have experience in 34-year-old John Mousinho, but the club captain, who also featured in we’ll over 30 games last season, is both phasing out of the game by taking up a coaching role, but has also picked up an injury.
It leaves Robinson with Sam Long, a centre back that has spent most of his career at right-back, and 18-year-old Nico Jones, who the U’s boss feels isn’t ready for first-team football.
To make matters worse, Josh Ruffels – the clubs only recognised left-back – has just returned from a shoulder injury, while summer signing Sean Clare has failed to hit the heights on the right side of the defence, despite spending most of his career in midfield.
What Karl Robinson Said
Speaking to the Oxford Mail, Robinson said: “It’s weird though, people talk about defensive cover but we fundamentally only had last year Rob Dickie, Elliott Moore and John Mousinho, with Longy (Sam Long) as our fourth choice.
“It’s just as we sit now two of our centre backs are out injured.
“Longy’s gone in and done a good job, so it proves we have four people who can play in that position.
“If you were asking me, I’d like another one we could bring in under the age cap (21) and maybe work with them for maybe when Elliott or Rob move on.
“They are the things we’re looking at and they’re the things we’ve got to get right this week.”
Robinson has hinted at a possible loan move away for Nico Jones. The 18-year-old featured during the EFL Trophy match against Bristol Rovers last week but the U’s boss doesn’t feel he is ready for first-team football.
He added: “Ruffs (Josh Ruffels) would have gone in there (at Gillingham) and Fordey (Anthony Forde) would have gone to left-back.
“We had Jamie Hanson as well, he was our cover.
“He’s played all the way across the back four in the Championship, so he’s done a lot more than him (Jones).”
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