As far as transfer windows go, Oxford United oversaw a pretty successful one with plenty of new arrivals and some unwanted players gone.
Successful First Transfer Window for Liam Manning at Oxford United
Oxford United Transfer Model
Under Karl Robinson‘s tenure, and even under his predecessors, Oxford United enjoyed a successful transfer model. The club would often sign young and unproven talents, often from Ireland, and sell them after a couple of seasons of development for large profit.
Rob Dickie became the club’s third most expensive sale after he was sold to QPR, Gavin Whyte is sixth on the list despite just one season in the first team, while Luke McNally and Rob Atkinson are seventh and eighth despite playing just a handful of games between them.
However, the model didn’t always work – Mark Sykes left on a free after seeing his contract expire, Joel Cooper failed to settle in England and Oisin Smyth is still awaiting his break in the first team.
Robinson’s Final Few Windows
Having failed in two playoff campaigns before narrowly missing out on the top six altogether, despite a record points haul, the model appeared to change in what turned out to be Robinson’s final season.
Gone were those exciting youngsters who would be developed and in came those type of personnel that the manager was hoping could deliver promotion.
Josh Murphy, twin brother of Newcastle’s Jacob, experienced defender Stuart Findlay and energetic full-back, Djavan Anderson all arrived. However, there was a clear problem. Murphy was never fit, Findlay wasn’t the ball playing centre back like in previous years and Anderson didn’t seem to fit into any Robinson system.
On the pitch, cracks were beginning to appear and these previous starlets weren’t there to showcase their ability. Instead, Oxford had paid over the odds for players that simply weren’t performing.
Manning’s First Window
It’s little surprise that two of those players have gone, while Manning was also reportedly looking to offload Murphy before the deadline.
Findlay had penned a four-year deal, while Murphy, Anderson and the ever-illusive Yanic Wildschut (another Robinson signing) were all on decent wages.
At the start of the window, Anderson was released, despite having one year left on his contract. Jodi Jones, who trained with the club the previous summer and eventually signed but rarely played before going out on loan to Notts County joined him, as did top-scorer, Matty Taylor. Many were surprised about Taylor, but it was another high wage off the books for a 33-year-old who would have wanted a longer-term deal.
Manning then went about bringing in new faces. Ruben Rodrigues, a maverick midfielder in the National League with Notts County, made the step up to League One before former defensive loanee Jordan Thorniley and Oxford-born holding midfielder Josh McEachran arrived following their releases from Blackpool and MK Dons respectively.
Goalkeeper Jack Stevens was then allowed to depart before the U’s brought in James Beadle on loan from Brighton.
Manning added another loanee in full-back Fin Stevens from Brentford, while striker Mark Harris arrived following his release from Cardiff.
Out-of-favour defensive duo Findlay and Steve Seddon were then loaned out – a good move for the club financially as it would recoup some money after a couple of poor windows. It was the case shortly after when Wildschut was released, despite having one year left on his deal.
Winger Stanley Mills was the next loanee before Oxford splashed the cash on Liverpool’s Max Woltman, with the young attacker arriving on an undisclosed fee. The club then spent more money, bringing in left-back Greg Leigh from Ipswich before ending the transfer window with two more loanees – striker Sonny Perkins from Leeds and winger Kyle Edwards, also from Ipswich.
A Successful Window?
Many fans expected it would take a couple of transfer windows before the club would take shape. Robinson’s final additions were disastrous, not just from a playing side but also financially. However, Manning has acted quickly to get rid of any deadwood from the squad.
Not only that, but the head coach has rebuilt well. 11 new arrivals with a mix of experience, from Football League stalwarts, promotion winners to the Championship and exciting youngsters with a platform to prove themselves. ‘Not The Top 20’ co-host and ‘The Dub’ pundit, George Elek, claimed that he was “really happy with the window.”
Sure, there are a couple of areas the squad still needs addressing but there is no reason that cent happen in January and, given their bright start on the pitch, the club may be able to attract a higher calibre of player in the winter.
Featured image: Shaun Ferguson. CC BY-SA 2.0.
