LIAM Manning says Oxford United need to sign players in most areas of the pitch.
Numbers-wise, United are in a relatively healthy place at this stage, in terms of having players able to perform in most positions already contracted for the 2023/24 season.
In some areas, there is already cover, however U’s head coach Manning is keen on strengthening his side throughout.
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Asked whether he feels there is a position the club doesn’t need recruitment this summer, Manning told BBC Radio Oxford’s The Dub podcast: “We need to cover most areas to be honest, the difference is whether it’s a starting player or a squad player.
“Whether it’s someone ready to come in and hit the ground running now or someone who’s a bit more in terms of succession planning for the future.
“I do think we need to add in most areas to be totally honest.
“The key thing a lot of people will have seen is that goals were a real challenge last season so everybody’s quite clear we need to add to the top end of the pitch, there’s no secrets on that.
“But I’m pretty sure that’s for 95 per cent of managers and head coaches of League One sides, Championship sides and Premier League sides – everybody’s looking for goalscorers.
“I think most areas need adding to but whether it’s a starter or a squad player is probably different in each position.”
Manning though is pleased by the flexibility already within his squad, pinpointing both Ciaron Brown and Sam Long as examples of players able to fill in various roles.
He said: “What we’ve got in the squad at the minute is people who that are quite flexible positionally.
“Sam Long can play right-sided centre half, centre half and right back.
“It’s the same with Ciaron Brown. He can play left back, left-side centre half or the left of a back three.
“What we’ve got in the squad is an element of flexibility, which I quite like.
“Then within it, what we then need to recruit is balance.
“So we need people that technically can control games that way and people that physically can control games as well, when it’s a 50/50 game and it’s on an edge.
“That for me is the biggest thing in terms of having the balance, I’m clear what it looks like.
“It’s then about recruiting a group of players that can implement the way we want to play.”
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About the author
To sign up to Liam’s latest Oxford United newsletter for free, click here: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/newsletters/
Formerly the politics reporter for the Oxford Mail, Liam now covers all things Oxford United.
Liam attends the U’s home and away, as well as covering other big sports stories across the county.
His Oxford United newsletter is released every Saturday morning at 6am.
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